Do diet drinks make you hungry?

[Lost Dog]

Just a theory...

My somewhat recent experiment using caloric foods with little to no taste to "trick" your body into not being hungry (ala "The Shangri La Diet") got me to thinking. If foods with no taste, but calories, keep you from being hungry, can foods with taste but no calories trick your body into being hungry?

As hard as it is, I'm almost considering thinking about whether or not to possibly start to slow down my consumption of diet soda. Maybe...

[galya]

There are other valid reasons to lower your consumption of diet soda, but you might have a point Don't sweeteners affect insulin anyways?

[Ogedei]

Where I agree there are plenty of good reasons not to drink diet pop, I think the biggest one is tooth decay.

I don't personally subscribe to the anti-sweetner crusade.

I know for me, I had stopped drinking this stuff, but honestly found it very difficult to go out and have any cold beverage besides water when I wanted a calorie free cold drink. The stuff is addictive, I haven't been able to only have it at restaurants, so now I tend to drink it again.

On the otherside of the coin, if I view it as a treat when I inevitably end up in a 7-11 buying eggs, I am better off with it than with the ice-cream.

I have heard that sweeteners can effect insulin, but I haven't seen any studies, and I believe diabetics are able to drink it, which would say to me that even if it does, it can't be very much.

Og.

[Lost Dog]

Type 1 Diabetics may just be a loophole, since they can't produce insulin.

As to raising insulin levels, in others. Maybe. If insulin goes up, with no calories, blood sugar goes down. That would make you hungry and/or crave food. Maybe carbs, too?

[galya]

I've heard that. I have no research to back it up. My reactions are not like that. If I want a diet coke I have one. It usually kills my appetite.

[Lost Dog]

I drink so many, it's hard to know.

[OldGuy]

Interesting. During the day I drink mostly water and don't have a problem. But for the last week or so I've been having diet soda at night, and I noticed that I have been craving (and eating) a lot more at night. Hmmmmm.

[Lost Dog]

Well, I have had an entire day without a soda. Milestone.

Strangely, about 4pm, I started thinking along these lines.

"Obviously, I can avoid the soda. I've made it so far. Soda's not so bad, and now I know I don't need it. So, why not have one? But, wait. I should at least go the whole day, for the principal of it. What's that going to prove? I already know I can do it. Why actually do it? I'm thirsty."

The rationalizations of a drug, er... soda addict.

However, all thoughts and pop fantasies aside, I have not had any soda today. Water, coffee, and unsweetened iced tea. No soda.

[gobbla]

The only thing that I'd say is that sweet things make me crave sweet things. So pop may not make me hungry but if I am hungry I'm more likely to go for something a little sweeter than if I'm going thru a "bland" phase.

[Iamjennmedic]

Interesting question. I don't drink regular pop, it gives me almost instant heartburn. I can't stand the taste of diet pop. Come to think of it all I do drink is coffee, peppermint tea, water and the occassional juice or iced tea. I don't often crave sweet stuff, so is there a connection? Perhaps, but maybe not..

[Lost Dog]

Originally Posted by gobbla

The only thing that I'd say is that sweet things make me crave sweet things. So pop may not make me hungry but if I am hungry I'm more likely to go for something a little sweeter than if I'm going thru a "bland" phase.

That's a big part of it, too. Once I have one sweet thing, I keep wanting more.

[luniz]

I drink a ton of diet Sprite or Mt. Dew. Sometimes I do feel like it might be making me hungry, because I occasionally run out and get "stuck" with just water. It could all be in my head though.

[RacerBill]

Originally Posted by Lost_Dog

That's a big part of it, too. Once I have one sweet thing, I keep wanting more.

I think you're on to something there. I don't know if there's any real research on this, but it sure seems that tasting something sweet makes you crave more. Even if I allow myself a cheat treat, I can't stop at one cookie.

[Ogedei]

Originally Posted by Lost_Dog

Well, I have had an entire day without a soda. Milestone.

Strangely, about 4pm, I started thinking along these lines.

"Obviously, I can avoid the soda. I've made it so far. Soda's not so bad, and now I know I don't need it. So, why not have one? But, wait. I should at least go the whole day, for the principal of it. What's that going to prove? I already know I can do it. Why actually do it? I'm thirsty."

The rationalizations of a drug, er... soda addict.

However, all thoughts and pop fantasies aside, I have not had any soda today. Water, coffee, and unsweetened iced tea. No soda.

Man I SO feel your pain. I went from drinking several a day to none and did fine. Absolutely fine. Then I started drinking 1 or 2...and now I could easily drink several a day now.

Addiction? I don't know. I don't crave coffee so I doubt it is the caffeine. I didn't experience any negative effects when I stopped using it.

Still I suspect it is some sort of addiction, cause I have had that very same logic as well, and I have had it with not just diet sodas, but with other sweet treats I allow myself from time to time.

I can start off Monday, the day after treat day, and be like YAY! LETS DO IT! I won't have ice-cream this week! And by Sunday I am like, ah hell some ice-cream isn't going to impact my goals that much. I mean heck I am still cutting slowly, it'll be ok. And it's not like I have had that many calories anyhow. I really do NEED to eat it.

Just retarded.

So in honor of this thread and LD yesterday I as well had no diet pop and switched to iced tea and regular tea at work (IE brewed iced tea)

I am planning on making another big batch of brewed tea for work again today as well. Like one of those Nalgene bottle's worth

Og.