Why Your Diet Coke Might Be Making You Fat

Many people think that they can go on a diet and still be able to drink all the soda they want because after all, they drink “Diet” sodas so there isn’t an issue. Right? If you are one of those people who think that diet sodas are a healthier option and they won’t make you put on weight, then you should think again. Unfortunately, diet sodas do far more harm than good and they can actually make you fat!

Diet sodas such as Diet Coke is advertised as a healthier alternative to the full sugared soda drink. Sugar is replaced with an artificial sweetener such as aspartame. Aspartame is a low-calorie artificial sweetener that is used in many diet sodas. The presence of aspartame or any other artificial sweetener is detrimental to our health and should always be avoided. But I think that we all know that our soda drinks are bad for us. So what’s new? Well, your Diet Coke could be making you fat! It really isn’t a very good diet drink now is it?

Artificial sweeteners are up to 8000 times sweeter than sugar. When we eat something that is extremely sweet, our body expects that we are about to consume a large amount of calories and so we lose that ability to be satisfied with just a simple snack. We search for more food and gain unnecessary weight as a result.

Our preference for something sweet heightens after drinking diet sodas. What this means is that our diet sodas gives us strong cravings which leads to us eating more after consuming a diet soda. Although diet sodas contain zero calories, it’s the food that we crave afterwards which is the issue. We crave sweet and unhealthy foods and that is thanks to diet sodas.

In addition, our metabolism will be affected. Diet sodas can slow down our metabolism and therefore the number of calories we burn each day lessens. Consuming artificial sweeteners trick your body. Our body senses something sweet so it produces a bunch of insulin. This causes our bodies to store fat instead of burning fat. So, don’t be surprised to see diet soda drinkers with abdominal obesity or belly fat.

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In addition to diet sodas making you fat, they can also lead to future health problems. According to the Diabetes Journals, drinking diet sodas on a regular basis It could increase your risk of type II diabetes by 67%. It could lead to abnormal weight gain and obesity. It can elevate your blood pressure and increase your risk of depression.

Go Healthy

If your intention of shifting from regular soda to something healthier to lose weight and live healthy then know that you actually have several options on how you can reach that goal – shifting to diet soda is not one of them. You can start by making healthy food choices.

• Changes Do Not Have To Be Drastic – You can start small and these small choices will eventually lead to bigger ones. Like for example, your breakfast cereal. Instead of your usual sugary cereal, you can replace that with oatmeal topped with blueberries or some banana. Or maybe for your snack you can reach for an apple instead of the usual potato chips. These small choices matter and don’t forget to give yourself a kudos every time you find yourself making that smart move.
• Keep Moving – Get off that couch, stop watching so much TV, and start moving. Try a new sport. You are never too old to do that. Not everyone is meant to go to the gym or is built for sports but you can always go find something to do. Go hiking. Walk your dog at the park. Practice Yoga. Run. Ride a bike. Use the stairs instead of an elevator or an escalator. It doesn’t matter. Just keep moving. These activities burn calories and keep you healthy.
• Drink Healthy – Soda is not the only beverage that’s there. Of course, water is the best health option, but if you ever get tired of water, you can always find a way to spruce it up by adding natural flavors to it. Add slices of your favorite fruit and vegetables to your water and give it an exciting twist. You can use mint, limes, cucumbers, berries or oranges to it. You can also chop these fruits or vegetables, put them in an ice cube tray, add water and leave it in your freezer. You can then add these fruit cubes into your drink for added flavor.

Aside From Water You Can Also Go For:

• Green Tea – This healthy beverage is packed with antioxidants meant to improve your overall health. It can stimulate and improve your brain function. It is known to help reduce stress, weight loss and hypertension. It lowers your risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices – This is one way of getting those nutrients into our body. With the use of a juicer, you can extract the juices of a fresh fruit or a vegetable and drink it.
• Fruit and Vegetable Smoothies – This is another drink where you can get your daily consumption of fruits and veggies. Compared to juicing, nothing is left behind because you are blending the entire fruit – pulp, fiber, skin and all.

So there you have it. There are far better options out there than diet sodas which don’t make you fat. What has your experience been with diet sodas? Have they made you crave sugar or more food than usual? Have they helped you put on weight? We would love to hear from you in the comments below.