One drink isn’t going to do anything bad to your stomach. What I’ve found works for me is simple portion control; I eat four or five meals a day, plus a couple of small snacks, plus a few extra drinks, but it’s all little stuff spaced out. One diet soda’s not going to stretch your stomach beyond any size it shouldn’t already be.
So are you benefiting from the “few extra drinks” filling up your stomach, or what?
When I was studying up on sugar substitutes and the Atkins diet, I would often read warnings that some artificial sweeteners would cause insulin spikes in some people with diabetes, not all bodies react the same way to the different sweeteners, and diabetics should take note of what kind of sweeteners were used in the sugar-free products they consumed and how the products effected their insulin levels.
So, someone could eat “sugar free ice cream” and it has no effect on them, but a different person could eat the same brand and there would be an effect. Or, the first person could simply eat a different brand of sugar free ice cream and there would be an effect on them.
There are lots of different artificial sweeteners. I am pretty sure most things with artificial sweeteners have more than one kind of sweetener. Diet Mountain Dew, for instance, has Aspartame, Ace-K and Sucralose. Diet Coke has just Aspartame. Coke Zero has Aspartame and Ace-K. Pepsi One has Ace-K and Sucralose.
Frankly, I am dubious of any claims that artificial sweeteners act to raise insulin levels or blood glucose levels in anyone, and would want to see an actual study proving such a thing. I’ve seen similar warnings myself, and none of them ever seem to be based in actual research. It’s just someone saying that “everyone’s bodies are different and so artificial sweeteners could cause an insulin spike.” Fine, except that no such effect has ever been shown, as far as I can tell. (With the possible exception of sugar alcohols, commonly used in products such as sugar-free chocolate and sugar-free ice cream.)
Most research so far is on rats, unfortunately.
In humans, it’s been found that people eating a lot of artificial sweeteners are much more likely to be fat, insulin-resistant, and diabetic. But, as far as I know there’s no real evidence that eating the stuff caused these problems.
Here is a study that indicates that sucralose, at least, does not influence insulin production in humans:
Obviously, you’re right, Tim! I don’t know why anyone would believe otherwise. I NEVER exercise. I’ve lost two pound in the last few days, just by eating less. Am I toned? Pretty much, except for the belly. If I quit drinking, more weight would come off effortlessly…not happening, though! Is it as effective or productive? Not really, but, one can absolutely lose weight without exercise.
I decided to lose some weight a couple years ago. I got a gym membership and started going three times a week and switched to healthier foods. This didn’t produce very much weight loss. I then switched from Dr. Pepper to Diet Dr. Pepper and the weight started dropping off like mad (note, I drink a fairly large amount of soda, though recently I have been drinking less). IIRC I dropped about 20 pounds in the first month or so after switching. It was a lot.
At the same time my food intake didn’t change at all.
Anecdotal? Yep, but that is the way it worked for me.
Slee