How do you guys feel about diet soda and intermittent fasting? I just started 16:8 and sometimes I’ll grab a diet soda. Should I drop it or is it okay starting out? I still make sure I drink water throughout the day.
I’m a type 1 diabetic and I can tell you, regardless of what these comments say, diet soda does not spike your insulin. Those artificial sweeteners do not raise your blood sugar, so if they did actually raise your insulin levels, everyone who drinks them would be passing out from low blood sugar all the time. It has nothing to do with your insulin levels. It’s a bunch of bunk.
I started out only drinking water for a couple months for my fasts, but eventually just gave in and started drinking diet sodas as well. It made 0 difference and I lost the same amount of weight on average.
Is it as clean or healthy? Absolutely not, but it isn’t going to hurt you or your progress.
Aspartame doesn’t spike insulin, I drink diet caffeine free Coke all the time and it doesn’t interfere with my fasts. Not all artificial sweeteners are the same, however. I’d avoid anything with sucralose.
The reason I dropped diet soda outside of when I am at the movies every once in awhile is because drinking it often hinders progress. With the artificial sweeteners and chemicals it made me crave other things and harder to fast during my fasting time.
I feel ya where it’s hard to give up, I absolutely LOVE diet coke but making the cut re: sodas even diet has given me so much life and made getting to 20:4 fasting extremely easy in comparison.
But drinking it during your eating window occasionally (not daily) shouldn’t hinder weight loss, just never during your fast. Clean fasting > dirty fasting for all fasting benefits and faster weight loss. Diet Soda chemicals can decrease metabolism and help hold on to fat cells. And it was also recently linked to contributing to type 2 diabetes even though it has no refined sugar.
For what it’s worth I was told to leave the Diet Coke alone from my doctor because I have kidney disease. The acidity and the Carmel color are the reasons why it’s stressful to the kidneys. But no it doesn’t spike insulin, per my doctor.
There are carbonated drinks without sweeteners. Also, I have a small machine that will make carbonated water at home to which you can add lemon or lime juice.
Do your best to kick the artificial sweetened diet soda habit.