Fasting & drinking zero sugar energy drinks

I’m in the military and would like to lose roughly 20-30lbs. I work out every morning (mon-fri) and sometimes when I get off work I’ll go to the gym for weights. If I drink a energy drink it’s a monster energy with zero sugar. I typically drink 1-2 liters of water a day, pretty sure I should drink more. But I would typically skip breakfast & lunch if I’m not hungry. I’m doing a legit fast starting now to lose some extra weight. Would the energy drinks ruin my fast if I drink one throughout the day? And ik if I’m lifting weights, I should eat more protein to feed my muscles. But I would like to lose some weight before Christmas if possible. But don’t want to do anything too extreme to my body. I’m open for recommendations & hopefully I’m posting this in the correct place. CW: 202lbs (5’9)

Answer

My understanding is that zero calorie drinks that taste sweet are no good, because they fool your body into thinking it needs to produce insulin. That’s why only bitter drinks like black coffee. There are various benefits to keeping insulin levels low, but these may not be so important for you.

Answer

Don’t drink that crap at any time… get yourself a large container of XTEND Energy powder and simply add to water to make yourself a better and cheaper energy beverage for work outs. It’s zero calorie and has 7g of BCAA’s (branched-chain amino acids).

Answer

Makes zero difference

I’ve tested my fasting BG and my insulin after consuming literally tablespoons of liquid splenda and they did not budge from baseline

If you consume a sweetner with a gram or two of carbs then expect it to have a very slight response but this is such a ridiculous meme that a Coke zero will somehow magically stop fat loss (usually pushed by the same people who refuse to believe in energy balance)