People often want to use a variety of “diet” or “0 calorie” products when trying to lose weight.  Today we are going to talk about one of the most popular diet products out there, Diet Coke.  Is it a good tool for weight loss or not?

Firstly, Diet Coke is a 0-calorie drink.  It will not add any calories to your daily intake.  With this being said, it should be a slam dunk “yes” for is this a useful product when trying to lose weight.  It is not that simple, however.  We are constantly asked about diet sodas in our weight loss centers.  The truth is that there has been research linking diet sodas to weight gain at a higher rate than even regular soda.  How could this be if Diet Coke has 0 calories?  Most of the research I have read on it boils it down to 2 hypotheses.  First, the artificial sweeteners in Diet Coke may artificially elevate insulin and make it harder for you to metabolize fat.  Second, your body recognizes the sweet sensation when you ingest an artificial sweetener, but it does not get the caloric reward.  You, therefore, become hungrier for sweets and are more susceptible to straying from the diet you are on.

With solid alternatives like Zevia soda, my opinion is that we can leave Diet Coke alone when trying to lose weight.  This is what I always instruct my patients who are trying to lose weight quickly.