Does diet soda keep you from losing weight?

[Emily Stack]

I traditionally have my one Diet Pepsi at night.  During the day, I drink plenty of water and green tea.  Will the one diet soda keep from losing weight?    I was just curious on people's opinions.

[ShannonM816]

Obviously, Diet Pepsi isn't allowed on Whole30, and in general, we don't make specific recommendations about what you should or shouldn't eat after Whole30 -- figuring out what's worth it to you is all part of riding your own bike. No one here can tell you exactly how one Diet Pepsi a day will affect your weight. 

It's not going to make you physically healthier, for sure. If you do decide that Diet Pepsi is important to you and you really want to keep it in your diet going forward, I'd really recommend that sometime after you've done a Whole30, either before or after whatever other reintroductions you decide to do, give yourself a few days to a week of Whole30 eating, but adding that Diet Pepsi in each evening, and pay attention to how you feel. First, the first time you have it, ask yourself if it really tastes as good as you expect? And as you drink it, does it continue to taste just as good? (Read through Melissa's One Bite Rule for more on this idea.)  Do you sleep as well when you have it as when you don't? Do you wake up feeling refreshed, or dragging yourself out of bed, when you have it and when you don't? Do you find that when you have the Diet Pepsi, you crave other non-compliant foods, especially sweets? Do you feel more anxiety or less when you have it? Does it cause gas and bloating and belching? Just in general, do you feel better when you drink it than when you don't? Pay attention to these kinds of things, and then use how you feel to help you decide if it's worth it to have this every day, or just occasionally, or never again. 

[MeadowLily]

http://www.health.com/alzheimers/diet-soda-linked-to-dementia-stroke

Your body and brain can't tell the difference between something really artificial and actual sugar. Research it.