Hi, I was talking to a woman at the walmart checkout today about pop. (I checked out with ten 2 liter bottles of a mixture of both diet dr. pepper and coke zero). She over stepped her bounds a little bit by criticizing my shopping habits but I my end up thanking her for it one day so I took no offense. Now, for my question: Does diet pop help you lose weight, does it make you gain? Does it really make you retain water, and if so, do you think this could be a leading cause of my skin dryness? I have been fighting this skin issue for a long time now and all doctors seem to be able to suggest is use this moisturizer or that one. (I am starting to doubt that those things even work in the first place cause they aren't helping me.) I drink about 1 2liter a day fyi. I know how bad it is for me, but I love pop so its really hard to stop drinking it. Any ideas people?

If you would drink 6 bottles of regular or 6 bottles of diet, you would save calories (obviously) with the diet. Does drinking a diet soda instead of eating save calories? Yes - if it stops there. Is it a healthy diet? No.

I find nothing soda causing skin dryness. Bad nuitrition does, of course.

There is medical research that soda, particularly diet soda, causes acne, but I find no independent studies.

The Mayo Clinic did a comprehensive study of skin problems and remedies - Moisturizers 101: The basics of softer skin - MayoClinic.com

The lady at Walmart just over stepped her place, you need to file a complaint with the store manager.

You should not be lectured on your purchase if you buy every fat object in the store by the clerk

Yes I agree about the lady in walmart. It was in no way her place, but her heart was in a good place. She said it with the best of intentions. I was looking for information to support what she said myself but I could find nothing. Pop is not replacing anything but water in my diet and that's soemthing that needs to change. I have started cutting back on the stuff and started a higher water intake. I eat just as much as ever though and everything I eat (or almost everything I eat) is homemade with all the healthy stuff. Thankfully I have a master chef in the house. But anyway, I am going to check on that link you sent me judy. Thanks for the help both of you.

FYI, I just read over the Mayo Clinic study and it helped. However there is a part at the very end that suggests talking to your dermatologist. While not all derrmatologists will do this, mine suggested and supported only the brand they carried which was cerave and it did nothing for me. She insisted that it should work in a few weeks and just to keep applying it but it never helped so after a month of buying the $15 jar of the stuff (very expensive for the amount) I decided to expieriment on my own. I have come across a product by vasiline that really seems to be helping but its still a balancing act. I have to be on time with the application of it (once ever 24 hours or less) or I will almost immediately begin to get itchy. And in some areas I still have to apply it as needed throughout the day. Thanks for the link though, very helpful and gave me a nice tip.

I don't know if it's just my luck but I've never had a good result from a product my Doctor sells. I always feel pressured... and the cost of their product is always very high.

I took a health class in college about 3 months ago that said it's better off buying the regular because in order to keep that soda on 0 calories or as they call it "diet" soda, they add extra things to it that make it even worse! My teacher said he won't ever buy diet soda or fat free of anything because it's the same concept. Regular is best you just have to regulate how much you consume. Once the diet soda enters your body the body says: What the hell is this? I don't know what this is? What do I do with it? I can't remember where the body stores the soda since it doesn't know what to do with it but I do NOT recommend diet soda! Read the ingredients. The chemicals in diet soda are not fit for human consumption!

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Originally Posted by Apple001

I took a health class in college about 3 months ago that said it's better off buying the regular because in order to keep that soda on 0 calories or as they call it "diet" soda, they add extra things to it that make it even worse! My teacher said he won't ever buy diet soda or fat free of anything because it's the same concept. Regular is best you just have to regulate how much you consume. Once the diet soda enters your body the body says: What the hell is this? I don't know what this is? What do I do with it? I can't remember where the body stores the soda since it doesn't know what to do with it but I do NOT recommend diet soda! Read the ingredients. The chemicals in diet soda are not fit for human consumption!

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I just read the label - what "extra things" are added? I don't understand what "chemicals" are added that are not recognized by the human body.

Anyone?

Not all ingredients are included but one that is and should be avoided is aspartame. "Aspartame should not be ingested by pregnant women or children younger than 7 years old, nor by individuals who are allergic to phenylalanine" They cause headaches. Here's an article on other ingredients that are harmful: Soda Ingredients Linked to Cirrhosis and Cancer - Healthy News Service.

My point is that diet soda isn't the only product that contains these ingredients.

What CHEMICALS are added? I don't see any in the article - although admittedly I could be missing the list.

Someone told me that they put an ingredient from rat poisoning in diet pops, Don't know if I believe that or not but the general thought on diet pops are that they are very bad for you. I am sure that regular pops are not good for you either. Only reason I drink them is because they taste good, which is the same reason I am slowly killing myself with cigarettes. Pop however is something that I can stop pretty easily, so after this supply is finally gone, I will try to get it out of my life completely. (Too bad healthy things both taste bad and are very expensive in comparison... ) I'd like to be skinny again but with my body type I doubt that is really even a possibility. But as far as my skin goes, I have got it back under control for the time being (I am at least healing up from scratching without having to scratch more at the moment) however I am 90% sure that my problem will not go away so easily. I really wish I knew what was really wrong with my skin in the first place and what caused it to come on so suddenly like it did.

Do you take any vitamin supplements?

What do you eat and drink in a 24-hour period?

Has the Doctor ruled out allergies?

I would think if a rat poison ingredient was in diet pop half of us (me included) would be dead and the other half would be sick and suing.

I think, because it feels like I need the carbination and caffeen, that I am going to mix like club soda or something with tea and see how that tastes, if that doesn't work out I will start combining things like water and fruit flavor with the club soda. I love carbination and my teath are already shot so I guess it doesn't really matter any more.

I take no vitamins, I eat one large meal for dinner and a small one for lunch. Occasionally I will eat a light to moderate breakfast but that's not often. I drink one cup of coffee (max 2) in the morning and for the rest of the day I drink only diet pop (or zero cal pop.) I have been trying to fit one to two cups of water in there but with this nasty well water taste its really hard to find the desire to drink the stuff.

The doctor hasn't ever even checked for allergies but the reason for that is that we couldn't think of anything that would cause it. It doesn't seem to matter what fabric I wear, or what laundry detergent I use. It all started happening right after my Arkansas trip 3 years ago. When I do not take a shower for one night, my problems all come back very quickly however with regular showers (using moisterizing soaps including one that is anit-bacterial) I seem to be able to keep the issue in check for about 24 hours. One issue is that I itch when I sleep (I will wake up itching my privates if they get hot). The good doctor told me that it was stress related but I was on pills for it which did not help anything and I itch all the time, not just when I feel stressed. And further disputing the stress idea, I am not a stressed person, I suffer only minor bouts of stress when things get tough just like everyone else. Doctor gave me a stern look and said, "Just stop itching!" like that would be the solution. Yeah sure, stop itching myself and be driven insane by it is what would happen on really bad days.

I really hate having to wash with two different soaps every single night. It takes long enough to wash everything once, let alone doing it a second time and then immediately after doing that applying a moisturizer literally from head to toe (skipping my face of course.) Its so frustrating sometimes, seems like there will be no end to my issues. I just want to know what the heck I did to deserve it, maybe its gods punishment for having sex out of wed lock. Speaking of which it always seems worse after sex, especially in the area of my privates. I believe the natural fluids and sweat irritate the issue. I don't know what my skin issue is, but I need it to stop some day soon here, I is driving me nuts.

Ok now this is stupid... I have transferred to drinking almost only water. I rarely drink pop at all now and only have a cup of coffee or two max in the morning with maybe a cup or two of red tea durning the day. Sure I have some sugar in my coffee and I drink sweetened tea. But at this point, I am drinking close to 3 liters of water a day compared to the 2 liters of pop I was drinking and that isn't including the coffee and the tea or food consumption. I read somewhere that if you drink lots of water you would lose weight (obviously this is untrue). I am 5'5" and 185 lbs or so. I haven't to my knowledge dropped a single pound, my clothes seem to be fitting tighter and tighter each day. I drink that much water because I am always thursty. I pee a lot but sweat every little. I try to eat healthy most days, and have been trying to eat smaller portions as well. And I have been getting more exercise than ever lately though I do not go out of my way to work out, just kayaking and work. Still, with all that it seems I am still putting on weight, WHY?? Am I drinking far too much water and making my body store it? Like I said I pee A LOT! So I don't think I am storing much if any water at all. And the temp around here is very moderate, not very hot. Its Michigan. What am I doing wrong guys/girls? Why can't I lose weight, and on top of that question, why am I drinking so much water all the time. It is to the point that even my health nut friend has told me I drink enough water to kill a camel.