Reader question.........I love soda...is diet soda my best bet for dieting?

Question..... is diet soda (coke Zero) the best bet for dieting?  I love soda.......

My answer:  I know this isn't what you want to hear, but if you really want results when dieting, you also need to drop the diet soda.  I know what the bottle says, zero calories......blah, blah, blah......but guess what?  Artificial sweeteners and flavors affect out bodies in more ways than you can imagine.  If you google it, there are tons of articles on the strange side effects that they can cause, and one of them is that they can stall your fat loss.  A few years ago when I was getting ready for a fitness competition I was drinking a ton of diet soda, and doing everything else right with my diet, but not dropping any weight.  I was also very tired and anxious......I talked to my coach, who said that I MUST drop the diet soda immediately, and I did....although it was hard!  Within a week the weight began to fall off, and I felt so much better.  Fake food does some funny things to your body, and with artificial sweeteners, your brain gets confused.  It expects calories from sugar....after all sweetener tastes like sugar, but it gets .....nothing!  No energy, no nutrients...  When you're dieting (or just trying to lead a healthy lifestyle) you need to get more bang for your buck.  You need good, old fashioned water, or green tea....that's what you should be drinking for optimal success and health.  Treat yourself to one or two sodas a week, but just know it's not helping you.

Dieting and saboteurs

One thing that I have always found, is that the closer I get to my goal....for a photo shoot, or vacation.....the harder it gets to stick to it.  Now part of this is just the fact that I have been being really consistent on plan for a while, and I miss certain treats....but the other factor is something that everyone should be aware of:  Not everyone in your life actually wants you to be successful in your dieting efforts!  Certain people will suddenly tell you that "you should stop now" and perhaps even drop off some of your favorite treats.  It could be your boyfriend, best friend or co-worker, it could be anyone.  That said, the reasoning behind what they are doing could be perfectly innocent, but whatever it is.....as long as your goals are reasonable....stick to them.  Of course I hope that your goal is to be fit, and healthy, not rail thin and emaciated......so within reason, accomplish your original goal.  It's not always easy, but just be aware that there will be an obstacle course ahead of you before you can really get what you want.  If it were easy, everyone would look great!