Diet Coke can be a very good substitute for sodas and other drinks as part of your weight loss diet due to its absence of calories, similar taste, and caffeine content.
In the rest of the article, we’re going to explore the reasons why Diet Coke is good for weight loss in detail, have a look at how it compares to Coke Zero for weight loss, and how you can maintain a calorie deficit to lose weight.
Why is Diet Coke Good for Weight Loss?
Diet Coke is a very good substitute for regular Coca-Cola and other sodas as part of your weight loss diet because it contains no calories whatsoever while maintaining the same great taste that you’re used to. Diet Coke also has caffeine, which can aid in weight loss as well.
Diet Coke Contains Zero Calories
The main selling point for Diet Coke and the reason for its creation is that it has no added sugar. This in turn means that it not only has no carbohydrates, which can cause faster weight gain, but also no calories at all! The most essential element of weight loss is maintaining a calorie deficit, so with zero calories, Diet Coke will never cause you any weight gain.
Diet Coke Tastes Great!
A lot of people will have a Coke with their meals or throughout the day because it tastes so good. The problem with this is that even though it’s not often considered a food, Coke is very fattening. A normal can of Original Taste Coca Cola has 39 grams of added sugar and a total of 140 calories. Only 15 cans can exceed your daily calorie allowance.
Diet Coke has a very similar taste to the original coke, but without any of the sugar or calories. This means that you can drink as many Diet Cokes as you want without gaining any more weight than if you had not drunk any. The sweetness of Diet Coke will also take care of your cravings for the taste, which can reduce your sugar intake in general.
Diet Coke has Caffeine
A regular can of Diet Coke contains 46 milligrams of caffeine, which aids in weight loss in two ways. The first is by working as an appetite suppressant, reducing how much food you eat throughout the day. The second is by increasing how much energy your body burns while at rest. The difference isn’t huge, but by increasing your calorie output, it helps you maintain that calorie deficit.
Does Diet Coke Cause Belly Fat?
Diet Coke will not cause you to gain belly fat because it contains absolutely no calories. Belly fat, like all fat, is caused primarily by a calorie surplus, with other factors having more minor effects. Whether the fat you gain is stored on your belly or elsewhere is dependent on your genetics, but as long as you maintain a calorie deficit, you should not be gaining any.
Is it Better to Drink Diet Coke or Coke Zero for Weight Loss?
Both Diet Coke and Coke Zero have no calories, so neither of them will cause you to gain weight due to a calorie surplus. The primary difference between the two drinks is that they use different sweeteners, but the two subtler differences will be those that may affect weight loss, namely caffeine content and sweetness.
Diet Coke has about one third more caffeine than Coke Zero. If caffeine has a particularly strong effect on you with regard to appetite suppression or increase in metabolism, then Diet Coke may be slightly better than Coke Zero for your weight loss diet.
On the other hand, if the main value you get out of sugar-free drinks is that they eliminate your cravings for sweetness, Coke Zero may be the better option. Not everyone can differentiate between Diet Coke and Coke Zero, but for the ones that can, they usually identify Coke Zero as being sweeter, likely due to the inclusion of acesulfame potassium as a sweetener.
How Do You Lose Weight With a Calorie Deficit?
Fundamentally, weight gain is caused by a surplus in calories, so conversely, weight loss can be achieved by maintaining a calorie deficit. As long as you burn more calories in a day than you take in through food and drink, you will be maintaining a calorie deficit and losing fat. This can be achieved in a variety of ways on both sides of the equation.
Decrease Calories In
You can lower the number of calories you take in by changing your eating habits in a number of ways. If you get into the habit of eating smaller meals, you’ll be able to reduce your overall intake, but a more creative way to achieve this is through timing changes. Limiting the number of meals you eat or reducing your snacking habits can have a huge impact.
You can also change your eating habits by choosing foods that are less calorific. Replacing sugary drinks with zero-calorie drinks like Diet Coke is one way to do this, but you can also replace energy-dense foods, like potatoes, with things like salads.
Increase Calories Out
If you want to increase the number of calories you’re burning every day, the fastest way to do this is through exercise. Aerobic exercises will burn the most fat, with running being the easiest one to get into since it doesn’t require any special equipment.
If you don’t want to change your lifestyle too much by implementing an intense exercise regimen, a much gentler increase in physical activity will still work. A 30 minute calisthenics routine every morning can make a difference, but even walking for your commute instead of driving will lead to a considerable increase in your calorie output.
Conclusion
We’ve learned how Diet Coke can be a beneficial substitute for sugary drinks primarily because it has no calories, making it much easier to maintain a calorie deficit. We’ve also looked at other ways to achieve a calorie deficit so that you can lose weight with any type of diet.
