Gaining

It might also be the case that people who drink diet soda think 'oh, I'm being good by having a diet soda, so I can have a chocolate bar/burger/bag of crisps as a treat' and end up consuming more calories that way than they save by not having a sugary drink.

I'm fairly sure the diet sodas have also been linked to some (non-weight) health issues too.

Even though I prefer the taste, I tend to avoid diet coke (don't have much experience with other diet sodas) because it really does seem to make me so painfully hungry!

When I was at school I didn't eat during the day at all, once I got to sixth form I started buying diet coke at lunch time from the shop down the road, and within an hour or so I'ld feel my stomach growling. It was the first time in years that I really suffered from physical hunger!

I drink it now if I'm at home/somewhere where food is available, and it seems to be ok if I'm drinking it with spirits on a night out. I don't drink it when I'm out during the day, at uni or at work though because it still has the same effects, I've made the mistake before and by the end of a work day my stomach feels like it's eating itself!