Little packets of Equal, like little packets of Splenda, could cause cravings because of the maltodextrin in the packets. Most of the bulk is maltodextrin, one of the worst sugars for triggering a glucose response in *some* people.

Sodas and other products are made with aspartame and sucralose without it first being mixed with maltodextrin. So even if putting a couple of packets of Equal in your coffee induces cravings that doesn't mean that Diet Coke will do the same thing.

People argue about whether artificial sweeteners trigger an insulin response. I don't think the research done on that topic is sufficient to indicate that it does. Others disagree. That is the only way AS could hinder weight loss on a LC diet that I can think of, beyond a specific effect on a person.