Sugar Alcohol?

CynthiasChoice

Does anyone have personal experience with negative effects of sugar alcohol on weight loss?

I've been losing a pound a week for many months, and now for three weeks, no loss.

Three weeks ago, I started eating a protein bar or ice cream sweetened with sugar alcohols and monk fruit. My calories are the same, and activity is the same. My carbs and fiber are higher though. (Carbs under 130 gr, and Fiber 40 -65 grams)

I'm ridiculously meticulous with weighing foods and logging using usda data, so I'm reasonably certain that's not the issue. I no longer have a TOM, I'm "regular", and no evidence of retaining water.

It's been only three weeks, and I may be prematurely concerned, but I'd like to gather some info from the community, including anecdotal or scientific or just plain biased opinion about sugar alcohol's effect. Thanks!

alondrakayy

Can't advice you on the thoughts for sugar alcohols (to me, it doesn't really matter) but I will say you should give it a few more weeks before freaking out. This is coming from a recent experience I had with a weight stall.

MarziPanda95

If your carbs are higher, it's probably just water weight. Weight loss (whether fat or muscle) is all about calories, so if that's not changed, then any change in the patterns on the scale should just be water - whether from more carbs or possibly from sodium. It's also possible the 'calories out' part of the equation changed, if you changed your daily routine at all. Thirdly, weight loss isn't linear. Give it a while longer before you go changing things. Some people see no loss for a few weeks and then it all goes in a big whoosh!

cmriverside

Weight stalls are common. I agree, doubtful it's the sugar alcohols.

Have you been adjusting your calorie goals as you lose weight? Here on this site you have to go into "Goals" and "Save" with your new weight when you've lost 10 pounds or so in order to get a lowered or adjusted calorie goal. If you've lost quite a bit of weight without doing that, I'd suggest you rework your Goals.

tayusuki

Some sugar free or low sugar foods have additives with high glycemic indexes (maltodextrin is the worst. Might have misspelled).

While sugar alcohols are generally n = 1, there's a few that your body actually does digest a portion of. Malitol is one that comes to mind straight away.

I agree wait a few more weeks and then try eliminating it if the scale is still stuck.

lorrpb

Usually sugar alcohol has the opposite effect....

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Sugar alcohol makes me nauseous.

singingflutelady

lorrpb wrote: »

Usually sugar alcohol has the opposite effect....

Oh yes. For me I get major diarrhea

CynthiasChoice

singingflutelady wrote: »

lorrpb wrote: »

Usually sugar alcohol has the opposite effect....

Oh yes. For me I get major diarrhea

Xylitol does that to me, but not erythritol, which is what is in Halo, Enlighten, and Quest bars. I only eat 1/2 a pint at a time, though. Maybe more would be a problem.

CynthiasChoice

tayusuki wrote: »

Some sugar free or low sugar foods have additives with high glycemic indexes (maltodextrin is the worst. Might have misspelled).

While sugar alcohols are generally n = 1, there's a few that your body actually does digest a portion of. Malitol is one that comes to mind straight away.

I agree wait a few more weeks and then try eliminating it if the scale is still stuck.

I don't understand what n=1 means... Thanks for reminding me about the glycemic index - I just looked up Erythritol, and it's a 0 on the glycemic index.

CynthiasChoice

cmriverside wrote: »

Weight stalls are common. I agree, doubtful it's the sugar alcohols.

Have you been adjusting your calorie goals as you lose weight? Here on this site you have to go into "Goals" and "Save" with your new weight when you've lost 10 pounds or so in order to get a lowered or adjusted calorie goal. If you've lost quite a bit of weight without doing that, I'd suggest you rework your Goals.

Thanks for your suggestion. Unfortunately, I don't think I should go any lower on my calories. My range is about 1150 to 1300, and it averages out to about 1200 per day.

ladipoet

CynthiasChoice wrote: »

I don't understand what n=1 means... Thanks for reminding me about the glycemic index - I just looked up Erythritol, and it's a 0 on the glycemic index.

n=1 simply means that your group of scientific test subjects (n) is one person (=1), meaning you, meaning you are your own guinea pig.

mywayroche

More carbs mean more water weight. You have changed your macros with the ice cream and "protien bar" (theyre more sugar than protien, try meat or whey).

For each molecule of glycogen that your body stores, it has to store 4 molecules of water.

Your 1lb a week weight loss is easily removed by water weight. Stop eating rubbish and itll go away in a week or 2

CynthiasChoice

mywayroche wrote: »

More carbs mean more water weight. You have changed your macros with the ice cream and "protien bar" (theyre more sugar than protien, try meat or whey).

For each molecule of glycogen that your body stores, it has to store 4 molecules of water.

Your 1lb a week weight loss is easily removed by water weight. Stop eating rubbish and itll go away in a week or 2

That's what I've been thinking. I did really well when I was rubbish-free! I've noticed I'm thinking about those protein bars all day long and I want to return to being craving-free. (or nearly)