Do artificial sweeteners stop you losing weight?

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  • wibbley74
    wibbley74 Posts: 80 Member
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    first step stop the sugar
    second step cut down the sweeteners to zero

    i can drink tea without them now but not the coffee......... yet
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    Well here are two facts then,
    1. Sugar does affect your insulin
    2. Artificial sweetners might affect your insulin.

    So what. They are both fine. Just because something is man made does not make it bad. To much of anything can hurt you. Every scientific study can be proven and then disproven ten years later.

    Your question was "what is the truth?" The answer is that the truth is not going to be from any study except your own. Every person has to do what works for them.

    "Every scientific study can be proven and then disproven ten years later"

    Just look at what's been said about eggs and butter over the years, some say eggs are good for you, some say they're not.....some say real butter is better than the fake stuff, some say it's not.....

    I just listen to my body, and since this is my first "get healthy" quest, I've been drinking LOTS of water, and only drink the Diet Pepsi (which I'm addicted to) on the weekends (my "treat") and all I can say is I feel MUCH better the days I stay away from the Diet Pepsi. That's not to say it's the artificial sweetener in it, but there's definitely something in there that makes me feel "not right"...I'm thinking about cutting them out all together.

    Finding insulin levels is a piece of cake, so is drinking/eating them. Checking for them is simple too.
  • Richie2shoes
    Richie2shoes Posts: 412 Member
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    I use them in my iced tea and coffee without any issues. I stopped drinking diet soda because I always wanted salty snacks to go with it, but I think that is just my own neurosis and not a side affect.
  • GamerLady
    GamerLady Posts: 359 Member
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    No they do not.

    They have zero calories and have zero insulin response.

    Impossible for them to do anything :o))
    ^^This^^
  • sourpower434
    sourpower434 Posts: 47 Member
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    Not exactly related to weightloss, but...one side effect I noticed was that artificial sweeteners caused tremendous gas and bloating for me! Think part of it is cuz it's not natural and my body doesn't know how to digest it.

    I'm not sure how common this is for other people, but since I stopped adding the fake stuff to my coffee and quit drinking crystal light and other diet teas and juices, my insides have been much happier. It's made a world of difference.

    Sorry if that was TMI! :-)
  • CoraGregoryCPA
    CoraGregoryCPA Posts: 1,097 Member
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    I gave up sweet N low since Jan 1st and I LOVED my sweet N low in my coffee. I craved my coffee because it was sweetened with my sweet N low. After 30 days, I gave up coffee because it was bland and not a craving anymore. I used to drink 2 cups a day. A month after giving up coffee, I just noticed that my cravings and watching the clock to see when I'm going to eat next changed. I didn't watch the clock so much.

    But then I started drinking coffee with 1 teaspoon of sugar.. it still isn't as sweet as I'd like. My weightloss did not change at all because of giving up sweet n low or swapping sugar for sweet n low.

    The only difference I saw was when I gave up coffee, I wasn't edgy watching the clock all day or craving "bad foods". From my experience, the sweet n low didn't make a difference but giving up coffee did! I'm probably going to give up coffee again because I don't like it as much when it isn't sweet! Thankfully I don't get any side effects from giving up coffee. No headaches, no tiredness, nothing. I generally drink 2 cups a day.
  • CoraGregoryCPA
    CoraGregoryCPA Posts: 1,097 Member
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    I had this problem when I drank those packets that you put in your water.. the protein packets or crystal light packets.. those things were horrible for me!!! I love plain water!
    Not exactly related to weightloss, but...one side effect I noticed was that artificial sweeteners caused tremendous gas and bloating for me! Think part of it is cuz it's not natural and my body doesn't know how to digest it.

    I'm not sure how common this is for other people, but since I stopped adding the fake stuff to my coffee and quit drinking crystal light and other diet teas and juices, my insides have been much happier. It's made a world of difference.

    Sorry if that was TMI! :-)
  • 2FatToRun
    2FatToRun Posts: 810 Member
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    Some ppl used it to get rid of cravings and it has worked for them. Some have tried it and get terrible side effects so no bueno for them. Some will bash it because it is a synthetic substance and harms you/kills you but there is not enough sufficient proof to support those who bash it. Some support it as the end all be all to weight loss but there is not enough sufficient proof to support those ppl either.

    Conclusion: Try it. If you have side effects stop.If it helps you to lose weight, go for it. Find what works for you. There is no right or wrong answer here.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    I'm a scientist, and I'm not a huge fan of eating things that were created in a laboratory.

    That being said, I do like a Diet Coke every now and again.

    Everything in moderation, I suppose.
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Nope.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    If they did, I would never have lost a pound. I go through a couple cans of diet soda a day.
  • ChaoticMum
    ChaoticMum Posts: 115 Member
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    No scientific experience or links to prove it. Just personal experience. My husband drank diet soda along with water. Averaged 3 cans a day. He stopped the pop - went through three days of hellacious headaches (while replacing that pop with water) and mood swings and then over the next month proceeded to drop 15lb of weight - and 4" off his belly alone. That was the ONLY change he made. It spurred him into getting healthier and he has since made dietary changes to increase the weight loss. So - in his case, yes - artificial sweeteners affected his weight. He never would have known it if he didn't do an 'experiment'.
  • seths_wife
    seths_wife Posts: 76 Member
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    I've never had a problem, and I probably consume more than I should. :smile:
  • leeroxboro
    leeroxboro Posts: 142 Member
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    Some ppl used it to get rid of cravings and it has worked for them. Some have tried it and get terrible side effects so no bueno for them. Some will bash it because it is a synthetic substance and harms you/kills you but there is not enough sufficient proof to support those who bash it. Some support it as the end all be all to weight loss but there is not enough sufficient proof to support those ppl either.

    Conclusion: Try it. If you have side effects stop.If it helps you to lose weight, go for it. Find what works for you. There is no right or wrong answer here.

    This :smile:
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    No scientific experience or links to prove it. Just personal experience. My husband drank diet soda along with water. Averaged 3 cans a day. He stopped the pop - went through three days of hellacious headaches (while replacing that pop with water) and mood swings and then over the next month proceeded to drop 15lb of weight - and 4" off his belly alone. That was the ONLY change he made. It spurred him into getting healthier and he has since made dietary changes to increase the weight loss. So - in his case, yes - artificial sweeteners affected his weight. He never would have known it if he didn't do an 'experiment'.

    There's no way that's true. The instant someone decides to take action and do something for their health, such as give up diet soda, that impetus affects many many decisions that person makes throughout the day.

    It may have been the only conscious, intentional change he made but there's no way it's the "only" change he made. Especially if he lost 15 pounds in a single month.
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
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    Some ppl used it to get rid of cravings and it has worked for them. Some have tried it and get terrible side effects so no bueno for them. Some will bash it because it is a synthetic substance and harms you/kills you but there is not enough sufficient proof to support those who bash it. Some support it as the end all be all to weight loss but there is not enough sufficient proof to support those ppl either.

    Conclusion: Try it. If you have side effects stop.If it helps you to lose weight, go for it. Find what works for you. There is no right or wrong answer here.

    This :smile:

    I third this post
  • Dort68
    Dort68 Posts: 36 Member
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    Hey,

    I was wondering if any one can shed some light on this? I have read some good and some bad things about artificial sweeteners? What is the truth?

    Thanks

    No they do not.

    They have zero calories and have zero insulin response.

    Impossible for them to do anything :o))

    This is true for Splenda, etc. However, sugar alcohols DO impact blood sugars. Sorbitol, Mannitol, Xylitol. These 3 are used as sugar substitutes.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    This is true for Splenda, etc. However, sugar alcohols DO impact blood sugars. Sorbitol, Mannitol, Xylitol. These 3 are used as sugar substitutes.

    Sugar alcohols are somewhat different to the sweetners named and have a calorie base to them (between 1 and 2.4 calories IIRC). You are correct with sugar alcohols, but not the ones inferred by this topic.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    Just no.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/artificial-sweetners-unhealthy-eco.htm

    Here's one article from a source I generally trust. Easy read.

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