affect stevia has on cravings/progress? Count the calories?

SheGlistensasSheSings
SheGlistensasSheSings Posts: 278 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Well what affect do you find stevia/natural sweetners have on your sweetooth appetite weightloss? Count the calories from rice maltodextrin?

I have reactive hypoglycemia (no sugar allowed) and a bad sweet tooth. Am wondering community's refelections on/respomses to above questions because somewhat perplexed myself. Think in some ways my sweet tooth craving/satiation level has gone up because find I'm using more packets. Bummer cause of cost (whole foods brand $6 for 100packets) and rice maltodextrin consumption.
Do you guys count the carbs/cals in these packets? I don't for brands that have fiber. The type referred to above/currently using has less than a gram per packet but still.......

All responses shares appreciated!! Multiplicity of thanks awesome MFP folks!

Replies

  • redladywitch
    redladywitch Posts: 799 Member
    I really like Stevia and use it frequently. I log it in my food diary. I try to do with most everything though. I don't think that Stevia has had a negative effect on me.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    The impact on cravings is highly individual.

    It does not impact my cravings.

    I log my sweeteners as they do have some carbs, albeit small.
  • SheGlistensasSheSings
    SheGlistensasSheSings Posts: 278 Member
    Thanks guys! How do you log it if not in the database or in the database as no calories? How would you suggest I log these whole foods less than one gram packets?

    About how many do you guys use on different item examples to feel like those different items are sweet enough?
    I would be grateful to learn quantities cause I think I may be using too much.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    If it's not in the database, you can add it. It may be there with zero calories as that is the way it shown on the nutrition label - it will probably have macros though. If not in a packet (i.e. loose), I weigh it.
  • popsicklestar
    popsicklestar Posts: 166 Member
    I use stevia frequently, and haven't experienced any negative effects. It hasn't affected my weightloss or cravings.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    I used to use quite a lot of stevia (liquid, not granules - the erythritol usually added bloats me terribly!) but I have read a few things possibly linking it to thyroid issues...I don't think it has been researched enough to know if these are actually true. In any case, I've weaned myself off needing it in anything! (Unsweetened coffee, even black !!, is now fine...never thought I'd enjoy it this way!)

    I would count everything with cals, even sugar alcohols, or things with fibre like you mentioned.
  • SheGlistensasSheSings
    SheGlistensasSheSings Posts: 278 Member
    About how many packets do you guys use for beverages yogurt smoothies dressings whatever you use it for?

    Agreed about sugar alcohols not happy for tummy. A lot of them made from corn gmos too
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Have you tried not using it at all? Smoothies should be sweet enough with fruit. If it's not to your taste at first, you will become accustomed to it!
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    I used to count carbs, so I would have logged the packets of sweetener I used. Personally, I taste the bitterness in stevia and I seem to get a stomachache after using it, so I kind of gave up on it. Aspartame and sucralose are just fine for me, though, so I use those as desired. I bought a bottle of sucralose drops a few years ago and I'm still working my way through that. There are no carbs or calories in that, so I don't log them.

    I wouldn't know about the effect on cravings or progress, because I'm not about to stop using it. I don't drink, smoke, or use drugs, and I get regular exercise and eat my vegetables, so I have decided I will not give up my artificial sweeteners and diet colas. That's my line, and I've drawn it.

    That said, I'm not recommending it for anyone else. For certain nobody "needs" to use them.
  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
    "I have reactive hypoglycemia (no sugar allowed) and a bad sweet tooth. "

    Just a heads up... Everyone touts stevia as "natural" and good for diabetics, etc. Which is it... it is good for diabetics because not only does it not spike your blood sugar, it can actually lower it for some people. Unfortunately, for people with low to normal blood sugar to start with, this can cause hypoglycemia issues as well. I started drinking cold tea with stevia , and every day after I drank about half of the tea, I would get tunnel vision and dizzy, etc. It took me a few weeks to figure out it was the stevia causing it (I was drinking it throughout the day and didnt associate the symptoms with the timing). I started checking my blood sugar to confirm - my normal on waking was about 70, after eating about 80-90, and after drinking stevia (and getting the tunnel vision etc) it was about 50-60 (once or twice down in the 40s).

    Just something to watch for... not sure it does that to everyone.

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