sugar debate...

Can I ask why you think the sugar was slowing your loss? Was it just taking too big of a chunk of your total calories per day or was it something else? Unless you have a medical condition that impacts insulin/etc, within the frame of appropriate calorie and macro goals for your current weight/body comp/activity level and your goal weight/body comp, it really doesn't matter how much sugar you consume. However, if you're consuming too much sugar at the expense of getting enough protein/fat/micronutrients, or it's causing you to exceed your calorie goal, then I can see where you'd want to cut down.

So, basically, what I'm saying is that as long as you're meeting your goals, use as much sugar as you want. If you're not meeting your goals and want to reduce your sugar consumption, then my vote is that, in moderation, some Spenda should be perfectly fine.

First, be gentle with yourself----preemie twins and 3 other kids---that's a lot to juggle.

Here is what I did to cut my lifelong sugar cravings to zero---this worked for me, there will be people on this list who trash the idea---but I tried it out of desperation. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't---but you have nothing to lose by trying.

1) Cut the coffee way back---it jerks up all your adrenals [according to my health professional] and contributes to the "crash and burn" cycle that demands more: coffee, more sugar, more carbs. I didn't think I could cut my black tea habit---but I gradually cut it down to one cup a day and the rest is all sorts of yummy teas without the caf.

2) Try cutting back your carbs [I cut off all grains, which I thought would be a lot harder than it was but after the first day it has been easy and has made a tremendous difference in weight loss but also how I feel]. This is the only thing I've ever done that cut my sugar cravings.

3) Try cutting all added sugar from your diet. Again, there are people on this list who say "a carb is a carb" but that isn't true for me---cutting off added sugars made it possible for me to let sugar go, for the first time in my life and not miss it. Some people can eat a little bit, not me.

4) Sleep my dear, whenever you can.

Good luck. Let us know how you are doing.

I just had a physical last week and my doctor told me no artificial sweeteners. She did say I could use Stevia. I worked hard at losing weight last year, yet only lost 20 the whole year (and I have 100 to lose) She said the diet sodas and the splenda could make it harder, and she told me I'd be better off having no soda, but if I did to drink the regular type.

I did try the stevia, and I like it. I've been using it in my tea, and it doesn't seem to have a bad aftertaste.

The problem with artificial sweeteners is that they won't fix the real problem, which is your sweet tooth. You can train yourself to stop needing everything you drink to be sweet.

I used to add splenda to my coffee. But after getting used to drinking coffee black, I now find sweet coffee disgusting. The sugar masks coffee's real flavor. But those tastes must be acquired.

Sugar has 16 calories per teaspoon. Even even you had 8 cups of coffee a day with one tsp per cup, that's only 128 calories(?)

I don't drink the stuff. But, I work at a place that most people do. I'm willing to bet most people don't just put one tsp of sugar in their cup.

I'm a coffee junkie myself, and I have been trying to cut back on added sugar intake, as well. I have had some success with it, so I will share what I have done in case it can help you.

The following is what I have done and will continue to do:
- For the first month, I cut from 3 sugars per coffee to 2.
- Last month, I cut from 2 sugars per coffee down to 1.
- This month, I am changing from light chocolate soy milk as my creamer to a no sugar added plain soy milk and 1 sugar.
- Next month, I plan to cut to no sugar and stay with the same no sugar added soy milk.

It takes a lot of strength to make big changes with little ones to take care of. Good luck!

Sugar has 16 calories per teaspoon. Even even you had 8 cups of coffee a day with one tsp per cup, that's only 128 calories(?)

I don't drink the stuff. But, I work at a place that most people do. I'm willing to bet most people don't just put one tsp of sugar in their cup.

That's where portion size comes into play-nothing wrong with sugar, but just like anything else you need to measure out portion sizes. I put two tsp of cinnamon sugar on my sweet potato breakfast every morning. I keep a tsp measuring spoon right in the container. It's not that complicated to do

Sugar has 16 calories per teaspoon. Even even you had 8 cups of coffee a day with one tsp per cup, that's only 128 calories(?)

I don't drink the stuff. But, I work at a place that most people do. I'm willing to bet most people don't just put one tsp of sugar in their cup.

I'm willing to bet most of them don't have 8 cups a day, either, so the numbers are probably not that far off, and not all of them will use any sugar in their coffee- I don't.

OP: Why do you think artificial sweeteners will make your body "resist the breakdown of natural sugars"? Foods get broken down by the body into sugars all the time, as part of the digestive process. I don't understand why artificial sweeteners would interfere with this process.

If you're breast feeding the twins (or pumping since they're premature, I don't know if they can latch or whatever) you should put off the aggressive weight loss plans.

I'm becoming concerned about my body resisting the proper breakdown of natural sugars if I continue to use the splenda.

This doesn't even mean anything. It's literally impossible. No such thing happens.

Use the Splenda all you want.