I quit artificial Sweetener!!!

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245

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  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I do believe that it has a direct link to me not losing weight.

    Nope.
  • biankavarner
    biankavarner Posts: 26 Member
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    I do believe that it has a direct link to me not losing weight.

    Nope.

    we can argue about this forever! Time will tell.
  • biankavarner
    biankavarner Posts: 26 Member
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    I should have also mentioned that I changed nothing else in my diet other then take the sweetener out and using sugar for my coffee and cereal instead. I eat a 1200 cal non processed food diet a day and have not been able to lose infact I have gained weight
  • mamma_nee
    mamma_nee Posts: 809 Member
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    Everything you put in your body is a chemical. I've seen no decent evidence to suggest that artificial sweeteners are really bad for you. Personally, I'd just keep using them if they help you meet your calorie goals. Only other way around it is to work sugar into your carb macros (edit: and calories, of course).

    Actually i do have proof - eating artificial sweeteners make my benign tumors grow like mad !
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
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    Actually artificial sweetener is the reason why I have not been able to lose weight even when I eat right. Then I seen this article on how it actually causes people to gain weight. Also since I stopped using it I feel more energized and better overall. It has only been a week and since I only weigh myself every two weeks I don't know how it is affecting me on the scale.

    I do add the sugar to my daily count though

    Artificial sweeteners do not cause weight gain, nor are they the cause of not losing weight.

    Calorie surplus=weight gain
    Calorie deficit=weight loss


    well there are many studies out there that say that it does cause weight gain. I am not saying I believe everything but what do I have to lose.


    http://www.newswire.net/newsroom/pr/00079190-obesity-weight-gain-common-factors.html

    http://www.dubaichronicle.com/2014/01/11/new-weight-loss-strategies/


    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/04/saccharin-aspartame-dangers.aspx


    These are just a few of the hundreds of articles out there

    These are not studies, they are articles from websites. Mercola.com is the granddaddy of internet quackery.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    Actually artificial sweetener is the reason why I have not been able to lose weight even when I eat right. Then I seen this article on how it actually causes people to gain weight. Also since I stopped using it I feel more energized and better overall. It has only been a week and since I only weigh myself every two weeks I don't know how it is affecting me on the scale.

    I do add the sugar to my daily count though

    Artificial sweeteners do not cause weight gain, nor are they the cause of not losing weight.

    Calorie surplus=weight gain
    Calorie deficit=weight loss


    well there are many studies out there that say that it does cause weight gain. I am not saying I believe everything but what do I have to lose.


    http://www.newswire.net/newsroom/pr/00079190-obesity-weight-gain-common-factors.html

    http://www.dubaichronicle.com/2014/01/11/new-weight-loss-strategies/


    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/04/saccharin-aspartame-dangers.aspx


    These are just a few of the hundreds of articles out there

    Those aren't studies.
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
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    Everything you put in your body is a chemical. I've seen no decent evidence to suggest that artificial sweeteners are really bad for you. Personally, I'd just keep using them if they help you meet your calorie goals. Only other way around it is to work sugar into your carb macros (edit: and calories, of course).

    Actually i do have proof - eating artificial sweeteners make my benign tumors grow like mad !

    Your opinion is not exactly proof. I have friends with similar "proof" that the moon landing was faked.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    I gave them up about six months ago. I was drinking way too many diet cokes and once I decided to give it up, I gave up all artificial sweeteners.

    My main issue was the diet coke. I keep sparkling water around for when I want the fizzy. The citrus flavors of La Croix were the best substitute for me. I also stopped using Splenda in my iced tea and used lots of lemon for a while. Now I can drink it without the lemon, although I still do like it better with lemon.

    As for my coffee, I was using Splenda and powder coffee mate. I replaced both with one tablespoon of real half and half. The cream adds a sweetness. It took a couple of days to get used to it, but now I really enjoy my coffee that way.

    It was really hard the first few weeks but now they taste bad to me!

    So, how has this helped you?
  • Howdoyoufeeltoday
    Howdoyoufeeltoday Posts: 481 Member
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    The thing about artificial sweeteners is that they don't make a person gain weight by itself, but it contributes to cravings rather then helping them. It does something along the lines of tricking the body into feeling like it's getting sugar but then it realized it's not so it's like WTF I want sugar now!....and no this isn't a quote from a study but what I've heard it a few times from random doctors and such, so don't ask for facts, just going by what I've heard.

    But they have no affect on making a person gain or lose weight. how they make you feel is different. Some people handle foods better and some don't. If it makes you feel yucky then don't use it.

    As for what to put in coffee and oatmeal, try honey or agave syrup (doesn't spike insulin levels like sugar does). Or Just use sugar. Honestly, a few teaspoons a day isn't going to kill your diet. And at least you'll be getting what you want and not the fake stuff.

    I don't use them because I can't stand the after taste of artificial sweeteners. I'd rather use real sugar but less of it.
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
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    The thing about artificial sweeteners is that they don't make a person gain weight by itself, but it contributes to cravings rather then helping them. It does something along the lines of tricking the body into feeling like it's getting sugar but then it realized it's not so it's like WTF I want sugar now!....and no this isn't a quote from a study but what I've heard it a few times from random doctors and such, so don't ask for facts, just going by what I've heard.

    But they have no affect on making a person gain or lose weight. how they make you feel is different. Some people handle foods better and some don't. If it makes you feel yucky then don't use it.

    As for what to put in coffee and oatmeal, try honey or agave syrup (doesn't spike insulin levels like sugar does). Or Just use sugar. Honestly, a few teaspoons a day isn't going to kill your diet. And at least you'll be getting what you want and not the fake stuff.

    I don't use them because I can't stand the after taste of artificial sweeteners. I'd rather use real sugar but less of it.

    Not true. Through you'll read this "theory" on a lot of quack health and nutrition websites.
  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
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    Everything you put in your body is a chemical. I've seen no decent evidence to suggest that artificial sweeteners are really bad for you. Personally, I'd just keep using them if they help you meet your calorie goals. Only other way around it is to work sugar into your carb macros (edit: and calories, of course).

    Actually i do have proof - eating artificial sweeteners make my benign tumors grow like mad !

    There is a difference between anecdotes from individuals and 'decent evidence'. Also, could be placebo. If they don't work for you, fair enough, don't ingest them, but I'm yet to see evidence (that isn't 'natural' quackery or anecdotal) that they're bad for the general populace.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    The idea that a variety of wildly different chemicals which only share the property of "tasting sweet" all cause the exact same health effect in a person is ludicrous.
  • patsypooter
    patsypooter Posts: 175 Member
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    GOOD FOR YOU!

    I really limit my sugar intake but I use local unpasteurized honey as my sweetener now. I use it in my tea or sometimes I will treat myself with honey garlic chicken wings. SO good!

    I used to get chest pains when I was drinking diet pop, googled it one day and found that other people were experiencing it after drinking aspartame. Quit diet pop and have not had the chest pains since!!!
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
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    well there are many studies out there that say that it does cause weight gain. I am not saying I believe everything but what do I have to lose.


    http://www.newswire.net/newsroom/pr/00079190-obesity-weight-gain-common-factors.html

    http://www.dubaichronicle.com/2014/01/11/new-weight-loss-strategies/


    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/04/saccharin-aspartame-dangers.aspx


    These are just a few of the hundreds of articles out there
    Artficial sweeteners don't cause weight gain. These studies show correlation not causation. Try PEER REVIEWED STUDIES instead, like those from NIH, Journals of Medicine and Science or even University Studies.
    I've been drinking diet Pepsi for oaver 25+ years now and have never dealt with any of the issues that are stated by many of these "studies".

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Exactly. Correlation is not causation.

    Fat person goes to the drive through and orders a 3,000 calorie supersized meal with a diet coke. Is it *really* the artificial sweetener that is causing this person to be fat?
  • Coral_mist
    Coral_mist Posts: 11
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    Good on you aspartame has terrible side effects. Decreased vision, headaches, migraine, Epileptic seizures, severe depression, irritability, phobias, severe PMS, hyperactivity in children. multiple sclerosis (MS) chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and birth defects, including mental retardation. In my opinion it is just not worth it. Good old fashion sugar and honey in moderation is better and the body knows how to processes it. Good luck :smile:
  • loconnor466
    loconnor466 Posts: 215 Member
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    I also quit diet soda and stopped adding aspartame to my coffee and foods. I personally felt like it was interfering with my taste buds on exactly what naturally sweet food tastes like. I have a wicked sweet tooth, but I felt the fake sugar was making it worse. It took a little while but now my fruit tastes sweeter and I use honey, coconut sugar, agave now. I try to stay away from refined sugar and flour too. I think it triggers cravings in me.
    Again, I limit it, but it is not completely out of my diet. As someone else said, if you feel better, and it works for you, great! For those that can drink a bunch of diet soda and still lose weight, great! This is all about finding our individual paths to a healthier lifestyle.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892765/

    http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/artificial-sweeteners-sugar-free-but-at-what-cost-201207165030
  • MegaMolly
    MegaMolly Posts: 5 Member
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    I've just bought some Stevia sweeteners. Isn't Stevia supposedly better than anything with aspartame in it? (Haven't tried them yet as I've just got back from shopping)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I've just bought some Stevia sweeteners. Isn't Stevia supposedly better than anything with aspartame in it? (Haven't tried them yet as I've just got back from shopping)

    Better? No. Stevia tastes like crap.
  • biankavarner
    biankavarner Posts: 26 Member
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    The thing about artificial sweeteners is that they don't make a person gain weight by itself, but it contributes to cravings rather then helping them. It does something along the lines of tricking the body into feeling like it's getting sugar but then it realized it's not so it's like WTF I want sugar now!....and no this isn't a quote from a study but what I've heard it a few times from random doctors and such, so don't ask for facts, just going by what I've heard.

    But they have no affect on making a person gain or lose weight. how they make you feel is different. Some people handle foods better and some don't. If it makes you feel yucky then don't use it.

    As for what to put in coffee and oatmeal, try honey or agave syrup (doesn't spike insulin levels like sugar does). Or Just use sugar. Honestly, a few teaspoons a day isn't going to kill your diet. And at least you'll be getting what you want and not the fake stuff.

    I don't use them because I can't stand the after taste of artificial sweeteners. I'd rather use real sugar but less of it.

    Thanks!! I tried Honey in my oatmeal this morning and I like it.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    1. Everything is a chemical. Even sugar.
    2. Stevia is made from a plant, so I don't see how you can define it as artificial.
    3. Just use real sugar. Or no sweetener at all.
    4. If anyone suggests honey or agave as being a sugar replacement - they are both loaded with sugar (just being preemtive).

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