I quit artificial Sweetener!!!

13

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    ummmm sugar…?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    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


    ummm calorie deficit is what makes you lose weight..not the brand of artificial sweetener you use...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I do believe that it has a direct link to me not losing weight.

    Nope.

    we can argue about this forever! Time will tell.

    why don't you do an experiment..

    eat 5000 calories a day for a month and keep eating the artificial sweetener…see if you gain weight..

    then eat in a calorie deficit - lets say 1500 a week - for a month and don't use the sweetener…see if you lose weight..

    i think I know the what the outcome will be...
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,854 Member
    I stopped using anything artificial over 30 years ago , I rather have a lil of the good stuff or nothing at all then having the yucky after taste or chemicals in my body.
    We're made of chemicals.

    I like to use artificial sweeteners because that third eye it helped me grow is quite useful.
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
    Stevia isn't a chemical... it's natural..
  • itsjosiebitch
    itsjosiebitch Posts: 68 Member
    I haven't drunk soda for 2 years now. Never even really liked it anyway. I can drink coffee without sugar as long as it doesn't have milk in it either. (strange) But I need a packet of sweetener in my oatmeal if I'm not adding a fruit or something to it. I use Stevia/Truvia which tastes much better than artificial sweeteners to me. Honestly, I find the taste of those artificial sweeteners a little displeasing now. But I still use them if its all there is and I want something sweet. But, I'd love to give it up because not buying it would save me money and I don't have a lot of it- I don't even have a job- I'm a student
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Stevia isn't a chemical... it's natural..

    Water is a chemical. So is stevia.
  • chapklc
    chapklc Posts: 21 Member
    I still use liquid stevia (non flavored) in my morning tea, and for hot oatmeal, I use just a bit of brown sugar with organic vanilla. Makes it just as sweet as I need it. For any and everything else, I just try to stay away from unneeded sugar, like baking cookies, which I really love to do, but don't need to. Good luck with your choices and decisions.
  • KimmieSue2011
    KimmieSue2011 Posts: 117 Member
    Good for you. I've tried multiple times to give up Diet Coke, and previously failed. I think, for me at least, the diet coke made me crave more sugar. And when I couldn't drink a diet coke at 3 pm, I'd have a cookie. For new years, I gave up all added sweeteners, -- diet coke and added sugar. And this is the first time I haven't spend the whole darn day dreaming about drinking diet coke!! After the first couple days, it got far easier and I think its because I gave up the artificial sweetener and real sugar together. Im going to try it for this year and see how it goes. Mostly I eat pretty healthy but then I'd bake something yummy and eat one or three of the muffins or cookies or whatever, derailing whatever small weight loss I had up to that point. So I'm hoping that the no baked goods no sweets thing will make losing those stubborn last 10 lbs somewhat more painless. I do feel better without the sugar -- no highs and lows energy wise, no sugar coma, over full bloat yukky feelings.
  • abelthephotographer
    abelthephotographer Posts: 127 Member
    It's not about weight loss for me. It's about biology. We are built - evolved - to readily, easily, dare I say 'healthily' consume stuff we can pick, harvest, etc. That does not include some artificial ****e cooked up in a lab. It really doesn't.

    I don't have any kind of sweet tooth, but unrefined sugar, hey I won't sweat it. Honey in my porridge now and then? Effing lovely.

    But some chemical, cooked up in a lab by a corporation more interested in profit than my heath, and then endorsed as healthy by scientists on the corporation's payroll? Not in my mouth. Not on my behalf.

    These corps are just interested in us living long enough to reproduce and provide them with new customers. After that, all bets are off. NO, REALLY ...

    Wake up, people ...
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Stevia isn't a chemical... it's natural..

    Water is a chemical. H2O.

    ETA: Johnnythan, get out of my head! :angry:
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    It's not about weight loss for me. It's about biology. We are built - evolved - to readily, easily, dare I say 'healthily' consume stuff we can pick, harvest, etc. That does not include some artificial ****e cooked up in a lab. It really doesn't.

    I don't have any kind of sweet tooth, but unrefined sugar, hey I won't sweat it. Honey in my porridge now and then? Effing lovely.

    But some chemical, cooked up in a lab by a corporation more interested in profit than my heath, and then endorsed as healthy by scientists on the corporation's payroll? Not in my mouth. Not on my behalf.

    These corps are just interested in us living long enough to reproduce and provide them with new customers. After that, all bets are off. NO, REALLY ...

    Wake up, people ...

    vy9hqh.jpg
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Stevia isn't a chemical... it's natural..

    Water is a chemical. H2O.

    ETA: Johnnythan, get out of my head! :angry:

    That was like 2 hours ago! :laugh:
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    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

    This!! I use em and drink diet pop and have managed to lose 300+ lbs. I am banking on the fact I was eating in a caloric deficit is what caused the weight loss..... Best of Luck OP, I have no advice cause I don't believe there is a reason to cut them out if used in moderation.....

    yeah, me too! i drink diet soda, use artificil sweeteners in my coffe, and even bake with it... did not hinder my weight loss at all... i lost all my weight in 1 year... if your gaining, your eating too many calories... if your not losing, your eating too many calories... its really simple, really. eat at a defecit / lose weight.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    BTW, you don't need to be a professor to lecture at a university. Adjunct, assistant professor, even guests can lecture.
  • GJ, smart thing to do, despite popular opinion on this site. Its just an additional chemical we really don't have enough info on how it will affect you yet, with strong hints of negative. If you don't have to, why use it? If you really can't do without the artificially sweetened stuff after trying and it is actually preventing you from being obese (unlikely), then maybe its worth the risk (obesity is a substantial health risk). Otherwise why be a human test subject?
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    ummmm sugar…?

    But the OP doesn't want to replace "one chemical with another"... ;) This thread is amusing...

    In all seriousness OP, giving up artificial sweeteners can't hurt, but not in terms of weight loss. If you simply replace it with sugar, honey, agave, etc. you'll gain wait if you're not in a calorie deficit. I used to drink 2 diet cokes/day until I moved to the middle east for a year and it tasted different. It turned out they used a different brand of artificial sweetener and I didn't like the taste. I saw an immediate improvement in the frequency of my migraines, but I gained weight since instead of splenda, I started putting raw sugar in my coffee. (Now I drink it black.)

    And as others have stated, Stevia is not an artificial sweetener, but it does have a funky after taste.
  • biankavarner
    biankavarner Posts: 26 Member
    I'm unfortunately one of those people who actually have an allergic reaction to artificial sweeteners, I discovered this when a Nutritionist gave a diet plan to use foods with them to lower my calorie intake, I started to feel like I had sand in my throat and it progressed to a swollen tongue and difficulty in swallowing (now that was kind of scary!). It wasn't a food allergy like some people tried to make me believe, as the thing that I actually ate different in my diet was the sugar replacement. What I've done is tried to substitute sugar with honey and if I must use sugar I use dark brown sugar as it has the same amount of calories as white sugar but I find that with less it sweetens more. There also my coffee which I've been sloooowly weening myself of on the sugar by adding a little bit less each time. I also make an oatmeal without sugar, that I found in a magazine, which I enjoy, the recipe is:

    This serves 2

    1 medium banana, mashed
    1/2 cup rolled oats
    1 cup skim milk
    1 tbsp wheat germ
    1 tbsp ground flax seed
    1 tbsp walnuts, crushed

    1) Combine the banana, oats and milk.
    Microwave on high for 3 min, stirring each minute.
    2) After cooking, stir in remaining ingredients and stir

    Calories 230, Total fat 6g, Sodium 65 mg, Total Carbs 36 g, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 14 g, Protein 10 g, Iron 1 mg

    I am going to try this the next time, I love bananas and I think the sweetness in them would be enough for me!! Thank you for sharing
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    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

    Your diary is closed so I'm calling BS on this - unless you're about 4 feet tall or have a serious metabolic disorder it's impossible to gain weight on 1200 cal per day. Brain function alone for most uses up about 500 cal per day.

    Are you actually measuring and accurately logging everything you eat?
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I quit using artificial sweetener which I used for everything! I mean everything....coffee, cereal, baking etc... I quit drinking diet Pop but I can't and don't want to give up my coffee. I cannot drink it without sugar. I also sweeten my oatmeal to make it taste better. Has anyone gone through a similar change and how did they replace the sweetener? I looked at Stevia but I find that I am just replacing one chemical with another...

    Any ideas?
    Congratulations!

    I use Agave nectar, which is from a plant, and once in awhile real sugar.
  • Stevia is not an artificial sweetener. It is derived from the leaves of the plant, Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. The sweetness of Stevia comes from two major chemicals present in extracts made from the plant: stevioside and rebaudioside A. It appears that different preparations of Stevia have varying amounts of stevioside and rebaudioside A. Those with higher amounts of rebaudioside A are generally less bitter and more sweet.

    I have grown the Stevia plant in my garden and have used the leaves for sweetening tea and other beverages. I generally find though that it is easier to use the commercially prepared Stevia in powdered form (much better and easier to use than the liquid forms). The Herbal Select brand of powdered Stevia (available from Bulk Barn in Canada) is the best tasting brand I have found. It doesn't have any nasty bitter aftertaste like the Sweetleaf or other brands have tried.
  • Whether the study is peer reviewed or not, the most any study can show is correlation, and not causation. Read your Hume.

    While its true that eating too much will lead to weight gain, it's may also be true that using artificial sweeteners leads people to eat too much Would it have to do that? Probably not. But go to your typical restaurant with a soda fountain and take a look at the people who are drinking diet sodas.
    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
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    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

    Your diary is closed so I'm calling BS on this - unless you're about 4 feet tall or have a serious metabolic disorder it's impossible to gain weight on 1200 cal per day. Brain function alone for most uses up about 500 cal per day.

    Are you actually measuring and accurately logging everything you eat?

    yeah, sorry, no... your not gaining on 1200 calories a day... in the rare case that you truly are, go see a dr asap! your doing something wrong, period. your off on your numbers somewhere. weight loss isnt rocket science... its very very simple... eat at a defecit, and you will lose. your not eating 1200 calories a day... you may think you are, but you are not!
  • Whether the study is peer reviewed or not, the most any study can show is correlation, and not causation. Read your Hume.

    While its true that eating too much will lead to weight gain, it's may also be true that using artificial sweeteners leads people to eat too much Would it have to do that? Probably not. But go to your typical restaurant with a soda fountain and take a look at the people who are drinking diet sodas.

    This statement is not entirely true.

    While I agree that most studies are designed to indicate correlations only, a properly controlled experiment with appropriate genetic manipulations may indeed show causation at a specific level of confidence. The studies cited in this thread however, are correlative only.
  • LexiMelo
    LexiMelo Posts: 203 Member
    Congrats on quitting artificial sweeteners. Every BODY is different and if she feels better after quitting them why is everyone getting so defensive? (As long as she is not attacking you for using them or acting superior for not doing so, which is always annoying)

    My tips:
    You can get a lot of real taste in real food. I use butter, sugar, full fat (or 2%) dairy, peanut butter, etc., but just in smaller quantities, to meet my caloric needs. For instance, 1 tsp butter is 33 calories. Vegetables taste great with butter :) And nothing soothes a sore throat like honey!

    Coffee: I drink 2% milk in my coffee
    Oatmeal: Make with 2% milk (the fat gives it flavor) and frozen berries for sweetness (or raisins)
    Granola: Yea you have to add some brown sugar or honey to homemade granola there really is no good substitute there. I tried to use dehydrated raspberries and while it was tasty, it would have been much better with some sweetness.
    Yogurt or Smoothies: nuts, berries, maple syrup, peanut butter, small amounts of juice, avocado or regular (not non-fat) plain greek yogurt base

    I used to drink 6-10 diet cokes/day and suffered from massive migraines. I haven't had a migraine since I quit 10 years ago. Not saying that artificial sweeteners are bad for everybody, but for me, I suffered from significant adverse effects. Do what you want but please don't dog on this lady for trying something new.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    GJ, smart thing to do, despite popular opinion on this site. Its just an additional chemical we really don't have enough info on how it will affect you yet, with strong hints of negative. If you don't have to, why use it? If you really can't do without the artificially sweetened stuff after trying and it is actually preventing you from being obese (unlikely), then maybe its worth the risk (obesity is a substantial health risk). Otherwise why be a human test subject?
    Huh? 95 different countries have been studying aspartame for over 50 years. All of them have reached the same conclusion. It's perfectly safe. How do you get that we don't have information on it?
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I quit using artificial sweetener which I used for everything! I mean everything....coffee, cereal, baking etc... I quit drinking diet Pop but I can't and don't want to give up my coffee. I cannot drink it without sugar. I also sweeten my oatmeal to make it taste better. Has anyone gone through a similar change and how did they replace the sweetener? I looked at Stevia but I find that I am just replacing one chemical with another...

    Any ideas?
    Congratulations!

    I use Agave nectar, which is from a plant, and once in awhile real sugar.

    Real sugar comes from plants too! :smile:
  • djxil
    djxil Posts: 357
    My vote is to go with unbleached raw sugar as nature provides it. I avoid chemicals as much as I can!
  • lilred806
    lilred806 Posts: 195 Member
    I use raw local honey to sweeten things sometimes. I haven't gotten into the artificial sweeteners because I never liked the taste. I have a beekeeper friend and I find it fun to try different kinds of honey.
  • DivaLuvsDisney
    DivaLuvsDisney Posts: 75 Member
    Not all Stevia products are created equal. Truvia (owned by Coca-Cola), per their patent, requires a 40 step process to get a stevia derivative that is then mixed with fillers and stabilizers. I believe PureVia is processed the same way. I use SweetLeaf myself and like it, but some people just can't get used to it.