Artificial Sweetners

I avoid them because they taste nasty. And I get that they've been deemed "safe" by the FDA and Cancer society but smoking was deemed to be perfectly fine once. Look what happened with that.

krknobbe10 wrote: »

Do you try to avoid artificial sweetners for fear it holds onto fat? Are there certain things in foods that hold on to fat in the body or certain foods that do? What helps you get rid of fat in your body yet maintain/build muscle?

Holds onto fat?! I've never heard this claim! I have heard that artificial sweeteners may cause you to crave more sugar, but I don't buy that, either. I can't use them because they trigger my migraines.

Losing weight slowly and incorporating resistance training while staying in deficit will help you lose fat while maintaining lean body mass.

They do not "hold on to fat". Eat them if you like the taste; avoid them if you don't. I keep trying to bake with sweetners, and every time it has a weird after taste. But, I have no problem with them in my coffee. No idea why.

krknobbe10 wrote: »

Do you try to avoid artificial sweetners for fear it holds onto fat? Are there certain things in foods that hold on to fat in the body or certain foods that do? What helps you get rid of fat in your body yet maintain/build muscle?

Artificial sweeteners DON'T hold fat on the body. What holds fat on the body is lack of a calorie deficit on a consistent basis and to mild extent, consumption of alcohol before sleeping due to the fact that it inhibits fat burning and more fat is burned at sleep than in any other time of the day.
Retaining of muscle in the fat loss process requires a resistance training program that hits all the major muscles with enough resistance to fatigue the muscle in about 10 repetitions in any given set. Using light resistance while doing high repetitions doesn't achieve this, but will increase the muscle's endurance.

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

ninerbuff wrote: »

zia_gal wrote: »

I avoid them! I was having numbness in my arms, horrible headaches, fatigue, and weakness. I was tested for everything from Lupus, MS, and Lymes Disease. Come to find out.....it was the Aspartame in my diet drinks. I stopped drinking them, and the symptoms ceased (and I lost weight). I have to be careful, as it is in yogurt and many other products!

So you might have PKU?

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

Considering how deadly PKU can be as a child (and it's a genetic disorder), I really doubt that someone wouldn't know they have PKU even though symptoms are so much less severe as an adult.

I don't think they hold onto fat, but I do avoid them. I have a female reproductive disorder that is related to diet, and my doctor told me to avoid fake sugars, processed foods, and other items. So I avoid them because I'm told to.

I use them every day in my oats and coffee. I'm not dead yet.

shamani5 wrote: »

I stay away from real and fake sugar. Real refined sugar can cause your cells to store fat because insulin is released when you eat it. I don't think this happens with fake sugar but I personally believe it is toxic to the human body in other ways. My go to sweetener is raw honey or for zero calorie I sometimes have stevia.

You do realize that sugar when broken down to it's simplest form is no different that honey broken down to it's simplest form? So how is honey different in that matter? The body breaks all macros down to it's simplest form to be absorbed.
Also if you didn't know it, protein is insuligenic, meaning it causes insulin spike. And no, artificial sweeteners aren't any more toxic to the body than eating a citrus fruit (unless of course you're suffering from reaction from phenylalaine).

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

I haven't touched artificial sweeteners (including Splenda) in almost 3 years. It's crazy how many things they put that crap in without needing too! I use stevia, raw local honey or pure maple syrup if I absolutely have to sweeten something.

With this in mind, I have decided to add splenda to my childrens' measles shots. ;-)

peter56765 wrote: »

I consume artificial sweeteners regularly and have zero problems - just like the vast majority of others. Unfortunately, this experience is regularly drowned out by the loud parade of anecdotes claiming artificial sweeteners are responsible for everything from headaches, to diabetes, to cancer, to autism.

It's mainly a taste preference for me, I think they are bitter. They also upset my stomach sometimes too and that's not fun for anyone.

I will never give up my Sweet 'n Low. I carry packets in my purse because a lot of places only seem to have Equal and the yellow one (can't remember the name) anymore.

I avoid them because the cause obesity and diabetes

I've cut back on artificial sweeteners because too many mess my tummy up...but I love a sweet n low in my coffee in the morning and aint giving it up. Like everything else, its probably about that moderation thing.

I tried some stevia in my coffee last weekend and hated it. For all the complaints about "artificial" sweeteners, stevia had about the least sugar-like flavor I've had.