artificial sweeteners

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heatherfrancis
heatherfrancis Posts: 100
in Food and Nutrition
I have been using a crazy amount of artificial sweetener, from splenda in my food and aspertame in my gum and diet coke for YEARS. I have recently noticed my increased hunger, binge episodes, cravings, major bloating, and acid reflux. My symptoms have gotten so bad lately that I feel I need to change something. I am going to start with eliminating the artificial sweeteners 1st (cold turkey) and see if it helps. Anyone else ever been in the same boat with symptoms similar and have a success story? I did not put my 1/2 c. of splenda on my oatmeal this morning and have not had a diet coke. I grabbed G2 and then realized it had sucralose in it and popped a piece of orbit gum and realized it had aspertame. IT IS IN EVERYTHING! I am ready to change, so hopefully i can stick to this and feel better.

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  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    1/2 cup of splenda in your oatmeal??? Is that for a batch or single serving? I usually put 2 tsp of brown sugar in my oatmeal and don't feel bad about it.

    I'm a diet pepsi drinker when I have it in the house. The carbonation makes me bloated and gassy :blushing: I feel way better when I don't drink it or any other carbonated beverage.

    I can't give up my gum! Good luck to you!
  • liquidjem
    liquidjem Posts: 138 Member
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    I certainly hope you start feeling better! I have a friend that is actually allergic to aspartame and artificial sweetners, so he feels you. I also read somewhere that sometimes diet drinks can actually cause you to crave sweets, so I only drink them when I know sweets will not be near me so I am not tempted! I use sweet n low in my coffee or tea now and I have always consumed diet soda's but have never felt ill or had symptoms like yours. As I said, I hope you start feeling better and best of luck!
  • heatherfrancis
    heatherfrancis Posts: 100
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    :blushing: sadly 1/2c per a 1/2c of oats
  • mcqlove87
    mcqlove87 Posts: 59
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    Artificial sweeteners can def cause unwanted bloating (weight) and a lot of other things. I think in moderation, just like everything else, it's ok. And like you said, it's in everything! but 1/2c splenda to a 1/2c oats is no better than putting a little real or brown sugar in.
  • dlangenfeld
    dlangenfeld Posts: 119
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    I gave up diet pop a few weeks ago. It was easier than I thought it would be, even though I used to drink a LOT of it. Unfortunately I didn't see any results on the scale. But I do however think that I crave sweets less now, so that's good. Good luck!
  • yram38
    yram38 Posts: 1
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    I get horible stomach cramps from any artifical sweetners. Have you tried stevia? Stevia is a plant that is naturally sweet. It is available in packets and bulk powder form. Definintely check it out.
  • NikkisNewStart
    NikkisNewStart Posts: 1,100 Member
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    Oh my goodness... girl... 1/2 cup? You poor thing!!! I put 1 tsp of the splenda brown sugar blend per 1/2 cup dry oats.

    I wouldn't go cold turkey. You need to wean yourself off if you've been using that much. If you can't do it then find a new breakfast choice that you don't have to doctor up.

    Good luck!
  • heatherfrancis
    heatherfrancis Posts: 100
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    I have always known this stuff was bad, but didnt care because I loved the taste of my food/ diet coke. I just have to do something. Personally I have to do it cold turkey or I will eventully work in more and more until I am back to where I was. I used 2 tsp of real sugar this morning in my oatmeal and it was fine, not as tasty as all the splenda, but definitely ok.
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    I went through a phase about 7 years ago where I was "determined to lose weight" I gave up all sugar and a lot of other carb sources as well, but I missed the sweet. I started drinking crystal light. I drank about two quarts a day because it was sweet and refreshing. I was getting terrible headaches everyday. Finally someone at my office mentioned to me that maybe it was from the crystal light. I was skeptical but desperate to get rid of the headaches so I tried going off the stuff for a week and BAM no more headaches! of course after a few more weeks of dieting I reverted back to my old ways but I did learn a valuable lesson about artificial sweeteners!

    Two years ago I decided to really start focusing on my HEALTH not my WEIGHT. I've been incorporating healthy foods into my diet and weening myself off of the unhealthy foods. I do enjoy an occasional can of Coke Zero, but I no longer look at it as something that I can consume in unlimited quantities because it has zero calories. I look at it as an occasional treat that is not good for me but probably won't kill me if I have a couple a month... I have found that the less I use the less I want anyway.

    I have come a long way to get over my sweet tooth. I use 2 teaspoons of black molasses in my oatmeal instead of a fist full of brown sugar like I used to. My coffee now gets 1.5 teaspoons of sugar down from 4 teaspoons just a year ago. I use SUPER dark biter chocolate (the 85% cocoa stuff) and actually find it yummy. To me, I'm glad that I'm getting my body used to things that are less sweet. When I was on the artificial sweeteners all the time, I wasn't really making any change, my body was still wanting the sweet all the time, but now although I still crave sweets, I can honestly say that it is better than before.
  • dkbrummitt
    dkbrummitt Posts: 21
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    My understanding is that artificial sweeteners can actually negatively affect your weight loss. The fact that you taste something sweet will cause the insulin to start pumping. And more insulin leads more weight and more cravings. I got this info from Dr Oz. Since seeing the episode, if i have tea w/ sweeter, then i will combine it w/ something that naturally has a small amount of real sugar. I also limit my sweetener amounts to 2 packets. So far, i have found that it is usually pretty easy for me to walk away from temptation. Before i started doing this, I had to boycott Panera's because of all the goodies. Now, i can look, and admire it, then move on to my Black Bean Soup.

    Here is a link to the Dr Oz site:
    http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/artificial-sweeteners-and-other-food-substitutes-dangerous-your-health

    Sorry, couldn't find the actual video.

    Hope this helps.
  • teacherkatz
    teacherkatz Posts: 101 Member
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    I get horible stomach cramps from any artifical sweetners. Have you tried stevia? Stevia is a plant that is naturally sweet. It is available in packets and bulk powder form. Definintely check it out.
    Stevia did that to me. I would have one packet and be bent over from the pain and bloating. I stay away from all of that now. If you need something, its better to have a small amount of sucanat or unrefined sugar than the artificial stuff. Agave syrup also works well but is has a lot of clalories. The bit I add to my morning coffe is ok for me though.
  • casie05
    casie05 Posts: 48 Member
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    I'm glad u posted this! Explains my same symptoms lately!
  • lisabel87
    lisabel87 Posts: 152
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    stop that asap!
  • casie05
    casie05 Posts: 48 Member
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    http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/good_day_atl/Picking-the-Right-Sweetener-20110414-gda-sd

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