Splenda

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Phoenix_Dawn
Phoenix_Dawn Posts: 64 Member
How did you stop using Splenda/artificial sweeteners in your coffee/tea? It seems to be the only thing I have not been able to give up eating low carb. I am using up to 8 packets of Splenda per day in my coffees and tea. Will this affect weight loss in the long run?

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  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
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    Have you tried Stevia? That's what I put in my coffee. But, I have used somethings with Splenda and it hasn't impacted my weight loss so far.
  • Phoenix_Dawn
    Phoenix_Dawn Posts: 64 Member
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    I don't like the taste of stevia in coffee. It is ok in tea though.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
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    I would guess to stop using it you either stop cold turkey or gradually cut back until your taste adapts.

    I've always been one to use whatever pink, yellow, blue, green artificial sweetener available (for years and years) in coffee, tea, yogurt, diet sodas, etc. I both gained all my excess weight and lost all my excess weight using artificial sweeteners. So if you're like me, it won't affect your weight loss.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,954 Member
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    Truvia and Pyure are both stevia/erythritol blends.
    I HATE stevia. Nasty.
    But mixed with erythritol, I like it. You could try either of those.
    There are about 3 carbs per serving due to the sugar alcohol erythritol, but they are not absorbed by the body, so they don't count. Other sugar alcohols (like sorbitol, mannitol, and maltitol) are partially absorbed so must be partial counted as carbs. Erythritol is "free."
    How did you stop using Splenda/artificial sweeteners in your coffee/tea? It seems to be the only thing I have not been able to give up eating low carb. I am using up to 8 packets of Splenda per day in my coffees and tea. Will this affect weight loss in the long run?

    Yes.
    Powdered Splenda has a bulker in it called maltodextrin and or dextrose. That's a fancy word for sugar. Splenda itself is concentrated and so small it needs a bulker. Sweet N' Low does this, too. So that packet is really, even though they are allowed to say it is 0cal/0carb due to loopholes, is 4 cals and 1 carb. So your 8 packets is 32 cal and 8 carbs added to your day.

    They do sell liquid sucralose, however, that is just sucralose powder dissolved in water which is 0 carb for real.
    I buy the powder from Bulk Supplements, dissolve my own in water, and keep it in a dropper bottle. :smile:
  • Phoenix_Dawn
    Phoenix_Dawn Posts: 64 Member
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    Oh my goodness! I would not have known about those extra carbs and calories! I also don't like stevia very much but maybe I could try the truvia. Weaning myself might be tough because I love the sweet flavour of my coffee.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,954 Member
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    I lost over 90lb drinking liquid sucralose in my coffee every day.
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
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    Or you can simple get and use liquid sucralose (E-Z Sweetz) which doesn't contain fillers and has no hidden carbs....but trying other sugar substitute blends, both granular and liquid are good options that you can certainly explore.
  • GrokRockStar
    GrokRockStar Posts: 2,938 Member
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    After learning that artificial sweeteners causes an insulin response, I cut it out altogether and had to “learn” to like drinks without the sweetness.
  • Xerogs
    Xerogs Posts: 328 Member
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    I've never really liked sweetener in my tea even back in the day. I like a little lemon in iced tea now and then but its not a requirement. Now I never thought I would be able to do coffee without sweetener but I started drinking really good coffee (not to acidic) with just half and half or unsweetened Nutpods or Califia Farms unsweetened Better Half and seemed to do OK and last week I was just drinking black coffee and seemed to like it as well. I still like a little half and half or Califia Farms unsweetened Better Half in my coffee since it cuts the acidity (bitterness). Better half has less carbs than half and half plus its non-dairy and it adds a slight nutty taste to my coffee which I like.

    I used a gradual method of using less sweetener with my coffee, instead of a full packet only a half then next time a quarter and then an eighth to nothing. Now coffee tastes odd with artificial sweeteners in it.

    This is personal taste but I have noticed places like Starbucks have really bitter coffee and I can see why people add so many different things to a Starbucks coffee making it more of a milkshake than coffee because on its own it just doesn't have a good flavor in my opinion.

    If you want to give up sweeteners gradually cut back on them and find some unsweetened creamer to help offset what the sweetness is masking in the coffee. Find a really good tasting coffee you like and try different methods of brewing that suit your taste. I never thought I would drink my coffee black but I am moving in that direction. There are so many different varieties of coffee and tea, I've found some palatable and others taste like a metallic tiny bitter mess.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
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    Oh my goodness! I would not have known about those extra carbs and calories! I also don't like stevia very much but maybe I could try the truvia. Weaning myself might be tough because I love the sweet flavour of my coffee.

    Be aware, powdered Truvia use erythritol (sugar alcohol) as a filler... some people have problems with the sugar alcohols and some don't. I don't have any response to erythritol so I use the powdered Truvia. The liquid stevia does not have any of the sugar alcohols in case you need something without them.
  • YogaPantsUser
    YogaPantsUser Posts: 23 Member
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    I cut back using lots of HWC. The first week was the worst. I found I now like unsweetened coffee but gotta have the creaminess. Wish I could just drink it black.