Weaning off the fake sugar...

[adbeau]

Sweets are a vice for me, so I like that No-S helps me control them. However, I do have to have my coffee. I know it's OK to use some sugar, but I am SCARED! Isn't that dumb?! So, I'm cutting back on the Splenda and Equal--mixing it with some stevia and some sugar. Hoping to go to Stevia and sugar on weekends.

I DO like diet hot cocoa in my coffee ocassionally, and sugar free mints, so I'm allowing those sometimes--not often. Like today I had three SF butterscotch candies, but I don't consider it OFF S.

[gratefuldeb67]

Hi!
Good luck with that.
I'd suggest just going totally cold turkey and get off the fake sugar and switch completely to stevia and some regular sugar..
I used Equal for about three years and then switched to Splenda when that whole thing was being touted as "made from sugar", what about six years ago??
It only took me less than a week to totally acclimate my tastes again to real sugar.
Debs

[adbeau]

Hi, Deb.

Did the transition back to sugar affect your weight loss/maintenance? I know it's stupid, but I keep thinking about calories, and that's just a few less if I use Splenda. Stevia is OK, and probably better for me, but it's sweet in a different way.

I am continuing to cut back on the artificial sweetener. I think my plan will be to reduce, use what I have, and then no more. Does that sound reasonable?

[wosnes]

The problem with sugar is kind of like the problem with salt. It's not so much that we use it in cooking or at the table, it's that it's in everything -- and it doesn't need to be in those things. Well, sugar isn't in everything, it's too expensive, but HFCS is in everything.

[Too solid flesh]

No wonder I hadn't heard of Stevia... it is not permitted in the UK or the European Union as the "result of the outcome of safety assessments":

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/webpage/stevia

[gratefuldeb67]

That's a bit weird.. Stevia is totally safe.

Anyway,, Adbeau, to be honest it's hard to say if it did or didn't affect my weight loss or gain because all the other factors in my life were very different when I was using fake sugar.. and my exercise habits were very yo yo-ish...

I can say that after I quit using Equal and Splenda (and found that Splenda was closer in chemical composition to the pesticide DDT than to sugar!!) my tastebuds were used to *sweet*! I found myself having to use four teaspoons of sugar in my coffee to equal the sweetness..
But I quickly got that down to two teaspoons a few months in.

Overall, that first year I did NoS I lost about 20 lbs and dropped about six inches from my waist, but in all fairness, I attribute much of my success in my body changing, to doing much more exercise.. specifically yoga a few times a week.. I think I looked more like I lost about 40 lbs to be honest, but was gaining muscle etc.. even was doing a bit of SG on and off..I had about a 75 percent success rate on NoS (estimating only) that year so probably might have done even better had I been better on N days.

Good luck whatever you choose!
Peace,


Debs

[caroleann]

This is funny. I just started no-Sing and vowed I would begin using artificial sweetners in my coffe. Are you stopping because they are supposedly bad? Right now I am using splenda. I really don't like it and I am hoping I'll just lose interest. I do remember a time when I didn't even drink coffee. For the amount of sugar and creamer as I use in it, I wonder if I really like it! I truly believe this is what let the extra pounds sneak on.

[kccc]

Remember that the rule is "no sweets," not "no sugar."

For myself, I interpret this two ways:
1) A small amount of sugar in something that is generally not considered a sweet (like coffee) is not a problem.
2) If it TASTES like a sweet, it counts as one, even if all the sweetness is artificial.

Upon examination, the amount of sugar I get in my coffee is trivial. I use one teaspoon per cup, and have 2 cups on a normal day, with an optional third that I rarely use. I figure dropping the daily candy bar I had in the distant past MORE than covers that level of indulgence!

But I've leaned more and more toward "real food" over time in general, which is not technically part of No-S. And it's been a slow change, one thing at a time. My advice is to do what works for you where you are today, and give yourself permission to change your mind later.

Good luck!

[wosnes]

But I've leaned more and more toward "real food" over time in general, which is not technically part of No-S. And it's been a slow change, one thing at a time. My advice is to do what works for you where you are today, and give yourself permission to change your mind later.

More and more I think that one of these days all the experts are going to say, "It's not the carbs; it's not the fat -- it's all the fake food." The fake food doesn't satisfy on an emotional or physical/nutritional level. So we eat more seeking satisfaction.

[wosnes]

No wonder I hadn't heard of Stevia... it is not permitted in the UK or the European Union as the "result of the outcome of safety assessments":

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/webpage/stevia

That's a bit weird.. Stevia is totally safe.

I find the differences between what the EU and the FDA allows or doesn't allow in terms of both foods/food additives and pharmaceuticals to be very interesting. And I pay attention.

[janmarie]

At a local grocery chain (Harris Teeter) it's now being sold along side the sugar. I think the FDA had to permit it to be called a sweetener because Coke or Pepsi will now sell a soda with it (the power of big lobby). I especially like the brand 'truvia'.
I bought packets of powdered lemon and add one truvia and one lemon packet to water and it's awesome! i use stevia in herb tea and love it. I use it in oatmeal now. It taste so much better than splenda.

[BrightAngel]

Opposing viewpoints on this are okay.
Personally, I accept the point of view that artificial sweeteners are a gift from God,
especially Splenda,
and I am one of those people who has gratefully,
and successfully, incorporated them into my life.
So, if artificial sweetners are helpful to you,
I encourage you to go for it.

[la_loser]

I have to say I'm with Bright Angel on this one. . . I don't care for and don't incorporate "diet foods" as such into my eating. . . such as no fat mayo (yuck) or no fat cheese, sour cream or "diet" cookies. . . besides my understanding is that often when lots of those are created, they simply take the fat out and add else equally bad. And I don't do baking with Splenda and call it no sweets. . . however, as someone who has been using the pink stuff (I actually prefer it to sugar even) in my tea and Splenda in my coffee, yep, like Splenda better than sugar and love my Crystal Light, I must say I'd be hard-pressed to give it. That said, I know that there is a warning from others that says that using artificial sweeteners can lead to other bad things. I have not found that to be the case for me.

I did give up all the artificial sweeteners for a while and that was a habit I couldn't change. But I seem to doing ok. I do drink a lot of water every day and juice, etc. So the only "fake food" I depend on is the sweetener and everything else is the real deal. . . and that is freeing. . . I don't shop for one kind of "butter" or sour cream or mayo for me and another for my skinny-mini spouse! What a relief-and cheaper too!

My saccharine addiction was built when I was a little girl and my aunt, whom I adored) always had a little bottle of Rexall saccharine tablets on the table and I could put just one in my tea and it was just like I wanted it! And that was nearly 50 years ago!

So if that is my big vice, I'll just have to live with it!