Okay - please don't send me hate mail because of this post. This was and is purely for my own knowledge and you can take what you want out of it......in fact, some of this stuff I already knew from previous experiences but it seems that I slip back in to old habits way to easy and at times need a reality check. So goes my experiment....
First let me say that when I was losing weight I did so by using diet drinks and things made with equal, splenda, etc. After losing 100 pounds my weight loss had stalled and I was utterly frustrated.....at that point I read a study about artificial sweetners and their evils.....I didn't freak out and start picketing the splenda factory but I did cut out diet sodas and anything with sweetner in it.....I replaced sodas with water and basically that was all I drank. I cut out flavored yogurts and sugar free candy - basically everything but my SF gum....in that month I lost almost 40 pounds. Now call it whatever you want - my restriction, my extra water, my extra exercise but I know in my heart it had A LOT to do with me cutting out diet soda - I was drinking a six pack a day easy!
Okay fast forward to a couple of years ago - I got hooked on SF hot chocolate that was sweetened with Splenda. I talking....I was OD'ing on the stuff.....like a 5 pound bag a week. I wouldn't eat but rather just myself going by drinking hot chocolate and coffee with splenda. I stayed bloated and tired and feeling really bad. Then I started reading (AGAIN) about the effects of sweetener......so I cut myself off and literally went through the detox phase....I was really having some major withdraws from the stuff. Almost immediately I lost 10 pounds, the bloat was gone, I felt great, was sleeping better......again, this may be just me and how my body responds but I was amazed at how much better I felt.
So again fast forward. This time my addiction wasn't as severe but I had noticed that I was relying more on Equal, diet sodas, sugar free candy and hot chocolate (GOD help me!). Again, I was staying bloated, feeling bad, craving sweets like crazy and feeling like I had to have something sweet ALL the time. Once again, I jumped on the no sweetener band wagon and once again I feel 100X better.......maybe it's conincidence, maybe it is just the way my body processes the chemicals, heck maybe it's all in my head???? I don't know but I can tell you that since I cut out the majority of my diet drinks, candy, cocoa, etc. I have lost 8 pounds in 3 weeks and my pants fit again.........I do still have the occassional diet soda but I'm really trying to wean myself off and get back to water. I'm also trying to stick to natural sugars if I want something sweet.
I'm not suggesting that anyone ban diet coke from your house or start a petition to end the Splenda campaign. In fact, I think for people starting out - the splenda sweeteners of the world are a GOD-SEND.......I just don't think my body likes them much. Just something to ponder......I'll let you know how the journey plays out!
HUGS to you all!
This picture makes me cry!
Thought it was time to change my picture
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10 comments:
Could definitely be...I never tied the two (sugar substitute and weight loss) together, but once I cut back on my Diet Pepsi intake, I had definitely started to lose more weight. I always thought I was addicted to the caffeine, but it very well may have been the sweetner. Who knows.....I do know I got sick as a dog from "overdrinking" Crystal Light after not drinking it for a while. I think the sorbitol did it...
Thank you so much for sharing all of that!
I have become a Splenda-addict. It is bad. It's just so tempting- you can make everything eve sweeter for barely any calories. I've tried to give them up a few times, but each time I caved. After all of the talk on the benefits of giving them up, I might have to try it!
Wow, I can barely cut out sugar! Maybe some day I'll be able to cut out sweetener too. One step at a time. :)
And yay about TOM! I'm fighting my body on fertility issues too. Hang in there!
I'm one of the few lucky ones who don't use a ton of splenda. I do use less than a tablespoon to flavor the morning oatmeal, and do eat yogurt with it, but other than that, I'm lucky, no diet soda, etc. But It would be interesting to cut it out and see what happens...hmmmm.
My roommate totally had a hot chocolate addiction too. So I understand *hugs*
thanks for the post and for sharing your experience w/artificial sweeteners... i was a diehard splenda fan once i began atkins a few years ago, and have pretty much used 3-4 packets a day since... do i think it's helped my weightloss? sure but do i think it would help more if i stopped - maybe... i tried that agave sweetener yesterday and it was pretty good - though stil 60 calories a serving, maybe it's worth trying for a while... i'm just SO used to having my coffee/tea sweet that anything BUT tastes like crap to m... maybe it's time to suck-it up and become an adult huh... ;o)
I follow enjoy your blog, but have never commented. But, I knew I had to post a response to this post. I lost around 50lbs 4 years ago and used artificial sweeteners a lot (diet soft drinks, yogurt, equal in coffee, etc).
Over the past couple of years, I became increasingly bloated to the point that my pants would not button by the end of the day. I also became severely constipated. I went for weeks without 'going'. The docs ran every test possible to figure out what was going on, but my organs/digestive system are perfect. Docs were perplexed. I eliminated dairy and gluten in hopes of figuring out the issue. I shed so many tears over how bad my bloated body looked and felt. I did't know what to do. As a last ditch effort, I decided to give up all articial sweeteners...something I never dreamed I was capable of. FINALLY, MY BLOAT IS GONE and I am once again 'regular'. I feel 100x better w/out the artificial sweeteners. I just wanted to pass this along in hopes of saving someone else the tears, pain, and $ for doctors, that I've experienced.
ok ok I'll drink more water!! I'm such a splenda addict and I have IBS issues, maybe cutting it out is just what I need. Perhaps I'll try cutting down first ;)
thanks for doing all the leg work. i never do research, i just get second hand from friends. so i really appreciate your post! i'm going to try to cut out my sweetners as well. i have been feeling a little bloated lately. my wedding ring is tight and i hate it! let's see what happens. i AM a diet coke addict so, um, i'm not sure how far i can take it. but here's to crossing my fingers, toes, and (post partum) breastages. hee hee
You have me wondering now. I don't drink a LOT of diet soda (I try to limit to once a day when I'm actively doing WW) but I also sweeten my tea with Splenda when I make it. Hhmmm....when I get back to trying to lose, then I may have to check into this. I am VERY intrigued!
Thanks for sharing... maybe I'll have to consider cutting out *SHUDDER* *GULP*, diet coke!!!
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