Hi SP'ers!

I'm conducting an experiment, which may be at the expense of some weight loss, possibly: I have recently been trying to read the many other LC books that are out there, even though I'm on Schwarzbein (and love it!). I still like to get as much info as possible. So, I picked up a copy of Atkins and am nearly through with it.

I noticed that he seems to plug Splenda a lot, and doesn't call it an artificial sweetener. Schwarzbein on the other hand does not like any sweeteners except stevia. Now, I am SUPER sensitve to AS like sacharrine and Equal, and I avoid them like the plague.

I tried stevia a little while ago and posted my experience in the SP forum. Basically, it didn't work for me b/c I couldn't really "taste" the sweet, only "sensed" it. Therefore, I figured I'd just go happily without.

Okay, fast forward to a week ago or so. I keep reading in Atkins new book about Splenda, then I read in this website a few threads about Splenda and see all those using it with no trouble, mostly. So I think to myself, "Self," I says, "Why don't you give Splenda a whirl in your tea, which is where I would really enjoy it?".

So, I buy a $3.50 box of the packets and try it in my herbal tea. Good stuff. Tastes sweet and like sugar, no aftertaste.

So why do I have this icky feeling that it's too good to be true?

So, my experiment that I started about 5 days ago is to use Splend in my tea and maybe in whipped cream for one month. I will record any and all things that may change in my weight, bloatedness, moods, cravings, etc.

The reason I am giving this one month is b/c I am woman and women have hormonal changes that can affect all of the above areas.

OBSERVATIONS SO FAR:
Now, maybe it's just a koinkidink, but I seem to be a little bloated after I have something with Splenda in it. And while I have not gained any weight, I am not losing either. My water intake has remained about 1 gallon a day, no more. My food has remained consistent.

So, I will be a guinea pig for those of you who have wondered about Splenda. Of course, YMMV.





(I also posted this verbatim in my journal where I will also post updates.)

Hi Betty! Yes, definitely keep us posted on how this affects you. I think it may surprise you and be OK.

I don't use it often but Splenda doesn't bother me, yet too many things with malitol will start me to thinking about having sweets all the time. So I thought to myself "Self" I says, "You better stop eating this stuff or your gonna be in big trouble!". (I thought the way you put that was funny so I had to use it myself ) I was getting so I was eating a little of that SF candy with malitol almost everyday.

Well let us know what happens. Inquiring minds want to know!

Hi Betty <p>I too bought the packets to use in my de-caff coffee and find I have no problems with it. I try to avoid aspartame all together now, I used to be a diet pepsi addict for years but after I started to notice significant loss of short term memory I decided I had to stop. Maybe the memory loss was something else (age maybe) but I didn't want to take a chance. <p>Before I started this WOE I would take one heaping tsp of sugar in my coffee. I find Splenda to be extra sweet and use only half a packet or less in my coffee. There was an article this morning on the MSN home page about a comparison of sugar vs artifical sweeteners for taste, I'll see if I can attach the link, it was interesting <p>http://slate.msn.com/?id=2070686<p>looking forward to hearing your results <br>Eden

Alrighty, this is a great start already here!

Hammj, I'm glad to hear you aren't plagued by awful symptoms using Splenda, even tho you don't use it often. And I think this may be the key, not using it often.

Maltitol is nasty stuff, ain't it? I had it one time only, and ONLY b/c I didn't know it was in the thing. Before I began LC'ing, I bought a bunch of protein bars, thinking it would be fast and keep me from skipping lunch, then gorging at dinner.

Well, after the first bite of the first bar, I nearly wretched. I ended up throwing away the whole lot of them, then hubby read ingredients and said the sweetener was the nasty stuff. Also, I have heard it gives some people the squirts.

Eden, thanks for the link--that story was great! It's always nice to see what others think about the taste of these sweeteners. I was concerned about the same thing the write was: the long term trouble from using these new "fake" sugars.

I do not use aspartame. I don't like the flavor, and furthermore, when I had used in years ago a few times, I got dizzy like crazy, along with a headache. That told me to stay away from it. I think many of my friends who drink diet stuff all day long have changed since they started drinking that stuff. And they are all fat.

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Latest update: This morning, my bloating was completely gone. I purposely used nearly 4 packets of Splenda yesterday to see if that was what was causing the bloating. But I guess it may not have been, since I woke up fine.

I haven't suffered any other symptons, but I will keep you updated. More input from you folks is needed here, too! THANK YOU!!!

Just a quick not on SP and Splenda -- you need to bear in mind that Splenda wasn't available on the market in the US when she wrote her book. It'll be interesting to see what she says about it in the next one...

Lisa

an article I found rather informative was on
when you get to the link below click onto archives /then 3January 2002 / then scroll to the article Low Carb Sweetener Rundown
http://www.holdthetoast.com/

I use Splenda sometimes and haven't had any stomach upset, I worry that it hasn't been around too long and maybe rats and people are different although if one has lived very long we learn that isn't true in all cases! I like the packets of Splenda best for some reason.

I am anxious also to see if Dr. S has any comments on Splenda.

As far as aspartame, from it's intro I never understood why anyone would want to ingest anything containing it. To me it has always tasted like poison and caused flatulence, so I concluded it was not a good food item for myself and family!

Does anyone else ever use agave nectar. It is lower on the glycemic level than honey or sugar but of course higher than as, I didn't see it mentioned in TSP, but it is natural.

Lisa, that's an interesting thought about how Dr. S may comment in her new book about Splenda. Thanks for pointing that out.

I understand her book will be available October 1st. I preordered it from barnesandnoble.com and I assume they will ship it on the 1st or so.

Lisa, have you used or do you use Splenda? If so, what is your experience with it?


Rosa, I will check out that link as soon as I post this update, thanks for the info! You input is appreciated!

Okay, here's my copy & paste from my journal about my recent discoveries using Splenda.....

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My Splenda experiment is on going.

RESULTS THUS FAR:
I am beginning to observe some faint hints of possible cravings for more of that sweet Splenda. I am starting to see that when I do have a beverage, that I am wanting it to be sweet--and I have a big problem with that.

I almost feel as though I were plotting to have things that can have Splenda added to them. Like wanting to drink more herbal tea just b/c I CAN sweeten it. This sounds like the OLD BETTY and that scares me--even if it doesn't spike the insulin, which I have my doubts about. Otherwise, why would the cravings come back?

For this reason, I am considering stopping my experiment and discontinuing the use of that stuff. I almost feel criminal using Splenda b/c I know I am starting to use it b/c I NEED the sweet, where as before I used it, I wasn't craving the sweet in anything.

Also, my appetite HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY in this past week since I've started using 1-3 packets per day of Splenda. Not to mention that the scale has not moved, though I don't consider that to be a problem (yet). Experiencing some bloating, not sure if it's from the Splenda.

However, I will try to continue for at least til Friday, giving me almost 2 weeks total for this experiment. If the above symptoms subside, I may continue the experiment longer.

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I also added a little farther down in my journal entry today that I am beginning to think that MAYBE, just maybe, Splenda may be ADDICTIVE for me. I think this b/c I am now behaving towards Splenda the way I did towards sugar, when I was addicted to it.

This scares me, friends! I am definitely remaingin cautious on this one. I know I am extremely sensitive to sweeteners, and maybe Splenda is not different in body than the others. A few more days will tell. Anything that makes me focus on it this way can't be okay, can it?


Thanks for the input, keep it coming friends!

Wooooooooooooweeeeeeeeeeeeee! Open the windows and let it air out in here! WOW!

!!!NO MORE SPLENDA FOR BETTY!!!

I can't continue with my experiment, it's causing bad air in my home and a huge investment in TP. It's been so windy in this house I thought there was a storm a comin'. And the intestinal cramping was rather unpleasant.

Not to mention the CRAVINGS it's giving to have more and more of it. Okay, now I know to avoid Splenda except for the once in a while occassion, not a packet a day thing.

Today is the first day of Betty being Splenda-free. And so far, it's been all quiet on the southern front.

I'm already feeling better, like I'm not a slave of the sweet stuff. Man oh man, I guess I must be the most sensitive person in the world if I can't even enjoy a packet or two of this "special" new sweetener.

Also, I do have more symptoms to report. Yesterday, I got back what felt like the start of a slight case of heartburn!!! I haven't had heartburn since I started LC'ing in February! Apparently, the Splenda in Betty must act like carbs! Today, I am fine, thankfully.

I spent the better part of the last couple of days on the pot and went thru about 2 rolls of TP a day by MYSELF!!! Think of the trees that gave their lives just so Betty could have some sweet tea.

Well then Splenda is definitely NOT going to work out! Throw that stuff in the trash and RUN! Run! And don't look back!!!!!

But I think this experiment was still worthwhile. Now you know for sure without a doubt that it won't work for you and learned some more about yourself. Right?

Your experiment certainly makes ME leary of using the stuff any more often.

Oh Betty, how I can relate. Right after my husband was diagnosed as diabetic (I had been diagnosed years earlier) we found the sugar free Jelly Belly jelly beans. Oh wow, they tasted just like the real thing. We neglected to read the fine print about not eating more than 12 at a time. Besides they were so little, how could they cause trouble.

My, my, how the southern winds did blow that evening. And it was rolling like thunder under the covers. I forget which artificial sweetener was in there, but never again. I have since found out it affects others in the same manner. My children threatened to lock us out of the house until the storm passed.

As for Splenda, I'm like you. Once I get used to it, it takes more and more to satisfy me. Put it in the oatmeal, put in the tea, put it in the cream, put it every where and eat, eat, eat. Aren't you glad you conducted the experiment? Now you know!

Susan, yes, I'm glad I did the experiment and got it all outta my system (so to speak). Thanks for your input about the Jelly Bellys (can we say that here in a low carb forum ?). Was probably SORBITOL in those BAD beans!


Hammj, I'm glad you got my drift (no pun) about the bad side of the Splenda. Apparently, there aren't too many folks that have anything bad to say about it or having and reactions to it. Or perhaps they are willing to put up with the nastiness just to have a little sweet stuff. Who knows?

Well, I wanna thank you all for your input here!

I just have to add a recent personal experience. I was way overdue for my mid-day meal the other day and hastily picked up one of those Atkins bars. Whew-eee. The rest of the day was miserable. I felt like Gretta Garbo! (I vant to be alone!!!!)

YUK!

No offense to the Atkins program but hasn't he getting a little commercial with all this snacky stuff?????