Sandi posted this in another thread...


I know that I use way too much Splenda and artificial sweeteners every day. I am going to try something tomorrow. I'm going to see if I can go ALL day without an artificial sweetener...Splenda in my coffee, gum, Crystal Light...PROTEIN BARS!!! Can I do it for one day? Only one day. I just want to see HOW dependent I am on this artificial beast.

Anyone want to join me in the one day strike? Let's make the day before Valentine's Day, No Fake Sweets Day.

I'm in...

I don't like being dependant on anything...lol

Cool Marianna...we'll go through withdrawls together. Just to be clear...this is only a one day thing for me. I'm no fool...I know that I can't survive without my protein bars for longer than a day!

Deal..one day only. I will have to make a conscious effort to drink plain <gag> water...c-light is something I drink alot of daily.

And protein bars...oh my. I will have to do shakes only that day...lol.

Withdrawls here we come!

Hey...shakes have artificial sweetener too! I'm going to take some lowfat string cheese to replace my protein bars.

I'm not as interested in boycotting artificial sweetener for a day as I am having people measure the amount of a.s. they consume in a day. I'd rather have "hard data" than anecdotal evidence. However, in the spirit of being neighbors and friends I'll do this for the day. Does that mean you're going to consume small quantities of actual sugar to compensate? I think that could be a catastrophe!

I just went into the kitchen to see what I usually eat that does not have a.s. in it--yikes. This totally guts my entire food plan. I may just go on a fast tomorrow!

I'm in. I've even got some unflavored/unsweetened protein powder, so I'm good to go. One day, no artificial sweeteners.

Yeah Sandi...I thought about the real sugar thing. I think that I'm strong enough to go a full day without gum (considered chewing the sugar kind) and I can handle my coffee black...but I don't swing my feet and say "mmm" when I'm drinking it. I feel more like a truck driver having my cup o' Joe. Rough. I can drink herbal tea instead of Crystal Light. Really, the protein bars are my biggest challenge, but I know if I eat a Cliff Bar or any of the others that have natural sweeteners, I'll dump like crazy. So, string cheese or boiled eggs will be my snack option. I will not die from this, but I will have a new appreciation and awareness for how much of the artificial stuff I count on! I'm wondering if my craving for "sweet" will be stronger. Oh my goodness...no Light 'n Fit yogurt for me tomorrow! Holy cow. It seems like I start and end my day with the artificial sweetener! No SF Jello, no SF cocoa... If I'm missing from the board tomorrow, it's because I'm curled up in a ball under my table...with a pile of hard boiled eggs.

I don't want to be indelicate, but the eggs aren't going to work for me if I have to be in public all day... does the phrase, "Bog of Eternal Stench" mean anything to you???

No, I think I'll forgo the cheese and egg regime, but hey, good luck with that.

Oh, I laughed out loud about the swinging your feet while drinking your black mug o sludge! Too funny! See you at the truck stop tomorrow!

hugs and hope friends! We can do this.

Well, you know, now that I'm realizing just how much of the wicked sweetener I consume, I'm wondering if I'll be less gassy. Not that I walk like an old horse, rippin' 'em left and right, but I have my moments. This will be an interesting experiment!

Hi...sounds like a good idea, not sure I can "totally" do it tomorrow b/c I have a very busy day and it's almost bedtime...I'm a lil' late checking in today....

However, I think you all may be relieved to know that there are alternatives to a.s. and Splenda...there are actually 2 that I'm aware of (both can be a bit pricey, but totally worth it)...1) STEVIA comes is liquid as well as powder form, not my personal fav b/c it can leave an aftertaste but compared to the health risks of a.s. and Splenda...well it's WAY better! 2) XYLITOL (pronounced zy-le-tall) my personal favorite and it can be used in baking, coffee, tea, whatever plus it's a natural anti-bacterial...I have made cakes with it as well as cookies and sweetened tea and just really where ever you would normally have one of the other artificial sweetners.....it's even in toothpaste! (Fyi, Tom's of Maine)....

I just discovered a protein shake that is all natural and sweetened with stevia the brand is Jay Robb's...the taste is incredible and much to my surprise there are NO ARTIFICIAL flavors and it's a pretty high quality product. I just bought the strawberry flavor after trying a sample of it...very good. Especially in plain yogurt with a strawberry chopped up in it....mmmmmm! Just thought you all might want to know this in case you did not already. I was already concerned about the amount of Splenda/a.s. in my diet before this news and was searching for a more natural alternative. These are available on-line but they're pricey ($37-38/23 scoops on-line VS about $30 @ The Vitamin Shoppe). This particular brand comes in several flavors including choc, van, straw, etc...go check it out at www.JayRobb.com .

Hope you all have a successful day of "boycotting"....I'm rootin' for you!

Luv & Blessings!

Hi All,

I thought I would just throw my 2 cents in here about artificial sweetners. They don't hold much appeal for me but I understand the
desire for that sweet taste. I would like to suggest an alternative that I haven't seen posted here. It's called Stevia and it is a plant-
based alternative. It has been proven safe and as far as I've seen, does not cause hunger. I have used Stevia, it is very sweet,
and you only need a tiny amount to sweeten your food. I believe it can be purchased at health food stores and online.

Check out Stevia.com and Stevia.net for more information.


Barb

Oh wow...no protein shakes. This is going to be an interesting day...lol.

String cheese and eggs here I come. If I am getting looks from my better half and the kids tomorrow night...I will blame it on the hood...<smiling>

It is mind boggling isn't it!?!

I use two packets a day and an ocassion peice of SF gum.

I will keep my eyes open to the other products I use. This will be an interesting exercise.

I am sure I will be surprised where it lurks!

Thanks for the awakening

I am not sure why you are targeting all artificial sweetners. The article released was on aspertame(nutrasweet) and did not include Splenda. And guess what next week another study will dispute this one. It cant be the calories in the sweetner as it has almost 0. I think you need to look at this in a more practical manner you cant cut it all out you will drive yourself nuts but good luck tomorrow.

Everything is a trade off isn't it? I wish you all luck but don't think I will participate. I don't rely much of AS, just in my morning coffee. I don't do protein bars anymore and shakes only occasionally if I feel I need a protein burst for a few days.

I tend to agree with Damon. Seems like red flags go up all over the place every time we find something that we think works for us. I guess we just have to stay as informed as possible and learn moderation. A hard pill to swallow for a formerly obese girl!

For me it's two fold...the chemical part AND the "sweet has me hooked" part. I think that is what all the studies are showing...that we feed ourselves tons of artificially sweet stuff and then end up craving even more. Our bodies can't distinguish the difference between the fake and real in regards to its response. I want to go a day free of the sweet stuff. And there are calories! Every bottle of Crystal Light is 10...I drink 4 a day. A SF jello is 10. A SF cocoa is 60. A piece of SF gum is 5. I think I've been nickle and diming my calorie counts. They do add up!

This is from WebMD:


Trust me...I'll be back on it tomorrow. It's just for one day for me. To test out how my body responds. That's all!

The stories I've seen on the news actually target diet sodas and don't mention a particular brand of sweetener. My original question was really about the amount of sugar substitutes do you think you eat in a day, and the implied question is, "Do you think that it could be slowing your weight loss down." That was the premise of the stories I saw. Eating sweetener (in diet soda) is thought to make rats hold on to their excess weight and actually begin to gain weight.

I think Kim's point in posting this challenge is just to give us a practical way to really see that we're eating more than we think we are... I know when I went to my kitchen, I was surprised to see how many items I eat daily have sucralose in them.

Damon I agree with you--I don't think sucralose is really a problem. I think there has been documented problems with both aspartame and saccharine though. And I also agree with you, and Celadon too that it seems like the media loves to start these panics and wave red flags.

Barb, thanks for reminding me about Stevia, I have a whole jar of it in my pantry. I used to use it in my coffee and tea.

This activity is more for interest and self-discovery for me. I plan to keep an ear to the ground for further discoveries, but as just like Celadon, I have to reaffirm that old truth: "moderation in all things."

Have a great day you all.
hugs

Well...here we are...7:25am PST. Not a bit of the sweet stuff in my body. Other than the mild twitch in my right eye, I'm fine. ;-)

Bama has mentioned using Stevia before. There are lots of natural alternatives that are healthier for us. But we also shouldn't jump when the media posts something. Wait two days and the story could change. Kim has a great idea, to see if she really has a reliance on the stuff. I use sweet and low and love it. I can get away with it and use less than I would sugar. But for some things, I just go with the sugar as it takes better and helps with the texture of whatever I may be making. Kind of hard to cream butter and Splenda.

Ok...Kim, Sandi and others...you having me laughing out loud already this morning....

hey, I NEEDED MY JOE this morning! To bed after midnight and up by 5am....Good think I didnt read this while DRINKING...I'm sure I would have sprayed coffee via my nose all over my computer screen here at WORK!
I read this too late and have already consumed 3 cups of coffee with 2 packets of splenda, a splash of sf vanilla syrup and ff half and half in EACH CUP!

I seriously think I built up a tolerance for splenda and have had to add 2 packets instead of one but I like KIM.....enjoy SWINGING MY FEET while sipping that warm yummmmy first cup in the morning joe to get my motor running!! lol.. SO NO detox for me today...but all the talk has now made me concious of how much I DO consume.

I dont generally use it for anything other than my coffee...but that doesnt mean it isnt in those 100 calorie pack things! lol..

HAVE FUN LADIES!!

Almost 9am...holding strong. Am currently staring at a bottle of water that isn't "pink"...can I drink clear water? Wish me luck.

Kim,
I would love to join you, but right now there is no way I can go without protein shakes or bars. I would never come close to getting in my required amount.
Good Luck!

Okay...<grumbling>, I had peppermint tea PLAIN this morning...and am still alive to talk about it. Hmm. And it wasn't even that bad...I could actually taste the peppermint rather than the sweet rush that my packet of splenda gives me.

Cheese stick and a hard boiled egg where my protein shake would normally be. The hardest thing I agree with Kim is the fact that my water is clear. What an idea...<sigh>. For today...no white grape....so I took a pitcher of water, added two slices of lemon, one of lime...three peels of cucumber <seeded>, and two slices of orange. It tastes good, and at least has some flavor to it.

Lets see how the rest of the day goes...I was shocked when I realized how much splenda and products like it that I use daily. At least it is a wake up call...

Hey Marianna...are you dragging? I'm so darned tired and I don't know if it is because of the lack of Splenda! I had a cheese stick and some pistachios in place of my protein bar. Got me through to lunch and that's all that matters.

Hang in there with your fruit salad water!

Okay guys, are you dead on the roadside somewhere or just at the local clinic with a CL IV in your arm??????

I should have read this thread before asking about stevia on the rats and aspartame thread. Thanks for the info!

Hey Kim,

When you are done with your boycott you should look into diet Hot coccoa vs the no sugar added kind. The diet only has 25 calories! A few grams less sugar as well.

Goof luck today. I don't think I would be able to get my water in if it were in a clear version these days so I will just root for you from here, lol.

smooches xx

Hey! This is EASY! I missed my shake this morning, but it's been a breeze otherwise. I had chicken and beans and cheese (burrito guts) for lunch, and just had some ice water to sip on through the day. I made a black coffee but don't like it, so I'm still sipping the same cold yukky mug. YUK. My energy is fine, I think...Vitamins in, exercise tonight at 5. I want my Atkins bar though...pout. But I could easily switch to a high quality product like Clif if I had to. But I'm addicted to the Fudge Peanut Granola Bar--so yummmmmmmmmmmmy! Ok, I better quit talking about it.

Anyway, I really am surprised that this is just not that tough, but I have to confess that when I get home from work is when my troubles usually start. And weekends. When I am free...

Hope you all had a good day too. I'll go read this thread now.


********* OOOPS**************

Guess I should have read the other responses before I posted! Hey, I'm not thrilled with the clear water either, but I've been trying to drink more of it lately anyway. In fact, I'd already started watering down the CLight I drink. I'm to 50% strength now, so it wasn't as much of a shock to me.

I also have a 1oz. baggie of pistachios to munch on if I get hungry later....

You guys are doing an admirable thing here, but I am bein' a low life for a while yet.
Not ready for the hair shirt or self flagellation. No sireeeeee... must have my shakes.
I JUST figured out how I can have them without adding milk and have been so happy
to add them to my program. I DID give up my insatiable Diet Pepsi addiction a couple
of months ago. THAT was a big 'un! So I'm gonna just be a voyeur for now. You gals
are a hoot!
TAWANDA!

Waiting for an update.....
This is entertaining and interesting. Keep posting!

In the shell, Sandi or already shelled?
Are pistachios better than almonds??
Please enlighten me.

Okay...7pm and I am still awake...whew. I think missing my protein shakes has made me more tired...

I had a cheese stick when I had the shakes this afternoon, and a bit of banana...it helped.

I am missing my c-light though. I think I may be addicted...uh oh..lol. I guess I will have to look at that closer..

Aside from that...my energy level is near zero...but that is from physical reasons I believe unrelated to the missing splenda...lol

So how is everyone else doing now that it is evening and 'snacking' time?

I figured out why I was dragging! All of the stuff that I consume with artificial sweetener is also full of carbs. I've been missing my carbs!!! My protein bar has nearly 20g of carbs, my yogurt has close to that number...even my gum has a carb in it. Crystal Light shows 0 carbs for a half packet, which most likely means that a whole packet has at least one. Trickling in those carbs all day with those artificial sweeteners...keeps Kim awake! If anything, this little exercise has brought my attention to how much I consume during the day...more than I thought.

Made it through the day though! I've got a regular dinner planned, so no worries there. I'll be happy to see tomorrow come though. Back to swinging my feet with my cup of coffee...as it should be.

Marianna, please don't tackle too much at once... I think the infusion of protein might be very necessary
for you (and me) right now. I would have a great deal of trouble finding another source for such high
protein intake without shakes. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Maybe cut the Crystal
Lite, but I'd be careful about losing the protein shakes. IMOHO

Oh MF, I adore you...

That said, I only cut them for the one day as an experiment. I am realistic in the knowledge that I cannot possibly go without protein shakes and bars...when right now, they are about the only thing I can keep down <on a good day!>.

Tomorrow, I will be back on a normal schedule...but maybe add some peppermint tea in the middle without splenda...and cut back on my c-light consumption.

All in all, a very informative self-experiment.

One day at a time. I think we have to listen to our bodies... But Kim's post about the loss of carbs in the day
causing fatigue for her was interesting. I really don't know. But I do know that I need to rely on
supplemental shakes for the time being. Maybe after I reach my goal weight and maintain a while, I'll
look at these refinements.

When I was pregnant with my son I didn't use any artificial sweeteners at all (something felt weird about putting that stuff in my body). I did, however, use sugar. Of course, that could be one of the reasons I'm still fighting to take off the baby weight! 4 years later! LOL!

Good luck with that y'all. I'm a wimp - I need my sweet - even if it's fake.

I am so sorry I didn't get on in time to join this boycott. I watched the guy talk on GMA about the diet drinks. His main concern appears to be that they have found that artificial sugar has a reaction on the brain. The brain thinks it's having sugar and when it doesn't get the calorie load it causes the brain to change. He said even one diet drink a day was too much.
And the testing is ongoing, they think this may be just the tip of the iceberg. I guess we need to be purest.

Well, I usually have a CLight in the evening, an hour after dinner. So NOW is the real test time to me. I didn't make a fresh pitcher this morning on purpose. I didn't want to have any mixed up. This afternoon, I had ice water and that worked, so this is what I'll do tonight.

All in all, I thought it was revealing to me, in a good way. I think I could learn to live without a.s. but life definitely would not be nearly as sweet!

I really like my bfast protein shake and my afternoon Atkins bar. I really like my 2 crystal lite slushies a day. I really like SF Coffeemate. I think I am going to think long and hard about this, do more research and revisit this again many times before I decide what I want to do.

This thread was worth the read, just for the laugh factor! Kim and Sandi, you two crack me up! I'm going to wait and see if there are any permanent side effects to your sugar substitute withdrawl, then I may cautiously enter the SSF Zone! Now, having read this thread, I am off to change my Depends.

Cindy