Equal Or Splenda?
 

Which is better for lc?? Ive heard so much to use Splenda, but I've used Equal. Well today I had my D&D coffee w/ splenda. Tastes good, but when i use Equal I use only 3 and the Splenda I used 5!!!!!

Or does it even matter?

Equal is Nutrasweet, which Dr. Atkins didn't feel good about, and me either. Some people do have headaches or other problems, and some people say it stalls them.

Splenda has also been blamed for stalls, but I feel it is a safer sweetener. Any sweetener you use, I'd try cutting back. I've found that my sweet detector is cranked way up, and I use no sweetener in my coffee at all.

I'm basing this on the CAD theory that sweet tastes can trigger an insulin release regardless of the chemical properties of the sweetener. It might be something you'd put in your bag of tricks to break a stall or whatever. And there have been studies that showed people eating Nutrasweet actually GAINED weight, based on the fact their bodies were reacting to the sweet taste, releasing insulin, and then finding no actual sugars to process. Then the insulin would go through the bloodstream, lowering the blood sugar that was there, and triggering hunger and cravings.

Here's an article about it:

http://www.rense.com/politics6/lwodown.htm

Nutrasweet has been the most controversial sweetener ever marketed, and I know there's a lot of hysteria generated about it. For me, it tastes lousy, so it's no trouble for me to avoid it.

But based on what I've read, I do think Splenda is a better choice. It's based on sugar, first of all, while Equal is a brain toxin in actuality. (That's why the PKU warning on the label. Sure, people with PKU have a very low tolerance for Nutrasweet. But what's yours? Do you know? My son gets headaches from half a diet soda. He's got a low tolerance, too.)

That's a lot of sweetener!!!! Have you tried brewing your coffee a little weaker? Remember to count each packet as one carb!

One thing that might help-- take a break completely from sweetener for 2 weeks. When that's over, you will need less to get the same "sweet" sensation.

I was moving this weekend, and exhausted with no food nearby but a jar of my partner's peanut butter. I needed something (had been many hours without food), so I got a finger-full of peanut butter (mixed, of course, with sugar). It was so sweet, it tasted like candy!!! I was amazed at how much my taste buds have changed!

I find I do better with splenda, because I get aspartame headaches too.

HMMMMM perhaps your right??? I lost 8lbs last week and now i seemed to gain 1 lb??? I was drinking my coffee ALL WEEK so maybe i should cut it down to only 2 days a week? How many splenda's is 'appropriate' in a medium D&D coffee 14 oz??

That is it. No more coffee after today, i want to see if it helps. Perhaps im at a stall cuz of coffee....

Hi, I agree with adkpam, Dr. atkins doesn't recommend equal. Although for me it's a taste thing. I can't stand the taste of equal but I like the taste of splenda. Good luck on your coffee cut-back.

Tammy

I prefer Splenda's taste, and aspartame gives me massive headaches so I abstain completely.

Have you tried the Splenda-sweetened syrups from Da Vinci (http://www.davincigourmet.com)? I have several and use them in coffee. They are very sweet, plus they are carb-free.

Not a Splenda fan, so I use Equal. :)

Sugar
 

Has anyone heard of stevia, located in your local healthfood stores. If you have does it stall you or make you crave sweets. I have some ,but i'm thinking Maybe that is the problem for me just even the fake stuff is hurting my loss.

Splenda all the way. I feel like there's some funky taste to Equal...I don't know, maybe it's just me. Either way, make sure you aren't getting super liberal with it. Moderation, baby! Maybe try a flavored coffee? Or better yet, switch to herbal tea! Green tea has a thermogenic effect and might help you burn a couple extra calories....and it has a lot of other great benefits.
However, if you choose to stick with the coffee, I read a study the other day that says drinking a cup or two in the morning might also help to boost the metabolism because of something in it (caffeine? I don't remember honestly, I don't drink coffee much anymore since finding herbal tea)
Either way, I'd keep your habit. Any warm beverage is an appetite suppresant because it makes the stomach expand.
Just cut back on that sweetener!

Love and luck,
becca

Atkins limits packets of sweetener to three for the entire day. I'd imagine it's entirely up to you whether you want to use them all at once. :)

Watch out for dextrose and other "ose" in packets
 

Hi,

Atkins says to COUNT 1G for each packet of artificial sweetner no matter what the packet says.

Most AS are minute in quantity and are "bulked" with dextrose or another bulky sweetner to help you see it.

I have stopped using the packets and have just switched to liquid. We can get liquid Sugar Twin in Canada for about $3.95 for 200ml. Sugar Twin uses cyclamates.

My 200ml bottle of liquid Splenda was $32. It is equal to 768 packets of Splenda.

Neither of these are pure sweetner, but have added water for bulk. No added products that are sugar-like.

These liquid sweetners are 0 cal and 0 carb.

My lesson came with cream - no weight loss even when I had the best week eating in 7 weeks - the culprit? Dextrose is the SECOND ingredient in 35% whipped cream. I switched from 18% to try and lower my carbs, but ended up with MORE dextrose.

This was the only change and I can tell you I am changing back to 18% (note the 18% has dextrose as well, but it is the 5th ingredient).

I have always prefered Sugar Twin with cyclamates - only need one pack. I need at least 3 with powedered Splenda.

The sad part is that liquid Splenda is not available in the US.

Tom.

Did you know that Equal tablets have no carbs, whereas the lilttle blue packets of Equal have almost a gram of carbs? So, if you're going to use Equal in your coffee, it's best to use the tablets. I personally use liquid Splenda for most things; it also has no carbs.

Karen D.