Aspartame.....
 

Hi all!

I have been on induction for about a week. For the first few days I lost roughly a pound a day (I know it is "suggested" not to weigh every day), but for the past 4 days I have been gaining a pound or a half every day.

Other than weighing every day, as far as I can tell I have been following the plan to the letter except for drinking softdrinks with Aspartame in them. I know Atkins says not to drink them, but I am not clear on why.

Does anyone have any experience in this area? Does Aspartame somehow prevent Atkins from working? I remember in his book he suggested an alternative sweetener (don't remember what it was) but as far as I have seen, the only soft drinks reasonably available (I really don't want to carry a six pack with me) contain Aspartame.

I guess my question is, how likely is it that the Aspartame is a problem to weight loss? I know I am not very far into this, and I shouldn't track weight everyday, but so far the results are not impressive and I am wondering what I am doing wrong. The Aspartame is the only thing I can come up with.

How likely is it that this is the problem?

I don't know if this helps but I am on day 4 of induction and lost 2 pounds already. I am using aspartame for a sweetner, until I can adjust to the suggested one.
There are studies I believe that show Aspartame can slow weight loss...You can read more at the AtkinsCenter online.
I have friends who used the Atkins plan, used aspartame and lost all of their weight.
Maybe if you just use less or drink less soft drinks and see how your body responds.....
I hope that helps somewhat :)
Nan

Atkins suggests Splenda or sucralose. Happy LCing!

I have also read that aspartame can slow weight loss. I have switched to using only Splenda now. Whatever sugar substitute you are losing, you should be having no more than 2-3 packets per day.

If you are concerned this is slowing you down, I'd make the change to Splenda. It actually tastes more like sugar with no aftertaste.

I don't know if it was slowing me down or not, but I want to give this WOE every possible chance to work, so why risk it when there is an acceptable alternative. JMHO. :wave:

For some people, aspartame reacts with their blood sugar the same way real sugar does. I am one of those people. This can stall weight loss.

Weight Loss
 

If you weigh every day make sure that you are prepared for the natural fluctuation of your weight. That is outside of what you are eating and putting into your body. If weighing every day and seeing the scale go up some days and down on the others, I would suggest perhaps a weekly weighing. Do the low carb thing and let the weight take care of itself.. It will !

aspertame
 

I was having the same problem, i got stalled from the aspertame, i weighed after 13 days , and showed no loss, after i cut out the aspertame and caffeine, i can see the loss, still havent weighed, but have lost 4 inches so far. are you drinking caffeine??

Try looking for Diet-Rite soda. It uses splenda which may be a better sweetener for you. Also if you are eating alot of cheese that can be a staller for many. I had to cut most cheese out of my diet to continue to lose after two weeks of induction

asparatame
 

I am still drinking soft drinks with asparatame, mainly the mineral water with flavours, as I am not hugely keen on plain water. However I have always tried to limit myself with asparatame, as I once read an article linking it to brain tumours in people who have a family history of this condition. I have a couple of relations who have had non cancerous brain tumours, so I guess I should stay totally clear of it.

However I have not been able to find any brand of soft drink here in Ireland/UK without asparatame in it. Anybody help on this??

Also never seem Splenda in the shops over here, its all hermasetas (asparatame) and canderel (the same) but I am not bothered about that, I have just about got used to the decaf coffee with cream and no sugar!

sarah

Re: Aspartame.....
 

Try the article here on Artificial Sweeteners :)

When I first tried induction, I was not drinking plain water, well, a little, but not enough. I, too, wasn't keen on plain water. However, I started another induction and resolved to drink at least 64 oz a day.

Once I started drinking it, I got used to it. Now I drink about 100oz a day. I have really noticed a difference in loss of inches, weight, and how I feel.

Atkins explains that it is very important to drink at least 64 ounces of plain water every day in ADDITION to whatever other drinks you may have. The reason is that the kidneys and liver have to process whatever else is in the drink - sweetner, flavoring, etc. and this does not help flush the body like plain water. It is important to help loss and the lack of it can slow your loss down. I'm paraphrasing here and probably not doing a great job of it, but I can tell you there is a very good scientific reason for drinking LOTS of plain water.

Also, Atkins states you should limit your sweetner to 2-3 packs per day. If every drink you have has aspartame in it, that is surely more than that amount.

If you don't like tap water, try a bottled water. My own personal favorite is Dasani by the Coca-Cola Company. It is a filtered water and it has a smooth, fresh taste to it.

Give drinking water a try for at least a week. I know now I actually PREFER plain water and hardly ever drink anything else even if it's available!

JMHO. :wave:

I drink fruit2o. It's made with splenda and tastes pretty yummy. It's flavored water without the aspartame. I got mine at Sam's, not sure where else you can get it though. That's the only place I've ever seen it.