I was just wondering how many of you on CAD or CALP eat artifical sweeteners? I have not had many at all since starting this program. I did yesterday and today though. Sometimes I need to have sugar free gum.

Also is you were on atkins and went to this plan how long did it take to see results? Weeks, days, a month????? I haven't seen any yet and I know I am eating less and doing better than on atkins overall. I am working on making rm less carb heavy but haven't succeeded yet.

Please,any help or advise would be great. I am glad I am eating well and not gaining but really want to see the scale start to move downward even if it is slow.

THANKS

When switching directly from Atkins to CAD, I had an initial 4 lb gain, then after about 10 days to 2 weeks, it started coming off.

As for the AS, I treat them with caution. If I have them, I try to have them with a meal, not on their own, because I found that if I use them during the day (like sf gum or sipping on diet soda like I used to) I need to brace myself for carb cravings at night.

A lot of CADers don't use AS outside of RM, if then. Some CADers are sensitive to AS and some prefer real sugar at RM. Some prefer sweets with AS at RM.

The reason for not having AS outside RM is this. If a CA perceives a taste as sweet, his/her body puts out insulin. The body doesn't care if there are real carbs present or not.

So say the Hellers and that is my reaction. Some say AS doesn't affect them outside RM. However I have often found that those are the ones who's weight stalls and their RMs remain out of control. You don't have to feel cravings to have a reaction to AS. However you do usually have increased hunger as the day goes on and the more often you have AS, the larger the hunger grows until come RM time, your eating is carb heavy or even out of control. If this is you...you aren't controlling your insulin, which is the secret to CAD, as far as CAD is concerned, you aren't eating lc at all due to the insulin spikes caused by AS. And with insulin high you can't lose weight...it's chemically impossible because insulin (fat storing hormone) and glucogen (fat burning hormone) are opposites and one cannot exist in the pressence of the other.

Many CADers can tell you of the fight they had to give up AS outside of RM..Those same ones can tell you that only when they did, did they start seeing results.

CAD/CALP is about each individual finding what works best for his/her own body chemistry, sensitivities and triggers and adjusting the WOE to suit.

If you need sf gum for breathe reasons, some CADers find the sf listerine strips work and don't cause insulin spikes.

I switched to only using them at RM. Most of the recipes in the CAD book for CM meals though use them which seems a tad contradictory.

Tho at first I doubted this AS thing, I decided to give it a try--what a difference--I do have an AS soda with my RM or sometimes some SF pudding or the like, but I stick to water during the day--huge difference in cravings and my ability to control my RM--

Zule explains it all so well

I also moved from Atkins to CAD and after an initial gain, started losing --took a couple of weeks to see it--

I also keep the AS to RM only.

I switched to CALP from 7 months on Atkins. It took about 6 weeks of staying the same before the pounds started to come off. I've lost 5 pounds since November. Slow, but steady.
Aggie

Zule-- why the listerine strips..arent they sweetened somehow as well?

Potatofree
All I can figure is that the strong taste of listerine masks whatever sweetness is on the strips and thus doesn't spike insulin. I don't use them...I brush my tongue but Vel swears by them.