I have a question... I am trying Atkins for the second time round, after no success first time. I am trying to be much smarter this time, and things are going better. I am actually in ketosis, and I only started Monday of this week. So, my question is, i am trying to figure out if aspartame stalls me, so my plan is to drink a diet snapple, wait about an hour, and see if I am still in ketosis. Theoretically, this might tell me whether aspartame or caffeine knocks me out of ketosis. So, if it doesnt, I could probably have a diet soda once in while. But if no strips change, then I stay away from aspartame. So in theory this plan sounds good, but does it really make sense?

Basically, how long between putting something in my mouth and seeing the effects on the ketostix? An hour? more or less? i have no idea...

Thats a good idea you will have to tell me how it goes!!
Im into my 3rd week and met a friend today in a pub and had 2 diet pepsi (they where lovely after such a long time of going without) Ive just had a diet coke which was even nicer and Im gonna see what happens to my weight tomorow

Ive used my keto sticks and they are still in purple so lets see what happens tomorow when i go on the scales!!

Sounds way too technical for me.

What stalls me is eating too much. Atkins IS calorie restricted, just at a higher level than any other program.

have you tried the house brand drinks? Many of them don't use aspartame. It's not just the stalling effect; some people think it's bad for your brain, too.

Well I am on my second time around as well. First time it didn't work at all. I have done alot of research and different methods. Based on my research if your body considers it toxic it can prevent you from loosing weight.

For me about a year and half ago I went through a detox regiment to weed out those things. I no longer drink caffiene, or any other drink. Only water. No chocolate way bad for me. No diary. No Nuts. Quit overcounter drugs only when I really need ibuprofen do I take it otherwise I use no cold or allergy medicines.

So the first time I did it I was eating cheese products and nuts because that is what it said. And I know I am allergic to cheese products and nuts. I also wasn't eating a high concentration in fat. Plus i was eating salad.

This time I started 4 days ago and have so far lost 7 pounds which is way more than I did the first time when I tried for 2 weeks and lost only 2.5 pounds.

The differences I am eating an all meat diet. I had kabas in the morning. And alternate between Chuck Eye steak and salmon for lunch and dinner. For a snack I treat myself to pepperoni, salami, ham or turkey.

Now in the 4 days I do weigh myself everyday as I am trying slightly variations. I noticed when I did not eat my chuck eye steak one day I only lost like .5 pound in that day. So the next day I went to eating chuck eye steak a 12 ouncer (very high in fat content) and I lost 1.4 pounds. So either it was a fluctation or inorder for me to process fat I need beef fat to help me along. My calorie intake is somewhere around 2000-2300 a day.

The other thing is the body gets more efficient at burning what you bring in if you are able to eat more of a type of mono diet and not mix foods.

So, I would recommend to cut out diet sodas or drinks or anything with artificial sweetner completely for a week and see how it goes. You might experience withdraw symptoms from it. I know I did when I gave up diet cola or non cola diet drinks.

If that doesn't work I would look to anything else that may cause allgeric reaction to your body.

Everyones body is different, for me I became a detective to get in touch with it and figure it out.

Hoped this helped.

Many blessings,

Sacred

Hi!

Your experiment isn't a bad idea, but stalling is different from being knocked out of ketosis. Aspartame should maintain your ketosis, but the reason it's advised that you avoid it is its potential danger. (Mind you, I drink diet pepsi practically every day. )

Best of luck!

When all else fails I go searching on the www.atkins.com site. It is a wealth of information. From the Atkins site itself it says these things about caffiene and diet cola.

Can I have diet soda while doing Atkins?
Spring, mineral or filtered tap water and herb teas are your best fluid options. If you must have soda, avoid caffeinated colas and look for brands, such as Diet Rite, sweetened with sucralose. Be sure to add any carbohydrates in these drinks to your daily carb count.

Why is caffeine unacceptable in the Atkins Nutritional Approach?
Excess caffeine can drop blood sugar levels and leave you craving sweets. If you're addicted to caffeine, you must give it up. The best way to do this is to segue from the high-octane stuff to decaf by gradually adding decaf to your full-force brew until you are drinking straight decaf, which you can enjoy with cream. Water-processed decaf is preferable because it does not use chemicals, as other decaffeinating processes do.
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On a side not from the years of dieting (25 years) I have done the word should doesn't work for me anymore. As those things that should have helped me loose weight didn't according to different nutritionist. Even Atkins, I should be able to eat cheese and nuts and still loose weight. Not. LOL. It can get a little hard to eat meat all day But I will say I never knew how sweet water could taste.

According to eat right for my blood type I should not eat meat either. That was another diet that failed.

As far as aspartame goes, there is subtle (way subtle) research going on linking it to different nerve control diseases. But the media and science don't want to admit that.

I actually had a friend's brother one time drink a six pack of diet cola that was really warm. He wound up in the hospital. Apparently when heated aspartame turns in to formaldhide.

But I have found everyone reacts differently to different foods/toxins taken into their body. While one may not have an issue with aspartame another will. Like me One may not have issues with diary another one will.

I have found making blanket statements on diets for all people just doesn't work. Through my experiences it has been up to me to sort through and figure out how to loose weight.

Many blessings,

Sacred

well my weight loss hasnt been affected, infact I lost. So I am def back on my diet coke. At the end of the day life is a hazard and full of so many dangers! People drink and smoke and they are warned of the health implications and they still do it!
So the long and the short of it is I cant have carbs like I used to if I wanna loose weight, so I have to my little pleasures and diet coke is it!!

That is great you can do that, sometimes I wish I could. I Literally can not do it anymore. One time after being off caffiene for a long time. I drank a Barqs rootbeer to help with a long drive. For the next two days I had detox headache from doing so.

I love chocolate but it messes me up so bad digestively. Then I love frozen yogurt but my hayfever allergies get so bad when I have diary.

I use to have migranes (diagnosed) and wicked bad allergies (as in doctors would have preferred me in a bubble LOL) nothing really worked. Doctors are surprised to this day I can wear tennis shoes cuase I am highly allergic to formaldihide which is an agent in waterproofing chemicals. But I find what works like making sure my feet don't get soaking wet and always wearing socks otherwise I wind up with a rash (like pioson ivy rashes).

Since i did the Detox. I litterally have no more headaches and my allergies are almost non-existent compared to the way I use to be. And when I get sick (as in flu or a cold) it is not nearly as bad as it use to be. I also don't get sick that much anymore.

Hoping that the changes and enhancements to atkins I have made is the final step to enjoying my body the way I want to.

Many blessings,

Sacred

Another article at atkins I found while researching something else...

http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/21-435509.html

Many blessings,

Sacred

cheers scared
I am glad you have found a diet that helps with all your alergies. I guess I am kinnda lucky not to have them, I am weak and I need a vice I dont often drink I dont smoke, I now cant eat chocolate or high carb foods, so diet coke your it!!