Atkins-artificial sweeteners-Splenda?

[Simba's Mom]

I finally broke down and bought the Atkins book today. Got a question about artificial sweeteners. Seems Atkins says "No" to Nutrasweet, use Splenda. Does that mean diet soda is out? No other diet sweeteners? I'm getting more tempted to try Atkins and need encouragement.

 

[LisaTx]

I switched from diet Coke to diet RC. It's sweetened with Splenda. I get it at Walmart, Kroger's or Tom Thumb. I still drink diet Coke if I'm out at a restaurant or something.

You can also get Diet Rite that is sweetened with Splenda and is caffeine free.

The pre-mixed Crystal light is sweetened with Splenda, but not the powdered.

I pretty much stick to Spenda for everything else. I believe Stevia is allowed on Atkins, but I'm not familiar with it.

 

[DoeWDW]

I try to stick with Splenda whenever possible. When I eat something with one of the other sweeteners, I get a bitter aftertaste. I don't have that with Splenda.

Also, Splenda is better for baking or any other recipe that needs to be heated, because it doesn't break down when heated like many of the other sweeteners do.

Like Lisa said, there are more and more things coming out that are sweetened with Splenda. Diet Rite and diet RC are two sodas that use it. I've never been a soda drinker - love my water!

Best of luck in whatever you decide! There are lots of low-carb plans out there. If you try Atkins and find it too strict, don't give up! I think reducing the amount of sugar and refined starches in your diet can only be a good thing!

 

[Brier Rose]

I am a BIG time coke drinker, about a six pack a day, and am about to start Atkins for the first time on Monday.
I hate drinking water,(gonna do it anyway), but I really wanted something else with meals. I hate diet soda's anyway because of the aftertaste from most artificial sweetners. Out of desperation, and because Splenda is the only one allowed by Atkins I bought some of the premixed Crystal Light Pink Lemonaid. It was great!
I was so pleasently surprised, and happy to find something that I actually liked that I feel now more that ever that this is something I'm really gonna be able to do!

 

[sha_lyn]

Splenda bothers me. IMHO They are very misleading in their advertising. They claim it is natural because it is made with sugar. However they leave out the little bit about them adding chlorine to the sugar so your body doesn't absorb the calories. In small amounts it probably isn't dangerous, but personally I would only use it when I "had" too, ie when I had to grab a diet drink etc.

I use stevia at home and love it. I buy a limeade mix called Fresh. The company is Stevita. I use sweet leaf (sweet leave can be found at Kroger in the organic/diet section)stevia for iced and hot tea. There is one sports drink that uses it that is hard to find, and I can't think of the name right now

 

[Candlelady]

Delurking for a moment to post my experience using Splenda.

Started using Splenda in the fall. No problem, this stuff is great! After a few months I began experiencing terrible mood swings and becoming overly sensitive to constuctive criticism in the workplace. I would more often than not, have to leave meetings to go outside and cry. At home my Dh would have me in tears for even looking at me in what I thought was the wrong way!

I could not figure out what was wrong with me until one of my dear friends suggested that maybe it was the LC diet. I knew it was not the LC, it had to be something else. Splenda was the only new item in my diet so I stopped using it completely. Within two days I felt like my old self again. No more crying and no more depression.

 

[Brier Rose]

What are you using now?
Did you find anything else that you like as well as the Splenda?
Do you know if this is a common side effect?

Sorry for all the questions, but I am fixing to start the Atkins Induction, and had planned on my drink of choice being Crystal Light, which of course has Splenda in it.
I already feel terrible, and have awful mood swings, thus the main reason for the diet in the first place.
If I get any worse, I think my family is gonna kick me out!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Thanks so much for your insights, everyone. I bought both sacchirine and Splenda. Figured the Splenda would taste more "natural", but after trying them both I found the sacchrine to be just as good, and a heck of a lot cheaper! Especially after reading Candlelady's experience, I think I'll stick with the sacchrine!

 

[Candlelady]

Originally posted by Brier Rose
What are you using now?
Did you find anything else that you like as well as the Splenda?
Do you know if this is a common side effect?

Actually I'm not using anything for a replacement. I'm a coffee addict and that was the main reason I was using so much Splenda. I have since switched to no sweetener for coffee. As a side benefit, I don't drink as much coffee and have switched to green tea and plenty of water. I will try Splenda in the future, but in very small amounts and as a treat, not as an everyday replacement for sugar.

My post was not to scare anyone away from Splenda, but to alert people to the fact that it CAN happen to some people. A fews years back, when my DD started college she also started dieting and drinking tons of soda sweetened with aspertame. Thousands of dollars worth of doctor visits later she still had severe headaches and other problems. I asked her to quit the soda completely for at least a week to see if that helped. It did. To this day she will not eat or drink anything with aspertame as an ingredient. Yet she can use Splenda with no problems.