Fake sugars.. Anyone else have an effect on weight loss?

  • Is anyone else sensitive to artificial sugars?

    I find they cause me to desire to eat more than if I just don't have them.. I also find when I am consuming them, like Crystal Lite instead of water, even if I eat all the same stuff, my weight loss is slower than if I just have plain water in the same time period.

    I guess I'm sensitive to it because other people can seem to drink gallons of Crystal Lite or diet soda with no problems with their weight loss..

    Generally I'm using Splenda, but I have experienced the same thing with other ones..
  • I usually drink water but I have seen a few article saying that artificial sweetners cause weight gain. I don't think it's just you. Crystal Light makes my throat burn and aspartame makes me dizzy and sick. I try to steer clear.
  • I don't think they cause weight gain -- that would be pretty much impossible for something that contains no calories -- but they may encourage you to eat more (because they do not turn off your sugar-cravings the way real sugar does) and that will cause the weight gain.
  • According to the book The Insulin Resistance Diet (don't have my copy with me at the moment so I can't quote exact pages), diet sodas containing aspartame can actually cause a rise in insulin in the body if they are consumed while not eating a meal. The insulin will push blood glucose into the cells as stored fat, of course. Thus, diet sodas can contribute to unhealthy swings in blood sugar, hypoglycemic episodes, binge-eating, and fat storage (or failure to lose weight).

    So, if you must drink something sweetened, have it only with meals; and at other times, have only water.

    Crystal Light may not always be sweetened with sucralose (Splenda), apparently there are some forms of it that still contain aspartame, according to something I was just reading.