OK, i have a little issue, i consume like 6 splendas a day, any advice on the adverse effects on the diet...i read in many places that splenda and any aspartame containing foods halt the degredation of fat cells...that splenda actually prevents weight loss...any further insite....is 6 ok...how much do you gals consume...

second what do you use your starches for...heres mine
3/4 cut of fiber one
1 slice of bread with ff cream cheese and sf strawberry jam...yummy!

Id certainly be interested in that...my DH swears that if I gave up my one medium diet coke from McDonalds every day that Id have no weight problem...I tried giving it up but saw no difference and I love it so much it hurt to give it up when I already have so much willpower on other things Lately my starches have been oatmeal, sugar free ice cream, diet bread, english muffin, dry cereal and brown rice..

Aggie...that sounds good!

Have you guys tried Matzo bread? One "board" is a starch and it is quite a large size! Not only that, but there are flavored ones as well. I'll use the whole wheat in LAWL Apple Pancake recipe or as a snack, I like the Mediteranean flavor. Check it out!

Aggie: where are you reading this info? I have never heard this, but I'll be willing to give my sweetener up if you feel the source is credible. I've been feeling the need to give it up for health issues (just wanting to be a clean eater) and I've already switched from my beloved no-stick spray to Mazola Pure for the same reason.

Starches: Loving the mini bagels..Love WW Pitas. I also do the whole wheat lite bread. Basically I'm for anything where I an have a top AND bottom on my sandwiches.

What I have read mostly is that there could be an issue with aspartame (spelling). Splenda is supposed to be as close to real sugar as you can get, and better for you. According to my plan, which is Red, you can use up to 3 packets per day.

as a matter of fact, the first place i read this was the atkins book, the second place i read this was in the zone book...

here's some info i got off the web about aspartame...
Aspartame is difficult for your body to break down, which stresses your digestive system and causes it to store more of your food as fat.This is a theory that seems to be supported by what happens AFTER people give up all aspartame. According to Dr. H.J. Roberts, people getting off aspartame completely lose an average of 15 pounds. Aspartame can make you actually crave MORE sugary sweets.The reason aspartame so strikingly stimulates the appetite is it provides over half of its content in a form of a phenylalanine isolate.

The amino acid phenylalanine outcompetes all the other at enzyme sites in the body. This suppresses the formation of dopamine from tyrosine and the formation of serotonin from tryptophan. The serotonin is the neurotransmitter that reports carbohydrate metabolism. When your serotonin levels are not allowed to raise as they normally do when you eat carbohydrates you crave more and more food. The dopamine is the neurotransmitter that lets you feel satisfied, so when you use aspartame you have unsatisfiable cravings. The aspartame also poisons your metabolism so you cannot burn calories.
and the list of info goes on and on...

http://www.moontide.net/aspartame.htm

this is the continuation of the previous article, its worth reading...

Aggie:
I use for my starches:
potatoes, mini bagels, low fat low sugar ice cream, low fat low carb wraps(once in a while), melba toast, white rice, wheat pasta, sometimes I love to use one starch and one protein in a Lean Cuisine meal, bread for sandwiches, LA cheese curls, and wheat pita bread. Hope this help.

I love splenda, and a LAWL counselor who posted on here a few times said that you actually do not have to limit yourself to 3 a day. I eat mini bagels, lc wraps, WW pitas, and potatoes for my starches usually, however I have been on a big popcorn kick lately too.

I don't think spenda contains aspartame ?

No, it does not. Splenda is it's own artificial sweetener, but is supposed to be very close to sugar.

Agge - I have also heard artificial sweeteners hinder weight loss.
Not certain of the science behind it.
I personally do not like the after taste from any artificial sweetners. I bought the bulk box of splenda when I got sucked in by "made from sugar - tastes like sugar" did some research -after I bought it that is- to find out slenda is manufactured from chlorine - no less. Yuccck!
I just use real brown sugar - and try to keep the consumption to a bare minimum.

-S

I'll try this for a couple of weeks (no splenda) AFTER I finish this 2 liter of diet soda

This is an article I found this morning after reading some scary stuff about Splenda. Has anyone ever tried Stevia?

Other countries and diabetics have both taught us a lot about controlling insulin naturally. For many years, diabetics have used products sweetened with polyalcohol sugars like sorbitol, xylitol, malitol, and mannitol. These are natural sweeteners that do not trigger an insulin reaction. (Xylitol can be derived from birch tree pulp.) They have half the calories of sugar and are not digested by the small intestine.

While most polyalcohol sugars have no side effects, sorbitol is a laxative and can cause diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating and flatulence.

For this reason, we recommend the herb stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) over sorbitol as a natural sweetener to our patients. Known in South America as the “sweet herb,” stevia has been used for over 400 years without ill effect. Stevia has been enormously popular in Japan, now rivaling Equal and Sweet’N Low. It’s 20 times sweeter than sugar, so a small portion of Stevia will sweeten even a strong cup of tea.

We’ve known about stevia in the US since 1918, but pressure from the sugar import trade blocked its use as a commodity. Today stevia is slowly gaining steam as a sugar substitute, despite similar hurdles. The FDA has approved its use as a food supplement, but not as a food additive due to a lack of studies. Stevia can be used for anything you might use sugar in, including baking. It is naturally low in carbohydrates. You can buy stevia at most health food stores and over the web. There will always be those who have a sensitivity to a substance, but based on reports from other countries it appears to have little to no side effects. For women who want to move through their cravings for sugar without artificial chemicals, stevia is a great option.