[PicklesThePirate]

Hi, ladies!

It's been a while since I've been on here, but everyone here has been so helpful and kind in the past that I knew I should come here first.

I'm on the diet again (mine is low carb. Just a preference.). In the past, I've always been super strict on my diets, but have always managed to sabotage myself due to my weakness for the table wine of the South - Sweet Iced Tea.

Now, I always sweeten it with Splenda (or a variation thereof) but I know that the aspartame is the evil mustache-bearing villain responsible for my lack of progress.

My question is, do any of you ladies have suggestions for how to make giving it up easier? I swear I have withdrawals, though I'm sure it's psychosomatic.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[Atarimae]

Hi there! First off, I'd like to let you know that aspartame actually does cause sugar cravings, so don't make yourself think you're crazy!

If you do find that you need to use a sweetener, maybe you could use a natural sweetener like Stevia or a sugar alcohol like Xylitol? I'm going low/moderate (below 100g...not Atkins strict) carb, lowER sugar and those are my two choices when I need something sweet! For me though, that happens to be the base sweetener for my oatmeal, which I eat daily.

Also, isn't Splenda made from sucralose, not aspartame? (If so, it's "supposedly" better for you than aspartame, though still not very good.) I'm not sure on this one, as I don't use that anymore.

The fight against artificial sweeteners is tough, since most sugar free products contain them! I had to learn to become a fan of reading labels!

[IsabellaOlivia]

I was drinking 6 cans of Diet Coke a day. And I quit Cold Turkey. Withdrawal those first three days just really really sucks.

No, you're not imaging having a headache, quitting sugar gives you a pounding headache for a couple of days.