Considering giving up all sweeteners temporarily

sweeteners
stevia
science
insulin
(Sonia A.) #21

In addition to sharing my treats, one of my tactics is to begin a fast immediately after eating it. I minimise my cravings like that.

(Cheryl Hall) #22

@kreb ā€“ LMFAO! That pretty much sums it up! Hahahaha! :joy::joy::joy:

(Cheryl Hall) #23

@Ijjunne

Yes that works for me as well. :grinning:

(Liz ) #24

I donā€™t use any sweeteners at all, itā€™s been like, 5 months. I donā€™t eat any fruit. So many things taste sweet now. I am a recovering sugar addict so this is like, a revelation. I donā€™t miss any of it.

(Cheryl Hall) #25

@LizinLowell

Very great! I wish I could say I donā€™t miss any of it - sometimes I do, in all honesty. But I know I can do without it and feel much better in the long run than when I have it.

Great Job!

(Liz ) #26

Thank you! Glad you feel better even though itā€™s not the easiest. Itā€™s not totally fair of me because Iā€™ve been low carb since 2003 and totally used to life without candy/bread etc. But I used sweeteners all that time, and when I went Paleo a few years ago I was using honey & maple syrup & occasional fruits but it got outta hand pretty fast. Sweetener free Keto got me into a groove where cravings are gone & itā€™s such a relief!

(Cheryl Hall) #27

@LizinLowell

Yep all the great keto food definitely makes it easier for sure! Have a great evening Liz!

(Gabe ā€œNo Dogma, Only Science Please!ā€ ) #28

wow, 14 years?? are you the person who richard and carl spoke to on the podcast a while ago?

(Gabe ā€œNo Dogma, Only Science Please!ā€ ) #29

Very, very interesting thread. OK so I have another question: I am really quite excited about making a low carb cheesecake. If I give up all sweeteners for a few weeks, will a cheesecake knock me back into sweet addiction?

How long does it take to get non-sweet-adapted to the point where the occasional sweet thing now and then wonā€™t awaken the beast?

I want to give up sweeteners but I do want to have the occasional LCHF treatā€¦ I guess I literally want to eat my cake and have it too!

(Liz ) #30

No, not me on the podcast. Mind, I havenā€™t been Keto that long, just grain free & pretty low carb with intermittent periods of carb creep since 2003. But it wasnā€™t enough. Had to go full Keto to heal my body.

(Liz ) #31

Iā€™m not sure the answer but I just want to mention if you give up sweeteners long enough, you may find you donā€™t like them anymore afterwards. Your tastes change.

(Tovan Nhsh) #32

I dropped sweeteners of all kinds about three months back & honestly it was worth it. I have noticed a HUGE difference in my sweet tooth. Cravings donā€™t really occur now. Occasionally the thought will cross my mind, but itā€™s muted & distant.

(Sonia A.) #33

I think it depends. If youā€™re insulin resistant, you have more risks of awakening the beast. Even after 6 months without sweeteners, it didnā€™t take much to trigger cravings for me.

(Cheryl Hall) #34

You know there are many people who do just fine with occasional sweet stuff. The thing about Keto is we have to experiment on ourselves. We have the general guidelines for success but everyone is so different - what works for one person may not work for another.

Treat yourself like a laboratory - find out what works best for you.

@Brenda on here ā€“ Brenda Zorn (btw she may be the person from the forum who was on Podcast with the Dudes - not sure which one you were referring to?) has a recipe for pancakes made with pork rinds that are out of this world yummy! Those are the closest thing Iā€™ve had to bread for a long time. I didnā€™t use sugar free syrup on mine but many people do without problem.

So I say - if youā€™re interested in trying something - go for it and see how it goes! If itā€™s a food that throws you out of ketosis or increases cravings you can always do a fast to get yourself back on track and then youā€™ve learned you probably shouldnā€™t do that again! :grinning:

Good luck Gabe!

#35

Yep, Iā€™m the same way. And when I give up sweeteners and only drink water, I just donā€™t drink enough, which is an issue for me because Iā€™m prone to kidney stones. I have a Soda Stream, and I make drinks using various ā€œwater enhancersā€ and combinations. I keep an insulated tumbler with me pretty much all the time, and I sip on it every little bit. But if itā€™s just filled with water, I really have to make an effort to take a big drink every now and then. I also REALLY enjoy having a sweetened coffee or tea a few times a day, and I think both taste vile unsweetened.

I donā€™t really have specific cravings anymore, but sometimes I overwhelmingly feel like eating SOMETHING when I know perfectly well that Iā€™m not actually hungry. Water just isnā€™t going to put out that fire. But a nice cup of sweet lemon tea will.

I donā€™t think this is ideal, but one thing at a time. I have my favorite cake in the refrigerator for my daughterā€™s birthday (she specifically requested it), and Iā€™m not even tempted by it at all (or all the other carby things she brings into the house). I could crack down on my sweetened beverage usage, but I strongly suspect that it would weaken my resolve in other areas (not to mention less liquid consumption). I consider my sweetener usage to be picking my battles.

(Gabe ā€œNo Dogma, Only Science Please!ā€ ) #36

All your replies have been fascinating. Iā€™d make a few points:

  • Iā€™ve been LCHF for over a year now, but itā€™s only since Iā€™ve gone ketogenic that the cravings for starchy carbs and sugar have been severely muted. Just 2 months ago it was hard to resist cheating with white cheddar popcorn and chocolate raisins. Now I can honestly say that in theory I want to eat those things, but I donā€™t really have the urge.
  • Side note: Iā€™m actually amazed by how much my appetite has decreased since I went ketogenic. I literally eat till Iā€™m stuffed silly, and then proceed to lose fat. Itā€™s astounding, really, and itā€™s the key to why keto works. I know youā€™ve all had the same remarkable experience: you want to eat more, but you canā€™t physically ingest anything else!
  • I never really had the addiction to sugary beverages that you guys have, partly perhaps because my family discouraged it in the house and so I grew up with candy but very limited soft drinks. Itā€™s a huge reason why the first world is so obese and diabetic, as we all know, and your anecdotal experience with addiction to sugary drinks is telling.
  • About 15 years ago I lost 20kg (45lb) with lots of cardio each day and calorie restriction using a sort of modified SAD. I say modified because when I hit a plateau about 5kg (10lb) from my most comfortable weight, the nutritionist told me to eat some huge number of grain servings each day ā€“ and I knew instinctively that this was ridiculous so I didnā€™t follow her inane advice. My point is that during that period, I got used to taking 2 tumblers of water when I woke up, and keeping myself hydrated throughout the day. Itā€™s a habit I ingrained in myself at the young age of 22, and itā€™s stuck with me. And it was a new thing for me ā€“ I remember being in high school actively avoiding drinking anything all day. I must have been rather dehydrated for many years.
  • So the TL;DR for those of you who have trouble taking in enough water: itā€™s a habit you can get into. I suggest doing what Iā€™m doing now with sweeteners: cut all sweetened beverages out for 6 weeks, and taking 2 tumblers of water shortly after awakening. This works even for those of you who fast, of course. Your pee should be clear throughout the day. If itā€™s not, youā€™re dehydrated. Simple as that.
  • I find my Sodastream does a good job of satisfying my desire for sparkling beverages. I remember being a kid and hating soda water, thinking that it was tricking me because I was expecting Sprite or 7-Up. But Iā€™ve gotten over that and I get 99% of the pleasure that a Coke would give me from regular old sparkling water.

Anyway so Iā€™m now like 3 days into stopping sweeteners and itā€™s very interesting: I really already have very little desire for it. Iā€™ll keep you guys updated on my progress!

(Carpe salata!) #37

Soda water is also quickly metabolised. I can drink 1.25L of it at a sitting easily. That much plain water would leave me feeling bloated and slightly nauseous.

#38

I did. I stopped eating sweeteners, fruits and any vegetable that was sweet. I did this from Dec 2016 through April 2017, then I added berries to heavy whipping cream after dinner. I experienced a complete lack of cravings for anything after about 10 days. I could/can practice IF effortlessly. I had/have no thoughts about eating sweet or otherwise. It was/is heaven. Generally I still eat this way. I have added Keto Ice Cream and sweet potato in an egg bake on occasion, but tend to then have a harder time fasting afterwards. My mental practice is to look for sweetness in life when I get hints of sweet desire in food.

(Cheryl Hall) #39

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I made the cheesecake yesterday and it cooled in the refrigerator all night - havenā€™t tried it yet. It is nice and heavy and dense like a good NY Style Cheesecake. We shall see what it does to me - I used Swerve.

(Erin Macfarland ) #40

Great observation @Hermione!