Hi everyone! – I need your help!

I have read that the use of artificial sweeteners can upset the weight reduction whilst on a BSD diet, does anyone have any personal experience to share about this…? I am in my third week on the 800 calories and miss the see taste of my pre BSD diet tea – white with two or more sugar 🙂 – and wonder whether to buy some stevia sweetener… Does anyone have a positive or negative experience with the use of stevia or any other artificial sweeteners?

I have so far experienced a weight reduction of 1 stone (down from15 stone) and would really not want to do anything to upset my further weight loss down to my below 13 stone target 🙂

I’m in week 9 and have had artificial sweetener in one cup of tea per day, plus some sugar free squash (mostly to get me to drink the amount of water that I need to). I had 23lbs to lose and have lost 17lbs so I don’t think it’s affected me at all.

I prefer xylitol myself. I do use it sparingly. In a ultra low carb cookbook by Dana Carpender i just got she recommends Erythritol as better than xylitol. she uses liquid stevia in her recipes.

I have not tried erythritol and i loathe stevia as it has a bitter taste to me.

I have not noticed that xylitol inhibited weight loss but as i said i used it sparingly.

Everyone is different though.

MMosley recommends trying to get off artificial sweetners if possible … but i think he says you can use them sparingly if you must … or while you wean yourself off them.

I will probably drink diet soda once in a while … and sprinkle a bit of xylitol on things at least in the near future.

I have read that Stevia as sold commerically has only a small amount of the actual natural plant extract and the rest is erythritol. So all the idea about stevia being more natural is actually not relevant once you get to what you can buy off the shelf.

Though (disclaimer) not all you read on the internet……

I found an interesting guardian article at the weekend about Truvia (marketed as a natural stevia product, but nothing could be further than the truth!)
Not all you read on the internet – but if it’s in the Guardian!
I posted a link in a thread about sweeteners – Canderel and somehing

found it https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/dec/14/sugar-subsititutes-sweet-and-sour

If you look on most Stevia packaging you will see it is mainy erythritol. I have a stevia plant, it looks just like mint, I pick a few leaves and soak them in warm water for 10 mins and you have a sweet liquid, no chemicals, no calories. I only use it once a day in my coffee as I find coffee bitter but keep being told a cup a day is good for you. So much info out there our brains are rattling.

Oh wow – that sounds great
I want a Stevia plant – wonder how easy they are to get hold of
can you grow them indoors Sunshine Girl?

I’ve seen Stevia in a pot at my local nursery (Sydney Australia) amongst the herbs. I’ll have to buy some next time as I still dislike my unsweetened tea despite sticking with it more than four weeks now. Everyone says I’ll get used to it, but no!

I live in a reasonable hot country so mine is outdoors, not sure if it is as hardy as mint, I will find out in the next few weeks. Im sure you can grow it indoors. Try garden centres, I get mine from the little man in the local market.