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Low carb artificial sweeteners to avoid sugar lapses?

jpscloud

jpscloud

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,045
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I've been avoiding artificial sweeteners for a few months, but not completely (I sneaked the odd sugar free sweet in) and I have also had occasional lapses with sugar.

My lapses are becoming less frequent and less - well less stuff eaten if you see what I mean. I've managed the last two weeks on low carb (less than 20g per day) high fat, no artificial sweeteners, mostly OMAD, and feel great, sugars coming down a little and steady - weight loss is slow but steady too.

But I am a hardened sugar addict and still crave sweetness. I really want to exclude sweetness of any kind (except that of low carb berries, unsweetened cream, and nuts) from my diet long term, but in the short term I am rightly or wrongly concerned with first avoiding sugar lapses.

To get into and stay in ketosis, as and when I am there - not all the time of course but I'd like to get as far as I can with staying in ketosis - I am thinking that occasional use of erythritol and/or xylitol and rare use of aspartame in sugar free jelly, for example, might help prevent lapses into real sugar use. Erythritol seems to be one of the least damaging, or "less bad" according to DietDoctor, sweeteners. My worry is that artificial sweeteners may be even worse than sugar, with hidden effects on insulin response and metabolism? I am planning to avoid manufactured products (except for sugar free jelly) and make my own to avoid additives.

With two weeks of Easter holiday starting today (Hooray!) I am likely to lapse. I'm ashamed of that, and I wish I was stronger. I will do an experiment for the next two weeks, to see if artificial sweeteners can help me avoid a sugar lapse. Maybe I can limit sweetener use to weekends and holidays. It will be interesting to see what happens to my blood sugars, ketosis and appetite.

I know one of the dangers of sweeteners is that it will likely kick up a desire for more sweetness, and feed the addiction rather than help overcome it. I just need so desperately to not consume sugar this two weeks.

Edit: I would love to hear from anyone who successfully used artificial sweeteners to get into a low carb way of eating (eventually) without artificial sweetener or lapses?
 
Last edited:
Not quite what you were asking, but:-
I've eaten a low carb/ketogenic diet for over five years and for most of that time have used erythritol and stevia as alternative sweeteners. Initially I decided I'd not use any sort of sweetener, but later felt that if I was going to eat low carb indefinitely and be able to continue baking, I'd add a little sweetness back into my menu to help keep things sustainable. They satisfy my sweet tooth and neither have any impact on my glucose (or ketone!) levels, nor in any way actually cause me to crave the real thing. I resented giving up sugar, honey, etc, but didn't really ever crave them, and the very few times I did actually want real sugar as such were early on when my body decided it was about to have/having a (very false) hypo.

Please be aware if you have dogs, xylitol is a complete NO-NO as it's extremely toxic to them. :dead:

Good luck!
Robbity
 
jpscloud said:
I've been avoiding artificial sweeteners for a few months, but not completely (I sneaked the odd sugar free sweet in) and I have also had occasional lapses with sugar.

My lapses are becoming less frequent and less - well less stuff eaten if you see what I mean. I've managed the last two weeks on low carb (less than 20g per day) high fat, no artificial sweeteners, mostly OMAD, and feel great, sugars coming down a little and steady - weight loss is slow but steady too.

But I am a hardened sugar addict and still crave sweetness. I really want to exclude sweetness of any kind (except that of low carb berries, unsweetened cream, and nuts) from my diet long term, but in the short term I am rightly or wrongly concerned with first avoiding sugar lapses.

To get into and stay in ketosis, as and when I am there - not all the time of course but I'd like to get as far as I can with staying in ketosis - I am thinking that occasional use of erythritol and/or xylitol and rare use of aspartame in sugar free jelly, for example, might help prevent lapses into real sugar use. Erythritol seems to be one of the least damaging, or "less bad" according to DietDoctor, sweeteners. My worry is that artificial sweeteners may be even worse than sugar, with hidden effects on insulin response and metabolism? I am planning to avoid manufactured products (except for sugar free jelly) and make my own to avoid additives.

With two weeks of Easter holiday starting today (Hooray!) I am likely to lapse. I'm ashamed of that, and I wish I was stronger. I will do an experiment for the next two weeks, to see if artificial sweeteners can help me avoid a sugar lapse. Maybe I can limit sweetener use to weekends and holidays. It will be interesting to see what happens to my blood sugars, ketosis and appetite.

I know one of the dangers of sweeteners is that it will likely kick up a desire for more sweetness, and feed the addiction rather than help overcome it. I just need so desperately to not consume sugar this two weeks.

Edit: I would love to hear from anyone who successfully used artificial sweeteners to get into a low carb way of eating (eventually) without artificial sweetener or lapses?
Click to expand...
That’s me. I use them all the time and don’t go gagging for Krispy Creme doughnuts all the while. I try to not overdo the use. I am using Truvia right now in the main.
 
@jpscloud I think I’m the opposite of @Listlad and @Robbity. I am in the LC WOE for about 6 months now, and having mixed results. At the start I decided that any sweetness would, for me, set off the sugar and flour cravings. We shall see how I go on. I don’t actually mind no sweeteners of any kind. I gave up sugar once before in my early 30’s, and survived just fine.
I’m learning that I will find something to have addictive behavior with, regardless. Cheese has been one recent one. Deeper baggage to unpack than I thought!
 
I recognise that it is easier for some than for others. I find rather than a craving, I need to add some sweetner to rhubarb for example, tea and occasionally strawberries, if they a little sour. Mainly in tea though as tea without some sweetner is not very palatable for me.
 
Robbity said:
Not quite what you were asking, but:-
I've eaten a low carb/ketogenic diet for over five years and for most of that time have used erythritol and stevia as alternative sweeteners. Initially I decided I'd not use any sort of sweetener, but later felt that if I was going to eat low carb indefinitely and be able to continue baking, I'd add a little sweetness back into my menu to help keep things sustainable. They satisfy my sweet tooth and neither have any impact on my glucose (or ketone!) levels, nor in any way actually cause me to crave the real thing. I resented giving up sugar, honey, etc, but didn't really ever crave them, and the very few times I did actually want real sugar as such were early on when my body decided it was about to have/having a (very false) hypo.

Please be aware if you have dogs, xylitol is a complete NO-NO as it's extremely toxic to them. :dead:

Good luck!
Robbity
Click to expand...

Thanks Robbity! I am worried about the unseen effects of using artificial sweeteners, like insulin response - but I think it might be the lesser of two evils if it means I can avoid sugar. We'll see how my two weeks go. Last night I made a chocolate mug cake with powdered erythritol - blood sugar stayed fairly steady but fasting BG was 6.3 this morning rather than the 5s I was getting midweek. Still, not too bad and it didn't make me crave more. Yet, anyway! To be fair that 6.3 would have been a high 7 if I lapsed with sugar.
 
Listlad said:
That’s me. I use them all the time and don’t go gagging for Krispy Creme doughnuts all the while. I try to not overdo the use. I am using Truvia right now in the main.
Click to expand...
That's exactly it... iced bread products oh my flipping goodness. Now since that keto chocolate mug cake last night, I'm not jonesing for doughnuts. Hope it lasts!

I did well today, I was very busy with my and my mum's gardens, and haven't had cravings at all. It was such a lovely day.
 
zauberflote said:
@jpscloud I think I’m the opposite of @Listlad and @Robbity. I am in the LC WOE for about 6 months now, and having mixed results. At the start I decided that any sweetness would, for me, set off the sugar and flour cravings. We shall see how I go on. I don’t actually mind no sweeteners of any kind. I gave up sugar once before in my early 30’s, and survived just fine.
I’m learning that I will find something to have addictive behavior with, regardless. Cheese has been one recent one. Deeper baggage to unpack than I thought!
Click to expand...

I so agree, mine is cream! Being very overweight, I have to stop myself just drinking the stuff down!
 
@jpscloud
Am making keto ice cream tomorrow with heavy cream and truvia. It’s a win win as my daughter will eat it too.

 
@jpscloud I made some chocolate ice cream today with Truvia sweetner. It was delicious, rich and filling. And no sign of any negative after effects of the sweetner amongst any of us.
 
Erythritol is actually classed as a natural sweetener and is claimed not to spike either blood glucose or insulin. Unlike most other sugar alcohols it is absorbed by the small intestine (90%) so the large intestine is much less likely to suffer the bloating gas and laxative effects other sugar alcohols have. Some positive claims for dental health. The main concerns are those very susceptible to stomach upset and if produced from gm corn

Xylitol, also a sugar alcohol therefore natural not artificial, has more calories and is a bit more likely to cause digestive issues but doesn’t have the odd cooling aftertaste but does have dental benefits. Also claimed to be blood glucose and insulin neutral. It’s also very toxic to dogs.
 
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