Artificial Sweetener problems

Hello!  I'm getting started on my 4th attempt at surgery.  I have been reading the forums and looking for articles about artificial sweeteners.  I know I'm not going to be able to have sugar (which I am working on accepting) but I can not have artificial sweeteners either.  They give be brain splitting migraines.  I know..you are thinking "Have you tried Splenda? because Splenda is great stuff!" and I tell ya...next time I can schedule a possible 2 day migraine I'll try it out...but I really don't want to risk it...just not worth it...

So many post op stories talk about protein shakes and I don't know if I can have them.  I looked at the Premier Shake site and they don't list ingredients.  I basicly have to stay away with anything that ends in "OSE" because that means artificial sweetener.  If I have to I can puree some grilled chicken breasts or something but I am hoping it won't come to that!    This is on my list of questions for the nutritionist when I have my first official appointment with the Bariatric Center but I was kinda hoping to hear it from someone who has maybe been thru it.

Thanks for any help you can give!

Heather the Newb

how about Sugar alcohols (SA).. They can cause a different reaction that splenda or aspartame.  

what about Stevia? I tolerate taht quite well... and there are a lot of shakes (powder, not RTD) that are sweetened with Stevia...(i.e. About Time Whey; Jay Rob,  and many others.)

The SA - the one taht causes the least problem for most people is Erythritol - you may try that... (I do not tolerate any SA) 

I don't like splenda or aspartame but my body tolerates saccharine quite well... 

there are solutions - you need to find out what works best for you. 

There are a lot of people who did not drink any protein shakes..  I did.. and I probably did too much and i developed dairy allergy.. 

But when I had problem getting enough proteins and i needed more in easy form..I found taht egg white protein or vegan (with no soy) protein shakes that were also organic and sweetened with Stevia (i.e. Orgain brand, or Vega, Jay Rob, etc)

Also - finding an unflavored protein - then adding that to things like chicken stock, or other soup base can be a solution for more savory shakes..

The nutritionist don't know Jack about the true needs and experiences of WLS patients. They only provide some theory they read about. Only use NUT advice as a general guideline.

I eat regular sugar everyday and I lost 150lbs post op. I did give up Sosa and sugar cereals but I don't miss either. I drink a lot of ice tea and hot tea which I add regular sugar to, and artificial sweeteners to. I als eat chocolate in moderation almost daily, and jelly donuts 3 or 4 times a week. 

It sounds like a lot but I follow a very very healthy diet other than the items above, and I need the satisfaction to stay the course.

I'm 2 years out this week and lost 100% of the excess weight. I also monitor nutrition and steps with a tracker and expect I always will ( by choice).

My NUT is very knowledgeable and helpful. I'm not sure what surgery you had, but for me sugar is off the table completely. Makes me sick as a dog. I found out by accidentally taking a drink of my husband's iced tea instead of my own. I will NEVER subject myself to that again. I work hard to get in my protein daily and do not have time or room for the junk food at all. No carbs here as they just turn into sugar in my gut and make me sick and lethargic even though I'm now allowed to use them in moderation.

I worked too hard to lose this weight and do not intend to sabotage my last chance at health. I value my life now.

Our mouth and brains get used to sweet, sweet, sweet. With RNY you will likely find that regular sugar is not a good option. Just smelling it makes me nauseous.

The Premeir Protein has Splenda in it as does the Torani Syrups both of which I use. I'm allergic to soy so have to avoid most of the other products out there. I also use the Quest Protein bars from time to time...

I'm finding that my tongue can be retrained and sometimes I can just have a few blueberries or a couple of strawberries in my plain yogurt (I make my own to avoid soy additives) is often enough sweetener. I've figured out that fresh yogurt is much sweeter than "old" yogurt (even one day makes a difference). So, I make up my yogurt and have one serving and then divide the rest into single servings and freeze them. I let them thaw out in the frig as I need them. It requires planning ahead, but tart yogurt just doesn't make me happy.

I could never tolerate artificial sweeteners in my coffee, no matter which one I tried.  Then I stumbled upon Erythritol, and it turned out to be the best thing ever!  It is a sugar alcohol, but I had no issues with it, either before or after surgery.  I'm sitting here right now with a nice cup of hazelnut coffee, FF cream, and erythritol.  Tastes just great.  I highly recommend giving it a try, it's a totally different animal than the other artificial sweeteners (Equal, Splenda, etc.).

Does it work with non coffee stuff?  I'm not a coffee drinker.

Oh sure, you can use it anywhere you would use sugar.  It's a little less sweet than sugar but measure and looks like it so you have to use about 1/3 to 1/2 more of it.  I used to use 2 tsp of sugar in my coffee, I use 3 tsp of erythritol.  You can bake with it and everything from what I read about it.  I saw a post somewhere that a lady made a cheesecake with it and her family had no idea it didn't have sugar in it.

Before surgery I used it in my hot cereal as well.  After surgery my taste buds seem to be different, I actually prefer sucralose in hot cereal now.  If you watch carbs, it is 4 carbs per serving, but they are sugar alcohol carbs so your net carbs are zero and it doesn't affect blood sugar if you're diabetic (like me).