Saying No to Sweet ‘n’ Low

I am totally more of a savory girl than a sweets girl. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sweets, but a plate of fries makes me way happier than a piece of cake. Unless it’s ice cream cake, and then all bets are off.

So when I started trying to lose weight, I didn’t have much of a sugar habit to kick. For me, it was more about introducing more fruits and veggies and eating less rich, fried food. While I definitely get sweets cravings, it’s much harder for me to control myself around salty food.

Except for this little temptress.

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I don’t know if it’s the pink paper that does it for me or how sweet she is to me, but until a few weeks ago, I just couldn’t say no to Sweet ‘n’ Low. I knew how terrible it was for me, but I rationalized that it wasn’t that bad for me, if I only had 1-2 packets of it a day. That I’d given up or cut back on so many of my vices, that I was okay with having Sweet ‘n’ Low.

But a few months ago, Selena posted that taking sugar out of her coffee had helped calm her stomach down a lot, and I wondered if that might help me. I tried for a day to take the crack stuff out of my coffee, but just couldn’t.

I decided to give it a go for Lent. Sure, it’s not a huge thing, but I knew it was something attainable.

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You can’t mess with me, Mr. Pink Panther.

I’ll admit, I tried Sweet ‘n’ Low in my coffee the other day, and it just didn’t taste the same. I don’t think I can ever give up coffee, but giving up sweetener in my coffee feels a little liberating. I used to not get coffee from places that didn’t have Sweet ‘n’ Low because I just didn’t like any other sweetener. Now, I’ll get coffee anywhere.

This morning, I did say yes to bananas on a bagel thin with sunflower butter.

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So you might have noticed recently that I’m posting less food pictures. Well, I eat the same thing a lot. Sometimes I like taking pictures anyway, sometimes I don’t. So just an FYI going forward, I’m going to blog the highlights of my food, which will mean most meals, but not all. #nowyouknow

12 comments on “Saying No to Sweet ‘n’ Low

  1. Dorry

    Good for you! Artificial sweeteners are crap, which I know you know…but I know it’s hard to give it up so I’m proud of you! I gave up all artificial sweeteners about a year ago (the only one I ever really used was Splenda) but I’ve never looked back I certainly don’t miss it.

    Reply
    1. Theodora Post author

      @Bridget: Good question! Just cream, for now. Maybe one day I’ll give that up, too, but not yet. I have, however, always done whole milk or cream in my coffee because it’s tastier and keeps me a bit fuller.

      Reply
  2. Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine

    I used to have a serious Splenda addiction, so I know where you’re coming from. I’ve since replaced it with stevia, but am trying to wean myself off of needing a lot of it. A little sweetness is okay, but I feel like artificial sweeteners kind of mess with your tastebuds. Though I will admit to still drinking diet soda occasionally. It’s my once-in-awhile treat!

    Reply
  3. Camels & Chocolate

    I recently stopped using artificial sugar products, because I was drinking gallons of Crystal Light a day and started getting these horrible headaches every morning and I put two and two together…lo and behold, I cut out the Crystal Light and my headaches went away! Crazy.

    Reply
  4. Sarah

    Wow, I am so impressed. I grew up with Sweet-N-Low and artificial sweeteners in my house, as that is what my parents used. I am 25 now and I cannot kick the habit! Using sugar does not appeal to me, I prefer the taste of the fake stuff. I am trying so hard to cut down and I have switched to Truvia, which is more natural, but I hope to someday just kick the habit totally. Good work!

    Reply
  5. Anne @ lifestyler treadmill

    Wow! I admired your will power to avoid and stop taking real sugar. Me, until now has a hard time giving it up. My mom is always reminding me to go slow on sweets because I put 2 tablespoon of sugar in my coffee. Hope, someday, I’ll find the will to let go of too much sweets soon before it’s too late.

    Reply
  6. Laura @ prettylittlewords

    I had a hard time giving up Splenda, myself! I am the *exact* same way in that I would choose cheese fries over cake/cookies any day. But I was always using Splenda to sweeten up my coffee. After realizing that sucralose (along with aspartame) really are not okay (at least for me), even in small doses, I decided to cut them out as best as is possible practically. I realized right away, after trying some down the road, that both give me huge headaches!!! You should give stevia a try — Trader Joe’s sells them in little packets just like Sweet n Low/Splenda, so it doesn’t feel much different! Otherwise, you can just use regular sugar, and slowly wean yourself down to a smaller amount. Good for you though!

    Reply

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