Hate sugar free stuff. What do I do?

[theantichick 2,204]

@@Hammer_Down I don't think sugar-free Jello or popsicles are considered to be protein-rich foods in any way, but when I was newly sleeved and had a hard time ingesting *anything*, they were ways to get something into my stomach and they're Fluid so helped hydrate me. My stomach disliked anything warm, so it was great to get a break from Water and Isopure!

I don't touch Jello now, but I do still love a sugar-free popsicle, something I wouldn't have considered eating pre-op. I treat it as a vice, know it's not contributing to my health and well-being but I count the 15 calories and am on watch to ensure I'm not craving more sugars because I'm eating it.

Jello and popsicles aren't for Protein, they're for hydration, especially in the early days when it's hard for some to get Water down in enough quantity.

Aspartame/Nutrasweet is a huge Migraine trigger for me, and I found that sucralose/Splenda leaves a weird taste in my mouth that's hard to get rid of. I switched to Monk Fruit for my coffee, and use Splenda when I need to. Stevia has a nasty aftertaste for me. Sometimes I have to make the call to eat something with small amounts of sugar/honey when it needs sweetener because the other options aren't good for me.

I'm about to start experimenting with cooking with monk fruit because it's the best option for me, it's just not widely available already in products.

[ShelterDog64 2,364]

@@theantichick Have you tried SweetLeaf stevia? I detested stevia pre-op but found that I can't detect any bitterness in SweetLeaf. May be worth a try at some point for you? I greatly prefer Monkfruit as well and I also use it in my coffee. It's not quite as sweet as sugar but I limit myself to one of the little individual packets and it does the job. No headaches, no weird mouth tingling (that's what I get from erythritol) and no sucralose smell/taste. Have you found the zipper sealed bags of Lakanto brand monkfruit sweetener? It's got erythritol as well, but not enough that it gives me the odd cold tingling.

[theantichick 2,204]

@@theantichick Have you tried SweetLeaf stevia? I detested stevia pre-op but found that I can't detect any bitterness in SweetLeaf. May be worth a try at some point for you? I greatly prefer Monkfruit as well and I also use it in my coffee. It's not quite as sweet as sugar but I limit myself to one of the little individual packets and it does the job. No headaches, no weird mouth tingling (that's what I get from erythritol) and no sucralose smell/taste. Have you found the zipper sealed bags of Lakanto brand monkfruit sweetener? It's got erythritol as well, but not enough that it gives me the odd cold tingling.

I will try it, thanks for the recommendation.

I get my Monk Fruit from Amazon, "Monk fruit in the Raw"

https://smile.amazon.com/Monk-Fruit-Raw-Sweetener-Ounce/dp/B00BMAGFCO/ref=sr_1_11_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1478540365&sr=8-11&keywords=monk+fruit

It has maltodextrin, but no erythritol. I buy packets for on the go, and have the loose stuff in a sugar bowl for at home.