I'd like to know y'all's experience with sugar alcohols/sugar substitutes. When I was in my pureed stage, my diet/menu information stated that I could eat sugar-free pudding. I had one and experienced harsh stomach pain for the entire night until the next morning. However, I recently treated myself to some plain oatmeal and added stevia packets and had no issues. I looked up the ingredients to the Jello brand sf pudding and each cup has 4g sugar alcohols. It doesn't state exactly which "itol" it has, though. Stevia (depending on how it's combined) is mostly erythritol. I'm looking for some dessert-ish foods that can satiate my sweet tooth (also trying to help my 16-yr-old daughter by replacing her regular foods with low calorie, low carb, low sugar options). When I started on my WLS journey mid-May, she became inspired and has lost 17 lbs so far! Ideas? Suggestions? Experiences?

Edited July 18, 20233 yr by CarmenG

One of the sugar alcohols gives me horrible diarrhea but I forget which one. The rest just give me gas which I can live with. I think everybody's different

Both Aspartame and Sorbitol give me diarrhea and dumping. So I stopped taking those "zero sugar" drinks that are sweetened with these two and use regular white sugar in very small quantities instead. If I feel like having coke, I will get the regular coke and share it with my wife / son. The diet / lite coke will give me nausea / stomachache on the spot.

Have you tried Stevia? I used that when I was on Keto before WLS and didn't have any issues with it.

Have you tried monk fruit sweetener? I used that a lot on keto and it was great for sweetening (sweeter than sugar) and probably more natural than other alternatives. Lakanto is my favorite brand. For erithryol I would use Swerve. I liked the monkfruit sweetener better but that worked too!

The sugar alcohols used in many artificial sweeteners cause problems for many people: diarrhoea, bloating, discomfort, …

Personally I try to avoid or reduce as many artificial sweeteners, sugar alternatives & sugar as I can. It’s hard because it’s in almost everything you buy. I did it to kill my sugar craving - it has. (Artificial sweeteners & sugar alternatives still feed your desire for sweet.). Also there is a lot of research being done into how artificial sweeteners still lead to weight gain, affect your immune system, etc. But this has been a personal choice for me. Generally if I want something sweet I’ll eat some fruit. But again it’s been my choice to do this.

I have made chia seed pudding & used vanilla extract as flavour. There is natural & added sugar in it but it’s very little. Also added milk powder which gave some sweetness (& extra protein) & a natural sugar. What about a fruit crumble? Cook up apple, berries, rhubarb or other fruit & sprinkle the top with a mix of rolled oats, coconut, nuts, a little plain flour, cinnamon a little butter & bake until golden. Use a little monk fruit for a touch of sweetness if the fruit is a little tart & in the crumble topping.

Congratulations on your daughter’s weight loss. So wonderful she’s been inspired by you to make changes in her life too.

Thank you all for your experiences and suggestions! Stevia works ok with me. I've never tried monk fruit, but I will. And I will definitely have to look up some recipes for Arabesque's dessert suggestions!

I think only real sugar can cause true dumping syndrome (in some people, anyway - the majority don't dump) - HOWEVER, a lot of people have issues with certain artificial sweeteners, esp sugar alcohols (those with names ending in "-itol", like xylitol). They can cause cramping and diarrhea in people who are sensitive to them.

Edited July 18, 20233 yr by catwoman7