Splenda

[ErinB1218]

Okay, so I have a tendency to eat Splenda like crazy. I was searching for it on my calorie counter app, and noticed that each packet has 1 gr of carbs though no calories. Should I be counting this stuff into my daily intake??
Thanks.

[thepowerwithin]

Each packet has 4 cals/1 gm carb, if I remember correctly. Counting is up to you.

For me, I was having up to 10-15 packets of Splenda per day, plus drinking Crystal Light (has cals/carbs) like there was no tomorrow, plus chewing sugar-free gum (also cals/carbs), so I chose to count.

I finally switched to NuNaturals liquid stevia drops, quit the Crystal Light, and minimized the gum chewing (not very attractive anyway). It was hard at first, but I finally got used to the taste of the liquid stevia.

[kdiamond55]

Hey a fellow South Floridian!! Hi!! I'm up in Wellington, but frequently down in Boca. ;)

I also have a bit of a Splenda habit...though mine is down to about 4-5 packets a day, so I'm not counting 'em. Too little to worry about.

[Amanda76]

The FDA doesn't require companies to state that a product has calories if there are less than 5 per serving. That's why splenda can say it has 0 calories when, in reality, there are 96 in a cup. That's why spray butter can say it has 0 calories when there are 900 calories in the bottle.

So far as counting such things goes, it kind of depends on what you're goals are and where you're at in acheiving them because 20 calories of splenda here + 20 calories of spray butter there + 20 calories of gum + that little splash of half and half in your coffee + 30 calories in your pre-worout supplement + the fish oil everyone forgets to add into their intake + (whatever else) obviously adds up over the course of the day. If you're maintaining, you're probably cool. If you're overweight and have created a bit too much of a deficit anyway, you're probably cool. If you're already at a healthy weight, at a deficit you can't lower too much more, trying to conserve as much energy as possible to help maintain muscle (no cardio/as little cardio as possible) and stuff like that and you choose to drop your calories from 1,500 to 1,300 BEFORE cutting all that crap that adds up out of your diet, I personally think you'd be making a mistake as the calories in most of the things I mentioned above do nothing for you nutritionally and nothing to fill you up (obviously, you should make room for something like fish oil). In that situation, I'd definitely count "all the little things."

[ErinB1218]

Thanks for the replies!
I am staying in deficit to cut, and am meticulous as to counting every single damn thing that goes into my mouth.
Weening myself off those little yellow packets is what I see myself doing: already started off my day with coffee, black, and no Splenda. At least it's Dunkin Donuts Turbo, home-brewed. ;)