Vegetables and Artificial Sweeteners

Today, I'm thinking and rambling on about Vegetables
and about Artificial Sweeteners.

Recently, in my search for a better, more sustainable way of eating
that would allow me to maintain or reduce my current weight,
I looked into the specifics of several diets
that involve reducing or eliminating processed food,
and eating "real" food.

That's a tough one because I am very fond of
what they term "foodlike substances".

I've been able to reduce sugar… although I haven't totally eliminated it,
because the information available has convinced me that sugar
essentially has no food value, and makes me tired and fat,
and I've often noticed that it causes a sick feeling in my body
while at the same time making me crave more sugar.

During the past few years I've also run personal experiments
where I reduced carbs, and where I eliminated wheat,
but these did very little to improve the quality of my life
or help me in maintenance or weight-reduction.
I, also, have not been able to personally sustain that eating behavior
for more than about twelve weeks at a time.

The main reason that I've been successful at reducing sugar,
is because I can get about the same taste from artificial sweeteners,
without the tired, sick feeling, or cravings,
or the added calories that make me fat.

Artificial sweeteners can definitely be termed "foodlike substances".
However, using them as a substitute is immensely valuable to me,
and so I'm not about to try to reduce or eliminate them
without some cold, hard proof showing me
that my life will greatly improve without them.

This is a real sticking point for me,
which does tend to keep me out of the "real food" mindset.

Anyway, what I noticed was that most of these "real food" plans
… except for the very low carb ones …
require eating a great many more vegetables than I am accustomed to.
I could eat vegetables. I just hardly ever do.
This would not be a hardship.
Trading some of my processed foods for vegetables
is something I've seldom focused on,
and perhaps I'll try THAT PART of a real food plan.

Hell will probably freeze over before I'm ready to
give up Splenda and Diet Cokes.
It would take some very convincing research,
…..far beyond what now exists,…
providing PROOF that artificial sweeteners are the CAUSE
of my personal weight problems before I would be willing
to adopt a plan for their elimination.

There are many other, less desirable, "foodlike substances"
which I have not yet eliminated in my dieting lifestyle
and I would reduce or eliminate those things
and watch my results, before addressing my Splenda.
As far as artificial sweeteners go,
I'm not willing to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

So what does this all mean?
I don't know… but
today I had a green salad with vegetable soup for my lunch,
and a small bowl of raw cauliflower for a snack.