If you’re wanting to maintain the results of your CoolSculpting treatments, you’re probably cutting back on how much you eat and ramping up your exercise routine. Kudos to you!
But in your valiant effort to stay leaner than before, are you consuming artificial sweetners instead of plain ol’ sugar thinking that it’s better for you? Artificial sweeteners are okay in small doses, but over-consumption can actually be harmful to your weight loss. Studies have shown that when you eat foods with artificial sweetener, it triggers your brain to seek out even more sweet stuff because its initial cravings weren’t satiated.
On top of that, artificial sweeteners can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a 2009 study. If you drink just one diet soda a day, you could increase your risk by 67%! This is because artificially sweetened beverages are believed to be associated with “higher fasting glucose levels and a greater waist circumference”, two things that are considered risk factors.
If you want to cut back on artificial sweeteners, make sure to do it slowly. Why? Because you can actually develop withdrawal symptoms, much like caffeine! Headaches are a common side effect of withdrawal, but they will go away with time.