I was a total Diet Coke addict, and eating cold cuts like crazy. When I learned about all the additives in cold cuts, and read so much about NutraSweet on this list, I cut them out and have lost 14 lbs. in the intervening four weeks. (I also have a tendency to abuse the heavy cream allowance, making myself elaborate flavored decaf coffee drinks at night to assuage my dessert cravings.)
My Ketostix weren’t turning anything darker than medium beige, and a week after I made the changes they started turning a medium purple and I started losing.
Also I wasn’t drinking enough water. I now go through two 1-liter bottles a day and I believe it’s helped.
Man, giving up the NutraSweet was HARD. I had headaches for a couple of days, but after about five days my cravings for sweets really diminished. I don’t think I’m ever going back to NutraSweet, after all the bad stuff I’ve read/heard about it.