Splenda, Agave Necter or WHAT?????!!!!

I haven't been on here in a while...and I need your guys advice. I have been using Splenda since my RNY in Dec 2008. I love love love it..use it in and on everything. Well, I've been researching allot on it and it's saying it can cause weight gain, memory loss and etc. So, I bought some Agave Necter....Its has 60 cals, 16 grams of carbs and 16 sugars per TBLS!!!!!!! I understand it's natural...but my goodness!!!! I would love to hear from all you guys which one you use. I'm so confused at this point I don't know what to do....:( :( :( please help me..

Have you tried Truvia?  It's made from stevia, and is natural as well as calorie free!  I recently heard of Nectress, but have not tried it yet!  Good Luck!

I use SweetLeaf Stevia...  it has 0 cals, 0 carbs, 0 everything!  Truvia is good in a pinch but it has 0 cals and 3 carbs per packet.  Stevia is awesome.... it comes in packets or in liquid form.  There are a ton of flavored liquid Stevia too-- great for coffee!  As far as sweetner goes it's your best option.

this is a tricky one! i've been researching it too. what i've found is that splenda, nectresse and truvia, and, in fact, most stevia products all contain chemicals. this is neither good nor bad, but just a personal decision if you want to ingest them. i do sometimes and haven't had any problems from them. the only natural stevia is raw stevia and should be brown in color, not white. i've found it hard to locate purely raw stevia, as it is normally cut with something (hence, truvia). 

the scoop on agave nectar is that it's not the miracle sweetener it was once thought to be. it actually doesn't have that low of a glycemic index. 

right now, i'm sold on raw honey. its a natural sweetener. yes, it has sugar and carbs, but they are all natural and i prefer that to the chemical stuff, although i do trade off when necessary. i also use it sparingly, like a small teaspoon in my coffee and none more. 

so it depends if you want natural or ok with some amount of chemical. i've tried to go sweetener-free, but really prefer it! so i trade off between all of the above products. 

Is your goal to eliminate chemicals? Or lose weight? Or both?? When I used Splenda my cravings were through the roof and maintaining my weight was so hard. Since I switched to raw Stevia, my cravings have gone away and maintaining has been much easier.

I use liquid organic stevia. Or when I travel I bring my stevia small packages with me.  There is even a few lines of natural - no artificial sweeteners or flavors proteins powders. 

I've always avoided artificial sweeteners.
Unfortunately, I've found it far easier to get in my water if I put crystal lite in it. I cut the amount in half or weaker, but still worry about the chemicals.
I don't have muchoif a appetite right now anyway.

Agave nectar is the same as sugar - be careful (they don't have the ability to process it naturally and so it changes its chemical make-up)!  I can't figure out what to do about the artificial sweetners myself.  Using them in moderation can be somewhat okay.  I am taking my chances because I refuse to eat sugar and I like sweet.  So for years I've been mixing sugars - a packet of this, a packet of that.  Splenda, Equal, Monk fruit, Stevia.  Sometimes I use a little honey in the tea - same as sugar .  You should go to Mercola.com and watch the videos on Sucralose and Apartame. 

There are issues with Stevia too.  And soy and wheat and milk and eggs and everyone and their mother is gluten intolerant or bipolar or ADHD or has lyme or chronic fatigue syndrome.  And all the new kids have some level on asbergers syndrome spectrum or straight out autistic.

I will be as mindful and open as possible but my poison choice is made and that is artificial sweetners . . .okay,  in moderation.  I am not willing to give them up because my coffee and crystal light like drinks are extremely pleasurable.  I like them a whole lot.  They actually help me not be so obese.

Something or someone will have to kill us.  Don't know anyone who has left this earthly living alive.  All my years I will say I woke up and truly enjoyed my coffee.  Coffee has to be my favorite thing.

Best,

Layla

Thank you guys so much for all the responses!! Each one of them helped me.  I really missed the support of this site. Thank you guys again!!