splenda....

and other artificial sweeteners. whats you guys's opinions on it?

It's supposed to be the best no-calorie sweetner...and it's not artificial.  It's derived from plants and not manufactured like Nutri-Sweet.  I think it's a good option.

ok, thanks. i just know a few people who tell me to stop baking stuff with it cuz they say in the end its worse for you than sugar.

Splenda is a savior.

When I need to have some sort of sweets I grab something made with splenda and usually fat and sugar free.

Splenda alone probably helps me cut out ~400cals a day without even trying.

Splenda gives me migraines.  And it _is_ artificial.  I mean, plastic is made from plants, if you go far enough into the structure of it.  Rayon is made from wood. 

That said, if you have a sweet tooth, I would go ahead and sample around the different types of artificial adn lo-cal sweeteners (saccharine, aspartame, stevia, splenda) until you find one that works for you.  You don't want to put too much of any of them in you, but really monitor how you feel when you ingest them, some symptoms of reactions to watch for are headaches, stomachaches, gas and bloating.  I know people that have these various reactions to any and all of the sweeteners above.  Where you can, use real sugar in moderation.  I mean, one packet in your coffee is 16 calories.  I confess to being a 5-packer, so I use nutrasweet.

Just my 2 cents.

I have very mixed feelings about artificial sweeteners ... I've heard lots of bad things about them (I can post links if anyone is interested), but I also know that they are beneficial for some people who normally use lots of sugar in their tea/coffee/etc.

Personally, instead of using artificial sweeteners or sugar, I'll use honey or maple syrup instead, both which have many health benefits.