on 
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Interesting stuff…glad I read it! I can’t wait for tomorrow’s post
Alright, so I ended up causing quite a stir with my post about artificial sweeteners yesterday, and today I’m back to share some research as promised. When talking artificial sweeteners, there are generally two major concerns:
1. Safety
2. Fat Loss
Let’s discuss the research surrounding both. First up, safety.
1. Butchko HH et al. Aspartame: review of safety. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2002 Apr;35(2 Pt 2):S1-93.
In this 2002 paper, over 20 years since the food additive was approved by the FDA, a comprehensive review of all aspartame research to date concluded that aspartame is indeed safe when consumed by normal humans in acceptable amounts (more on acceptable amounts in a minute).
2. Magnuson BA, Burdock GA, Doull J, et al. (2007). Aspartame: a safety evaluation based on current use levels, regulations, and toxicological and epidemiological studies. Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 37 (8): 629-727.
Now more than 25 years later, another safety evaluation found that the weight of existing scientific evidence indicates that aspartame is safe at current levels of consumption as a non-nutritive sweetener.
3. Gallus S; Scotti L, Negri E, Talamini R, Franceschi S, Montella M, Giacosa A, Dal Maso L, La Vecchia C. (January 2007). Artificial sweeteners and cancer risk in a network of case-control studies. Annals of Oncology 18 (1): 40-44.
This study analyzing over 15 years of research showed a clear cut “lack of association between saccharin, aspartame and other sweeteners and the risk of several common cancers”
4. Lim U, Subar AF, Mouw T, et al. Consumption of aspartame-containing beverages and incidence of hematopoietic and brain malignancies. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers Prevention 2006; 15.
In 2006, the US National Cancer Institute concluded in a study of over a HALF MILLION men and women aged 50 to 69 that there was no statistically significant link between aspartame consumption and leukemias, lymphomas or brain tumors.
A study of over a half million HUMANS showing no statistically significant link between aspartame and cancer, and three other 15-25 year comprehensive reviews of ALL the available research, all finding that aspartame is indeed safe when consumed in acceptable amounts.
That sure seems to ring more factual than someone’s “conspiracy” website to me.
Now, I could have sat here and listed out a couple hundred papers showing no statistical significance, but instead I chose to list the review papers who already included that data in their 20+ year review.
So, you’re probably wondering what’s “acceptable”?
You’re bound to find this interesting…
Based on all available research, scientists first determine the maximum amount of a food ingredient that can be safely consumed daily over a person’s lifetime. Then, just in case they screwed up by 10,000%, they divide this number by 100 and call that the ADI (acceptable daily intake).
Just in case you didn’t get that, the ADI is actually 100 TIMES LESS than what has been scientifically determined to be safe, as an extremely conservative precautionary measure.
So what’s the ADI for aspartame?
The ADI for aspartame has been set at 50mg/kg of body weight (again, this is 100 times less than what has been determined safe).
But to even reach the ultra conservative ADI, a 150-pound adult would have to consume about 20 12-oz. diet carbonated soft drinks, or 33 8-oz. servings of powdered soft drink, or 42 4-oz. servings of gelatin, or 97 packets of tabletop sweetener each and every day.
And people are still worrying about safety issues based on a couple studies done on RATS being fed the aspartame equivalent of up to 2,000 cans of Diet Coke daily. No, that is NOT a misprint.
Before going any further, let me just clarify my recommendations.
1. I do not think non-nutritive sweeteners, particularly aspartame as it’s perhaps the most studied nutrient of all time, are the devil.
2. Despite the ADI, I do not recommend anyone drink 20 diet soft drinks or use 97 packets of Equal daily.
3. If you are drinking a caffeinated beverage, such as Diet Coke, etc, then I would recommend you limit your intake to one can per day.
4. If going with something non-caffeinated, you can be a little more liberal, but the bulk of your daily fluid intake should still come in the form of good old fashion water.
5. In Summary: Drink at least a half gallon of water daily, but feel free to enjoy other non-calorie drinks in moderation (1-3 beverages per day)
6. Lastly, if you personally as an individual experience adverse reactions like headaches, dizziness, etc, due to the use of aspartame, then don’t use it. Just realize that you fall into .0000001% of the population and shouldn’t preach your personal experience as truth for all. One of my friends is allergic to chocolate, but she doesn’t go around telling everyone else that it’s poison.
So it looks like my recommendations are actually 1,000 times less than what has been determined safe, and I’m pretty comfortable making that recommendation.
Alright, this post is already going longer than I anticipated, so I’m going to save the research on non-nutritive sweeteners and weight loss for tomorrow.
At least 100 comments and I’ll be back tomorrow with that data (which you’ll probably find even more interesting).
In clarity and moderation,
Joel
P.S. My friend Isabel kind of bashes artificial sweeteners in the below video, and while I do NOT agree with that stance, I do agree with just about everything else she shares for losing up to 10% of your unwanted body fat in the next 30 days. You can check it out here for some eye-opening, actionable tips:
How to lose up to 10% of your unwanted body fat in the next 30 days <——- Click here
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Thanks for this, but you know you will get a ton of backlash for this article..many health webblogs tell you that in order to lose weight, “belly fat”..that you should forgo this type of sweetner..stevia seems to be the “sweetner” of choice. I have tried it and it made me break out in hives..thanks for taking the time.
ok so what does that have to do with bodybuilding or fat loss
I knew it all along….thanks for doing the research and providing a “fair and balanced” response. BTW, I noticed that the “pink stuff” is included in this group of non-cancer causing sweeteners….hmmm, guess you need to follow the money to see how all of this public scare stuff affected someones profit margin.
I can see what it has to do with bodybuilding in the long run, as many people look to artificial sweeteners to keep sugar / carb counts low to lose bodyfat. Thanks for the info.
“safe when consumed by normal humans in acceptable amounts”
I’m sure rat poison is safe in a small enough dose. Doesn’t mean I’m going to take it though. Thats a weak argument.
“lack of association between saccharin, aspartame and other sweeteners and the risk of several common cancers”
How about the uncommon cancers and what cancers were uncommon when this study was done that are common now? How many cancers are on this list? Important things to know. State very clearly all cancers have no association and then we’ll talk.
Interesting – but Aspartame is still a “CHEMICAL” – not a natural food. It is still best to minimize your intake of any non-natural-food – even processed foods – if you are trying to lose fat or build muscle. I make some of my own training supplements since it is significantly cheaper to make your own and eliminate the crap that is in fitness and bodybuilding supplements.
i use CRYSTAL LIGHT to put the powders into since they just taste Nasty in plain water – As Joel says WATER is the drink of choice!!
Thanks for the legwork on the research.. looking forward to tomorrow’s post.
Well this does not really satisfy the the question as there is far too much anecdotal evidence from such a small number of people for us to ignore it. Also without buying into the conspiracy theories, how much of the research has been paid for by those with a vested interest in the result? Call me what you want but this happens all the time. The people with the most to loose hold the cash.
Damien
Just so happens that today there is an article today on Lifescript Healthy Advantage called “The Skinny on Natural Sugar Substitutes”. It explains the diffences in the sweetners. Informative but does not tell you good or bad.
Just remember…in life, everything in moderation; excess of anything is bad. Drink more water!
Ok, so I was wondering, what about Stevia? Is it any better or is it the same?
Originally Posted By Tim“safe when consumed by normal humans in acceptable amounts”
I’m sure rat poison is safe in a small enough dose. Doesnâ��t mean I’m going to take it though. Thats a weak argument.
@Tim –
Actually, yours right here is a weak argument. Water is deadly if you drink enough of it in a short period of time. Even vitamins which actually serve to assist our bodies become lethal at the wrong dose. You’re trying to say that dose is irrelevant…it’s completely relevant.
Hmm – seems like the research and the “finding of safety” only relate to cancer.
What about all of the other sympotms that often occur after ingestion of Apartame and can be stopped by cessation of ingestion of Aspartame? Seems like this was a very limited look at “safety”… Also, since Cancer can have many additive causes – who knows what puts someone over the edge and causes cells to become cancerous in any particular person at any particular time, I choose to eliminate as many risk factors as I can. BTW Warfarin i.e. Rat Poison is used as a blood thinner in human medcine all the time – I still don’t want to eat it.
I would be interested to know about Splenda-type sweetners (I don’t like the taste of aspartame in my coffee) I am looking forward to tomorrow’s post about weight loss.
I am concerned about that -though I have to say at least aspartame is not HFCS!
I have been taking artificial sweeteners for 47 years (I am a Type 1 Insulin Dependent Diabetic).
I have 10% body fat and am 59 years old.
All the crap about the “dangers” of artificial sweeteners, I believe through personal use, is ridiculous.
What we need to get, as many of us do, these individuals to do is get off their ass and start moving with intensity and eating more nutritiously.
Following all the advice you provide!
thanks.
Good to know I am safe to carry on having my coffee with splenda now and again.
Hey Joel,
Don’t worry, you won’t be able to convince any of those who won’t believe science. They have their own agenda. They always bring in the conspiracy theory. They don’t get that even if a company sponsors a trial, that the trial can still be totally valid (and must be in order to be published in peer reviewed journals). To support their agenda, they will quote one “doctor” here and one there with absolutely no large scale clinical trials and repeatability to back up their claims. The sad state of science in the USA is that the “scientific method” is virtually unknown by the general public. And ultimately, those who disagree with you will eventually dismiss all science as not valid.
Very Interesting. Now I have the backup I need to send to my friends who yell at me when I use ONE Splenda pack a day in my morning coffee. Thanks Joel!
For every study showing safety there is an equal number showing HARM. also by well qualified and reputable researchers. (funny how only the industry funded studies show safety or the meta-analysis studies that look at only the industry funded studies, hmmm…)
Yes – follow the $$
while I’ll respect Joel’s opinion (this is his site after all) THE STUFF IS POISON and I suggest you look further. There are some that have looked into this issue for years and have come away with a far different conclusion.
I challenge you consumers to this – stop drinking aspartame containing products for 30 – days. Not only will you feel better, you’ll actually find it easier to LOSE WEIGHT.
I am 44,and a Type I or childhood Diabetic of 37 years now.I must share a few thoughts on Artificial sweeteners.1.I would be extremely unhappy without them.A Diabetic could not enjoy anything sweet tasting like nbon Diabetics!Aspartame being the most widely used gets the publicity.Ther are hoiwever others,I will share with you.Stevia is really the best,it is the least chemically produced.The sweetest tasting is Splenda,this might mean less Splenda needs to be used.It may also encourage over consumption, it does!Trust me folks!37 years asa Diabetic remember!Thats all I will share!Blessings WC
When I was in med school we read scientific articles on aspartame and I think it is naive to say that it’s 100% safe or 100% unsafe. There still needs to be more research done. If I was in my school library I could forward tons of research that shows there’s still a lot of unknowns without further study.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/34040.php
Source of article is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Shows that aspartame causes cancer in rats at levels currently approved for humans.
Again, there needs to be more research done, but let’s not be premature and say aspartame is 100% safe. Saccharin is already known to have health consequences, but we have tons of studies of it. Aspartame is relatively new, so we won’t know more until more studies are done and time passes.
Q&A Interview with Dr. Mehmet Oz on Artificial Sweetners:
“Well, Debbie, the first issue I need to address I think to answer this fairly is to ask you what the purpose of you using the artificial sweetener is. If it’s diabetes, that might make sense. But if it’s for weight loss, I’m telling you, there is no data that I’ve ever heard of, and by the way, this is an international webcast. If someone out there has information to change my mind, please send it to us at Oprah.com. But the most important thing to realize is you are not going to lose weight because you’re taking a sugar alternative. In fact, these are called “diet drinks,” but these are big companies. They never ever talk about weight loss trials, because they’ve never done any. So that stated, here’s what I think about them.”
“Stevia—it comes from an herb. It’s a newer product. It is natural. I think of the options that are out there, it’s one of the better ones. If you wanted to use it, I think it’s a reasonable thing to try. There have been a few trials where it’s affected, you know, sperm counts and the like, but I don’t think that across the board— (sperm counts become less)”
“But I don’t think it’s—there’s but—anything really about stevia that makes me alarmed. I actually like agave personally. It’s very, very sweet, so you don’t need very much of it and you can add it in there. It’s the same root as tequila, so I guess you could ferment it and drink it. But—but the agave is great for tea.”
“Other sweeteners. Saccharin. Tons of data on saccharin. It was one of the ones that got some harsh comments made on it early on because if you gave a ton of it to laboratory animals they would get cancer but there’s a lot of history behind it so in some ways it’s safer because at least you know what you’re dealing with because it’s a known devil. Aspartame is one that lasts in your body for a long time. It’s the most common sweetener in soft drinks.
In my family—again, let me be clear about this. There’s no data out there that I’m aware of that conclusively says these things are dangerous or bad for you. But in my family, we don’t eat those. I don’t let the kids have them. I don’t want artificial things in their body, and I question the reason they’re taking them because if it’s to lose weight, it’s not going to work anyway. Not if you’re a diabetic—”
“Because you’re giving your brain a schizophrenic impulse. You’re saying, “Hey, it’s sweet,” but there’s no calories coming in. So all you’re doing is reminding your brain that you want sweet. And so you’ll go out and find your calories. You’re going to get your calories anyway. The question is how you’re going to get them. Are you going to get them with a lot of head fakes—you know, non-sugar supplements and then eventually get it later on? Or just eat real food and let your body deal with it like it normally would deal with it?”
And people actually believe this? LOL
I am truly surprised. I think we all need to do some research of our own. For example: past lawsuits and cases involving any drug or chemical used for any dietary purpose.
How many times did the vast majority of these pass test after test and approval after approval–even ‘scientific research’ only to be proven to be deadly?
Sorry; I only believe what I know to be true and a fact. As my doctor told me when I had my last ‘episode’–you cannot believe what you read or hear, but that it is a known fact among physicians who will accept the truth–that aspartame and other aritificial sweeteners can be deadly to most of the population. My doctor told me that you will probably not find any statistics or reports to back this up but that it has been known since the year after its’ release on the market. My doctor went on to add that it should never have been approved for consumption!
In conclusion, as I will probably post no more on the subject, I know what I know to be a true and accurate fact–that aspartame nearly killed me and my husband. We have no heart disease and no high blood pressure so that was not a factor at all. We had each chewed a single piece of gum; a brand that has always used sugar but had decided to add aspartame as a ‘flavor enhancer’!!! After a hundred years of sugar only usage…how were we to know they decided to do this???
This is bringing up another point–what about those of us who would prefer regular sugars to the ‘fake’ stuff??? We are becoming a group of ignored consumers.
I would also like to note that I have friends who swear by consuming no sugar at all to lose weight and they have not lost one single pound! YES, they exercise. YES, they eat a low fat, low calorie, and/or low carb diet.
Here I am dieting and exercising AND consuming SUGAR and I have lost 20 pounds!!!
Hmmmmm…..
I’m glad I use Stevia…..and I don’t drink sodas, only water and some milk….
The study of the rats compared to the other studies is hilarious. Thanks for sharing the research. It totally changes my perspective. I heard that aspartame is better for diabetics than sugar is. Is that true?
Joel,
I am a bodybuilder and big fan of artificial sweeteners, specifically Splenda, because I do not like the taste of the others. I have a mug of black caffinated tea each morning sweetened with Splenda as an alternative to sugar of honey. When I can have a binge meal that includes ice cream, I reach for the low-carb flavors sweetened with Splenda. My wife makes me splenda sweetened jello to have as a sweet treat to satisfy my sweet tooth when I am dieting for competitions. I even have a recipe for making Irish Cream using Splenda instead of sugar. The result? An 8oz cup that has 14 total carbs, and 12.5 sugar carbs, compared to using sugar which yeilds a drink containing 51 total carbs (all sugar carbs). I love the stuff! It is an awesome alternative to carb-loaded sugar and honey, and gives you the sweet taste you occasionally crave. I am glad you have found research supporting its safety – I would hate to do without it.
@Steve – I totally agree with Steve! One or two artificial sweetner packets a day mixed with my daily diet and exercise is not worrying me in the least! Thanks Joel.
how does it effect insulin?
Well done, Joel! The research results are clear but the rumour-mongers not the scientists have established the “case” against aspartame so that even physicians and fellow health/fitness workers have swallowed it whole. It’s a pity that the health/fitness world is so rife with half-baked ideas that become the accepted norm – whether it is nutrition or exercises or spurious “aids”. I don’t have an axe to grind for sweeteners as I don’t drink canned/soda drinks nor sweetened teas [or the occasional coffee], though if I did I’d probably use unrefined sugar.
Thanks
I think there needs to be more research on what it may or may not do to your nervous system. Ever notice the numbers of nervous system disorders increasing?? Never know . . . .
OK, so aspartane appears to be safe. What about the other point, about fat loss? Any studies done comparing fat loss between two groups, the first of which uses moderate amounts of sugar and the second that uses moderate amounts of aspartane or other sugar substitute?
Very interesting, but what’s the difference between caffeinated beverages and non-caffeinated beverage in this case???
Hey Joel,
thanks for taking the time…intersting write up…different from what I have read so far. My question is, if you are going to have just 1 non water beverage (chai or coffee) is sugar so bad that you can’t have 1 tbsp of it instead of the chemical crap? I have read that sugar has NO nutrition value, is it true? it sure packs in a lot og taste!!! id sugar in its natural forms (fuits, veggies, rice etc) bad for you too…esp if one is aiming for a low glycemic diet?
my vote is..stay away from any chemicals….
Originally Posted By KevinInteresting – but Aspartame is still a “CHEMICAL” – not a natural food. It is still best to minimize your intake of any non-natural-food – even processed foods – if you are trying to lose fat or build muscle. I make some of my own training supplements since it is significantly cheaper to make your own and eliminate the crap that is in fitness and bodybuilding supplements:
http://homemadesupplements.com/i use CRYSTAL LIGHT to put the powders into since they just taste Nasty in plain water – As Joel says WATER is the drink of choice!!
So you make your own natural supplements, good. And you don’t like Aspartame because it is a chemical and not natural.
What do you think CRYSTAL LIGHT is??? Its processed too!! You want natural then just drink the water with nothing else.
Some of these comments are really getting funny.
Hey it’s nice to know my occasional diet coke is not going to kill me : ) and it is apparently way below the safe..thanks for your article Joel..looking forward to tomorrows
It was only recently that I read that artificial sweeteners causes weight gain and I believe it is the mindset of people drinking diet drinks. They figure, if it is zero calories, they can drink more of it. So like anything, in moderation. Same for those 100 calorie snacks -some would say “heck, it is only 100 calories, I can eat 2 more bags and it would amount to 300 calories” There are quite a few people here at work who thinks this way. They are overweight but it is OK to eat the low fat or non-fat cake – Duh!
@Skip – Hi Joel
I love all your other research, but sorry, I really must disagree. The vast majority of “scientific” studies are not to be trusted – there is always an agenda and personally I can’t see there being much of an agenda to say negative things about sweetners and I have read reports which have very different conclusions. I don’t think it is coincidence, but someone my dad used to work with had saccharin in everything and died of a brain tumour. As a mother I don’t think it’s a risk I want to take, especially when it’s so easily avoidable.
Joel,
One thing I’d like to see in your coming post is data on how alternative sweeteners interact with insulin production. I have heard from medical professionals that in some cases there is still an insulin response to them. Based on the fast that diabetics can use them I suspect it is minimal but still of interest. I read recently that Agave nectar does not create an insulin response true or false? All good stuff but many more questions to be answered.
Hi Joel,
yeah, Ive always believed that aspartame scare was some sort of black propaganda, I have to admit, I have been on artificial sweeteners for quite some time, and I still believe that sugar is more dangerous hehehe.. Anyway thanks for the viable research! keep it coming.
Jay
Originally Posted By JaneAnd people actually believe this? LOL
I am truly surprised. I think we all need to do some research of our own. For example: past lawsuits and cases involving any drug or chemical used for any dietary purpose.
How many times did the vast majority of these pass test after test and approval after approval–even ‘scientific research’ only to be proven to be deadly?Sorry; I only believe what I know to be true and a fact. As my doctor told me when I had my last ‘episode’–you cannot believe what you read or hear, but that it is a known fact among physicians who will accept the truth–that aspartame and other aritificial sweeteners can be deadly to most of the population. My doctor told me that you will probably not find any statistics or reports to back this up but that it has been known since the year after its’ release on the market. My doctor went on to add that it should never have been approved for consumption!
In conclusion, as I will probably post no more on the subject, I know what I know to be a true and accurate fact–that aspartame nearly killed me and my husband. We have no heart disease and no high blood pressure so that was not a factor at all. We had each chewed a single piece of gum; a brand that has always used sugar but had decided to add aspartame as a ‘flavor enhancer’!!! After a hundred years of sugar only usage…how were we to know they decided to do this???
This is bringing up another point–what about those of us who would prefer regular sugars to the ‘fake’ stuff??? We are becoming a group of ignored consumers.
I would also like to note that I have friends who swear by consuming no sugar at all to lose weight and they have not lost one single pound! YES, they exercise. YES, they eat a low fat, low calorie, and/or low carb diet.
Here I am dieting and exercising AND consuming SUGAR and I have lost 20 pounds!!!
Hmmmmm…..
Another hilarious post.
1. If you really did almost die, then it was from an allergy to Aspartame. Same thing as getting stung by a bee, some people can be fine with it, some people can die from it. It has nothing to do if Aspartame is processed or not.
2. I have plenty of friends that eat ‘low fat’ and exercise too and don’t lose weight. I am will to bet this also is not from Aspartame. Most of these people still eat too much ‘low fat’ products and exercise too little. Plus they comonly ‘forget’ about any cheat meals they may have had.
One you can link one of these things directly to Aspartame please let me know.
As if cancer is the only health concern?? Not even close.
Ulimate Life’s -Ultmate Sweetner-Pure(granular) Birch Sugar- is as sweet as any ‘Domino’ type-sugar. No difference accept it is metabolized so slowly. 1/2(the)calories. Good for diabetics-chronic fatique. Does not effect insulin levels. Just a comment to share for overall balance Joel speaks of maintaining w/CTL.
@Krista –
You totally misread what I stated.
The point I was making, again, is that the dose is in fact the deciding factor. Just because you can consume something in a small enough dose for it to be “safe” (another subjective term) doesn’t mean that you should i.e. rat poison, sank venom, drain-o, etc.
And to that matter what does “safe” imply? Does that mean I wont die in a day, month, year, 50 years? This whole argument is littered with subjective wording and interpretation.
The fact of the matter is, Aspartame is a chemical, not natural. How much crap do we put into our bodies already just by breathing the air? Why would you want to willingly add to it? Any “case study” is going to be biased, either for or against the product, depending on who paid for it, so I have very little faith in what you just posted. Aspartame DOES trick your brain into thinking its sugar. Since your brain only operates on sugar, it absorbs it and uses it as fuel. That’s not something I want to play around with. That’s my personal choice, to each their own….
Originally Posted By TW
I challenge you consumers to this – stop drinking aspartame containing products for 30 – days. Not only will you feel better, you’ll actually find it easier to LOSE WEIGHT.
The research doesn’t support this either. More tomorrow.
My concern is your recommendation for water. Perhaps you will also post the research showing the need for 1/2 gal. per day, since it is my understanding that there has never been any research that put a specific amount recommendation on what is needed by the body. In fact, the original study that led to the misconception that we all need 8 , 8-oz. glasses a day, went on to say that the water needed by the human body can be obtained through food.
That said, I am in complete agreement that hydration needs are best met through water consumption.
Originally Posted By tj
how does it effect insulin?
More on this tomorrow. But it’s more a concern with excessive packet use than use of the actual non-nutritive sweetener.
Originally Posted By Antoine
Very interesting, but what’s the difference between caffeinated beverages and non-caffeinated beverage in this case???
I’m not big on excessive caffeine usage as caffeine has been shown to decrease insulin sensitivity and carbohydrate tolerance.
There are a number of naturally derived non-caloric sweeteners available. I see no need to use anything even remotely controversial. I’m thinking of stevia and the sugar-alcohols (self-limiting – bad things happen (although not health-related) if you over-consume). I find erythritol (sp?), xylitol and a few others are useful.
Originally Posted By David
As if cancer is the only health concern?? Not even close.
The two review papers (over 25 years of looking at ALL the research) are general safety and health, not exclusive to cancer.
Harman Toor on 
Doina on 
Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...