I guess “spiking my insulin” is not something I can back up with evidence. But it definitely stops my progress and makes me feel a little bloated.

Possible explanation: https://www.thepaleomom.com/trouble-with-stevia/ “Because steviol glycosides have insulin-mimicking properties and can influence insulin secretion from the pancreas, they qualify as endocrine disruptors.”

I think it depends on the person. Some people consume a lot of artificial sweeteners and are fine. I stall with all of them. You will find that you can tolerate some things more than others and not have a good explanation.

When I get to my goal weight, I plan to do a carb test where I consume 25 g of carbs from different sources and see what my blood sugar does after to figure out which carbs my body can handle properly. In theory, 25 g of carbs is 25 g of carbs but in reality, your body might handle carbs from rice just fine but with potatoes, maybe your blood sugar stays elevated for 3 hours. Overall it’s better to stay lower carb, but that way I will know what my body can handle and not be relying on what someone else says their body can.