Hi all,

I am kinda befuddled .. I have been reading a lot about the Atkins "bars" being bad for LC (I only bought one box - whew!)

My question is what about the shakes and other condiments like ketchup, etc.?? I do not want to mess up this early in the game.

Well the reason why you see so much about not eating them bars is because of the sugar alcohols. They can raise your blood sugar and knock you out of ketosis (and give you bad intestial distress). I can't eat them with out both happening!

As for the shakes.. I am no aware of them haveing any sugar alchols and I have had those. No problems for me with those.

Now for the ketchup.. never had it, but I know others have so they can inform you about those.

With the other atkins products.. I can safely eat a serving of brownies (have some sugar alchols) or some of his other stuff with out any affects. I really liked the SF flavors. A little go's a long way! Love it in my coffee.

But.. all and all you will have to experiment to see how each thing affects you. Not sure if your induction or not..but I would wait until you are out of induction for a few weeks before you start adding them into your menue.

Hope I helps a little. Good luck!




Tanya
Member since Jan 2002
re-started on 1-3-03
272/185/172<--(next goal)

Hi, Oopsieee.

This is the deal: Many of these products contain sugar alcohols and glycerine. For most (not all, but most) people, these substances act very much like sugar on blood glucose levels.

The safest way to determine your actual carb count is to disregard the hype on the front of the package. Read the nutritional information on the back. Subtract ONLY fiber from the total carb number, and use that as your carb count for the item.

Shakes generally check out ok and lc ketchup is still lower carb than regular and as long as you're using it for a seasoning, I'd view it much as we all look at salad dressings: It's a couple of carbs well spent.

Just train yourself to read the ingredients and nutritional analysis - no matter who makes it. If it fits into your carb allowance, it's "legal."

HTH

Maggie
5'1" ~~ Atkins since '98 (160+)
Maintaining nicely (110 +/-)
~~ Redhead until further notice!

Thanks, Maggie! It's like working for CSI--you have to test everything! Now I know why I'm stalled. Even though things say 0 net carbs, it's not affecting my body that way! Back to real foods that keep my carbs down!

I'm lovin this site and I'm lovin knowing in 6 months or so, I'll be able to wear my clothes again!

The only Atkins product that I liked (love, in fact) is the steak sauce. It doesn't taste like any traditional steak sauce that I've ever had. It's got a strong ginger flavor. Very unique.

Everything else of theirs that I've tried either messed up my diet or tasted like crap.

**************
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."

I do not think the Atkins Advantage Bars have sugar alcohols in them. I am staring at the ingredients list and no sugar alcohols. Maltodextrin and sucralose is all I see. Am I blind?

I use the Atkins ketchup, teriyaki sauce, and steak sauce. They are yummy. At first I thought they were a little expensive but I use so little that I have had the same bottles since July!

I keep the Chocolate Mocha Crunch Advantage Bars in the frig for really bad days and there has not been an affect on my loss.

Keviport
Sandy, Utah
205/180/145

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> I do not think the Atkins Advantage Bars have sugar alcohols in them. I am staring at the ingredients list and no sugar alcohols. Maltodextrin and sucralose is all I see. Am I blind? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I doubt you're blind, Keviport. I probably confused the issue by being less than clear. As I said above, the problem with bars (and I meant that generically to include all brands of bars) is that they contain "sugar alcohols and glycerine." What I should have said is "sugar alcohols AND/OR glycerine."

In the case of Atkins Advantage bars, they have a great deal of glycerine. Glycerine is in the same category with sugar alcohols in terms of how it impacts blood glucose levels. Atkins says "negligible impact" (as they do for their maltitol loaded products). Amongst people who run glucose levels, the consensus is "baloney." Most of us have a pretty strong reaction to glycerine.

An average Advantage Bar has got 21 grams of carbohydrate, of which 7 is fiber. When I'm reading nutritional information for any product, that gives me a net carb count of 14 grams of carbohydrates per bar. For me, I don't see any magical reason to analyze Atkins products any differently than I do any other food item. Besides, my glucometer confirms that they're not good foods for me. I can have a whole meal of meat, veggies and salad and not get that kind of blood glucose reaction. Now, it's not quite as bad as the Endulge bars, but hardly a good choice in terms of my blood sugar levels.

As always, YMMV. If you like them, and they're working for you, then they're not a problem.

But if a person is having problems, I stand by my statement that the bars and lc candy products should be the first items to suspect as a cause.

Maggie
5'1" ~~ Atkins since '98 (160+)
Maintaining nicely (110 +/-)
~~ Redhead until further notice!

Yeah, I'm not much on the breakfast bars but I do love the Cafe Au Lait shakes. It's actually one of the only shakes I've ever had that I enjoyed. It doesn't seem to stall my weight loss. I've never tried to the steak sauce, I'll have to check it out!

Thanks so much!
S.

I realize there's a convenience factor for many people who choose manufactured food, and I understand that. Of all the "substitute food" choices, the Atkins shakes seem to be acknowledged here on this board as the least harmful, in terms of sugar effects.

Somehow, though, I can't see that one of those little shakes or bars can possibly satisfy as much as the REAL food allowed, even on induction, by the Atkins program. Deviled eggs, tuna (or other meat) salads, celery and cream cheese, pork rinds with dip, pistachio nuts--all these offer more munch for my buck. With a little portable cooler, you can take them with you, too.

For the sake of my budget and my hearty appetite, I'm trying to stay away from food substitutes.

Barb L.
Started Atkins January 2003
162/137/130

Maggie,

Thanks, I could figure out what was giving me the strong intestinal distress until I read this thread.

I would have 2 or 3 bars on some busy days and would be very uncomfortable (lol) after that. I think is is time to drop the bars find something better for "food on the go"

Learning something new all the time. Great Web Site.

There ya go, Lilac, live and learn. This IS a learning process, and aren't we lucky to have such a great site where we CAN learn something new everyday. This place is invaluable to me, I've learned so much here.

I believe the Endulge bars are the worst along with the Russel Stovers and Hershey's. They all contain LOTS of maltitol or lactitol. Lactitol has an even worse effect on me. I rather like to use the sweet treat recipes here at the recipe forum. Check it out. Make your own yummies.

Barb
Atkins-3/14/03
174/146/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER