[RiverWind]

My favorite kind of candy is and always has been gummi bears. I have a huge weakness for them. I have found websites that supposedly specialize in sugar free and low carb candy and specifically promote to people who have diabetes. On a low carb diet plan, is some sugar free candy in moderation okay? I have read labels and they often say that there is still about 20 or more carbs in a serving which alarmed me. After a little research I found that this is from what is called "sugar alcohols" and are not counted in the net carbs we consume each day. This leaves me confused. Sugar free and low carb are, I'm sure, two different things. A lot of the info I found is conflicting so I was wondering if anyone here had any knowledge on it.

[mkroyer]

ive heard that sugars alcohols CAN throw you out of ketosis, and others claim they cannot...this is what i know about "sugar free"/......
First, tey ioften have just as many cals, of not more, then the real kind, but also. sugara alcohols malitol, xylitol, ethytol (im sure im forgetting some) can wereak HAVOC on your diegstive system, and that alone can seem to stall you weigtht loss...When i say havoc, i dont mean slight discomfort. At one point the gas was so bad i had to cancel appts becausei couldnt control it and i was so embarrassed..Of course many of us chew SG gum everyday, but a piece of SF gum has a gram of suger alcohol...... not 20

[tommy]

I can not help on the carb info but I can tell you that I had a friend who had eliminated sugar and refined starches from her diet - got sucked into the sugar free candy - and spiraled out of control. It was a huge trigger for her, and she had had excellent weight loss prior to falling into that pit.

[RiverWind]

Okay thanks for the info. Considering all of the conflicting information I found online about it, I think my safest bet is to just stay away from them. Later on down the road maybe I will allow myself a small (very small) amount of regular gummi bears as a treat once every week or two.

[drinkypants]

I eat a serving (Just one serving!) of sugar free candy occasionally. It doesn't cause me to go out of ketosis personally, but everyone is different. I know it can cause bad digestive issues for some people. You definitely need to be careful when eating them, not to eat the whole package, I have read some horror stories! Just take note of the serving size, and only eat 1 serving per day. (if you decide to get some)

[JerseyGyrl]

This is an excellent article on the subject:

http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/19059967.php

[bellaella]

i have a friend who cant eat sugar free candies because it causes her to be gassy beyond belief!! im not sure why because when i eat them, i feel fine. hmm.. but i usually just suck on a candy a couple times and spit it out. i usually just crave the sweetness for a tiny bit and when i get it, i dont feel like eating the rest of the candy.

[raebeaR]

I have to add a comment here.

I once purchased a package of sugar-free salt water taffy made with sorbitol. I love salt water taffy; I ate about two-thirds of the package in one go. Oh. My. God.

I have never -- NEVEREVERNEVEREVER!!!! -- had gas like that. I worked as a judge's assistant in a courtroom at that time. Had to call in sick for 3 days. I mean, it would have been hilarious if it was in some low-rent movie. But... it was my life, and so it wasn't funny at all!!! You know those films where someone farts and it goes on and on and ON and ON? I could have put them all to shame. Unreal. Never again. Beware. And be very, very afraid!!!!

I don't know if it will throw you out of ketosis. But I do know it will get you thrown out of nearly every kind of polite society!!