So I LOVE candyyy. I'm really good with resisting actual food but for example at work we have bowls on m&m's and jelly beans EVERYWHERE. I run everyday and am about five pounds away from my goal. How much will these candies effect my weight loss because to be honest I can't help it sometimes!

They will kick you out of ketosis. Don't eat them. Not only will you not be able to lose the last 5 lbs, you will not be able to maintain your weight loss if you can't control your cravings. Some people in maintenance have found they need to cut out sugar altogether to keep the cravings at bay. You might be able to tolerate sugar in maintenance, you might not.

That's an individual question as the running may burn up the sugar and allow you to stay in ketosis. But the only way to know if and how much is to test and let the Ketostix tell the tale. If you don't stay in/go out of ketosis? You know it won't work.

On a personal note; sugar is a downward spiral for me. If I avoid it? I'm fine. If I have a little? I want more. If I have a lot? I want even more. Or I go into a coma. But in cases where there's 'bottomless' candy dishes around? I visualize unpleasant bugs crawling around betwixt the candy and miraculously the craving goes *poof*.

Avoid them and "retrain" your mind to only have them on your fun day...I'm learning to love certain protein bars which is helping me with my love of chocolate...I found a new Pure Protein S'Mores bar which is delicious...Atkins is good too but really high in fat but that may be better than all the sugar... any who...for now RESIST THE URGE TO SPLURGE!!!

You can't have any now. They will hurt your weight loss. After all, eating the wrong foods is what got you here in the first place, isn't it?

Sorry to sound tough, I also love candy...I never overeat main courses, salads, etc. Oh no, it's the sweets...so much so that I used to hold "dessert parties" and I'd spend the day making fabulous desserts from Bon Appetit cookbooks. Then my friends would come over, each one bringing a great dessert. We'd play charades and have desserts. I would make something like a lasagna in case anyone showed up w/o having dinner first but most already had eaten. By the way, I was quite a runner and weight lifter then and a true size 6 (not current vanity sizing - this was 30 years ago.) Thin and toned. Fast forward, the desire for sweets never went away and I never learned good coping mechanisms, so here I am. Oh, and also a knee injury forced me to stop running and skiing.

You are young, learn now, spend a lifetime being the size you want and in vibrant health.

So, decide what you want - to be slender or heavy? There's a price to pay either way.

I have learned to block out all the candy bowl landmines in my work place.

I am in maintenance but don't touch them. They only lead to mindless eating and you end up picking from them all day.
After you get to goal train yourself to get your candy fix from a limited amount of really good stuff. That way you can look forward to a treat and once it is eaten it's over. It's the mindless unplanned nibbling that will have right back in the "restarting" category wondering how the weight came back so fast.

Thank you alll so muchh! I appreciate all the advice once you cheat it's hard not too again! Live and learnnn!

Also I have a question about a drink. It's called sparkling ice and it has 0 carbs, 0 fat and 0 sugar. Pretty much 0 everything but it must have some type of sugar in it right? Am I allowed to drink this?

I've never thought of a desert party! Maybe that would be a great "fun" day event!!! Wow. YUM! or an appetizer party... that way you'd be able to nibble a bit of everything...great idea!

You also give great advice...and I'll pick slender!

If it's the stuff made by a company called Talking Rain I've been told it's okay because it doesn't use aspartame and is 0 0 0. Just don't substitute them for your water and drink nothing but them all day long.

I do like them though - they're really good!

Actually there are sooo many germs in those open candies. Everyone reaches in with their bare hands! Also lots of airborne germs land there. Gross but true! Do yourself a favor and skip it!

Sparkling ice is fine. It has Splenda. That's what I drink when I need something sweet. I usually get 3 servings to a bottle. Very tasty. I also mix the flavors together.