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I am new to the South Beach Diet---but had done Atkins for a month or so and did lose weight. I switched because of the restrictions and boredom of Atkins. I read the info on sugar alcohols, but did not see any definitive answers as to what they do to my sugar levels and dieting success. Does anyone know the specifics of thses sugars and weight loss obstacles or not.

Also, I have a wonderful chocolate drink--a Sci-Fit Whey Shake and it claims no sugar---4 carbs, 3g fiber---nothing about sugar alcohols, 20g protein and some pretty good vitamins. Anybody have any ideas about this? Could I use it during the first phase?

Lastly, when we talk about GI---like yogurt being 20---how much yogurt are we talking about? Thanks!! Marcey

Hello, I have a question about sugar alcohols too. I've had a couple of sugar-free fudgsicles (not No Sugar added, they say Sugar-free) with an ingredient called Malidoxtrin, or something like that.

They taste great, but I've noticed that after I eat them, I am bloated. Is this impeding my weight loss? My clothes are certainly tighter when my stomach is bloated! Any help is greatly appreciated!

Sugar alcohols affect everyone differently. Most people find that too many of them gives you diarrhea. However, small doses of them can give you many reactions...shakes, weak knees, stomach cramps and intestinal cramps, apparent blood sugar rise (though it does not really rise, according to research), etc.

If you are trying to "eat clean", steer clear of these "frankenfoods". They are not what anyone would call healthy. The No Sugar Added fudgesicles are great and have very few sugar alcohols.

Regarding the whey, I assume it would be alright...check the Good Carbs, Good Fats Guide for more information.

Marcey, each GI list should tell you how much of each portion they used to get their numbers. These vary, so you really will not know unless you read the information about that list. For yogurt, you are supposed to eat 1/2 cup of plain or 4 oz of fruit flavored, SF.

Once again I jump onto my soapbox...these are over-processed foods and South Beach is about eating whole foods. Who knows what stuff created in a lab can do to your system! Yikes! The effect of sugar alcohols varies with the individual.
Dr Agatston does not recommend shakes.
As to GI, please read the info in the FAQ section. GI is not based on quantity so a half cup of yoghurt (a serving) has a GI of 20 and six cups has a GI of 20! GI is simply a rate at which a food affects your blood glucose.

Beachgal, what brand of No Sugar Added fudgsicles are you buying? Where do you get them? I have a big box of Sugar-free fudgsicles, popsicles, and creamsicles and these fudgsicles are giving me problems- can't remember the brand, but it says Sugar-Free in big letters on it! Thanks so much!

sfgirl02, I buy the Popsicle brand No Sugar Added Fudgesicles. They are actually called Fudgesicles, and are made by the same people who make Creamsicles. You can find them under "pick a product" here: http://www.icecreamusa.com/popsicle/...brand=popsicle

Ruth, good memory! That's the reason we have glycemic load (GL)--which helps us understand how blood sugar is affected by different sizes of the same thing. The glycemic load information allowed Dr. A to decide we can have medium bananas...a large banana has too high a GL, but medium is okay. Interesting stuff!

If you are interested in learning more about GI and GL, search the forum--there are a lot of good threads related to those subjects!

I don't know about the rest of you but I feel so much better when I eat natural ingredients. I have just gone back to eating plain old meat, vegies, nuts, yogurt, eggs and dairy after a couple of months of eating low fat, low carb jars of whatever with some meat and vegies added in. My weight loss had slowed right down while I was eating like this. Don't get me wrong, I season things with herbs and spices and use a little bit of sauce to flavour my stir fries but when the key ingredient is a jar of heavily processed something I never feel quite as good as if I stuck to meat and vegies.

Funny this subject just came up as I was looking for an answer about sugar alcohols - do you know if Dr A still does not recommend sugar alcohols? Does he disallow them, or does he just recommend against it? From what I remember, the book was never clear on that.