I bought this candy labeled sugar-free, which I thought meant carb free. The label says Total carbs = 23, fiber<1, maltitol =16g. How many carbs do I count on atkins?

It depends. If you are not sensitive to Maltitol, you can subtract all those carbs from the total, equalling about 7 carbs (fiber less than 1). If you ARE sensitive to Maltitol (as I am), you must count every last carb.

If you're diabetic, or have access to a glucometer, here is how to test your sensitivity:

Test blood sugar, record reading.
Eat candy bar.
30 minutes later, test blood glucose, record reading.
30 minutes later, test blood glucose, record reading.
30 minutes later, test blood glucose, record reading.

If you are not sensitive, your blood glucose should not rise more than 5 pts per EFFECTIVE carb, and should lower quickly. In fact, if you're not sensitive, this may be apparent before the third reading. If you ARE sensitive, your glucose will rise dramatically, then drop. A diabetic will drop slowly; a non-diabetic will drop quickly.

By 90 minutes after eating, a normal person will be back where they started (if not sooner). A non-sensitive diabetic will be not much higher than where they started (or back at start). A sensitive diabetic will either be way too high, still, or their insulin will kick in and put them significantly LOWER than where they began.

What happens to me, with 1/3 of a bar, my insulin shoots up past 240 and then drops to the 140 range, taking me out of ketosis for the day and probably destroying a few organ cells along the way. Fun.

freydis, thanks for the information. I do have access to a glucometer. So only 16g maltitol (1/3 of that for you) causes that huge of a reaction? I had no idea. May as well eat sugar eh?

Does splenda have that kind of effect?

No, I've tested with Splenda and it doesn't do that to me at all. I get reaction to the effective carbs in the powdered form, but not the Splenda itself.

What's odd is that I AM sensitive to Stevia. I had a doctor tell me that's not possible, but my mother was, also. I haven't tested other sugar alcohols or glycerin, yet, but I'm betting I am sensitive at least to the glycerin. Since the other sugar alcohols are mostly in hard candies and toffees which are not terribly high carb, I count them as full carbs and don't worry about insulin reaction to the (typically 1-5) carbs per piece. Of course, I have to limit the number of pieces, but they sometimes help me weather a potential binge.

Last night, my daughter earned a small celebration and we let her choose her treat. Rather than flowers, a toy, clothes, whatever, she wanted to go to DQ, so we went. It is difficult to watch someone else eat ice cream if you have nothing, so I pulled out my sugar-free toffees and choc-mint candies. Son, DH and I ate those while she had her treat.