Good Morning All! I have a question.

My sister in law is starting Atkins today, (Good For Her!!) she was talking with me about it on the phone last night, asking me various getting started questions. She has some of the Atkins Endulge Bars and I told her that she should not eat those during her first 2 weeks of induction. When she asked me why, I really didn't have a direct answer other than having seen that it is advised to stay away. She said she did not understand that if they only have 3 net carbs, why could she not eat them. I told her I believed but was not sure that it had to do with the make up of ingredients, such as glycerine or something or other. I just am not sure, other than knowing it is a no no. In the FAQ over at the Atkins website, someone had directly asked this question, "Why can't I have endulge bars during induction" but when I click on it it is a dead link.

Could someone shed some light on this for me?

Thank you in advance!

Ruth Janeen

I would explain to her that the purpose of Induction is to rid your body of sugar and caffeine and sweets cravings. The endulge bars have sugar alcohols which can also give people bad side effects. (send you to the bathroom) The 3 net carbs on the label are impact carbs which means the impact carbs effect everyone's blood sugar differently. I have had endulge candy and they trigger my cravings for carbs and sugar so I don't eat them anymore. I guess Atkins developed these for people on the go or if we had a craving to cheat I guess eating an endulge bar is better then eating a snickers bar on Atkins. I would advise her not to have these or she won't have a clean induction.

Good Luck!

I'm no longer on induction but I usually only eat one of the bars on Sunday seeing as I am at Church from 7:00 am until almost 1:00 pm and the only other choice there is Doughnuts. So I just take one in my purse and have it instead. I haven't had any side effects from them. Some say that they can stall their weight loss and some have to run to the bathroom but I haven't had either problem. I did use them however while I was doing induction however..

Like hcomeau said, induction is for ridding your body of cravings and the fake sugar can keep them triggered. I think it's best to avoid these during the first 2 weeks of induction. Just my two cents though.

So, then what is the difference between atkins advantage and the endulge bars? Both have SAs, but advantage bars are ok in induction? This has bothered me for a while and is confusing!

The Advantage bars are protien bars, while the Endulge are candy bars. Not all ADvantage contain sugar alcohols, but they do contain Glycerine.

I would stay away form both during induction really. While they say 3g impact carbs, some people have to count all the carbs as they effect thier blood sugar. They both can also trigger sweet cravings, and neither teach good eating habits. They can be ok for occasional snacks or treats though.

Since the Endulge is a candy type thing it is a no no on induciton when you are trying to break the candy and sweet habit. After a compeltely clean induciton with nothing sweet you'd be amazed at how diminished cravigns are, and many sweet things just taste nasty and over the top.

Thank you all very much! As always, you are very helpful.

I now have a good answer to give to her other than I had just read that they were a no no.

LadyBelle, you had told me the other night about one carb per cup Slender Soy and I did find it! Ah! I drink some with my breakfast and I feel like I am having something I shouldn't. I like it very much!



Ruth Janeen

Ugh, Advantage bars! Yes, I eat them, however, not as a real choice! On the run, emergency food that will stick with me and make me not want to eat anything else! Does anyone else think they go down "hard" and just sit there? I am no longer a huge fan of the atkins candy either after over doing it the other day and having a nasty, nasty stomach ache and gas for almost 24 hours. Eat a few of those, that will cure a craving- in my case, for a long long time. Give me some string cheese!

Hi Janetz! I've personally not tried the Advantage or the Endulge as of yet.. I've considered them not allowed. From your description though, the "after effects".. Well.. doesn't sound like I am missing out.



Ruth Janeen

At one point recently I was having an Endulge bar every day. I was still staying around or under 20 carbs a day but I did not lose any weight at all in one week. Now I try to have one once in a while. I really think they slow down weight lose. Having said that, I really like the Carbwise bars. The chocolate peanut butter is really good. I think that they are meal replacement bars. I try to stay away from them also because I think that I do crave sweets more when I am eating something sweet.

I have not experienced any bad after effects at all with any of the low carb candy or meal replacements bars. The most I have ever eaten in one sitting though is two.

Everybody's tastes are different, but I will say that before anybody buys a whole box of those bars, they should buy ONE and see if they like it. I tried an Atkins bar, and I didn't like it. I flat-out will not buy one again. But I know other people here do like them.....more power to them.

After Induction, I got boxes of the Endulge Ice Cream Bars. They made me run to bathroom, didn't know it was that at the time. I also gained weight. I really think it became a comfort food and I just will not buy any more. I did crave sweets too. Now, I'm back on track, but it took a good week back at 20g's.

Well.. I called my sister in law last night to inform her of the reasons why not to eat the bars while in induction. Instead, when she answered the phone I could tell she was and had been crying, horribly upset about her weight, talking of all of the grim issues being so heavy is causing her, but just the same said she was not going to go through with Atkins, she was going to try the Weight Watchers route again. I told her that Weight Watchers was going to be more of an expense than Atkins, and since she had tried the WW route once before and the long run end result is her in tears with me on the phone, why not just give the Atkins a try, give it 14 days! She said she supposed that she would, but, I don't know. She said she could not fathem going so long without sweets and was feeling like a failure. I told her she was only a failure if she did not try, and to get up this morning, fix her up some scrambled eggs with cheese.. get herself cleaned up and go to the grocery store and buy her some real food, not that frozen WW stuff and give it a go! I assured her that if she just stuck with it for 2 weeks, she would find her cravings for sweets not to be so much of an issue anymore. She assured me that she felt she owed it an attempt and that she would call me this evening to let me know how her first day went.

She had called here the other night, said she was jumping on the Atkins bandwagon and was excited about it! She had decided this on her own, someone had given her a Atkins book she had been reading, she was pumped up! Then, overnight, well... I don't know what happened. *sigh* I know folks need to do things when on their own time, when they are ready. I sure hope she decides to go for it, I know she would not be disappointed if she would just give it a shot.

Ok, well... thanks just the same for all of the info on the bars, I at least learned something new out of it...

Ruth Janeen

Well Well Well Folks! Right after I sent my prior post, my phone rang, it was my sister in law's room mate, she was calling to thank me for the little pep talk I gave to Kathy (my sis in law) last night. She said after she hung up the phone, the tears stopped, and she woke up this morning with a new skip in her step and was on her way to the grocery store to buy her some real food for her new Atkins Diet Plan!

Wooo Hoooo!!

I am excited for her! I know and understand how depressing carrying extra weight is, feeling like there is no hope. I am so happy she is going to at least try! I know she will not be disappointed!!



Ruth Janeen