I am trying the Atkins diet. I have made it through the 2 week induction. I am almost through the first week of the OWL. I lost 5 lbs the first two weeks and have only had a few x-tra carbs (up to 25) for the OWL. My question is when counting the carbs for the OWL does it matter what I eat as long as I am sticking to the 25 carbs? Atkins has some candy bars etc that are only 2-4 carbs are they O.K. to eat as long as I am counting them into my daily total? Thanks for any input you can give.

Yes, it matters where your 25 carbs are coming from. Even in OWL your main source of carbs should be from your veggies and then as you move up the carb ladder, some fruits and nuts. That said, you can have the Atkins bars now, especially the Advantage ones. They are high in fiber and have added vitamins and minerals. The endulge bars are just lc candy. They are good for an occasional treat or snack, though some people have a problem with them causing problems with stalls and gas (sugar alcohols). You will need to experiment to see what works best for you. Good luck and congrats on making it through induction.
Marie

Did you read the book? It should answer most of your questions. If not you may at least want to go to Atkins site which can also answer most questions.

The simple answer to your question is yes, they are ok. But since nothing is ever really simple when it comes to diet and nutrition, there are caveats. Which would include wanting to eat enough of your carbs from veggies to stay nice and healthy.

Hope that helps.

Liz

P.S. One woman's opinion!

if your goal is to just loose weight, then i don't think it matters where the carbs come from.
if you're trying to be "healthier", nuts are really good for ya as are veggies. But the thing is, the bars have a lot of fat and this is a high-fat diet whereas veggies have like zero fat. The bars will also boost your protein a lot. And the bars are more convienent. Personally, i prefer the shakes, but that's just me

Thanks for the help. I was craving candy really bad, so I saw the atkins bar. I only ate half and it satisfied my craving for sweets. I haven't measured for a few days, so I am not sure if it made a difference. I have the keto strips and I am still in ketosis. I didn't know that a stall is 4 weeks...that helps! Thanks!