Ok, I have a quick question, and it may be dumb, but....
Is everything sugar free low in carbs? I was just wondering this because it's almost summer time and that means heading down the shore which also means fudge! I know they sell sugar free fudge and candy, and all my family will be munching on that sugar loaded fudge...so i was wondering if sugar free means low in carbs?
Thanks a bunch!

Sorry, Kristyn...

Sugar free doesn't always mean low in carbs. Legally as long as the product doen't contain refined sugar, it can be labeled as sugar free even though it may contain sweeteners that are equally as bad such as honey, molasses, fructose, sucrose and such. Many sugar free candies today are sweetened with sugar alcohols such as maltitol, sorbitol or erythritol which are a YMMV (your mileage may very) thing for many folks. Some seem to react to them as though they were real carbs, while others don't seem to be affected by them at all. The claim for sugar alcohols is that that have a minimal impact on your blood sugar and so do not need to be counted as actual carbs and you can deduct them from the total carb count like you would fiber.
Unfortunately, the only way to tell how they affect you is to try them and see if they provoke cravings or cause your weight loss to stall.
One more word of caution with sugar alcohols is to only use a small amount at first. Many people report some unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects such as gas, cramping, bloating and diarrhea from sugar alcohols, so go easy until you know how these will affect you or you could be spending quite a bit of your vacation in the bathroom.
For more information on artificial sweeteners, see this link: http://www.lowcarb.ca/tips/tips006.html

Nope!! It doesnt always mean that!! You have to read the labels. If they dont have labels on the stuff when they sell it, just ask them if they would look at the package it comes out of. If they make it there, maybe you could ask, not sure on that one. Maybe you could ask what the ingredients are.

Kristy,

You may not even want fudge by the time summer arrives. I know my sweets cravings are next to none since I have been on Atkins.

My husband has a sweet tooth and ALWAYS has cookies in the house-especially Oreos. I used to sit down and much away on a whole bag with the family. Now when I see them eating cookies, I think-YUCK! Even the thought of that much sugar in my mouth at one time makes the back of my throat burn.

Just make sure you have a nice meal before you go. Temptation is always easier to resist on a full tummy. And pack a cooler-take some cold pork chops or hamburger patties. Cucumber slices would be cool and refreshing on a hot day at the beach.

One other thing you may want to do is explain to your family how difficult it is to watch them eat fudge in front of you. Maybe they would forgo the tradition this year. Maybe one other member of your family would abstain and take a nice walk with you down the shore while the others indulge.

Good luck!
Amy Mc

Suagr Free doesn't mean Low-Carb. There are other sources of carbs, other than Sugar that could possibly be present. Also, it should be noted that many Sugar-Free foods are sweetened with Aspartame which can cause stalling, as well as a host of other problems.

Others are sweetened with Sugar Alcohols...which as already stated is a YMMV. Some people stall from Sugar Alcohols also. Unless it is sweetened with Sucralose (Splenda) and/or Acesulfame-K (Sunette), I would avoid it...unless you know that Sugar Alcohols don't effect you.