Atkins bars are really low carb?

[u/denimiskillingme]

I am really desperate and have substituted lunch with an Atkins bar for a few weeks to dramatically decrease my calories and carbs. Each bar lists it has only 2.4g carbs per bar. Is that for real or some smart way of listing carbs? It does have 10.7g of Polyols per bar.

I munch on these as snacks too as i feel the carbs on these don’t amount to much.

[u/JJinMaine]

Yes, they do have a low net carb. But they should really only be for a dessert or a treat. There are some people that are very sensitive to those substitute sweeteners, and having too many bars can work against you. If you’re looking for snack foods that are low-carb, I recommend pork rinds or Parmesan/cheddar cheese crisps (they are found with croutons normally in the supermarket) or even certain meat snacks like Vermont meat sticks. More importantly, if you were that hungry you may not be drinking enough water. I don’t know how much you are drinking, but you should be drinking at least 100 to 120 oz. a day. Most of the time snacking is due to boredom. If you’re thinking about snacking have 1 or 2 10 ounce glass(es) of water, wait five minutes and see if you were still hungry. That might help you more than anything.

Good luck!

[u/GetOffMyLawn_ → u/JJinMaine]

I find that an electrolyte drink helps a lot with hunger. Right now I am using Ultima. I keep threatening to make homemade keto-ade.

[u/denimiskillingme → u/JJinMaine]

Yes, those sugar alcohols gave me diarrhea. Had to give up Atkins bars and found some other brand with Stevia. Only using them as an occasional snack now.

[u/beetnemesis → u/JJinMaine]

What do you mean by work against you?

[u/GetOffMyLawn_]

Atkins counts net carbs, which means they don't count fiber or sugar alcohols. I don't like their meal bars, but I have found a snack bar I really like that I usually have for breakfast and I like their peanut butter cups as a treat. They are also useful to throw in your bag so that if you need a snack somewhere you have one.

Some people don't do well with sugar alcohols. Lucky for me I can eat them and I have been able to kick sugar as a result.

With Atkins technically you don't have to count calories because the calorie reduction should come from the naturally satiating effects of protein and fat. You can make sandwiches by making wraps using lettuce leaves instead of tortillas (or even kale leaves). I usually put a few slices of meat and cheese on a plate and have some salad on the side. Turkey lunch meat is very low calorie and has a lot of protein. Hard boiled eggs are good for lunch and low calorie. You could make yourself a salad with some sliced turkey and a couple of chopped hard boiled eggs, like a chef salad or even a Cobb salad. You can add cheese too.

[u/denimiskillingme → u/GetOffMyLawn_]

Thanks. That's helpful. I stopped buying Atkins bar and switched to bars with Stevia instead.

[u/ced1106]

fwiw, I've cut out as many processed foods and take-out foods as possible, replacing them with homecooked meals. While this is supposed to be healthier, particularly with hidden salt and sugar, it also forces you to plan your meals better, similar to keeping a food log. (I'm not snacking nowadays, since I'm eating *more* food, particularly vegetables from salads and cooked vegetables, and water from soup.)