Protein bars???

[CaityE]

So this weekend I got a "ProteinPlus" bar in lieu of a chocolate bar while on a road trip, and I was wondering if they're at all induction friendly.
They have 9g fat, 32g protein, and 5g net carbs, but are packed with 25g sugar alcohols.

I've had sugar free candy before and that didn't seem to stall me as long as I only ate it maybe once a week, but I'm wondering if anyone else has used protein bars in general with success in the past as snacks, etc during the week?

Also, how about whey protein or other protein powders for shakes? Are they induction friendly?

[Georgiana]

Re: Protein bars???

So this weekend I got a "ProteinPlus" bar in lieu of a chocolate bar while on a road trip

Why do you have to have any kind of chocolate?

I was wondering if they're at all induction friendly.
They have 9g fat, 32g protein, and 5g net carbs, but are packed with 25g sugar alcohols.

25 g of sugar alcohols is a lot!

And it would depend what the ingredients are.

Regardless, they are not a good choice.

anyone else has used protein bars in general with success in the past as snacks, etc during the week?

Of course there are people who used them "with success"... as in, they kept losing weight. But you are not them... and success doesn't mean being able to lose weight, but learning how to keep it off... which means building healthy eating habits. Do you think the bars will help you change your eating habits?

Also, how about whey protein or other protein powders for shakes?

Why not have real food for protein?

Are they induction friendly?

It would depend on the ingredients. But in my opinion, they are not a good choice.

[CaityE]

Re: Protein bars???

Why do you have to have any kind of chocolate?

Because I love chocolate and I'm trying to ween myself off of it. I'm used to eating it during the weekend so I figured eating a protein bar might help with the urge while not actually eating the alternative: a high sugar, high carb actual chocolate, Cadbury bar which I'm used to.

Of course there are people who used them "with success"... as in, they kept losing weight. But you are not them... and success doesn't mean being able to lose weight, but learning how to keep it off... which means building healthy eating habits. Do you think the bars will help you change your eating habits?

As I said, sugar alcohol doesn't seem to have much of an effect on me from past experience... My concern for the time being is to lose weight. That's what I'm focused on. Once I've lost what I need to I'm not sure whether I'll be doing low-carb for life or going back to a mix of everything in moderation- including yogurt,oatmeal, fruit, etc. I'm concerned with how these bars effect induction right now, in the present, not maintenance.

I want to know if people who have actually used them have any input as to whether it slows their loss, stalls them, has no effect, etc.

Why not have real food for protein?

I DO eat real food as much as possible (though since I have nothing but a mini fridge and microwave in my room and I'm broke I don't have THAT many options- I'm doing the best I can), but when I'm on a road trip and stop at Sheetz then "real food" sans croissants/bagels/fries isn't much of an option.


Hope that clarified; thanks for your input at the end of the post. I do plan on cooking my own foods, eating fresh veggies, etc while I'm home for 3 weeks over break, and avoiding eating the cookies/pies/fudge I will be making for the family for the holidays by having low carb alternatives handy, but I was just wondering if I can use protein powders, etc because I like the taste of them and wanted to know if they were induction friendly... If they aren't I'd like to know so I don't waste my money buying something I can't use.

[Georgiana]

Re: Protein bars???

Because I love chocolate and I'm trying to ween myself off of it.

By feeding your chocolate addiction with a LC substitute? Again, do you think that will change your eating habits?

My concern for the time being is to lose weight. That's what I'm focused on.

Let me quote from DANDR (Chapter 17):

"3. Misconception: You can focus solely on losing weight and minimize the maintenance aspects.
Reality: Any weight loss program that does not segue into weight maintenance is doomed to failure."

Once I've lost what I need to I'm not sure whether I'll be doing low-carb for life

That's how a lot of people gain back the weight they've lost...

going back to a mix of everything in moderation- including yogurt,oatmeal, fruit, etc.

Have you read the book? Yogurt, oatmeal and fruit are allowed on Atkins.

I'm concerned with how these bars effect induction right now

If you read the book, you will see that weight loss is not the only measure of success during Induction.

when I'm on a road trip and stop at Sheetz then "real food" sans croissants/bagels/fries isn't much of an option.

You don't need to buy anything. If you plan and pack your own food, then you will have good, healthy foods to eat.

wanted to know if they were induction friendly... If they aren't I'd like to know so I don't waste my money buying something I can't use.

As I've said, you'd need to know the ingredients. Liking the taste does not make a food a good choice though.

You have a sweet tooth and all you are doing is feed it.

[adreliluc]

Re: Protein bars???

Well chances are that the ingrediants are not in the allowable food list for induction - so the answer would be no.

It's that simple.
If all the ingrediants are on the acceptable list (which is highly unlikely) - then in moderation have it if you can tolerate it.

And like Georgiana said - why not break the bad habit all together? Do you want to change your body along with the bad habits that got you where you are? I'm thinking so, since you're here...

As for shakes, I believe the Protien powder in the isolate form is ok... I tried it and couldn't do it, even my kids won't drink it in a smoothie.. I tried to make these pancakes out of it once and they were ewww and they gave me a huge tummy ache. lol.

[CaityE]

Re: Protein bars???

Georgianna: an idea- stop nitpicking out every little quote from my posts you disagree with and focus on the larger picture, most of that had nothing to do with my original question and was pointless for me. It's good information and all, but not what I'm actually looking for so I probably won't absorb any of that.
Tiny quotes and responses quite frankly bug me and keep me from actually reading much of your responses.


Adreliluc: thanks for the input. I like protein powder for whatever odd reason, so maybe I'll get some for when I'm home if the carbs look okay.
It's true, I do need to break the habit, I just know from past experience that if I go cold turkey on ANYTHING which I'm really addicted to I end up going overboard and stuffing my face with whatever it is- weening off just works for me. I'm like the smoker that has to use those patches/gums for a while I guess... :-/

Hopefully after a little bit of time I won't feel the need for it anymore and this week is actually already much better than last- no cravings for cereal or bread left and not much for sugary treats- if I do have any I'm putting a little bit of whipped cream in my tea.

[fetch]

Re: Protein bars???

whoops - never mind. Why would I want to take MY time to type out advice to someone who isn't going to listen to anything other than what she wants to hear and is rude? Good luck to you.

[Slapshot]

Re: Protein bars???

[/lurk]

It's good information and all, but not what I'm actually looking for so I probably won't absorb any of that.

So, you're not looking for good information? Just because you didn't get the approval or answer you were hoping for, don't be mad at Georgiana. You'll find a lot of things here, but enabling generally isn't one of them.

I actually think that Georgiana's quoting style of breaking each piece of quotes down into digestible chunks refreshing and easier to read. She's really not nit picking you - it just looks/feels that way because she's giving you feedback on each individual piece to show you what the concerns are. Whether she does it in a big paragraph or one big quote shouldn't matter. She's an invaluable resource on this board, and if it's too much for you to read short sentences, then, as fetch says, good luck to you.

It's unfortunate that folks misinterpret Georgiana and other helpful folks who take the time to chime in every thread and offer their good insights. We've already "lost" someone who I looked up to in my early days this year, and I wanted to post this for Georgiana's and others' sake as a reminder that many of us read every word she (and liv, megs, sunnysmile, etc.) write, and appreciate the effort in doing so.

[lurk]

[adreliluc]

Re: Protein bars???

Well baby steps are better than no steps... it's a longer road but as long as you end up where you want to be is all that matters. Right?

In the end you have to do what works for you, it'll get easier.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Protein bars???

>>I love chocolate and I'm trying to ween myself off of it.>>

Does chocolate love you?

As a recovering chocoholic, I can tell you that the weening path you're on may or may not work for you.

Generally the best way to slay your dragon is to not feed it ...

Repeating the pattern of having <insert food here> at <insert time here> with a low carb substitute isn't generally a good idea. It doesn't help you relearn anything.

And I can tell you that there is life after chocolate.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Protein bars???

>>I just know from past experience>>

So you've broken habits before?

[Georgiana]

Re: Protein bars???

Caity, before this weekend you "needed" sweet recipes so that you can "RESIST eating whatever this weekend with your family". Now the "excuse" is different; you are asking about sweets because you "love chocolate" and "like the taste"... and because when you're "on a road trip and stop at Sheetz then 'real food' sans croissants/bagels/fries isn't much of an option". You were offered solutions for the latter, but you refused them because it's not "what you're actually looking for". Of course it isn't what you are looking for... I already knew that. You would have appreciated enabling... which is not what I am offering you.

What you are doing is bargaining with your sweet tooth... and your sweet tooth is winning.

[Skeptika23]

Re: Protein bars???

My two cents:

Georgiana was challenging some of your assumptions there, and she was doing so to be helpful to you. Sometimes what we need and what we want don't always coincide. She answered the questions you should be asking.

When we are young, we tend to think in terms of convenience and quick fixes. True, our lives are busy, especially in college, and it's not easy to plan and prepare the way it's really best when you're eating the Atkins way. Georgiana knows this as well, or better, than most of us.

You don't need sugar or chocolate - you want it. It's a huge want, but it's a want, none the less. The best way to kick a habit is to KICK it - just stop doing it, even for a short time. It's how I broke my caffeine addiction - I went for several weeks with no caffeine at all, and today I can have a little bit of it and not go back to chugging 96 oz of Diet Coke a day at a minimum as I did for close to 20 years. All the times I tried to "wean" myself off of it did reduce my dependence - it did not remove it. FYI.

Protein bars, are, in reality, a frankenfood that is not good for you no matter how you slice it. Choose to eat it, and you accept the consequences, but it's not something that's the best choice for you to eat, ever. That was Georgiana's point. Eat it, or not, as you choose, but don't pretend it's any kind of replacement for real food.

Most "convenience" foods, or cheap foods like ramen noodles, are like that, whether we want to accept that, or not.

My hubby likes the protein powders and whey protein... I, on the other hand, think they taste horrific and I can't understand why anyone would choose them over eating real foods of any kind. I think most of them have sugar of one kind or another, so be careful if you decide to eat that stuff.

[The One]

Re: Protein bars???

... My concern for the time being is to lose weight. That's what I'm focused on. Once I've lost what I need to I'm not sure whether I'll be doing low-carb for life or going back to a mix of everything in moderation- including yogurt,oatmeal, fruit, etc. I'm concerned with how these bars effect induction right now, in the present, not maintenance.

Do you want help, or do you want people here to only tell you "yes you can have <insert food here>, it didn't affect ME"?

[CaityE]

Re: Protein bars???

Thanks for those who offered up some antecdotes, etc. They were insightful, and very useful for in the future when I'm deciding to buy one or just skip it altogether.

whoops - never mind. Why would I want to take MY time to type out advice to someone who isn't going to listen to anything other than what she wants to hear and is rude? Good luck to you.

actually fetch, i enjoyed reading your post (it was the one emailed to me before you deleted it). If you could tell me why soymilk and soyprotein are not healthy I think that would be very interesting. I do actually like soy milk, but it's more of a taste thing than my obsession with whether it's healthier than real milk.


To a few of the later messages- it wasn't meant as disrespectful, I just don't like have a comprehensive statement broken down in to tiny points. I AM more likely to read a long message which hits all points than one broken in to a bunch of tiny pieces.

I really just wanted an answer to my question about protein bars/powder. If I tell you why I chose to have one this past weekend, that doesn't mean I will disregard all advice in the future, and it is in fact why I typed up the message in the first place- to see if they're okay or if it was a mistake by induction standards.