The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[heavnlykaramel]

I probably already know the answer to this but I just have to ask. Can we have sugar free gummy bears? I've been craving them for a couple of days and the craving just will not go away. Couldnt it be used in place of sf jello? Probably not but I'm hoping. But if not how do you guys tame your craving for candy because it is becoming unbearable! (No pun intended!!)

[cydj21]

I have no idea what the nutritional facts are for SF gummy bears but this post gave me a craving too....so I've got my fingers crossed that you found a loophole. lol

[ReneeMc]

I have the same craving. I found some orange gummy vitamins at Walgreens for adults! They are wonderful for a sweet fix and only 3 carbs!

[Data_Diva]

Sugar free gummi bears, hmmmmm.........I'm not going to endorse or advise against the use of these items while on Medifast. I do know having been a professional baker and active in the low carb market for the last 5 years that most sugar free candies are produced using POLYOLS or in laymans terms sugar alcohols (Xylitol, Mannitol, etc.) These products are produced from naturally occurring substances that have been chemically changed. In the diabetic and low carb industry these products are used as sweetening and bulking agents. There has not been a lot of research done on these products. I do know that researchers in the industry have found that not everyone metabolizes sugar alcohols the same. For one individual there might be no measurable sugar spike and for another it might look like they had eaten cane sugar. Most information will tell you that the body does not recognize them as a sugar and therefore metabolizes them slower. The really bad side of sugar alcohols is that they have a laxative effect which varies by the individual. I from past experience know that I cannot consume these products (will not go into details about what happens to me). We always told our support group at the store that just because the low carb magazines and websites tell you that you can subtract sugar alcohol counts in foods from your daily carb count was not something we recommended. It made me sad to see an industry that claimed to be out there to help people was endorsing a product that did not help our customers succeed. Sugar free candies and baked goods were our best sellers. Sorry for the long post I shall get off my soapbox now. I apologize for going on but I am very opinionated when it comes to sugar replacements. I think this is such an awesome group of people. Thank you for being such an inspiration to me. I look forward to the day when I can say I've reached my goal and have finally conquered my food demons.

Happy shakin,

Nicohle

[Marseilles]

Awesome reply Nicohle! Im not sure it is what people want to hear but I know I for one was wondering just yesterday how the whole sugar alcohol thing worked. Thank you very much for the knowledge!

p.s. Not at all soapboxy.

-M.

[falisamarie]

Please understand while reading this that I am super pro-program. My personal opinion on this is that they are not on the approved list so I would stay away from them. Please don't throw anything at me I am just stating my opinion.

Lisa

[Trixie]

Amen Lisa! No offense to those of you that have asked if "this" or "that" is OK, but Medifast has supplied the list of approved "extras" that are allowed with the true Medifast program.

The fact is, you can add ANY extras you want, add a pizza and a burrito if you want, just don't expect to reap the full benefits you may have received had you stuck to the approved foods only.

[cydj21]

I think we need to be careful here.

I, for one, had no intention of eating any of the SF gummy bears, but rather was simply responding to a craving. I think we (myself included) need to keep an open mind here about whether or not someone is simply curious about something or whether or not they are in need of tough love. Curiousity does not mean someone is about to jump off program into the depths of sugar, carbs and fat nasty foods.

To imply that because I had a craving for gummy bears means I am going to eat pizza and get knocked off course is unfair, unsupportive, and gives me a sense of inferiority that is simply unacceptable, in my opinion, from an environment that is supposed to foster support and understanding.

I can say honestly and openly that I am disappointed that in the past couple of days people are being chastised for their opinions and questions when the entire purpose of this forum is to help each other get over obstacles, and not to make a case for who is more perfect than whom.

With that said, Data_Diva, I thought the information you gave on sugar alcohols was excellent as I think a lot of people wonder about these things and don't know where to get the answers. Bravo to you for responding to a question with facts and caution and not ridicule.


Disclaimer: I have been fighting a terrible sinus infection for several days and it is entirely possibly I am detecting a tone that is not there. However, over the past couple of days I have seen a shift from the supportive to the superior on the boards, and I felt it was time I spoke up. No offense meant to anyone. I still love all of you.

[heavnlykaramel]

Wow. I didnt want to start anything by posting.
I just want to say thank you to ReneeMC, Data-Diva, and Cydj21 for your post and suggestions. At first I thought I was getting a little too sensitive because as I was reading I noticed that the tone in some of the replies was not that pleasant. But I guess that I was not the only one who noticed.
I know that Medifast created a extras list I have read it numerous times. But there are always creative people that are coming up with new ideas on what we can try so I thought that my question wouldn't be too far fetched. I have been doing Medifast for almost one month and I have not cheated once and do not have any intentions too. Therefore I will stick to the Sf jello and reward myself with some gummies after maintenance. Thanks
Kaleena

[Jan]

Hmmmmmm,
Here I am back again. Here's the problem. When we add to the program no matter what it is that we are adding we are opening the door to a problem. We have to be very very careful about what we eat. Most of us could be "off and running" pretty quickly. It is hard to limit ourselves to just one or two candies when we have a whole package. That's one reason MF works sooooo well -- you eat the whole package and only whats in the package. I've been reading the posts and those that are being very very careful have read again and again --" Don't mess with medifast" -- that's the truth. We want you to lose the most weight possible in the least time possible. When we add things -- no matter how innocent they seem -- we can jeopardize the program. I myself have experienced a problem with s/f candy and I'm on maintenance. I had a few tooo many and they gave me horrible diarreah!! Oh No!!! We try to help others by our experience. My personal feeling is this: you have spent your money on the program now it is our job to make certain you are as successful as possible. We all want to part with the pounds and sometimes we just have to say "no" inorder to do it. I think the person that mentioned eating pizza was only saying "hey I'm not the police -- you can eat what you want --- but if you want to get the most benefit from the program and lose the weight in the best manner -- be very very compliant .. that's only my suggestion." It was just sort of a "it's up to you what you eat" That is only the truth. My best advice to each of you is: Look in the Quick Start Booklet --see what is listed as snacks and stick to it. Don't worry --when you get to maintenance you'll have more choices. For now please try to be very very compliant. We've had a couple of interesting days on the forum with some different questions. Please remember everyone is just trying to be as helpful and truthful as possible. Ok now lets go forward and NO to those pesky gummy bears!! Plus I can't help myself here -- it's true -- curiosity killed the cat and it can do in your program tooo!!
jan

[Nancy]

Oh, how I love those yummy little gummy bears myself!

I do not have the nutritional analysis of them but I would not suggest that we go there. Many sugar-free foods contain Malitol™ or other alcohol sugars and 'going there' can literally make ya go...you'll have to do a search for a posting I made about scarfing some sugar-free chocolates...I had a blow-out...

My personal experience with eating sugar-free candies has cured me of the crave!

I know that for many of us when we first begin on the weight loss journey, it seems that we miss our foody friends so much and it feels like we will never be able to meet up with them again.

Remember, this is temporary.

Gummies will be around when you reach goal and within reason, you may have them then. If we delay our desires now, we will reach our goal sooner than if we dilly dally now; dillies equal dallies in our program and derailments mean we need to stay on the weight loss phase longer and we delay transition time and for some of us, delays can way-lay us so much that we never get back on track.

When I was in my early thinnin' stages I was amazed at how much I thought about food and at the weirdest times memories of tastes and whiffs of food would doink into my nasies. I remember sitting in a boring office meeting one afternoon and wishing I could go to a Food 4 Less or a Sweet Shoppe and dip into the candy bins! I mean I wanted to dive into the jelly belly bin, mouth open wide like a Scoopmobile! I laughed out loud and then was so embarrassed.

I think if we start with a few sugar-free gummies, most of us will not be able to stop and we will want more and more. You may be the exception. I couldn't do it. That's what got me into flabber trouble, thinking I could have just a few, just a teensy morsel of whatever.

Sugar-free may be low carb compared to the sucrose-laden Ursula gummies but they do have some carbs and some carbs here and some carbs there very quickly add up. The TSFL Program and the Medifast products are designed in a very specific formula that results in rapid safe weight loss, when we tip the scales in the protein to carb proportion, we can end up tipping the scales upward.

I also think when we begin to nibble between meals we are not learning to re-train our thinking about food. As we are in the losing process, it is important to remember we are learning how we will live our new thinner lifestyle - for weight management, we must make permanent changes. It takes determination and great restraint.

I'd try to find comparable 'safe' alternatives such as making some sugar-free Jell-O with less water so it is super boingy, pour it into a shallow pan and cut it into small squares, and as you slowly eat the gummy pieces pretend they are our beloved gummy bears and yet it is important to set a limit and do not cross the limit line - the scale waits in the balance.

Grrr.....making lifestyle changes IS hard but the outcome of doing so can be Grrrrreat!

[smartipantz]

Heh blowout. Funny you made that comment. We are in the middle of our Governor's Food Drive at work and all the departments are having fund-raising events. Yesterdays event was the "Chili Blowout". How appropriate!

[Nancy]

Smarti ~

Here’s a post I made about the noxious effects of some sugar-free candy...

http://www.makemethinner.com/forum/view ... free+candy

Here’s a nuther one...

http://www.makemethinner.com/forum/view ... free+candy

If you are one of those who are affected by Malitol and or Sorbitol, it won't be silent and it can be deadly...