I have been doing the Atkins diet (on and off) since '99. Since then the carb content in most low carb bars (not just Advantage) has gone from 2g to 22g. I feel very ripped off since none of these bars are cheap (especially in Canada where they are usually about $4) and I have spent hundreds of dollars thinking I was doing well and keeping in my allowed carb count and then discovering it was all an illusion. I realize common sense dictates that I should stick to true natural forms of food (meat, fish, eggs) and not rely on labels of processed food but... My question to those of you who also consume these bars is - Am I fooling myself into believing that these bars are effective in this plan? Should I treat them as an indulgence to replace a craving for a chocolate bar or can I actually make them part of my diet - i.e. meal replacement for breakfast?

Wow... what a loaded question! The truth, huh? Well, the truth is that there is no telling how YOUR body deals with the bars.

To be fair, I don't think the carb content has gone from 2g to 22g but they are now correctly LABELED. They used to not claim the carbs that "don't effect blood sugar" while now they do. At least there's some honesty regarding the fact that these bars may slow loss, effect people, etc.

Now in regards to you: It's up to you to figure out whether or not they work in YOUR plan. If you have yo-yoed with LC in the past, maybe they don't. Do they cause cravings? Stall weight loss? Prevent a focus on whole foods, as you mentioned?

Your mileage may vary. It's really up to you to decide. Personally, I can eat them, but only occasionally. When someone is in a stall and eating the bars regularly, it's probably the first thing they should give up, in my opinion.

But... it's up to you. Many people are very successful while utilizing the bars.