I never buy anything with ingredients listed above, except
maltodextrin.

I would not deal with either.

about as bad as sugar.

My understanding is that it is simply empty calories.

i

I think it's a personal matter as to what risks one is going to take with
food additives.  High fructose corn syrup is just another name for sugar or
so I've been told.  I tend to avoid it when possible because I personally do
better when I avoid actual sugar.  OTOH, I do have a sweet tooth so
alternatives like sucralose (which is the main ingredient in Splenda) do
fine by me with no adverse reactions when done in moderation.  If I use it
too often, I get a nasty metallic taste in my mouth for a while, but that's
just me.  I'm waiting for some reliable source to release information that
says Splenda really is bad for you and then I'll end up being screwed, but
it beats weighing 300 lbs like I used to.

Aspartame (NutraSweet) is still prevalent in a lot of products and is the
lesser of two evils when compared to sugar for me.  Too much of that will
also make me feel ill.  Malitol is one of those sugar alcohols that is found
in a lot of "low carb" candies and bars and again I will choose it over
actual sugar, but limit the amount especially because of the laxative
effect.  I have to depend on some processed foods and even the energy or
meal replacement bars because I sometimes forget to eat and let my blood
sugar get way too low when I'm really busy and then I'll go work out and
I've come close to passing out more than once.  I try to keep fruit in my
car or gym bag, but it goes bad quickly so I keep a bar handy for
emergencies.

My endocrinologist has endorsed my use of these products over sugar filled
ones, especially since they do work to take away the sweets cravings rather
than instigate an actual sugar spree.  Again, this is just me and I don't
advocate my principles for others necessarily because what works for me
might not do as well for others.

With regard to fats, I keep my overall fat % of my diet to 20-25% which is
higher than it used to be, but my fats come almost exclusively from olive
oil, fish, and the small amount in lowfat cottage cheese.

Again, what you're going to eat is a personal matter and it's not anyone's
place to judge or condemn you for it *if it's working for you*.  Obviously
if you're doing a fantastic job with your weight loss and maintenance so far
so the only thing I'd add is to continue using the strategies that have
worked for you.

Jenn
Disclaimer for the anal retentive: I also eat a single hershey's kiss (sugar
and all) at work each afternoon after lunch because I like chocolate and I
can do it without busting my daily caloric limit or going into a feeding
frenzy.  So I do get added sugar in that respect and I'm not 100% sugar
free.

Hamburger, an excellent introduction into food additive safety can be
found at

http://cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm

i