Question:
Count total carbs or just 'net' carbs?
For those who count carbs, can someone tell me if when we count our carbs for the day, we should count the 'net' carbs or the total of carbs? I'm 11 months post and I still don't have this figured out! For example, when I eat an Atkins protein bar, that ups my carb count for the day to about 50, but if I only count the net carbs, then my carb count is only 30 - quite a difference! Can someone explain this to me and if sugar alcohol should be counted as well? My carb source is mostly fruit, veggies and nuts. I stay completely away from white and refined carbs. I went to the Atkins website, but they only say a carb count range for the day and not whether it's net or all carbs. Thanks in advance! — Yolanda J. (posted on September 24, 2003)
September 24, 2003
You need to count Net Carbs, those are Carbs that effect your blood
sugar...so for example, if you have a cookie and it has 30 carbs, but only
3 net carbs, you count the 3 net carbs. You can also take away any alcohol
sugars and fiber grams to your carb intake...look at www.atkins.com and it
should explain it in more detail.
— missmollyk
September 24, 2003
Here is a link to the article I found on Atkins.com. It kind of explains
Net Carbs
http://atkins.com/Archive/2002/10/9-819097.html
— drjakata
September 24, 2003
Ok..so what about carbs vs sugar? If a protein bar has 12g carbs but 1g
sugar..which do we count!?!
— kathy B.
September 24, 2003
Sugar should be included in the carb count. Effective carbs are TOTAL CARBS
- FIBER - SUGAR ALCOHOLS. Anything else affects your blood sugar and should
be included. So if your bar has 21 g total carbs, 9 g fiber, and 10 g of
sugar alcohols (or glycerin like the Atkins bars), the equation would be:
<p>21 - 9 - 10 = 2 g effective carbs. <p>That's the number you
count.
— ctyst
September 24, 2003
One cautionary note, though: Even if you don't "count" sugar
alcohols (meaning you're subtracting them from carbs), they can sure make
some people dump, and they can cause others to crave sugar (real or
otherwise) relentlessly. If you find this to be true for you, the
"net carb" calculus (can we say, "new math"?) might not
help you to identify stuff you really need to avoid or minimize in your
diet. I can see why fiber is subtracted from carbs, I guess (fiber being a
good thing for our bodies), but as for sugar alcohols, what nutritional
benefit do they provide us? JMHCO (just my humble cranky opinion).
— Suzy C.
September 24, 2003
Sorru but I have to disagree with some of you but you should count all
carbs. You can technically subtract the fiber but that's it. Unless you
are diabetic, blood sugar level is not the issue. It's the sugar or any
other kind of carb going in us that puts on the lbs and that's all we
non-diabetics care about. People can chose to only count net carbs but
they are just kidding themselves. It's the same with sugar alcohol. Only
if you are diabetic can you subtract sugar alcohol as a diabetics body uses
them totally different. Me, I chose to be realistic about all of the carbs
I eat.
— zoedogcbr
September 26, 2003
Ok I am on a different plan than many of you. However, I limit refined
sugars etc, but eat fruit and veggies with carbs every day. I personally
do not tolerate sugar alcohols , dealing with flatulance and cramps and
diahrhea are just not worth it. i personally feel calories still count
whether you are eating them from fats, sugars, carbs,proteins, alcohols
etc. sugar alcohol products tend to be very high in calories if you read
the whole label. I decided I would rather have a cup of strawberries at 45
calories than a stupid candy bar w/ malitol or sorbitol at 200+ calories. I
also want to look at nutritional intake. vitamins = good, protein= good,
fiber =great , sugar free candy = empty calories. a piece of chicken breast
or tuna with some fruit or veggies has a lot of flavor , protein vitamins
etc. an atkins bar is ok if I am in a big hurry and cant eat better, but I
save it for those situations. Atkins bars have a ton of fat too.
— **willow**
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