New to MFP and net carbs.
Limebird
Posts: 19 Member
Hi all, i am not new to my MFP but I am new to some of the macro tracking and tracking net carbs and using mfp with keto/atkins 20 / low carb. i must admit to being confused about trying to keep my net carbs under 20g per day. i am not sure i can do it. Something seems a bit off.
Ive set up mfp to have a max 1600 calories/d, and eat 5% from carbs or 20g to be my goal, with 40g protein and 55g from fat. i have also organized my calories through my day a little because I am also trying to do some level of intermittent fasting so I will skip breakfast.
My problem is that eating lots of veggies pretty much uses up all my carbs, or i can use up all my carbs by lunch/2pm, since twenty grams is so low. What am I doing wrong?
Ive set up mfp to have a max 1600 calories/d, and eat 5% from carbs or 20g to be my goal, with 40g protein and 55g from fat. i have also organized my calories through my day a little because I am also trying to do some level of intermittent fasting so I will skip breakfast.
My problem is that eating lots of veggies pretty much uses up all my carbs, or i can use up all my carbs by lunch/2pm, since twenty grams is so low. What am I doing wrong?
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Replies
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Well, if you are doing net carbs then your total carbs will be higher than 20. Net carbs is total carbs minus fiber. I think that Premium does that for you (I don't have Premium so I don't know for sure), but if you don't have premium then you need to subtract yourself. Can you give a sample menu of what lunch is like? Your diary isn't available to view. It may be that you'll need to choose lower carb veggies. Leafy greens, green beans, zucchini, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower...all these are about the lowest carb veggies. Stuff like carrots, corn, peas are higher in carbs.
Also, low-carb dairy and some processed meats also may have a few carbs here and there that count, taking up your carbs.2 -
Premium does the net carbs for you.
With the veggies you have to stick to the ones Baconslave id'd. You would have to eat A LOT of broccoli to max out your net carbs. I had a cup of steamed broccoli with supper tonight, and it was 4 net carbs in my diary.2 -
My problem is that eating lots of veggies pretty much uses up all my carbs, or i can use up all my carbs by lunch/2pm, since twenty grams is so low. What am I doing wrong?
Hi, Limebird. I started Keto in Sep 2020, and was also really confused at the beginning. First, understand that it may take a few weeks to figure out how to balance it all, and the main thing is going to be reading a lot of labels. Not just nutrition labels on the package, if you eat packaged foods, but nutrition labels you find on your own. There are a number of sites where you can find the total nutrition. I also use the Carb Manager app, and it's really good about showing the nutrition if the food has been entered properly. When it comes to veggies and fruits, that's pretty much a given.
There are carbs, but what you need to track are NET carbs. You find that by taking the total carbs, then subtracting the fiber and any sugar alcohols. That is not the same as sugars. And sugar alcohols almost never appear on package labels unless it's specifically identified as a keto food. You may want to do more research on those to understand them better.
Also, look up best/worst net carb veggies, and you'll find pretty much the exact same list as baconslave gave you, with some extra detail.
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Hi and welcome to the wondrous world of net carbs! You can install on a PC a free script that will do the subtracting of fiber grams from total carb grams on MFP. Read about it in the Launchpad here: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10348436/enhancing-mfp-displays-for-low-carb#latest
Or do the math in your head
Another good source is Dr. Westman's Page 4 document (floating around on Pinterest and various sites):
Or you can do like the carnivores do, and treat veggies as condiments. A few bites here and there....
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Hi,
(From Australia). Can you please tell me when I calculate my daily macros do I subtract my fibre from my carbs to get net carbs. I'm very confused by this as for example today I'm showing 20 carbs and 16 fibre ... so am I eating 4 net carbs, or have I reached my keto (20 carbs ahd under) carbs for the day. Thanks so much. I would really love an urgent response
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I’m very new to MFP and Keto/LC so not an expert at all, but to answer question, yes subtract fiber from carbs to get your net carbs.
If you upgrade to premium, You can turn on “net carbs” in settings.
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worldcruise wrote: »Hi,
(From Australia). Can you please tell me when I calculate my daily macros do I subtract my fibre from my carbs to get net carbs. I'm very confused by this as for example today I'm showing 20 carbs and 16 fibre ... so am I eating 4 net carbs, or have I reached my keto (20 carbs ahd under) carbs for the day. Thanks so much. I would really love an urgent response
In the US, the total carbs and fiber are listed separately. The fiber is subtracted from the total for the net. In the UK, I *think* the carbs number is the net, and they have already don't the math for you. This is problematic of course with entries on MFP, because we have an international audience. I have no clue how this works in Australia.0 -
Looks like the labels show net carbs, so don't deduct the fibre. https://sa.atkins.com/blog/carb-counting-in-australia-and-nz-it-differs-from-the-usa/1
