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Ratios for Carb/Fat and Protien on Paleo or Net Carbs?

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maria_antoinette
maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
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Since not all carbs are created equal.. does Net Carbs come into play when eating things like tomatoes or onions and other veggies that have fiber.. or... does this not matter at all on paleo...

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  • homesweeths
    homesweeths Posts: 792 Member
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    I pay no attention to net carbs. Total carbs is the number I watch. Net carbs is too much of a mind game for me, gives me the feeling of getting away with something, not a good mindset as I used to obsess over food, and I don't want to go back there.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
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    ok yeah.. I mean my thing is adding calories in veggies and low glycemic fruit... regardless paleo supports this..
  • cindytw
    cindytw Posts: 1,027 Member
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    I do keep more of an eye on the net carbs, because I am also a low(er) carber. I find that I can do well using net carbs and that does allow me a bit more produce. The carb level you choose is entirely dependent on you and your goals and how well you handle carbs or not. Paleo is not inherently low carb unless you make it so.
  • each_day_stronger
    each_day_stronger Posts: 192 Member
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    I don't really pay attention to net carbs, mostly due to laziness and a general feeling that fiber is probably overrated. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fiber/#axzz3O9qpE71C

    But obviously do what works for you!
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
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    newmeadow wrote: »
    I eliminated all grains, all legumes, all added sugars, all dried fruits and potatoes.

    On paleo I eat as much vegetable as I like (including squashes and orange vegetables) and as much fresh fruit as I like. Which, by the way, is plenty :smile:

    If I stop losing weight or start feeling unwell doing it like this, I'll adjust my paleo plan. But I'm fairly certain that's not going to happen.

    It's working wonderfully this way. And when I did it this way for a better part of a year, I lost all the weight and felt like a new person. All health problems were alleviated.

    I won't be throwing away my paleo discipline and accompanying paleo rewards ever again. Lesson learned.

    I think, in the beginning, it's hard enough eliminating the foods necessary to go paleo and also worry about carbs from fruits and vegetables at the same time.

    That's just my take on it. I fully respect carb conscious paleos, but that seems like a more advanced model for long term well seasoned paleos.

    This is a great point. If you're just starting, don't worry too much about carbs at all (unless you're downing 3+ sweet potatoes a day...then we may need to talk). Most people succeed quite well on just "plain Paleo" (ie - just eat real food), without really watching their carbs.

    Now, the Primal Blueprint does focus more on reducing carbs, but even that is a fairly broad range, and most of it's achieved by virtue of eliminating grains and not going nuts on the tubers. That does use total carbs, not net (by default).

    In either case:

    Eat meats, above ground vegetables to satisfaction.
    Eat fruits and below ground vegetables in moderation and appropriate kinds and levels for your activity level (e.g. - if you're sedentary, you don't really need a sweet potato and three bananas every day, pick one for the day)
    Drink lots of water.
    Don't be afraid of fat or salt.

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