Is there any definitive position on total carbs v. net carbs?
tmoneyag99
Posts: 480 Member
so I have searched and searched the Beginner's thread listing and couldn't find anything that gave reasonable advice on counting net carbs vs total carbs.
can someone direct me the right way?
can someone direct me the right way?
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Replies
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On app so I can't get this thing to direct link.
LaunchPad>FAQ and General LC Info>"Which is It? Total Carbs or Net Carbs?"2 -
Subtract the fibre from carbs which gives you net carbs. Use that amount, as fibre is indigestible and doesn't count. So...carbs 10 - 7 fibre = 3 net carbs. This is the number you use in your daily allowance.0
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No. Pick one and try it for a month. If it works, great. If not, change it up.4
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The origin of net carbs came from Dr Michael Edes’ book Protein Power.
He states that he introduced the idea of net carbs to get his patients to eat more green leafy vegetables.
In podcast interviews he has stated he wished he hadn’t started the whole thing because of the way it is now applied to lower net carbs on food products containing sweeteners and added fiber.
He only intended it to be applied to the fiber in green vegetables.
Do what suits you but I think it’s helpful to know why it ever started in the first place when deciding what to do.8 -
This is one of those perpetual keto battlegrounds.
Fiberphiles and fiberphobes coexist only with reluctance, much like the gingham dog and calico cat, and tend to spat when not supervised.
That is, there isn't an objectively right or wrong way (at least until you've landed in one of the camps).
Personally, I've found that fiber from plants doesn't spike my blood glucose the way sugar and starch do, so I don't count it.1 -
Just an observation from my keto life. When I lose weight I'm following a straight up total count of carbs without subtracting fiber. It keeps me honest and my body likes it at 20g.
When I'm regaining weight unintentionally, I find myself following the fiber subtraction method. Any leeway in my food plan is kind of a slippery slope for me... but I'm the first to admit I have eating issues.
My current plan is to use the former method to lose to goal weight, and then experiment with the latter method when I want to attempt maintenance again.
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"Is there any definitive position on total carbs v. net carbs?"
And your reason for asking is? Might change the answer.1 -
I don't worry about carbs from veggies. I limit carbs from dairy and nuts and that's it. So I do net carbs, but if the fiber in my salad isn't enough to keep me under 30 grams of net carbs, I still eat my salad.3
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For some reason, counting plain carbs and trying to stay under 20 carbs a day didn't work for me, but staying at or under 20 NET carbs was victory.
Let your body be your guide.
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For some reason, counting plain carbs and trying to stay under 20 carbs a day didn't work for me, but staying at or under 20 NET carbs was victory. Let your body be your guide.
If you were under 20g total carbs, then you had to be under 20g net carbs. Regardless of the method used, net carbs is equal to or less than total carbs; never is net carbs greater than total carbs.0 -
midwesterner85 wrote: »For some reason, counting plain carbs and trying to stay under 20 carbs a day didn't work for me, but staying at or under 20 NET carbs was victory. Let your body be your guide.
If you were under 20g total carbs, then you had to be under 20g net carbs. Regardless of the method used, net carbs is equal to or less than total carbs; never is net carbs greater than total carbs.
But by focussing on net carbs you are getting enough carbs and fiber.
Focussing on total carbs may result in consumption of carbs that don't meet your needs.1 -
I found success by keeping it at 20 net carbs. I can't imagine trying to keep it at 20 total carbs. Not sure how I would ever eat my veggies.1
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It depends on your goals, I guess. I’m trying to stay over 25g of fiber each day while keeping net carbs between 5-10% of my calorie intake. I’m consistently in ketosis, which is what I’ve been aiming for, and I also feel much better than when I was just trying to keep all carbs as low as possible. So I wouldn’t do it differently unless it stopped working for me for whatever reason.0
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tmoneyag99 wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »For some reason, counting plain carbs and trying to stay under 20 carbs a day didn't work for me, but staying at or under 20 NET carbs was victory. Let your body be your guide.
If you were under 20g total carbs, then you had to be under 20g net carbs. Regardless of the method used, net carbs is equal to or less than total carbs; never is net carbs greater than total carbs.
But by focussing on net carbs you are getting enough carbs and fiber.
Focussing on total carbs may result in consumption of carbs that don't meet your needs.
Consumption of any carbs doesn't meet my needs.
The only exception is if my BG is very low.0 -
All my carbs from veggies so I do net. Works for me.1
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Jason Whittrock just did a youtube video. He has some good information on the Keto diet.0
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Since the concept of net carbs was developed in reference to veggies, I try to only use it on food with naturally occurring fiber. I log all my veg as net carbs and everything else total. (With the exception of Lily's Chocolate that is... gotta fit it in somehow
) 1 -
Just be aware that European brands like Alessi for the most part will list net carbs. You will see the discrepancy when you add sugar and fiber etc and it's more than the carb listed.0
