fiber supplments and net carbs
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PrincessShay135
Posts: 40
What do people think of the accuracy of net carbs? When you take away the fiber and sugar alcohols is that the true carb count? If this is the case can taking fiber supplments with a carby meal (which in my case means I accidentally ate a 15 carb salad) cancel out the unwanted carbs? I am trying to keep under 25 carbs a day and be in keytosis (did I spell that right?) but have heard that the Atkins bars and other heavy sugar alcohol things that I eat may be affecting my blood sugar more than they should if I go by the net carb theory. I am trying to loose weight to beat PCOS and get pregnant and control my diabetes. My doctor just told me that as soon as I get pregnant, if that miracle ever happens, I will have to go on insulin right away. Can fiber supplments reduce my net carbs, thus lead to more weight loss, thus help me avoid going on insulin? Any advice from the other low carbers out there would be helpful. I could also use some more low carb friends, so please add me if you are looking for more mutual support. Thanks!
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i would eliminate the higher carb foods (especially things with sugar alcohols, those often make people stall)
my advice is avoid all atkins/diet products, one or two servings of 'alternate' sugar a day (say stevia in coffee)
your carbs should really only be coming from vegetables/dairy at first, then adding in nuts.
i don't think fibre should be used if you're going to eat something carby. i've never even heard of that, you might as well just take laxatives and vomit.0 -
and after looking at your diary, i would eliminate the carbsmart ice cream and sugar free candy as well.
just stick to protein, fats, vegetables and a tiny amount of nuts if you need a snack or something 15 grams of your carbs should be from veggies. you are definitely eating too many sugar alcohols.
hope i helped!0 -
Thanks caraislite!0
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Subtract real fiber, yes. Sugar alcohols, no I don't do that and I try to avoid them as I don't tolerate most of them very well, and I'm always forgetting which one or two I can tolerate (erythitol is one)
I think that the American food industry does us a great disservice in "inventing" fake foodstufs that are not a Carb, fat or protein that they are allowed to hide in the food label.0 -
I think you think fiber isn't a carb and it is. So if something is 5 grams of fiber, and it's all fiber, then it has 5 grams of carbs.... but since they are indigestible, you don't count them. However, that means it's a zero carb product So you can't subtract carbs with fiber, as fiber is zero.
Did that make sense. I'm a math teacher, too... I should know how to word these things... haha! I don't think I did a good job tho!0 -
Are you asking if taking fiber supplements would allow you to eat more carbs? The answer is no. Absolutely not.
You can subtract the fiber from the carb count of the food you eat, and you can subtract the sugar alcohols from the carb count of the food you eat. But you cannot take a supplement that will reduce the total number of carbs you eat.
Be careful with the carb counts on things here in the MFP database. Some people enter the "net carbs" amount from the packaging as the total carbs PLUS they add a count for fiber. If you subtract the fiber from the listed carbs, you get negative carbs. This is very not correct. Net carbs is fiber + sugar + sugar alcohols - fiber - sugar alcohols. If something is listed on the packaging with "net carbs" it has already subtracted the fiber from the count, so you don't get to subtract it again.
Fiber and sugar alcohols don't count as "carbs" because they do not get absorbed in to your blood stream and thus do not affect your insulin levels.
However for some people the sugar alcohols, at least, DO affect their insulin. Or some of the sugar alcohols do, but not others (there are several different kinds - often several different kinds in one product) So everyone has to learn how their own bodies react to the sugar alcohols.
The best thing to do for yourself is to do "induction"-style eating for 2 weeks. Low carb veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce, tomato), meats, eggs, cheeses. Nothing but that. No products, no extras, no nuts, no fruits. Get yourself used to that. Then add in other foods like nuts, berries and products like Atkins bars IN SMALL QUANITITIES. Don't go crazy on them, just use them to help you as needed. Do not get in to the habit of replacing bad food choices in the past with "technically ok" franken-food. Eat healthy, eat clean and eat sugar free - for life.0 -
I use flax seed meal! 8 carbs (fiber) 0 net carbs, and helps keep things moving along without taking a suppliment! Try the MIM's in the front section, they are great!0
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Fiber and sugar alcohols don't count as "carbs" because they do not get absorbed in to your blood stream and thus do not affect your insulin levels
Sugar alcohols just like ethanol alcohol do enter your blood stream, do have calories and are metabolized. How they affect your insulin response is up for debate it seems, though I would think that it should be easy enough to test for this.
Btw, I'm convinced that it is not insulin, per say, that it is the issue. It is fluctuating blood sugar that is the problem. Insulin is just a biological response to try to lower blood sugar levels that are too high.
I think I feel better on lc because my blood sugar doesn't get too high and then doesn't crash after a large insulin release.
Are sugar alcohols easily turned into glucose by your body? I'd guess so.0
