Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

[BBSwany]

Tried searching but to no avail. I'm currently in the induction phase of Atkins and learning what I can and cannot eat. In the book, I need to remain under 20 carbs per day. Now, is that 20 NET carbs or 20 carbs TOTAL? Because from what I understand, Carbohydrate count includes Dietary Fiber, which the body doesn't use. So if I have something that is 20g carbohydrates with 10g dietary fiber, am I eating 20 carbs or 10?!? I just don't want to sabotage myself during this. Thanks in advance!

[FwL]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

Go with net carbs.

The concern with carbs during induction is that they raise the blood sugar. You want to keep the blood sugar low and stable. Fiber doesn't effect the blood sugar... so no need to be concerned with it.

[msanjelpie]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

I don't trust net carbs... especially in things like the Atkins bars etc... people eat them and then don't lose - I think it's because of the whole 'net carb' thing...

Net carbs are Carbs minus fiber. But what if you are constipated and the fiber stays in your system? This was always something I wondered about...

Anyway, most atkineers go by 20 net carbs on induction...

[Elizellen]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

If you stick to fiber carbs then you are doing it according to the book

As msanjelpie said there are products around that use the'net carb concept' to claim lower carb counts for those products using sugar alcohols in them which can be a slippery slope for some people, but deducting only the fibre is the safe way to do it.

BTW for anyone outside the USA do check where on the nutrition label the fiber/fibre is mentioned.

In UK and Europe fibre is not counted as being a carbohydrate so our labels liste them in a different section of the label and do not include them in the carb count, so we do not deduct them.

In UK 'total carbs' on a label = 'net carbs' according to Atkins.

[Georgiana]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

I don't trust net carbs... especially in things like the Atkins bars etc... people eat them and then don't lose - I think it's because of the whole 'net carb' thing...

The carbs in the Atkins bars are mostly sugar alcohols, so different individuals metabolize them to a different degree. This is one of the reasons why they stall some people. Another is the chemicals they contain, to which many folks have an intolerance.

Dr. Atkins was aware of this issue, which is why he was not a big supporter of these products and recommended eating whole, natural, minimally processed foods instead.

Net carbs are Carbs minus fiber. But what if you are constipated and the fiber stays in your system? This was always something I wondered about...

Carbohydrate digestion does not happen in the rectum, nor in the colon. The amylase starts doing its job in your mouth and this job continues as saccharides are further broken down in your stomach and small intestine. The easiness with which these sugar molecules are digested depends on their complexity. All mono- and disaccharides will have an effect on your blood sugar. Polysaccharides on the other hand can only be broken down into smaller bits (to be then converted into glucose) if they have a special kind of bond between the 6C units. This is where the difference between polysaccharides like starch and dietary fiber comes into play. 6C units in polysaccharides can be connected via an alpha linkage or via a beta linkage. Humans have the enzymes necessary to break down alpha bonds, but not beta glycosidic bonds. Dietary fibers have beta glycosidic bonds, hence they cannot be broken down into smaller sugar units and will not increase your blood sugar levels.

Soluble dietary fiber will undergo fermentation in the colon and, because a chemical reaction takes place, there will be some change in enthalpy, which means soluble dietary fiber contributes with calories to one's diet (less than other saccharides though). However, the products of fermentation are not sugars, so there will be no negative impact on blood sugar.

[liv]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

Thanks for the info G. So that explains why we do count some calories coming from the fibre as well.

[Georgiana]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

So that explains why we do count some calories coming from the fibre as well.

Yep, that's how I read about this, looking for the soluble/insoluble fiber info.

[BBSwany]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

As msanjelpie said there are products around that use the'net carb concept' to claim lower carb counts for those products using sugar alcohols in them which can be a slippery slope for some people, but deducting only the fibre is the safe way to do it.

That's another thing I found when I was shopping the other day. What on earth is Sugar Alcohol?!? I have seen it on gum but was utterly perplexed by how many products have it. I didn't buy them because it had sugar in the title, but how do I compute sugar vs. sugar alcohols?

[liv]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

Here is a sticky from our FAQ on sugar alcohols

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-low-carb-dieting-faqs/6780-what-sugar-alcohols.html

[Elizellen]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

Here is a sticky from our FAQ on sugar alcohols
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...-alcohols.html

and here is another one

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-low-carb-dieting-faqs/6731-what-about-sugar-alcohols-count-them-not.html

[Browneyes49]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

I look at the label and factor in whatever it says. And read the book for guidance. What else can you do?

I know that fresh veggies on the list, protein, most cheeses, and butter and mayo are legal. But after that, it can get a little dicey with packaged foods.

As to the Atkins bars, aren't they for later on during maintenance?
I would trust Atkins bars more than all the others in the pharmacy or health food aisle.

[liv]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

It sure can get a little dicey with packaged food. It took me quite a while to really learn to read the ingredient list and figure out what all that stuff really meant. Now that I am better at it I find that I avoid packaged food. I really do not want to eat all that stuff they put in it.

[mizski]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

I look at the label and factor in whatever it says. And read the book for guidance. What else can you do?

I know that fresh veggies on the list, protein, most cheeses, and butter and mayo are legal. But after that, it can get a little dicey with packaged foods.

Whenever I look at a packaged/prepared food I am just amazed at all the stuff they put in it. For instance, in the prepared foods section of my grocery they had some mashed turnip. Oh goodie I figured...something quick and easy. When I looked at the ingredients, it had soy flour, soy protein, sugar and some unpronounceable things (preservatives?). What's up with all that??? When I make mashed turnip at home it has: turnip, butter with maybe a little salt and cream. No soy. Who the heck puts soy in their veggies??? I looked at the other prepared veggies...broccoli and cheese and others and they all had the same soy, sugar, chemicals. Apparently they put soy and sugar in most everything nowadays.

Because of all the chemicals and soy/sugar in everything, last year I started making almost everything from scratch at home. Even my bread (still bake it for Mr. Ski). At first it was a little overwhelming but I grew up before there were packaged/prepared foods so I knew how to cook things. I was just out of practice after all these years. Now it's pretty easy and I feel good being able to control what goes into the food we eat. Plus, my grocery bill has gone way down too. Also, we don't have much trash anymore as we eat most of what we buy and recycle/compost most of the rest.

Gee, that was a long tangent! LOL Sorry about that. My point is try to make things homemade rather than buy packaged/prepared.

As to the Atkins bars, aren't they for later on during maintenance?
I would trust Atkins bars more than all the others in the pharmacy or health food aisle.

I bought a lot of low carb foods including bars and shakes when I first started low carbing a couple years ago. It really is fake food...Frankenfoods as they call it. So many chemicals and fake ingredients. Plus they made me hungry shortly after I consumed them. How good is that??? After becoming used to homemade foods, I won't have them again even in Maintenance.

[Browneyes49]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

Now that I am hypo from surgery and on meds, they said stay away from too much soy.

So now you are saying they put soy in everything? I have to ask also, why>>>??

I wonder what it is doing to the food that makes it desirable?

[liv]

Re: Carbs vs. NET Carbs on Induction? Confused and need help

Now that I am hypo from surgery and on meds, they said stay away from too much soy.

So now you are saying they put soy in everything? I have to ask also, why>>>??

I wonder what it is doing to the food that makes it desirable?

If you want to avoid soy almost everything premade is out. Makes it easier that way Soy is cheap and versatile. Good filler for manufacturers. It has not fat and people have been very fat conscious about the last 20 years (take out fat add soy and sugar instead) and until recently people thought it was very very healthy.