3 cups or 15 net carbs???

[MelanyKlink]

They don't seem equal to me....

i've searched all day yesterday online and on many forums... i find mixed answers-usually which don't explain anything.

I just want to make sure i am eating the right amount of veggies. How is it that only three cups of veggies is supposed to equal 15 net carbs??

especially if 2 of those should be "salad veggies" they are already so low in carbs.....

can someone help explain this to me please!!!

Thank you!

[FwL]

Re: 3 cups or 15 net carbs???

They're not equal.

The idea is that you eat 3 cups of vegetables regardless of how low a carb count that gives you.

Other items you eat (eggs, cheese, artificial sweeteners, cream, etc) are going to add to your carb count.

The prevailing wisdom is that over half of your daily carb consumption comes from your three cups of vegetables.

[MelanyKlink]

Re: 3 cups or 15 net carbs???

okay, so if i have 1 cup of Iceberg lettuce with 1 cup chopped cauliflower. and one cup chopped celery later in the day- i've had three cups of veggies. so even if that makes my net carbs very low that's okay? I would think that puts me eating too many other carbs throughout the rest of the day

[OzLover]

Re: 3 cups or 15 net carbs???

check out the carb count of other veggies on the list. I don't have my carb counter here with me so I can't give you any examples. Check out red peppers, grean beans, jicama, pumpkin to name a few. Don't eat just the lower carb veggies!

[FwL]

Re: 3 cups or 15 net carbs???

You would need to limit your other carbs based on how many carbs you got out of the vegetables.

DR. A. Stated:

"Eat no more than 20 grams a day of carbohydrate, most of which must come in the form of salad greens and other vegetables. You can eat approximately three cups - loosely packed - of salad, or two cups of salad plus one cup of other vegetables."


The two key points, here, are:

Eat no more than 20 grams a day of carbohydrate

He doesn't say that you have to eat all 20 grams every day. He says not to eat more than 20 grams per day.


most of which must come in the form of salad greens and other vegetables

This is interpreted as over half of your carbs come from the vegetables that you eat.


So naturally, how many carbs you eat from "other" foods will be limited by the amount and which type of vegetables you eat each day.



Edited to add:


Personally, I think you need to keep in mind that these are guidlines. It's a mistake to think you need to eat higher carb vegetables just so you can eat more carbs in other food. That's thinking counter to the whole point of this diet. These guidlines are to keep you in the ballpark, but you've got to account for things like hunger, lifestyle, body type, etc...

I Started out as a 300 lb male who does intense physical labor. I would have starved to death by now if I strictly limited my food intake based on the carb count of three cups of salad.

[not2late]

Re: 3 cups or 15 net carbs???

They don't seem equal to me....

i've searched all day yesterday online and on many forums... i find mixed answers-usually which don't explain anything.

I just want to make sure i am eating the right amount of veggies. How is it that only three cups of veggies is supposed to equal 15 net carbs??

especially if 2 of those should be "salad veggies" they are already so low in carbs.....

can someone help explain this to me please!!!

Thank you!

We follow Dr. ATkins New Diet Revolution 2002 edition here on ADBB. Atkins.com has changed some things around so that is probably where you find the discrepancy.

In the book, Dr. Atkins said you may eat 3 cups of veggies daily: either 3 cups from the "salad" list or 2 cups from the "salad list" and 1 cup from the "other" list. Lettuce is only 1 of the 20 or so veggies on the "salad" list.

Dr. atkins also wrote you are to get the majority of your daily net carbs from veggies and that you are to eat no more than 20 net carbs daily. So if you eat a total of 10 net carbs daily, then a minimum of 6 of those carbs should be from veggies.

The new Atkins.com rules are really illogical if you think about it because

1. we have some folks eating 15 cups of lettuce in order to get that 12-15 net carb amount Atkins.com wants. 15 cups of lettuce can feed a dinner party of 6-8 adults. Besides, many of us are overweight because we overeat foods. How does giving the green light to eat enough food for 6-8 people teach you healthy eating habits?

2. it doesn't take the glycemic index of the veggies into account---with the Atkins.com rule it's possible to eat 15 net carbs of tomatoes or onions, which has the potential ability to adversely affect your blood sugar, which has the potential ability to adversely affect your weight loss.

[imagood1]

Re: 3 cups or 15 net carbs???

If I only ate iceberg lettuce I'd be sick - not only from boredom but because it's such a waste not to eat other vegetables other than just lettuce. That is one of the huge differences between Atkins and diets.

Here is the list of salad vegetables and "other" vegetable list - these are the vegetables you should be choosing from:

Vegetables
You can have two to three cups per day of:

alfalfa sprouts
daikon
mushrooms
arugula
endive
parsley
bok choy
escarole
peppers
celery
fennel
radicchio
chicory
jicama
radishes
chives
lettuce
romaine lettuce
cucumber
moche
sorrel
These salad vegetables are high in phytonutrients and provide a good source of fiber.

Other Vegetables
You can have one cup per day of these veggies if salad does not exceed two cups. The following vegetables are slightly higher in carbohydrate content than the salad vegetables:

artichoke
celery root
pumpkin
artichoke hearts
rhubarb
asparagus
chard
sauerkraut
bamboo shoots
collard greens
scallions
dandelion
snow peas
bean sprouts
dandelion greens
spaghetti squash
beet greens
eggplant
spinach
broccoli
hearts of palm
string or wax beans (green beans)
broccoli rabe
kale
summer squash
brussels
kohlrabi
tomato
bean sprouts
leeks
turnips
cabbage
okra
water chestnuts
cauliflower
onion
zucchini

If a vegetable, such as spinach or tomato, cooks down significantly, it must be measured raw so as not to underestimate its carb count.

[liv]

Re: 3 cups or 15 net carbs???

okay, so if i have 1 cup of Iceberg lettuce with 1 cup chopped cauliflower. and one cup chopped celery later in the day- i've had three cups of veggies. so even if that makes my net carbs very low that's okay? I would think that puts me eating too many other carbs throughout the rest of the day

Yes you're right. Just stuff [well pack loosely is the term in the book ] those veggies into cups and eat them.
Lettuce and celery is from the salad list and having two cups of them is good. Cauliflower is from list two and you are limited to one cup from list two.

And yes do not worry about how much carbs this end up being.
(But you should get most of your carbs from veggies - so if this is 6 net carbs you are allowed only 6 carbs fro you eggs, cheese, tea, sweeteners - whatevers)

[MelanyKlink]

Re: 3 cups or 15 net carbs???

okay, thanks everyone for the replies it all makes a little more sense now... haha. I was borrowing the book from a friend, but am going to pick up a copy of my own this weekend.

I am def. a veggie lover and eat lots of veggies, and am looking forward to trying out new ones i've never even heard of!! :P I just wanted to make sure i was not eating too many or too few.

[not2late]

Re: 3 cups or 15 net carbs???

okay, thanks everyone for the replies it all makes a little more sense now... haha. I was borrowing the book from a friend, but am going to pick up a copy of my own this weekend.

I am def. a veggie lover and eat lots of veggies, and am looking forward to trying out new ones i've never even heard of!! :P I just wanted to make sure i was not eating too many or too few.

If you're a veggie lover, you should consider moving to OWL Phase on Day 15, because the first thing you will be adding is a 5 net carbs of any Induction veggie to your Induction 3 cups.

[MelanyKlink]

Re: 3 cups or 15 net carbs???

If you're a veggie lover, you should consider moving to OWL Phase on Day 15, because the first thing you will be adding is a 5 net carbs of any Induction veggie to your Induction 3 cups.

Cool thanks! bring on the veggies!!!
i hope to make it to day 15!! ha! But so far, here on day two i am feeling great. A lot less bloated--i am used to drinking around 2-4 diet cokes a day, and i do not feel hungry at all-i am actually eating MORE than i am used to eating. Eating all this fat is going to take some getting used to-normally i shy away from cheese, butter, mayo, bacon, salad dressings...etc... But so far--it's fun