Confused about carb counting


(Shona) #1

New to this…silly question I can’t find an answer to.I only count carbs for veggies if I don’t touch bread, pasta,rice,potatoes etc Right or Wrong ?


(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2

All carbs regardless of source.


(Susan) #3

Hi Shona, welcome to the forum =).

I know that it can be confusing at first, but you count all the food you eat; but you also don’t eat the bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc so the only carbs you will probably be eating are the vegetables. But yes, as Michael says, you count all carbs.

To keep track easily, you can get this free app:

cronometer.com --you can just log in to their website and access it from there as well if you are like me, and don’t have any other device except your computer to access the internet. It is free, so you have nothing to lose to try it out =).

You can type in all of your foods, which helps you see what you are eating, and making sure that you keep your carbs at 20 grams or less, our general recommendation for people starting Keto =).

If you do this, and have No sugar, adequate proteins, healthy fats, water and Electrolytes, you should be doing great =). I would start with three meals a day so that you don’t feel hungry.

Again, welcome, and if you have any other questions, just ask =).


#4

You count the carbs in the food you actually eat. The net carbs, that’s important, some items has lots of fiber, for example.


(Shona) #5

Ok I think I get it…most of what I eat doesn’t have carbs.Coffe cream has one etc


(Shona) #6

Thanx for your help…much appreciated


(Shona) #7

Only 7 carbs today…Diagnosed with diabetes last week…Doc said no sugar or I’ll need insulin maybe.Add more what ?


(Shona) #8

I’ll figure it out …more reading to do


(Susan) #9

If you download the app I mentioned above, you can type in all the foods you eat for the day, and it will calculate your carbs, proteins and fats for you. It is really handy =).

Electrolytes are important to replenish while on Keto.

This is a handy recipe to make it yourself =).


(Shona) #10

I put salt on everything Do I still need more ?


#11

It depends. Do you feel right? Do you drink lots of unsalted water?
I use salt too but the daily amount is still little. I am pretty sure I am way below the recommended level but I feel good until I don’t do longer fasts so I don’t worry about it. And I love my pink Himalayan salt so I sometimes eat it for joy but it’s still not much. But many people need their salted water (or salt alone, it’s my thing if I must) for some reason. If I feel a bit dizzy, that’s when I think about lack of sodium and eat some. And if I consume an unusual amount of water without eating food, I make sure I eat salt too.
My main focus is magnesium, that’s a highly important electrolyte too.


(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #12

Very helpful to lookup nutrition info on everything you eat. There are a very surprising number of carbs hiding in the least suspicious places. The label on the package is the least reliable info. USDA food databases much better.


(Shona) #13

Thank you…So much to think about


(Jane) #14

Sorry about your diagnosis, but you are doing the only thing that can reverse a disease the medical community insists is progressive and degenerative. Well, I suppose it is if you think you can just keep eating sugar while injecting with insulin.

You have also come to the right place for answers to your questions. Many here have reversed their diabetes and are happy to talk about it.

Just don’t get discouraged if you get conflicting answers to your questions. We all just report what works for us and sometimes it is different than what works for another.


(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #15

This is a nice guide to start with.


#16

Welcome. Sorry about your diagnosis, but kudos for you for taking it head on and doing whatever you can to heal your body. I personally use the Carb Manager app, but I know others much prefer other apps. It is just the app I started with and never switched. Count all the carbs to start. Good luck!


(Marianne) #17

Yes, and if you can, try to do 20 g total carbs, not net carbs. This will promote ketosis and hopefully your weight loss. Don’t count calories. Eat two or three (I’d recommend three, at least for the first 2-3 weeks), decent meals a day, clean food, no snacking, only water, coffee, tea to drink.


(Marianne) #18

Follow the basic plan and I believe you will see results. From what I have read here and on dietdoctor.com, thousands and thousands of people have reversed their T2D successfully, just with keto.

It doesn’t have to be difficult, honestly, for it to work. Get your macros to start and track your food values for the first month or so to get an idea of the fat/protein/carb grams of the common foods you eat. Eat three decent meals a day at least for 2-3 weeks - clean keto foods, no snacking. Once you feel you can skip a meal naturally and comfortably after that, feel free to do so. The food you eat at your meals should sustain you easily until your next meal. Drink only water, tea, coffee, no sweeteners. Get enough salt. Stay off the scale. Don’t count calories. Give it time; let the days pass naturally without obsessing about it, and you will get results.

Good luck.


(Shona) #19

I started last week…down 8 lbs but weight isn’t my main issue. Today woke up wanting to get out of bed.off work for depression and no appetite or energy for months. My body was real pissed with me. Did a check on what I have been eating for years and carbs were through the roof. This is really working for me in a lot of ways.Off to get some salt and magnesium today and ingredients for a keto bread recipe. The only thing I miss thanx loads…


(Full Metal KETO AF) #20

Hi there, I’m one of them and I take steroids which make it harder but KETO fixed me.

Be careful about KETO baked goods. Not the best thing for progress sometimes. Be mindful of serving sizes and if it increases your cravings since you miss it, easy to over consume. Also I personally would never use the recipes that contain vital wheat gluten and flax meal. :cowboy_hat_face: