Switching from total carbs to net carbs?

(Renee Wilson) #1

Hi all,

I have been on a keto diet for about 2 weeks now using total carbs and lost roughly *6lbs. I didn’t understand how net carbs worked so I just felt total carbs was a “safe route”, but now that I understand…I would very much like to switch to counting net carbs. Can I switch from counting total carbs to net carbs overnight without weight gain or stalling? Should I ease into it? Does it even matter?

*I made the mistake of not weighing myself before starting keto so I’m really not sure what my starting weight was. Last time I weighed myself (about a month before starting the diet) I was 193. I am now 178. So I could have lost 15lbs these past two weeks? A couple days in the diet I was 185 though so I just say 6lbs. Shrug

(Robert C) #2

This is something I’ve posted elsewhere that seems like great advice I heard on a podcast recently about carbs:

Only use “net carbs” on whole real foods.
For example, a small peeled apple will then contain about 17 grams of total carbs, including 2 grams of dietary fiber (so 15 grams of net carbs).

Do not use “net carbs” from food labels. They play all sorts of games (since they are not well regulated) to get essentially a candy bar to have almost 0 “net carbs” on the label (from a chemical perspective) but, in fact, the way your body reacts is probably going to be closer to having had a candy bar.

Carbs (as they are generally discussed around here) are supposed to be incidental in vegetables and limited to 20 grams to avoid even slightly starchy vegetables. I do not think they’re supposed to be used as an “allowance” to figure out how to get a Quest bar or something.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #3

The point of the carb limit is to keep your intake below a level that will stimulate insulin secretion. Some people have a higher limit than others, and can get into ketosis and become fat-adapted at a level of carb intake that might keep someone else’s insulin level high. A lot of it depends on how insulin-resistant you are. Only you can determine what your carb limit is.

That said, the thought behind counting net carbs is that indigestible fiber has no effect on insulin levels, so can be subtracted from the count of carbs. There are people who feel that it is best to play it safe, however, so they stick to total carbs. If you switch from total to net, observe how you feel, and if you don’t like the result, go back to counting total carbs.

#4

I’ve done this lol. I found Quest bars for 75% off and bought like 6. Im sure they did not help my cause but they are gone now.

I count net carbs but never sure about sweeteners.

#5

the carb has to be hiding in the fiber for net carb to work, Adding a bunch of bran into a bowl of sugar, the fiber would not do anything for insulin spike. Why mentioned above net carb works for whole foods but nothing from a box or bag.