Net Carbs?

[tinaw]

I beleive this question has been asked before but I couldn't find the thread so please excuse another carb question.

I wanted to buy an Atkins bar today and noticed on it said only 3 net carbs but the nutritional value chart listed the carbs as 14 carbs.

So, I only count this as 3 carbs?

How does this work and does it apply to any other "regular" foods?

I know some people say that the bars slow you down but sometimes a girls just gotta have a little chocolate

 

[LuvTigger]

Someone else please correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that net carbs are what are actually absorbed by the body. I have protein bars that say something similar to the Atkins bars, except 4 net grams, so I only count the 4 grams. I eat at least one of these bars every day and I've still been losing weight (again, mine are NOT Atkins, so I don't know if you can compare the effect).

As for other regular foods, I wish there was a way to determine!

 

[webray]

You are right tinaw...you only count the carbs within your daily carb count. When calculating net carbs atkins subtracts the things that do not affect your blood sugar.


We keep all flavors of the atkins advantage and morning start bars in the house. Hubby has one every day. I have 3 to 5 a week. Neither of us has had a slow down in weight loss. Never heard that before either.

The great part is...everyone we have tried tastes delicious...so go ahead and enjoy them!

 

[webray]

tinaw...I saw your other post about drinks with the girls and snacking...just wanted to mention....

pick up a low carb cookbook and look in the snacks/appetizer section...there are some great things. When you go to restaurants there are lots of good options also..like hot wings with celery sticks...shrimp, etc.

My favorite low carb cookbook is How to eat yourself thin like I did by Nancy Mosley...she is currently on the Atkins program and is a heck of a good cook. The recipes are great.

Also...I don't know what you like to drink...but, we still have drinks..yes, the low carb beer...we use Mich ultra at 2.6 carbs...miller lite only has 3.2. Also...captain morgan and diet coke, or some other alcohols with a diet drink mixer. We did jack daniels with a packet of splenda and diet coke (hubby thought I needed it a little sweeter...lol, and he was right).

We are still losing...you just learn to be very creative...and it gets easier every week.

Good luck!

 

[Mikenmindy]

Just to add on to what has already been said... more specifically what is subtracted is dietary fiber. So, if you are looking at a lable and it has 15g of carb but 7g of fiber, the Net Carb effect is only 8g.

Makes it easier to calculate when you don't have an Atkins package : )

 

[DixieDreamer]

The net carbs are carbs after subtracting items that are not supposed to affect your blood sugar - specifically - FIBER, GLYCERINE, and SUGAR ALCOHOLS.

Now, be warned... fiber is not an issue ... it literally passes through the body undigested - hence no impact on blood sugars - however, the sugar alcohols and glycerine are not necessarily no impact foods for most people. In fact, glycerine is notorious for having a blood sugar impact for a LOT of people (me included) and should be added to the carb count if you are one of those. That is why the low carb bars (which all have glycerine) are notorious for stalling weight loss.

I had a link to a study that came out recently that proved this very fact about glycerine - but I can't seem to find it now. The point here is to use the bars and items with sugar alcohols and glycerine cautiously.... each person needs to determine what they can handle. For me... I only net out fiber. If it produces calories (which sugar alcohols and glycerine do) I count it in my carb count.