HCB's Journal, 22 Sep 15

I use Net carbs, and it seems to work for me. I try to stay under 20 when I am trying to lose weight; and then try to stay under 50-60 for weight maintenance and keeping my blood sugar steady.  

Use NET carbs....and track fiber. It is very important to keep fiber up for colon health. That's why when you choose how to use carbs, you want to use them up in high fiber veggies and whole grains so that you are getting those nutrients. 

When I was doing LCHF I was counting net carbs and it seemed to work well. You need the fiber in your system so counting that in with your other carbs and keeping it low could cause other issues. 

I'm not sure if I should comment on this since I lose so slowly but what I read for LCHF said to count net carbs which is reached by subtracting fiber grams from total carb grams. And 20 net carb grams is best for weight loss. 

HCB when I did it I tracked straight carbs, because when I did the whole net carb thing I seemed to gain weight. Best if you can find a nice balance around 25 carbs and some good healthy fats like avocado and such. :) 

i use net... no special reason why other then thats how I learned it from the book a few years back. Im not really 100% keto but try and stay as low carb as possible averaging between 25-40 net a day. I would be super hard for me.. If i stall or have a bad week, i just back it up to 20 net.. there is a website "i breath im hungry" and it a has a really good 3 day keto kick start plan and a few weeks meal plans. Ive been using that for ideas and on that site she keeps it as low as 14 net per day...  

It seems NET carbs seems fine - especially because I am eating berries and a little extra veggies - I have lost weight both ways using TOTAL or NET but things are very very slow and I am tweaking the system all the time! Kicked Butt at the gym this morning - funny how when we are tired we seem to get it going! 

HCB yes I think that was a trend today with folks being tired and then doing an awesome workout :) 

Yup,, I am on the same page as Red with this one ,, but I do need to check out that website . I just bought a book called " Take out the carbage ",, it has some amazing recipes,, and information .  

Great job at the gym today! I just got back from my hike with my friend who always pushes me, and I am feeling good. I have no comment on net vs total...I love all carbs. :) 

When I did Adkins I used net carbs. Good for you going to the gym !!  

Thanks for all the good feedback - I think I will continue with NET carb count and see if the "Idiot Box" moves by the end of this month! 

Every persons body is different, so you may do best using keto sticks to figure out when your body is and is not in ketosis, you can find your upper limits. 

Net carbs is all I use because we need the fiber.  

Thank Trumpeter26 - I do use keto stix but it seems less accurate for me. 

Guess it depends on how resistant your body is in losing weight. I know that on Atkins, he only recommends doing the super-fat, nil carbs (and therefore giving up any fiber-ous carbs) if you are struggling against medications that fight weight loss. If you're on any of those meds, maybe when you get off of them your body will be able to handle 20 net instead of 20 total. 

SSS - that is a good suggestion. I am off the steroid type drug so we shall shee how things go from here. 

HCB, steroids slow weight loss down. I've been on them everyday for the past few years, 4 or 5. My doc was aware of my plan to lose weight when I started really working on it. She kept telling me slow was OK and to stay my course, it would be slow with the meds I was on and still am on. Maybe they are why I just stay the same @ around 1200 calories a day.  

Yup - but I tend to stay in the 20's for total carbs anyway - it is splitting hairs - I did say I am OBSESSIVE about it! LOL 

The "net carbs thing" is not just some scam -- fiber does not metabolize as a sugar. You should do some reading about this. Truly this is not splitting hairs: Fiber is very important for intestinal health --- especially is you are already eating a high fat diet which (and I really really do not want to get into a debate here) is not so good for intestinal health. So it's good to compensate by eating higher fiber/lower carb things, as in eat green beans not potatoes.