for all you low carb people

so i was wondering about this idea of net carbs where you have total carbs and subtract fiber, sugar alcohols etc and come up with a "net carb" which is the only number that counts. i know it was all big when atkins was at its height - do low carb diets still use this concept? and if you are just a normal healthy person, not following a low carb diet, just like balenced - is there a certain number of grams of carbs/protein you're supposed to get?

Hi Andy - you have likely talked with an RD along the way, so we could go get a reality check with the nuts among us. An adult woman is supposed to get 60g protein daily and I forget how many carbs, but it seems like about 200gs.  The net carb notion is trumped up, I get the concept, but alas, it has no basis in science. Davis has recently done some incredible studies with sugar alcohols, let me see if I have a link.  I just have found I feel better eating more like 100g protein daily, again, no science behind that either, but feel satiated.

However we eat, our bodies will turn excess calories into stored fat.

I don't know what the 'sweet spot' is for dietary fiber but as I've been reading the atkins book he explains that you want to gradually increase your fiber until you've reached a spot where you are not constipated and are having regular bowel movements.  I suspect that differs for each person.  Whether or not the Atkins diet is "holy" and the one and true way doesn't really interest me. What does interest me is the amount of research he has done how protein, carbs and fiber affect the digestive process and our metabolism. I feel pretty comfortable that he is accurate in his description of this process. The way I understand the whole net carbs thing is like this. Say you have 10 grams of carbs in a food.  5 grams of those 10 grams are dietary fiber, the other 5 grams might be sugar or something.  The 5 grams of dietary fiber cannot be converted to glucose.  The body just simply isn't able to digest it this way.  Instead these 5 grams of fiber help the body absorb the other 5 grams of carbs more slowly and help to regulate your blood sugar.  The fiber also aids in digestion and regulates bowel movements. The other 5 grams of carbs would normally be rapidly converted to glucose and spike your blood sugar if you ingested them alone without any protein or fiber. If your cells were already full of glucose then this extra glucose would be converted to triglycerides or in other words, fat. The storing of glucose as fat would happen regardless of the fiber but I "think" the fiber helps to make sure that less of it is stored as fat. So it's not like the dietary fiber subtracts the amount of carbs in a food but since it doesn't digest the same it cannot be converted to triglycerides/fat. You're not cheating or allowing yourself to have extra carbs.. you're just simply consuming a different type of carb. I think Atkins referred to this as "roughage". I forgot to comment on the protein to carb ratio! lol  Most people I have talked to who are in maintenance mode try to concentrate on at least 100 grams of protein and 100-150 grams of carbs.  Those who exercise excessively increase their protein upwards of 150-200 and their carbs are increased to fuel their workouts. The protein helps to repair and build the muscles so that your workouts aren't counterproductive. But you know me.. i'm no expert. :)

For WW flex plan you only count the calories, fat, and fiber = points. 

For Core there is no counting the carbs or protien either.  Just all portion controlled on flex.  For Core it's just if the food is allowed.

Of course they recommend eating five fruit/veggies a day, etc.  But no counting carbs/protien. 

Andy.... you're talking a different language to me!  LOL  I work on 'portions', and have 2 bread/cereal/potato/rice or pasta portions a day. 

I deliberately don't count/ measure grams because I don't want to get that obsessed. But my latest interest is in 'super' foods like those that have antioxidants and I am looking at consciously working those in.

Em