X Post - carb/calorie question

Posted this on the main VSG forum, but thought I might get better (more complete answers here). this just baffles me. Thanks!

So, even in maintenance I count carbs.

Now, I always have prescribed to the carb is a carb philosophy. I also have been taught that carbs are 4 calories per gram. IF that is so, how can Fiber One cereal (I use a 1/4 in maintenance as a crunch on my greek yogurt - did not eat this during WL) have 25 grams of carbs and ONLY have 60 calories per serving. The numbers don't add up. This bothers me A LOT!!!!!!

Does non-soluble fiber have NO CALORIES??????

My guess is it has to do with the high number of grams of fiber, though I don't know for sure.  I know there's debate around whether or not the number of carbs should or shouldn't be subtracted from the number of grams of carbs to get the actual carb value.  When I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes several years ago, I went to classes about nutrition and diabetes care, and we were taught to subtract fiber from carbs, but not sugar alcohols.  Some products tout a lower carb number based on subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols.  I use All Bran Buds in greek yogurt for additional crunch, and did so in the losing phase too, as I only use about 1T.  I don't have the box in front of me, but for that cereal, the amount of fiber in a 1/4 cup serving is either 13 grams or a net of 13 grams once fiber is subtracted out - I can't remember.  If the total carbs after deducting fiber decreases to 12 or so, then maybe they are getting 48-52 calories from the remaining carbs.  Just a thought.  Hopefully someone else has a more scientific response! :) 

Yes, for purposes of nutritional labels, insoluble fiber is calculated as zero calories.  Your body can't break it down into nutrients, it passes through the gastrointestinal tract unchanged.  Soluble fiber is generally calculated at 4 calories per gram.

Hey you.

I don't count fiber.  I don't like people being discouraged from getting fiber - not only important for regularity, but needed to reduce risk of colon cancer.  And it's tough for some people to separate soluble from insoluble fiber (and honestly, most labels don't break it down, I find).  Insoluble is full-up safe.  Soluble, you're going to be anabolizing some of it, but not completely - eating 5g of soluble fiber isn't equivalent to eating 5 g of table sugar. That is, fiber isn't going to cause a big insulin response.

That's why you get 25 g fiber with only 60 calories.  That cardboard is pretty much moving right through you (and that's a good thing).  So yes, non-soluble fiber has no calories because you literally do not absorb it.  We need it for mechanical properties.

Hey! Thanks for the science behind it. So if I then look at the label, it make sense, yes? 44 calories from carbs, 8 from protein, 9 from fat for 61 calories, which does add up. Just disregard the fiber carbs altogether and subtract them from my day's total carbs....That'll take some getting used to. I'm so used to counting everything. Glad this caught my eye. Learn something new everyday, huh?

Often.

My brain sure does feel full though.

This is also why I don't believe Dreamfield when they claim their pasta only has 5 "digestable" carbs. If that's true, why do they claim it has more than 57 calories (20 for carbs and the rest for protein and fat)??! They say that their product probably only has around 130 calories -- that's still more than 5 "digestable" carbs. In fact, they say their "protected" carbs are digested like soluable carbs which means they have calories.

Bottom line: liars!