Count total carbs or just 'net' carbs?

For those who count carbs, can someone tell me if when we count our carbs for the day, we should count the 'net' carbs or the total of carbs? I'm 11 months post and I still don't have this figured out! For example, when I eat an Atkins protein bar, that ups my carb count for the day to about 50, but if I only count the net carbs, then my carb count is only 30 - quite a difference! Can someone explain this to me and if sugar alcohol should be counted as well? My carb source is mostly fruit, veggies and nuts. I stay completely away from white and refined carbs. I went to the Atkins website, but they only say a carb count range for the day and not whether it's net or all carbs. Thanks in advance!

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