Counting carbs and fats

[Grooveyjulie]

Hello can you please help me i have just started the low carb but not sure how to record my fats and carbohydrates, which part are you supposed to count :- of which saturates amount or the full amounts im so confused.

 

[KennyA]

I never bothered to estimate or record how much saturated fat I eat - you need to eat enough to make up for the carbs you take out. It also helps you feel fuller longer. There is (to say the least) debate about the levels of saturated/unsaturated fat in the diet but that is not related to blood glucose. I am in favour of natural (saturated) fats.

For carbs the confusion comes from the American systems of reporting carbs and fiber together and then removing the fiber. They often call this "net carbs".

In the UK fibre doesn't get included, so the carb figure given is the one you use. The spelling is usually a giveaway- fiber/fibre tells you (usually) if it's a UK source or not.

Food manufacturers have a number of ways to fudge the carb issue on labels, so you need to be careful. My preferred solution is to buy as little of anything that comes in a packet/jar/box as possible.

 

[Daibell]

Yes, fats have very little effect on blood sugar so don't worry but they can slow up carb absorption which matters if using insulin. The research used to say Sat fats are bad for you was always flawed so you may want to think about that or do your own research.