First off for you low carbers...what is the difference? How do you figure it out? Do you count your net or total carbs? I was looking for some low carb options today. Came across some adkins bars. They advertise 24 carbs but "only 4 net carbs." Would you count the the 24 or the 4?

I'm not *officially* low carb, but I'd count the net carbs.

I'm a low carber, and I never counted "net carbs". With net carbs, you subtract the fiber and apparently the sugar alcohol from foods to get "net carbs". I didn't have the time or energy to bother with net carbs. A carb is a carb to me. My body will burn those carbs over my fat stores, and protein bars with sugar alcohol give me horrendous gas. I'm talking peel the paint, eye-watering, gut busting, cramping gas so I avoid them even this far out.

I just got "caught" by the net carbs thing last week. I didn't realize it until after I ate the Atkins protein bar. The best lessons come from mistakes, right? I am counting all carbs and not net carbs.

Tiffykins what do you eat to stay under 30 carbs? Everywhere I turn there are carbs carbs carbs!!!!

Tiffykins what do you eat to stay under 30 carbs? Everywhere I turn there are carbs carbs carbs!!!!

meat, cheese, eggs, and greek yogurt were my staples through my losing stage.

I ate 4 meals per day with each meal consisting of a minimum of 15gr of Protein. With that plan, I rarely went over 30gr of carbs. I never went over 40gr per day through my losing stage. Those days the carbs were from adding extra sauces, or flavor packets from dressing, or Soup packets to greek yogurt. I didn't snack or eat anything extra. The days I got really close to going over 40 were days when I'd eat pinto, refried or black Beans for the fiber content. But, those days were few and far between. I should add that I didn't fret too much about carbs until I got into eating a really solid plan, and since I had complications that was 6-8 weeks out. I drank a lot more calories than most through the clear and full liquid stage. But, once I got to mushies, purees, and soft solids, I was a low carbing freak. Meat especially ground meats (venison and beef mainly) chicken thighs, deli meat, and scallops were my go to meats. I ate huge amounts of venison, tried some buffalo and bison (but that stuff is uber expensive), and ate greek yogurt like it was going out of style. I'd buy those large blocks of cheese and eat chunks of cheese as a snack. 1oz of cheddar cheese (full fat) is 0 carbs, 7g of protein, throw an xL or jumbo egg on there and that's 15gr of protein in one meal with zero carbs.

I didn't eat fruit, the only veggies I ate were green beans and on occasion a couple of broccoli florets. Any veggie on the glycemic index over 60 points was not touched.

At about 4.5 months out, my surgeon wanted me to add in more carbs to slow down my losing. I bumped up to about 50 per day, and I was already close to goal so my losing was slowing down anyways, but I did eat a few more bites of beans.

It was boring, not gonna lie, but I kind of just sucked it up. Nothing tasted as good as having a 4-7lb loss per week average so I dealt with a boring menu until I got to goal.

Ok that sounds like a plan to me!!!!!

All I can add to all this...Tiffy said it all. I used her advice and lost all the weight I wanted and with in 5 months! Carb is a carb! I ate mostly meat. Sometimes added a bite or two of veggies until I hit goal.

But preop shakes have so many carbs :0( I'll just focus on post I guess.