Net carbs
 

Can someone please explain to me what a net carb is? :?: Thanks

A net carb is the total amount of carbs listed minus the fiber. Some people also believe that the sugar alcohols in sweets (fake sugars like Malitol) can be subtracted. Other people say that is a fast one being pulled be the companies that want you to buy their products. I would probably lose weight a lot faster if I ignored the net carbs on the sweets(counted them as whole carbs), because I eat way too many of them!

Exactly !!

Carbs minus fiber = net carbs (those are the carbs you should count)

So if I see a product that says it has 20 carbs but claims maybe 2 grams of fiber but 15 grams of sugar alcohols, I should still consider it to have still 18 grams of carbs? Is the safest bet to not count (or subtract) sugar alcohols? Should I just stick to total carbs minus fiber grams = net carbs and leave it at that?

I would certainly count the sugar alcohols. If you read the packaging, they say that sugar alcohols aren't counted because they don't have an impact on blood sugar.

1. That's not true for all people - it causes huge spikes in some people.

2. Are you doing this for your blood sugar? I'm not. I'm doing this to lose weight so I look at it as 'if my body digests it, I'm counting it.' I don't count fiber because it's not digestible, but that's the only thing I don't count.