posted by [identity profile] ambar.livejournal.com at 07:57am on 2004-03-27
Well, on carb-counting diets like Atkins, one is allowed to subtract the fiber carbs from the total, since fiber is by definition indigestible. That's no big deal.

However, most of that energy-bar crap is playing a different game, where they subtract the carbs from sugar alcohols used as sweeteners, supposedly because "most" people don't absorb those alcohols. Well, some do, which makes for a guaranteed stall if you think you're eating 2 grams of carbs and you're actually getting 15 or 20 from a single bar.

Low carb diets worked better before low carb products were so prevalent.
 
posted by [identity profile] juuro.livejournal.com at 12:08pm on 2004-03-27
Yes, but how do you count carbs? What is "one carb"?

I can understand "one apple", or "one grain", or "one gram", or "one ounce". But "one carb" makes quite as much sense as "one water". Is that one glass, one bottle, and if bottle, what size bottle? Or a gallon?
 
posted by [identity profile] dglenn.livejournal.com at 12:22pm on 2004-03-27
According to [livejournal.com profile] noblessa, above, "one carb" is "one gram of carbs" ... but the phrasing grates on me like felted-steel-wool panties for exactly the reason you gave, even if it does turn out to be a "term of art" intelligible to carb-counting dieters. Ugh.
 
posted by [identity profile] lilkender.livejournal.com at 01:27pm on 2004-03-27
Me too, me too. At least now we know what they're talking about.
 
posted by [identity profile] ambar.livejournal.com at 11:12pm on 2004-03-27
"One carb" is shorthand for "one gram of carbohydrate". There ya go.
 
posted by [identity profile] juuro.livejournal.com at 11:28pm on 2004-03-27
Thank you.

Now, if I'm "counting carbs", how do I deal with fractions? I can have one spoon, two spoons, three spoons -- they are countable. I can have 1 gram, 1.1 grams, 1.4 grams, 1.6 grams, 1.71432 grams (where there's a ridiculous number of significant digits). Are all these "one carb" under the counting of grams paradigm?

I can count enumberable things, such as one person, two persons, three persons, four.
 
posted by [identity profile] ambar.livejournal.com at 11:41pm on 2004-03-27
Round to the number of significant figures you find applicable. Or try Weight Watchers, which has some sort of point system.

Testily yours,

Ambar
 
posted by [identity profile] juuro.livejournal.com at 11:45pm on 2004-03-27
I don't need to try WW. I don't mind my current shape and weight.

I just happen to be a cranky old pedant.

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