Help Please for a confused Newbie

[CJ_07]

Hello all!
I'm so glad i've found this forum!! I'm starting the atkins induction today! I've read the book and researched on the net but am still confused about how many carbs i can have, I know it's 20g a day and...

I know i can have meat, fish, eggs, butter and mayo liberally but after that i get lost!
It says i can have
*3cups of salad a day or 2cups of salad and 1 veg (a day)
* 90-110g of cheese a day (a day)
*2-3tbsp cream (a day)
*most spices and herbs (a day)

So does all that mean that all i've stared (*) equals 20g of carbs a day? or do i have to count it? In otherwords if i stick to all the foods above will i be safely hitting 20g carbs a day!?
Hope i make sense, would be grateful for any guidence!
Thank you
CJ xx

[Grant]

Hi CJ, Eating the items you've starred in the amounts indicated does not mean you will hit 20 carbs per day. It may be over or under depending mostly on which vegetables you've picked (there is a pretty big difference in the number of carbs between, say, iceburg lettuce and jicama) so you do need to count the carbs of everything you eat and drink in a day.

Couple things to keep in mind:

1. The salad/veggies are required each day, the rest of the items listed are optional
2. The carb count should be Net Carbs, which is the total carbs minus the fiber.

Hope that helps!

[TIME2SHINE4-08]

www.fitday.com is a goodplace to count your carbs while you are still getting the hang of it.You just enter the foods and it tallies your days totals. Best of luck!

[sallyseachange]

You don't have to hit 20g carbs/day exactly. It has to be within the 20 g mark. Usually, when having your three cups of salad (or two cups salad and 1 cup "other" veggies) people mark up anywhere between 12 and 20 carbs per day, and that's good. Just don't go too low. You need the nutrients from those salads/veggies.

Happy losing!