Okay so this may be a silly questions but if you work out and burn say 25 carbs are you able to consume what you burned off in the beginning stages of the diet? I'm struggling with trying to get everything right so I can keep on this LCE Lifestyle.

No!

Most low-carb plans are what they call "ketogenic" diets, the basic gist being that by reducing the supply of energy our bodies need from our blood sugar, we cause them to start burning our fat (which is why the body stored it in the first place!) So, replacing "carbs" we burn off would not allow us to get into the ketosis we desire.

PLEASE, PLEASE pick up a copy of Atkin's book and read it. You MUST understand how low carb works to make it work for you. It really is a simple way of eating, but more than understanding WHAT to eat, you must understand WHY!!

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Mikeyrat

Eh...yes and no. You're thinking of carbs like we've been trained to think about calories.

The carb restriction is a LOT less about calories than it is about what foods spike your blood sugars and how your body processes the stuff you're taking in. Studies indicate people can loose on LC at higher calorie levels than other plans precisely because of this. Essentially, your body burns differently as you restrict carbs consistently and without the glucose available from a hefty carb intake, it burns fat instead. I won't try to explain the science because I'd make a fool of myself if I did, but would encourage you to review a solid LC book for the details (Atkins, Protien Power, or Gary Taube's Good Calories/Bad Calories are favorites around here).

So it's definitely not a carb = 4 calories equation (and that's how many calories each carb counts as).

That having been said, those who are working out significantly can normally up their carb intake without issue. Atheletes certainly need more carbs that office workers.

And of course, you can subtract grams of fiber from the carb count for net or effective carbs for almost any plan, which gives you a little more room to work with. But if you've read up, you know that already, right?

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oops. Mikey beat me to it.

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Thank you for the information, a few of my family members were wondering this and have been having a hard time finding the answer, so we will all be thankful.