Should You Count Net Carbs or Total Carbs for Weight Loss?

This question comes up all the time, especially if you’ve tried low‑carb or keto diets.

**Total carbs** = all carbohydrates in a food.

**Net carbs** = total carbs minus fiber (and sometimes sugar alcohols).

So which one should you track?

## Count net carbs if:

- you’re doing keto or a very low‑carb plan

- you want to prioritize foods with higher fiber

- you already track fiber consistently

## Count total carbs if:

- you want a simpler system

- you’re not strictly low‑carb

- you want consistent, no‑guesswork tracking

## A simple rule that works

Pick **one** method and stick to it. Switching back and forth makes progress harder to interpret.

Also remember: even if you track net carbs, total calories still matter. You can’t “net” your way around a calorie surplus.

If you want an easy way to see carbs and fiber together, **CalMate** keeps macros clear so you can track whatever method fits your goal.

Try CalMate free.