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How Many Carbs Should You Eat Per Day to Lose Weight?
Written by Kris Gunnars, BSc on January 9, 2018
Reducing the amount of carbs you eat is one of the best ways to lose weight.
It tends to reduce your appetite and cause “automatic” weight loss, without the need to count calories.
This means you can eat until fullness, feel satisfied and still lose weight.
Why Would You Want to Eat Fewer Carbs?
The dietary guidelines recommend that carbs provide 45 to 65 percent of your daily calorie intake.
So if you eat a 2000-calorie diet, you should aim for about 225 to 325 grams of carbs per day.
But if you need to lose weight, you will get much faster results eating around 50 to 150 grams of carbs.
In fact, a popular alternative called the low-carb diet has been shown to be much more effective for weight loss than the high-carb diet that has been recommended for the past few decades.
This diet restricts your intake of carbohydrates like sugars and starches (breads, pasta, etc.) and replaces them with protein, fat and healthy vegetables.
Studies show that low-carb diets reduce your appetite and make you eat fewer calories and lose weight pretty much effortlessly, as long as you manage to keep the carbs down (1).
In studies where low-carb and low-fat diets are compared, the researchers need to actively restrict calories in the low-fat groups to make the results comparable, but the low-carb groups still usually win.
Low-carb diets also have benefits that go way beyond just weight loss. They lower blood sugar, blood pressure and triglycerides. They raise HDL (the good) and improve the pattern of LDL (the bad) cholesterol.
Low-carb diets cause more weight loss and improve health more than the calorie restricted, low-fat diet still recommended by many people. This is pretty much a scientific fact at this point.
How to Figure Out Your Need For Carbohydrates
There is no clear definition of exactly what constitutes a "low carb diet" and what is "low" for one person may not be "low" for the next.
An individual's optimal carb intake depends on age, gender, body composition, activity levels, personal preference, food culture and current metabolic health.
People who are physically active and have more muscle mass can tolerate a lot more carbs than people who are sedentary. This particularly applies to those who do a lot of high intensity exercise like lifting weights or sprinting.
Metabolic health is also a very important factor. When people get the metabolic syndrome, become obese or get type II diabetes, the rules change.
People who fall into this category can't tolerate the same amount of carbs as those who are healthy.
SUMMARY:The optimal carb intake varies between individuals, depending on activity levels, current metabolic health and many other factors.
Decide Your Daily Carb Intake
If you simply remove the unhealthiest carb sources from your diet, refined wheat and added sugars, then you'll be well on your way to improved health.
However, to enjoy the full metabolic benefits of low-carbohydrate diets, you also need to restrict other carb sources.
Even though there is no scientific paper that explains exactly how to match carbohydrate intake to individual needs, I have personally found these guidelines to be very effective.
100-150 Grams per Day
This is more of a "moderate" carbohydrate intake. It is very appropriate for people who are lean, active and are simply trying to stay healthy and maintain their weight.
It is very possible to lose weight at this (and any) carb intake, but it may require you to count calories and/or control portions.
Carbs you can eat:
All the vegetables you can imagine.
Several pieces of fruit per day.
Moderate amounts of healthy starches like potatoes, sweet potatoes and healthier grains like rice and oats.
50-100 Grams per Day
This range is great if you want to lose weight effortlessly while allowing for a bit of carbs in the diet. It is also a great range to maintain your weight if you are sensitive to carbs.
Carbs you can eat:
Plenty of vegetables.
2-3 pieces of fruit per day.
Minimal amounts of starchy carbohydrates.
20-50 Grams per Day
This is where the metabolic benefits really start to kick in. This is the perfect range for people who need to lose weight fast, or are metabolically deranged and have obesity or diabetes.
When eating less than 50 grams per day, your body will get into ketosis, supplying energy for the brain via so-called ketone bodies. This is likely to kill your appetite and cause you to lose weight automatically.
Carbs you can eat:
Plenty of low-carb vegetables.
Some berries, maybe with whipped cream (yum).
Trace carbs from other foods like avocados, nuts and seeds.
Be aware that a low-carb diet is NOT no-carb. There is room for plenty of low-carb vegetables .
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88.5 kg
Lost so far: 4.5 kg.
Still to go: 13.5 kg.
Diet followed: Reasonably Well.
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1433 kcal
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Fat: 104.59g | Prot: 58.88g | Carbs: 99.10g.
Breakfast: Tutut, Fried Egg, Lotek Sunda. Lunch: Avocado, Deglet Noor Dates. Dinner: Mango, Sun Kara Sun Kara, Vico Bagoes Virgin Coconut Oil, Shrimp. more...
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Losing 3.5 kg a Week
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