Daily Carb Count To Lose Weight

Anecdotal evidence suggests daily restriction of carbohydrates can help you lose weight. Studies back up that evidence. A 2008 study by Iris Shay Ph.D., et al at the Ben Gurion University S. Daniel Abraham Center for Health and Nutrition concluded low-carbohydrate diets may be effective alternatives to low-fat diets. Temple University's two-year study into the efficacy of low-carbohydrate diets found such diets are as effective as low-fat diets when used in combination with behavioral modification support.

Identification

Atkins, Zone and Protein Power are all low-carbohydrate diets. Each of these diets restricts the amount of carbohydrates you eat in order to bring about weight loss. Carbohydrates are macronutrients that contain sugars and starches. Carbohydrate-containing foods impact blood glucose, causing it to rise. Many foods contain carbohydrates, including sugar, baked goods, rice, pasta, whole grains, cereals, fruits and vegetables.

Theories/Speculation

Insulin control is the key to weight loss on low-carbohydrate diets, explains "Good Calories, Bad Calories" author Gary Taubes. As blood glucose rises in response to carbohydrate intake, your pancreas releases insulin, which is a fat storage hormone. In the presence of insulin, your stored body fat stays in your fat cells. When you limit carbohydrates, your pancreas releases less insulin. In its absence, your body is free to use stored body fat as fuel, which results in weight loss. Atkins refers to this state as ketosis and suggests when you are in ketosis, you will experience less hunger.

Initial Phases

Some well-known low-carbohydrate diets suggest following the diet in phases. Both Atkins and Protein Power use an initial two-week stage of severe carbohydrate restriction in order to kick-start the process of ketosis and weight loss. Other diets, such as Zone, recommend the same level of carbohydrate intake throughout the diet. Atkins recommends restricting carbohydrates to fewer than 20 g per day in the initial two weeks of the diet. Protein Power recommends restricting carbohydrates to between 7 g to 10 g per meal. Zone recommends eating 30 percent of your caloric intake from carbohydrates at every meal and snack throughout the duration of the diet.

Ongoing Weight Loss

During ongoing weight loss, Protein Power recommends increasing carbohydrates to 15 g per meal or snack, while Atkins takes a more individualized approach. Atkins recommends gradually increasing daily carbohydrate levels by about 5 g every few weeks until you stop losing weight. When this occurs, scale back carbohydrate intake by about 5 g per day.

Maintenance

While diets differ on the amount of carbohydrates you need to lose weight, they all agree you need to maintain a low-carbohydrate lifestyle in order to keep the weight off. Protein Power suggests the level at which you will be able to maintain weight loss is between 20 g and 25 g per meal, while Atkins recommends you return to the carbohydrate level at which you stopped losing weight and maintain it there. Zone recommends continuing eating 30 percent of your calories from carbohydrates.

Considerations

While medical studies support the efficacy of low carbohydrates for weight loss, many physicians express concern about the long-term effects of such a diet on health. Many low-carbohydrate diets are high in protein, saturated fat and cholesterol, which may lead to increased risk of kidney disease, heart disease and certain cancers. Check with your doctor before going on a low-carbohydrate diet.