Carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy. Simple carbs, found in fruits, sugars and refined white flour, are converted very quickly into glucose, or blood sugar, which cells and tissues absorb for fuel. Complex carbs, such as legumes, whole grains and starchy vegetables, take longer for your body to change into sugar.
When you start a low-carb diet, your body stops using carbs for energy and starts using stored fat, which usually results in weight loss. The Mayo Clinic suggests that you consume between 225 and 325 g of carbs in a standard diet. A low-carb diet might limit your carb intake to between 50 and 150 g daily.
Step 1
Learn the difference between "carbs" and "net carbs." Most low-carb diets count grams of net carbs -- the amount of carbs that significantly impact your blood sugar.
Step 2
Calculate the amount of net carbs in any packaged food by reading the nutritional information. Look for the total amount of carbs and the total amount of fiber. Subtract grams of fiber from total carbs to get net carbs. For example, if a food has 10 g of total carbs and 7 g of fiber, there are 3 g of net carbs. Net carbs are also referred to as "effective carbs" because these are the carbs that affect your body the most.
Step 3
Use a carb chart to calculate the net carbs in foods without labels. Many healthy foods, such as fruit, vegetables and butcher meats, don't come in packages with nutritional labels. There are several online net carb calculators available, such as the one at Atkins.com.
Tips and Warnings
- Low carb diets should still include a variety of vegetables, fruits and whole grains to ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need.
- You might need a fiber supplement, such as psyllium husk, on a low-carb diet.
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