How Many Carbs To Consume On A Low Carb Diet

The USDA 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that 45 to 65 percent of your daily calories come from carbohydrates, which corresponds to up to 325 g of carbohydrates, based on a 2000-calorie diet. Although a low-carb diet should obviously contain less carbohydrates than what you should typically consume on a standard American diet, there are a lot of different low-carb programs recommending different degrees of carbohydrate restriction. You own personal tolerance to carbohydrates, coupled with your objectives, can help you determine the carbohydrate intake that best suits you.

Carbohydrate and Low-Carb Diets

The premise behind low-carb diets is that carbohydrates promote weight gain and hinder fat loss. Carbohydrate-containing foods, which include grains like bread, rice, pasta, breakfast cereals and granola bars, starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and corn, foods containing added sugar, such as soft drinks, candies and desserts, as well as fruit and some dairy are all broken down into sugar during the digestion process. When this sugar is absorbed into your bloodstream, it triggers the release of insulin, which has the responsibility of clearing this excess sugar by moving it into your cells. If there is more sugar than your cells can use, as is often the case with high-carb diets, the sugar is stored as fat for later use. Proponents of low-carb diets believe that a decrease in carbs results in lower insulin levels, which causes the body to burn stored fat for energy.

Variable Carbohydrate Tolerance

Low-carb eating plans usually recommend consuming between 20 g or less of carbohydrates a day to up to 100 g of carbohydrates a day, depending on your personal tolerance and goals. Generally-speaking, if you need to lose a substantial amount of weight, have a slow metabolism or are not physically active, a carb intake in the lower range, below 50 g for example, may be more appropriate for you. However, if you have reached your desired weight and want to eat low-carb to help you maintain your weight loss, you may be able to consume more carbohydrates, possibly up to 100 g a day.

Track Your Carb Intake

The only way to determine your optimal carb intake is by trial and error. Start tracking your carbohydrate intake on a daily basis along with your body weight on a weekly basis. To be more accurate in your carb counting, consider tracking your fiber intake as well. Although dietary fiber is a form of carbohydrate, it does not contribute to raising your blood sugar and insulin levels. On some low-carb diets you count your net carbs, which you calculate by subtracting the grams of fiber you consume from your total carbohydrate intake.

Determining Your Optimal Carb Intake

Try staying at a specific carb intake for a week, such as 50 g of net carbs a day, for example, and see how it affects your weight. If you weight stays the same, you can either decrease your daily carb intake by 10 g the following week to see if it helps you lose weight or, if you goal is to maintain your current weight, stay at 50 g a day. Gradually move your daily carb intake up or down by 5 or 10 g increments at a time to see what carb intake gives you the desired results.