A low-carb diet promotes weight loss -- at least in the short term -- but only if your caloric expenditure exceeds your intake. If you can stick with an eating plan that limits starches and starchy vegetables, a low-carb diet may be just what you need to jump-start weight loss. The number of carbohydrate grams you consume on a low-carb eating plan depends largely on your calorie target, although you can potentially lose weight without counting carbs or calories simply by cutting back on starchy foods.
Carbohydrate Grams
The Mayo Clinic suggests that 50 to 150 g of carbohydrates is a general guideline for low-carb diets. Net carbs -- while no standard definition has been established -- generally refers to the number of carbohydrate grams minus the number of fiber grams in a particular food. Fiber content is listed individually on food labels, but it is also included in the total carbohydrate content. As such, net daily carbs refers to the total number of carbohydrate grams allowed per day, not counting grams of fiber, because fiber isn't digested.
Calorie Option
In a typical balanced diet, the percent of calories from carbohydrates ranges from 45 to 65 percent. One option for planning a low-carb diet is to plan for 35 percent of your calories to come from carbs, 40 percent from fats and 25 percent from protein, a formula used by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health when comparing the results of low-fat, low-carb and high-protein diets. The findings, however, suggest similar weight-loss benefits, regardless of the composition of the diets.
Food Choices
While low-carb diets vary, the primary fare is generally lean cuts of meat, poultry and fish, as well as eggs, healthy fats and a selection of nonstarchy vegetables. While grains such as pasta, bread and rice are generally limited or excluded, some low-carb diets allow for whole grains and fruits, in addition to nonstarchy vegetables, explains MayoClinic.com. When you restrict certain food groups, often the result is fewer calories. The success of the diet, then, depends on how long you can stick with it and whether it meets your nutritional needs.
Pros
A low-carb diet that limits your overall caloric intake provides weight-loss results comparable to other calorie-restricting eating plans. In the Harvard study, the low-carb groups maintained an average weight loss of 7 to 7.5 lbs. over the course of two years. Participants who followed a low-fat diet averaged a 6.6- to 8.8-lb. weight loss over a two-year period. Since low-carb plans rely primarily on calories from fat and protein, which take longer to digest than carbohydrates, you tend to feel full longer than you otherwise might.
Considerations
When you limit carbs and increase your intake of proteins and fats, the Mayo Clinic notes that you may risk increasing your saturated fat and cholesterol intake to an unhealthy level, depending on the food choices you make. Cutting or limiting fruits, vegetables and whole grains may also lead to inadequate fiber intake. If you choose to follow a low-carb diet, or if your doctor suggests that you do, follow your doctor's advice concerning the number of carbs you need and the right sources of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Low-Carb Diet; May 2010
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Best Diet is the One You'll Follow
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; Weight Loss With a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean or Low-Fat Diet; July 2008
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidance
- MayoClinic.com; Carbohydrates: How Carbs Fit Into a Healthy Diet; February 2011
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