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What is a Healthy Amount of Carbs Consumed to Lose Weight?

Aug 7, 2011 | By Ashley Jacob
What is a Healthy Amount of Carbs Consumed to Lose Weight?
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Americans have lowered their fat intake and replaced fat with more carbs since the 1970s. Researchers and scientists at the Nutrition & Metabolism Society, a nonprofit health organization interested in the application of fundamental science to nutrition, believe that this higher carb intake is responsible for today's obesity epidemic. Eating fewer carbohydrates could help you lose weight and improve your health, but the exact amount of carbohydrates you should eat depends on your individual carbohydrate tolerance.

Carbs

Carbs are a quick source of energy for your body. However, if you eat more carbs than your body can handle, the extra carbs will convert to fat and be stored in your body. The consumption of carbs also further faciliates weight gain by increasing your insulin levels, which promote fat storage and prevent fat burning. The main source of carbs in the American diet includes grains, such as breads, pasta, rice, crackers and baked goods; starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and corn; sugar, such as desserts and soft drinks; and fruit, milk and yogurt.

Carbohydrate Tolerance

A healthy amount of carbs to consume to lose weight can vary from one person to another depending on individual carb tolerance. If you have yo-yo dieted in the past, have not been successful with low-fat diets, have a large waist circumference, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, you are likely to have a low tolerance to carbs and a carbohydrate intake below 50g is probably more appropriate for you. If you are fairly active and don't have a lot of weight to lose, you may be able to handle up to 100g of carbs a day, as explained by Dr. Stephen D. Phinney, co-author of "The New Atkins for a New You." Consult your doctor before restricting your carb intake.

Carbohydrate-Restricted Diets

A study published in the May 2004 issue of "Annals of Internal Medicine" comparing low-fat and low-carb diets in obese men with high blood cholesterol levels showed that restricting your carb consumption results in more fat loss compared to limiting your fat intake. In this study, the low-carb group consumed fewer than 20g of carbs a day for 24 weeks without any deleterious effects on their health. To keep their carb intake low, they eliminated all grains, sugar, fruits and starchy vegetables and based their diet on nonstarchy vegetables, protein and fats. Eating this way improved their triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels significantly compared to the participants eating more carbs in the low-fat group.

Experiment With Your Diet

It is not possible to calculate the amount of carbohydrates that is best suited for your personal carbohydrate tolerance. Experimenting with your diet is the best way to find your optimal carbohydrate target for reaching your desired weight. Consult your doctor first to have blood work done after a few months of experimenting to see if your chosen carbohydrate level is compatible with your health. Ask for your doctor's approval before restricting your carbs. Depending on your previous weight history, you can choose to eat between 20 and 100g of carbs a day, according to Dr. Eric C. Westman, endocrinologist at Duke Lifestyle Medicine Clinic in Durham, NC. Track your carbs and stick to your target for a whole week. At the end of the week, step on the scale to see if it helped you lose weight. If you lose weight, consume the same amount of carbs during the following weeks until your reach your goal weight. If you haven't lost weight, decrease your carb intake by 5 to 10g a day until you start losing weight, according to Westman.

References

Article reviewed by Lisa Michael Last updated on: Aug 7, 2011

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