How Many Carbs To Eat to Lose Weight (2023)

FAQs

What is a good amount of carbs per day to lose weight? ›

For people who are physically active or want to maintain their weight, a range of 100–150 grams of carbs per day may have benefits. For those aiming to lose weight quickly, going under 50 grams per day under the guidance of a healthcare provider may help.

Losing weight requires you to burn more calories than you consume. Experts say you should aim to burn 500 calories more than what you eat each day. As far as how many carbohydrates to eat, Pratt says 100 to 150 grams of carbohydrates is safe for most people who are trying to lose weight.

Effective weight loss diets generally contain between 1,200 and 1,600 calories per day. If you choose a 1,200-calorie weight loss diet, consuming 45 percent of your daily calorie intake from carbs is equivalent to 540 calories, or 135 grams of carbohydrates per day.

How many carbs should I eat to lose weight? For someone weighing 150 pounds, White recommends 150-200 grams of carbs a day and 200-250 for men. The rest of us will have to do a little math to gauge our perfect carb levels.

Eating a low-carb diet has several health benefits, including weight loss and helping to regulate your blood sugar levels. Limiting yourself to 30 grams of carbohydrates per day can be a challenge, because that's a very small amount. One banana, for example, contains 27 grams.

You'll lose excess weight faster and feel healthier if you limit your carbs to somewhere between 50 and 150 grams per day (exact numbers vary according to your total caloric intake). The beauty is that when you're cutting carbs, you can still smash meals without counting calories.

Cut the carbs—When you cut out refined carbs like white bread, rice, bagels, pasta, cookies, candy and chips and focus on nutrient- and fiber-rich carbs such as vegetables, and low-glycemic fruits, you start to lose belly fat, because, once again, your body is burning fat for fuel.

Low-carb diets, especially very low-carb diets, may lead to greater short-term weight loss than do low-fat diets. But most studies have found that at 12 or 24 months, the benefits of a low-carb diet aren't very large. Cutting calories and carbs may not be the only reason for the weight loss with low-carb diets.

A 1,500 calorie diet with 40 percent carbohydrates translates to 600 calories per day from carbs. Using a ratio of 4 calories per gram (g) of carbs, a person on this diet would need to eat 150 g of carbohydrates per day.

How much weight can I lose in 3 weeks eating 1200 calories a day? ›

“And then, of course, everybody's metabolism is slightly different. But the average weight loss that most people see on the 1200 calorie diet is about one to two pounds per week.”

Many studies have shown that following low calorie diets, including 1,200-calorie diets, can promote weight loss. For example, a study in 2,093 people with obesity demonstrated that a medically supervised 1,200-calorie meal replacement diet resulted in an average fat loss of 4.7% over 12 months ( 6 ).

Theoretically, you can space your carbohydrate calories out throughout the day and still lose weight. Remember, it's the overall calorie deficit that matters. But carbs are useful to fuel exercise and boost recovery, so it makes sense to eat carb meals around your most active times.

People who begin a low-carb diet with less fat to lose generally lose weight more slowly than those who started out with more. After the first couple of weeks on a low-carb diet, people may lose between 1/2 pound and 2 pounds a week, which is considered a more sustainable rate of weight loss.

For most active adults, who typically weigh between 100-200 lbs, a good amount of daily carbs is: 100-200 grams per day. A big difference between carbs and protein is that carb intake is, to a large extent, based on energy expenditure (i.e., how much you work out).

“If the patient can maintain a steady calorie deficit, I expect them to lose one to two pounds per week,” says Dr. Seeman. So after 12 weeks, her clients are usually down around 20-25 pounds.

The effect on weight loss tends to be higher the lower you go with carbs. Below 20 net grams per day seems to be the most effective level, but below 50 can work fine too for many people, and it's easier to do.

3500 calories are equivalent to approximately one pound of body fat, therefore to lose one pound, you need to burn about 3500 calories (6). In the same ratio, if you reduce your energy intake by 500 calories every day of the week, you will need about 30 weeks to lose 30 pounds.

High carb foods: here's 20 grams

So what does 20 grams of carbs look like for potatoes, pasta, rice or bread? It is one potato, a small serving of pasta (about 1/2 cup), about 1/2 cup of white rice, and that half bun. It won't take much of any of these foods to exceed your daily carb limit and take you out of ketosis.

How many carbs should a woman over 50 eat to lose weight? ›

Carbs provide 4 calories per gram. Therefore, if you're consuming 1,600 calories a day aim for 180 to 260 grams of carbs, if you eat 2,000 calories a day shoot for 225 to 325 grams and if you consume 2,400 calories aim for 270 to 390 grams of carbs each day.

While there is no strict definition of a low carb diet, anything under 100–150 grams per day is generally considered low carb. This is definitely a lot less than the amount of carbs in the standard Western diet. You may achieve great results within this carb range, as long as you eat unprocessed whole foods.

The most common result is losing between 3 and 6 pounds (around 2 kilos) during the two weeks. Pretty good results when you can eat as much as you want, no hunger required. Even though some of it, of course, is likely water weight. One person in ten lost more than 9 pounds (over 4 kilos) in the two weeks.

If you eat too much and exercise too little, you're likely to carry excess weight — including belly fat. Also, your muscle mass might diminish slightly with age, while fat increases.

Studies suggest that cutting carbs may be particularly effective at getting rid of the fat in the belly area.

Eating processed carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice, potato products, and sugar can drive up insulin levels in the body and lead to weight gain.

If you're a man, woman weighing over 164 pounds or a female who regularly exercises and you aren't losing weight eating 1,200 to 1,500 calories daily, it may be time to see a doctor. Hormone imbalances – such as underactive thyroid – can decrease your body's metabolism and inhibit or prevent weight loss from occurring.

How fast will I lose weight on 1500 calories a day? ›

Some research suggests that the average female can limit their daily caloric intake to 1,500 calories or less to drop 1 pound per week. The average male may consume up to 2,000 calories a day to lose the same amount of weight.

Generally to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular physical activity.

Set a new daily calorie goal to create a 1,500 per day deficit. 3 lb (1.4 kg) is equal to 10,500 calories, which means you'll need to cut 1,500 calories per day using diet and exercise. Once you know how many calories you burn in a day, subtract 1,500 from it to get your daily calorie goal.

You can't lose weight on 1200 calories a day because you're no longer in a calorie deficit. Your body has adapted to what it's been doing and plateaued. If you start your diet with a 500 calorie deficit per day, your body adapts to this in various way so that over time your energy requirements are reduced.

If you're not losing weight in a calorie deficit you may need to adjust your stress levels, diet, and sleep patterns. Other reasons for weight gain during a calorie deficit are hormonal changes, aging, and other health conditions.

There are some medical conditions that can drive weight gain and make it much harder to lose weight. These include hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and sleep apnea. Certain medications can also make weight loss harder — or even cause weight gain.

Carbs Curb Your Hunger

The fiber and resistant starch fill them up and satisfy them while allowing them to eat the foods they crave. These good-news carbs also raise levels of satiety hormones that tell the brain to flip a switch that stifles hunger and turns up metabolism.

“If you're an average, healthy person, eat some carbs with each of your meals throughout the day.” But consuming carbs earlier in the day may be better if you: Want to lose weight or improve blood sugar levels: “Most Americans are active early in the day and more sedentary at night,” says Patton.

Should I eat more carbs or fat to lose weight? ›

In adults with obesity, decreasing dietary fat led to greater body fat loss than cutting the same number of calories from carbohydrates. The study findings show that, contrary to popular belief, carbohydrate restriction is not needed for body fat loss.

Eating 100–150 grams per day

It may work for people who are lean, active, and trying to stay healthy and maintain their weight. It's possible to lose weight at this — and any — carb intake, but you may also need to be aware of calorie intake and portion sizes to lose weight.

To lose 10 pounds in one week, you'll need to burn between 3,500 and 5,000 calories more than you consume each day by restricting your diet to small portions of nutritious yet low-calorie foods, and significantly increasing your aerobic exercise with interval training, sports, and other vigorous activities.

As long as you keep up your efforts, you should be able to lose as much as 25 pounds of weight within 3 months and attain long-term weight loss. Of course, this may vary per individual.

In general, however, a low-carb diet may include 50 to 100 grams (g) of carbohydrates per day, she says. Below that is considered very-low-carb, such as the ketogenic diet, while 100 to 200 g of carbohydrates per day is a moderate-carb diet.

In general, however, a low-carb diet may include 50 to 100 grams (g) of carbohydrates per day, she says. Below that is considered very-low-carb, such as the ketogenic diet, while 100 to 200 g of carbohydrates per day is a moderate-carb diet.

The amount of carbohydrates you should eat to lose belly fat depends on several factors, including your activity level and health status. Generally, if you're looking to lose belly fat, you should aim to consume no more than 20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day.

Insulin is released to help glucose enter the body's cells, where it can be used for energy. Extra glucose is stored in the liver and in muscles. Some is changed to body fat. A low-carb diet is meant to cause the body to burn stored fat for energy, which leads to weight loss.

Very low-carbohydrate (less than 10% carbohydrates) or 20 to 50 gm/day. Low-carbohydrate (less than 26% carbohydrates) or less than 130 gm/day. Moderate-carbohydrate (26% to 44%) High-carbohydrate (45% or greater)

What happens when you stop eating carbs? ›

Ketosis can lead to weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches, which can feel a lot like flu symptoms. More serious side effects can happen too, like stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting.

The keto diet may be too restrictive for most people, leading to poor long-term adherence. Furthermore, the keto diet is more likely to cause unwanted side effects ( 13 ). Therefore, a low carb diet is likely a better option for most people.

Determine the number of grams of carbs you need each day by calculating 45 to 65 percent of your total calorie intake, and dividing by 4. For example, if you eat a 2,000-calorie diet, shoot for 225 to 325 grams of carbs per day; and if you eat 2,500 calories a day, aim for 281 to 406 grams of carbs.

Most studies indicate that low carb diets are more beneficial for fat loss. A small, 16-week study found that those who followed a low carb, low calorie diet for experienced greater reductions in total fat mass and belly fat than those who followed a low fat diet ( 11 ).

Reducing your intake of calorie-dense carbs automatically reduces the amount of calories you're consuming on a daily basis, which forces your body to burn fat stored around your midsection for energy, rather than the sugars it takes from carbohydrates.