Carbohydrates, or carbs, are a type of macronutrient, a nutrient the body needs in large quantities. Your body converts carbs into energy to fuel your brain and body. Cutting back on carbs can aid in weight loss. You don’t have to eliminate them completely.
Carbs are the preferred source of energy for your body and brain. Carbs should make up 45-65% of total calories. Around 10-35% should come from protein and 20-35% from fat.
Carbohydrates provide four calories per gram. For someone eating 2,000 calories daily, this comes out to about 225-325 grams of carbs per day.
There isn’t a set amount of carbs that works for everyone when it comes to weight loss. Daily carb needs depend on your health, personal preferences, and activity level. A marathon runner may need more carbs to fuel long workouts, while someone with diabetes may benefit from eating fewer carbs to keep sugar levels in their blood lower.
A low-carb diet provides less than 150 grams of carbs daily. It may help with weight loss by raising satiety (the feeling of being full), lowering appetite, and improving insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance is a condition where the body doesn’t respond to insulin like it should. This leads to an increase in blood sugar, which is then stored as fat. Insulin is a hormone that keeps your blood sugar in a healthy range.
Low-carb diets tend to cause fast weight loss at first. However, most of this initial weight loss is water, not fat. Carbs are stored in the body as glycogen, a type of sugar. Glycogen holds water, and when the body uses up all its stored glycogen, it releases the water stored with it.
Studies suggest low-carb diets may lead to greater weight loss than low-fat diets. It’s unclear if low-carb diets are more effective than traditional lower-calorie diets for long-term weight loss. While low-carb diets may help with weight loss, it’s important to be mindful of your overall calorie intake.
It comes down to what works best for you and your body. Some people do better on lower-carb diets, while others find them difficult to maintain. Very low-carb diets can also be highly restrictive. This can cause you to miss out on important nutrients like calcium, fiber, and some B vitamins.
Before starting a low-carb diet, consider speaking to a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). An RDN is a health professional who specializes in diet and nutrition. If this type of diet is right for you, they can help you start it safely.
Types of Low-Carb Diets
Some popular diets that fall under the low-carb umbrella include:
- Ketogenic (keto) diet: This is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. It restricts carbs to fewer than 50 grams daily, forcing the body into ketosis. Ketosis happens when fat is broken down for energy in the absence of carbs. The keto diet may help with weight loss by reducing cravings, promoting satiety, and improving blood sugar control. Since it’s highly restrictive, many people find this diet difficult to maintain long-term.
- Atkins diet: This is a low-carb diet that has four phases. The first phase, which typically lasts around two weeks, involves restricting carbs to 20-40 grams daily. As you progress through the diet, you gradually add higher-carb foods. The final phase allows up to 100 grams of carbs per day.
- High-protein, low-carb diet: This diet involves consuming less than 45% of daily calories from carbs and more than 30% of calories from protein. High-protein, low-carb diets are generally not as restrictive as very low-carb diets and may be more sustainable in the long term. High-protein diets may help improve satiety, promote weight loss, and help maintain lean muscle mass. More research is needed on their long-term effects.
The amount of carbs in your diet may not be as important as the type. Simple carbs, such as chips, added sugar, and white flour, may lead to weight gain. On the other hand, complex carbs found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables may help with weight loss. This is because complex carbs are high in fiber and digest more slowly, making them more filling.
Healthy carb sources that may promote weight loss include:
- Legumes
- Fruits
- Whole grains, such as whole wheat pasta, quinoa, and brown rice
- Starchy vegetables, like sweet potatoes and corn
Simple carbs to avoid for weight loss include:
- Candy
- Table sugar
- Sugary beverages like soda
- Cakes
- White pasta and bread
- Sugary cereals
- Chips
- Cookies
- Pastries
If you’re considering lowering your carb intake, here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Start by limiting simple carbs like candy, chips, and pastries, which have very few nutritional benefits
- Replace high-carb foods like rice and pasta with cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles. You can mix half cauliflower rice with regular rice or quinoa to lower the carb content without sacrificing texture.
- Swap sugary beverages for sparkling water with a splash of 100% fruit juice or use less sugar in your coffee.
- Choose low-carb snacks like nuts, string cheese, or jerky
- When dining out, order double vegetables and save half of your potatoes, pasta, or rice for later.
- Use almond flour instead of white flour
- Prioritize proteins like chicken, eggs, fish, beef, pork, and seafood
Carbs play an important role in a balanced diet by providing energy to the body and brain. There is no one-size-fits-all number for how many carbs you need to lose weight. Some evidence suggests that eating fewer than 150 grams of carbs per day may help with weight loss. Very low-carb diets are highly restrictive, and many people find them difficult to maintain.
If you want to reduce your carb intake, avoiding simple carbs like sugary drinks and chips is a good place to start. Working with an RDN can help you lose weight safely while making sure your nutrient needs are met.
