Recommended allowance of Carbs

danny_125

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/

According to the link above(and plenty other websites), one should limit their carb intake to around 100-150 grams per day for steady weight loss.
I'm trying to lose weight. However, myfitnesspal recommends me to eat a maximum of 282 grams per day on a 2050 calorie diet. That seems A LOT of carbs for me to eat in order to lose weight. Which should I follow?

SergeantSunshine_reused

1g of protein per lb of body weight <

---

minimum
.35 x body weight for fat <----minimum
Fill what is left with carbs :]

jellerose

If you're pretty overweight and have been for more than a year or so then watching carbs can likely help you. I changed the ratios on the MFP counter to reflect my needs. Lower carb, more in line with Mark's recommendations, helps me lose much easier.

I pretty much had metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance from being in the obese range for a couple of years and quite a few years of being in the overweight range and using grains and sugars for too many of my calories.

Maybe change your ratios to close to Mark's ratios to start and then adjust as needed.

yummummum

This is a loaded question here bc so many people have their own opinions!!!

I have been trying to lose weight for YEARS and now that I am following low carb I am finally losing! Goodbye cravings, mood swings and hunger!!!

You have to find what works best for you. Some people so really well cutting some carbs and staying around 100. I do best around 50. My carbs come from mostly veggies. Once I am at my goal I will add in fruit and a few more carbs slowly.

Good luck to you.

futiledevices

I would like to know more about this, too. As someone who has 25-30 pounds to lose, I wonder if I should lower my carbs? I aim for 45-50% carbs, but a lot of days, I'm closer to 60%! It's hard since they seem to be in everything, especially fruit. I wonder if I would benefit from it, but at the same time, I don't want to be unrealistic. If I go too low, my weight loss will only be temporary.

twinmom01

Agree with yummmmm - everyone is going to have thier own opinion....

Personally I feel Carbs is best left to how your diet and how you feel - Most days I usually stay about 125 carbs or less a day, as I eat very little in the form of grains and processed foods - per MFP it allots 220/day.

Some people thrive on a higher carb diet - others don't - it also depends on what you are using for your carb sources too.

Don't feel that you have to eat the max in carbs...

twinmom01

I would like to know more about this, too. As someone who has 25-30 pounds to lose, I wonder if I should lower my carbs? I aim for 45-50% carbs, but a lot of days, I'm closer to 60%! It's hard since they seem to be in everything, especially fruit. I wonder if I would benefit from it, but at the same time, I don't want to be unrealistic. If I go too low, my weight loss will only be temporary.

Fruit has lots of carbs from the complex of sugars...try swapping some fruit for a low carb veggie to snack on.

I try and limit myself to one fruit serving on the days I don't work out - the days I work out I allow myself to have 2 servings - being as carbs and sugars are designed to give your body energy - if it is not used then it can be stored as fat (potentional energy)

SergeantSunshine_reused

I would like to know more about this, too. As someone who has 25-30 pounds to lose, I wonder if I should lower my carbs? I aim for 45-50% carbs, but a lot of days, I'm closer to 60%! It's hard since they seem to be in everything, especially fruit. I wonder if I would benefit from it, but at the same time, I don't want to be unrealistic. If I go too low, my weight loss will only be temporary.

Fruit has lots of carbs from the complex of sugars...try swapping some fruit for a low carb veggie to snack on.

I try and limit myself to one fruit serving on the days I don't work out - the days I work out I allow myself to have 2 servings - being as carbs and sugars are designed to give your body energy - if it is not used then it can be stored as fat (potentional energy)

In a calorie deficit it will not be stored.

danny_125

If you're pretty overweight and have been for more than a year or so then watching carbs can likely help you. I changed the ratios on the MFP counter to reflect my needs. Lower carb, more in line with Mark's recommendations, helps me lose much easier.

I pretty much had metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance from being in the obese range for a couple of years and quite a few years of being in the overweight range and using grains and sugars for too many of my calories.

Maybe change your ratios to close to Mark's ratios to start and then adjust as needed.

Jellerose,
I'm interested in hearing what Mark's recommendations/ratios are.

danny_125

^^^bump

LabRat529

I personally like a 40% carb, 30% protein, 30% fat spread.... or I should say that's what I've been shooting for. I've never actually accomplished it, but when I actually eat 30% protein, I feel more satisfied/less hungry.

Pebble321

I think it depends on your body and your lifestyle, there is no "one size fits all" magic number that will have you instantly losing weight.
Try eating what MFP recommends and if you see a reason to change it after a month or so, then do it.

I usually have my diary set up for 55% or more of carbs and I've lost weight successfully, I've morphed into a runner and am happy and healthy. Other people find that too many carbs don't give good results for them.

My personal opinion is that if you are getting carbs in relatively unprocessed forms (fruit, veggies, whole grains) then you'll probably be fine.
Getting your carbs in cupcakes, chips and candy is not doing you any favours - you are just getting calories but without any of the nutrition that you find in fruits, veggies and whole grains.

Good luck working out what is right for you!

RonSwanson66

Jellerose,
I'm interested in hearing what Mark's recommendations/ratios are.

Why would anyone listen to this clown?

He's nothing but a supplement shill who latched onto the Paleo cult to make a buck.

tigersword

1g of protein per lb of body weight <

---

minimum
.35 x body weight for fat <----minimum
Fill what is left with carbs :]

Too much protein unless you're a bodybuilder. The average person, who is sedentary, only needs 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight to maintain muscle mass. Any more than that in a caloric deficit is not necessary.

One gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is for muscle growth and bodybuilding, won't really help much for weight loss.

RonSwanson66

1g of protein per lb of body weight <

---

minimum
.35 x body weight for fat <----minimum
Fill what is left with carbs :]

Too much protein unless you're a bodybuilder. The average person, who is sedentary, only needs 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight to maintain muscle mass. Any more than that in a caloric deficit is not necessary.

One gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is for muscle growth and bodybuilding, won't really help much for weight loss.

Not true.

There are numerous advantages to increasing protein: muscle retention, satiety, and TEF among them.

tigersword

TEF is 99% inconsequential. For one thing it's already factored into your TDEE, for another, a drastic change in eating may give you a difference of a dozen calories a day or so, especially as you mix protein, carbs, and fat in a meal, the TEF of all 3 change anyway.

Also, the formula I posted is all you need for muscle retention.

As for satiety, again, mixing protein, carbs, and fat together in meal changes the way that operates. I personally don't know anyone who eats 100% carbs, or 100% fat, or 100% protein for any one meal, so it's really not applicable to normal, practical living.

RonSwanson66

Also, the formula I posted is all you need for muscle retention.

Wrong:

"After much toing and froing and research had been done it was eventually found that a protein intake of about 1.5 g/kg of lean body mass (LBM; note that researchers actually used Ideal Body Weight but this is a rough proxy for LBM) was necessary to spare LBM losses in a non-training obese individual consuming low calories.

This is about double the DRI for protein (at 0.8 g/kg) at maintenance calories. So for an overweight individual at say 200 pounds and 30% body fat (this would give them an LBM of 140 lbs or 63 kg), that would be a protein intake of 95 grams of protein per day. Please note that this value is simply a minimum and dieters may still find that higher protein intakes are beneficial from a hunger blunting effect or what have you (see below)."

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/protein-intake-while-dieting-qa.html

As for satiety, again, mixing protein, carbs, and fat together in meal changes the way that operates. I personally don't know anyone who eats 100% carbs, or 100% fat, or 100% protein for any one meal, so it's really not applicable to normal, practical living.

What the hell are you talking about? Please point to where ANYONE suggested that.


From the aforementioned link:
"It’s worth noting that more recent research supports further benefits of increased protein intakes while dieting, beyond simple lean body mass maintenance. Protein is the most filling nutrient (meaning that higher protein intakes tend to control hunger better) and studies have found that higher protein intakes can help to stabilize blood sugar levels while dieting which has benefits from both an energy level and appetite standpoint. Protein high in the amino acid leucine (with the dairy proteins whey and casein being the two proteins highest in leucine) seem to have extra benefit in this regard."

Acg67

Jellerose,
I'm interested in hearing what Mark's recommendations/ratios are.

Why would anyone listen to this clown?

He's nothing but a supplement shill who latched onto the Paleo cult to make a buck.

wait a sec, you mean that a guy who stresses eating non processed foods but then is selling doubly processed overpriced whey is just trying to make a buck?

http://primalblueprint.com/products/Primal-Fuel.html

hottottie11

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/

According to the link above(and plenty other websites), one should limit their carb intake to around 100-150 grams per day for steady weight loss.
I'm trying to lose weight. However, myfitnesspal recommends me to eat a maximum of 282 grams per day on a 2050 calorie diet. That seems A LOT of carbs for me to eat in order to lose weight. Which should I follow?

Depends on what you want weight loss or fat loss? Limiting carbs reduces water weight and therefore you lose weight, but it offers no metabolic advantage over any other reduced calorie diet. i.e. Calories in > calories out. I regular eat 200-300 grams and still lose.

PlumeriaTattoo

I don't know about anyone else, but I gave up calorie counting all together, and just limit my intake of CARBS and SUGARS. The pounds are finally coming off. I still eat carbs -- no way I could be one of those people cooking up weird noodle substitutes or never eating bread again -- but I have limited them significantly.

If I eat grains, it is ONLY whole grain. In fact, I have a piece of 100% whole wheat toast with natural (unsweetened!) peanut butter for breakfast every day. But then I have a humongous salad with cheese and meat and fats for lunch, and meats and veggies for dinner, and snack on nuts and cheese and meat.

Basically, I try to limit or avoid carbs - grains (especially processed flours), starchy vegetables (potatoes, beans) and anything with added sugars over 3g. I skip processed foods as much as possible. But... If I want mashed potatoes, I have a little bit occasionally. If I go to Panera, I eat my favorite Broccoli Cheese soup AND the baguette. BUT...I make sure I am careful with carbs the rest of the day and the next. And I don't do it all the time.

I eat a piece of unsweetened dark chocolate almost daily. I drink wine every week. I don't count calories or carbs, and I weigh myself once a week. I eat until I am comfortable full, and then stop. I try to stay feeling like I'm at least 3/4 full to full...I don't let myself get hungry, and I don't stuff myself.

Finally understanding how my body works and eating according to that has made a huge difference recently, and hopefully will continue. Eliminating most carbs and sugars has also eliminated most cravings as well. THAT in itself is a huge difference. If anyone is interested , the book that changed my life was "Why We Get Fat, And What To Do About It" by Gary Taubes. You can read reviews on amazon, and check it out of the library if you are interested. Eye-opening miracle of a discovery for me. Good luck everyone!

Acg67

Finally understanding how my body works and eating according to that has made a huge difference recently, and hopefully will continue. Eliminating most carbs and sugars has also eliminated most cravings as well. THAT in itself is a huge difference. If anyone is interested , the book that changed my life was "Why We Get Fat, And What To Do About It" by Gary Taubes. You can read reviews on amazon, and check it out of the library if you are interested. Eye-opening miracle of a discovery for me. Good luck everyone!

I suggest you do a bit more research on Why We Get Fat, since Taubes spouts a ton of non sense in that book and in general

RonSwanson66

Finally understanding how my body works and eating according to that has made a huge difference recently, and hopefully will continue. Eliminating most carbs and sugars has also eliminated most cravings as well. THAT in itself is a huge difference. If anyone is interested , the book that changed my life was "Why We Get Fat, And What To Do About It" by Gary Taubes. You can read reviews on amazon, and check it out of the library if you are interested. Eye-opening miracle of a discovery for me. Good luck everyone!

I suggest you do a bit more research on Why We Get Fat, since Taubes spouts a ton of non sense in that book and in general

Here's a good place to start:

http://carbsanity.blogspot.com/search/label/Gary Taubes Fact Check

PlumeriaTattoo

Not sure why you think that, but I disagree. I've done a LOT of research, and this works for me when nothing else did. I don't care if anyone tries it or not, and I don't gain anything if you believe me or not. But since I've had such great success with it I thought I'd share. Good luck to you!

PlumeriaTattoo

Finally understanding how my body works and eating according to that has made a huge difference recently, and hopefully will continue. Eliminating most carbs and sugars has also eliminated most cravings as well. THAT in itself is a huge difference. If anyone is interested , the book that changed my life was "Why We Get Fat, And What To Do About It" by Gary Taubes. You can read reviews on amazon, and check it out of the library if you are interested. Eye-opening miracle of a discovery for me. Good luck everyone!

I suggest you do a bit more research on Why We Get Fat, since Taubes spouts a ton of non sense in that book and in general

Here's a good place to start:

http://carbsanity.blogspot.com/search/label/Gary Taubes Fact Check

I don't see anything other than some guy's opinion on this blog...am I missing the cited studies he uses when criticizing Taubes' work? Like I said, people are free to make up their own minds based on their own research.

Shanna_Inc86

I keep an eye on my ratios, however, I don't eat a lot of meat, so its a lil more difficult to get my protein grams up. Also, it makes my carbs a lil higher.

However, if my carb grams and fat grams are coming from whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and they're good carbs and good fats...why worry a ton about it?

Personally, I like variety in my day and I have a major sweet tooth...fruit satisfies that for me, so I'm not cutting it out. Certain foods I've cut out b/c they were making me sick or they gross me out. I won't willingly cut out a food group though

tigersword

Also, the formula I posted is all you need for muscle retention.

Wrong:

"After much toing and froing and research had been done it was eventually found that a protein intake of about 1.5 g/kg of lean body mass (LBM; note that researchers actually used Ideal Body Weight but this is a rough proxy for LBM) was necessary to spare LBM losses in a non-training obese individual consuming low calories.

This is about double the DRI for protein (at 0.8 g/kg) at maintenance calories. So for an overweight individual at say 200 pounds and 30% body fat (this would give them an LBM of 140 lbs or 63 kg), that would be a protein intake of 95 grams of protein per day. Please note that this value is simply a minimum and dieters may still find that higher protein intakes are beneficial from a hunger blunting effect or what have you (see below)."

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/protein-intake-while-dieting-qa.html

As for satiety, again, mixing protein, carbs, and fat together in meal changes the way that operates. I personally don't know anyone who eats 100% carbs, or 100% fat, or 100% protein for any one meal, so it's really not applicable to normal, practical living.

What the hell are you talking about? Please point to where ANYONE suggested that.


From the aforementioned link:
"It’s worth noting that more recent research supports further benefits of increased protein intakes while dieting, beyond simple lean body mass maintenance. Protein is the most filling nutrient (meaning that higher protein intakes tend to control hunger better) and studies have found that higher protein intakes can help to stabilize blood sugar levels while dieting which has benefits from both an energy level and appetite standpoint. Protein high in the amino acid leucine (with the dairy proteins whey and casein being the two proteins highest in leucine) seem to have extra benefit in this regard."

I couldn't find the citations for the actual studies that were talked about there, any idea where I can find the actual research? My number came from the Canadian and US government recommendations. I'm not anti Lyle McDonald, but everything he sells is based on high protein, low carb, so I'd like to read the actual research, rather than his blog.

Acg67

I don't see anything other than some guy's opinion on this blog...am I missing the cited studies he uses when criticizing Taubes' work? Like I said, people are free to make up their own minds based on their own research.

scroll down to "The evidence arguing against the carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis of obesity also continues to speak for itself:"

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2011/11/brief-response-to-taubess-food-rewad.html

also don't you think it's a little silly that a single macronutrient is the cause of obesity?

RonSwanson66

Finally understanding how my body works and eating according to that has made a huge difference recently, and hopefully will continue. Eliminating most carbs and sugars has also eliminated most cravings as well. THAT in itself is a huge difference. If anyone is interested , the book that changed my life was "Why We Get Fat, And What To Do About It" by Gary Taubes. You can read reviews on amazon, and check it out of the library if you are interested. Eye-opening miracle of a discovery for me. Good luck everyone!

I suggest you do a bit more research on Why We Get Fat, since Taubes spouts a ton of non sense in that book and in general

Here's a good place to start:

http://carbsanity.blogspot.com/search/label/Gary Taubes Fact Check

I don't see anything other than some guy's opinion on this blog...am I missing the cited studies he uses when criticizing Taubes' work?

LOL. You didn't even look at the link, did you?

First of all, CarbSane is a woman. Ya know, from the PICTURE at the top of the page.

Second, the site is extremely well referenced. She has these things called "links" that link to things called "sources"

ksylvan

This is a loaded question here bc so many people have their own opinions!!!

I have been trying to lose weight for YEARS and now that I am following low carb I am finally losing! Goodbye cravings, mood swings and hunger!!!

You have to find what works best for you. Some people so really well cutting some carbs and staying around 100. I do best around 50. My carbs come from mostly veggies. Once I am at my goal I will add in fruit and a few more carbs slowly.

Good luck to you.

You are basically following Dr. Gundry's "Diet Evolution" guidelines. This is how I eat too. Veggies, meat, nuts, with a tiny sprinkling of fruit. It works for me and my body fat percentage is going down while I maintain my muscle mass, have very high energy levels and no sugar/carb cravings. It's pretty great!

RonSwanson66

Also, the formula I posted is all you need for muscle retention.

Wrong:

"After much toing and froing and research had been done it was eventually found that a protein intake of about 1.5 g/kg of lean body mass (LBM; note that researchers actually used Ideal Body Weight but this is a rough proxy for LBM) was necessary to spare LBM losses in a non-training obese individual consuming low calories.

This is about double the DRI for protein (at 0.8 g/kg) at maintenance calories. So for an overweight individual at say 200 pounds and 30% body fat (this would give them an LBM of 140 lbs or 63 kg), that would be a protein intake of 95 grams of protein per day. Please note that this value is simply a minimum and dieters may still find that higher protein intakes are beneficial from a hunger blunting effect or what have you (see below)."

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/protein-intake-while-dieting-qa.html

As for satiety, again, mixing protein, carbs, and fat together in meal changes the way that operates. I personally don't know anyone who eats 100% carbs, or 100% fat, or 100% protein for any one meal, so it's really not applicable to normal, practical living.

What the hell are you talking about? Please point to where ANYONE suggested that.


From the aforementioned link:
"It’s worth noting that more recent research supports further benefits of increased protein intakes while dieting, beyond simple lean body mass maintenance. Protein is the most filling nutrient (meaning that higher protein intakes tend to control hunger better) and studies have found that higher protein intakes can help to stabilize blood sugar levels while dieting which has benefits from both an energy level and appetite standpoint. Protein high in the amino acid leucine (with the dairy proteins whey and casein being the two proteins highest in leucine) seem to have extra benefit in this regard."

I couldn't find the citations for the actual studies that were talked about there, any idea where I can find the actual research? My number came from the Canadian and US government recommendations. I'm not anti Lyle McDonald, but everything he sells is based on high protein, low carb, so I'd like to read the actual research, rather than his blog.

Full-text
http://www.ajcn.org/content/78/1/31.full


And the bolded statement is just plain false. GFD, UD2.0, and his book on Nutrition for Athletes are not low-carb. (Nor are the vast majority of his articles).

PlumeriaTattoo

LMAO! Wow.... Forget I even mentioned the Taubes book, which appears to get some people's panties in a bunch. MY experiences with what *I* ate and what *MY* results are are real. I posted it to HELP people, not to have someone contradict my experiences because they don't agree with the findings of a book (actually quite a number of books talk about the same basic ideas.) I don't know if Taubes' theories are all correct or not, I just know that I read the book, I applied what he said, and it sure did work for me. But it's much more fun to argue, isn't it? I'm off to enjoy the day and go for a run. Good luck to everyone who is trying to lose weight and get healthy!