How many carbs are too many carbs?

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I had tremendous success dropping my carbs. I upped my protein to .7-.8 per pound of body weight and I followed Primal Blueprint when I dropped my carbs. I went below 50g for fast fat loss. The rest of my calories came from healthy fats.

You don't have to follow Primal Blueprint to benefit from the low-carb (cut out flours, sugars and eat as natural as you can). It took me 6 months to drop 9.6lbs doing it the "conventional wisdom way" (high-carb and low-fat). I was in the upper range of a healthy weight. Very little came off my belly. I tried Primal at the beginning of May and have dropped 6.8lbs of body fat - almost ALL from my belly, butt and thighs (I was running around this past Saturday in a pair of jean shorts and a bikini halter top. I have never in my life had the confidence to do this!).

So I'm not pushing Primal on you but check out Mark's Daily Apple. And check out his Intermittent Fasting articles. Great success with those, too. His "weight maintenance" is actually moderate carb.

Good luck!!

(I'm 5'2". I started my journey at around 130; dropped to 120.4 by the end of April; I hit my lowest weight last week: 113.6. But TOM messed that up. UGH!!

No such thing as too many carbs as long as you are getting an adequate amount of protein and fat. Carbs do not cause you to lose or gain weight, a calorie deficit does. This is assuming you don't suffer from a metabolic disorder.

No such thing as too many carbs as long as you are getting an adequate amount of protein and fat. Carbs do not cause you to lose or gain weight, a calorie deficit does. This is assuming you don't suffer from a metabolic disorder.

Some do better with higher carbs, lower fat. Some do better with higher fat, lower carbs. You have to find what works for you, but I agree the most important thing is calorie deficit and proper protein levels.

1) Set calorie limit
2) Find adequate protein levels (1.2-1.5g/lb bodyweight)
3) Find adequate fat levels (your levels will be higher than a man's, so try 20-25% of calorie limit)
4) Fill rest in with carbs
5) ???
6) Look sexy, profit

Lowering carbs and not increasing fats and protein will in turn drop CALORIES. So yes, if you do not count your calories, or track them loosely, dropping carbs is a good way to drop calories.

Yes ... but a person who cuts too many calories ends up hungry all the time--not a sustainable eating choice.

Choosing calories carefully to ensure satiety will avoid insulin surges that suppress signals to the brain that the body is 'fed'. Since carbs cause a higher insulin response (in both non- and insulin resistant people), better choices should come from healthy protein and/or fat sources first followed by low-carb foods. An example might be grilled chicken with salad greens and olive oil vinaigrette.

Reference this and other similar research on satiety for information on insulin and other hormone responses to eating:
http://ajpgi.physiology.org/content/286/1/G7.full

My point being that you have MINIMUM amounts of fat and protein that you need to achieve. Protein roughly 1-1.5 grams per pound of LBMfor active individuals, and around .45 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight.


You are agreeing with me that after that it comes down to personal preference such as palatability and satiety.

I consume about 500 grams of carbohydrate a day, and drink (gasp!) regular soda, and I'm still losing weight. Its not the amount of carbs you are consuming that is the problem, it is how many of them you are using vs. how many of them you are storing. For someone like me who is constantly moving and doing heavy exercise, then high amounts of carbs are needed by the body to function. Someone who is diabetic or sitting around and not using the glycogen, then a lot fewer carbs are necessary. Nobody on MFP should have the exact same numbers as anyone else on MFP because we are all different weights, different % body fat, different metabolic or other medical conditions, and different activity levels. I'd recommend seeing a nutritionist or dietitian to get specific recommendations for your body's needs.

^^ This!!

My point being that you have MINIMUM amounts of fat and protein that you need to achieve. Protein roughly 1-1.5 grams per pound of LBMfor active individuals, and around .45 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight.

1) Set calorie limit
2) Find adequate protein levels (1.2-1.5g/lb bodyweight)
3) Find adequate fat levels (your levels will be higher than a man's, so try 20-25% of calorie limit)
4) Fill rest in with carbs
5) ???
6) Look sexy, profit

1-1.5g and 1.2-1.5g of protein per pounds seems awfully high. Really, it's going to depend on your total calorie intake. Standard recommendations are a range of 15-35% of calories from protein, though some people go higher, and it depends on what your goals are - losing weight, gaining muscle, running long distances, etc.

Someone who is obese and only eating 1200 calories/day, for example, probably shouldn't be eating 1-1.5g per pound - as that could easily push their protein consumption to 50, 60 or even 75% or higher of their total daily calories.

I'm going to read this later....

Lean body mass, not body weight.

Thanks for the clarification! I missed the "LBM" on your post, and the other poster just put "1.2-1.5g/lb bodyweight".

No prob :-)