How Many Carbs?
flatcoatedR
Posts: 173 Member
I know this will be different depending on the person and where you are at on your weight loss journey. But, could some of you share how many calories and how many carbs you strive for each day? And how you've loss on each? Thank You.
Sherri
Sherri
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I try to stay under 30g of carbs/day. My calorie goal, which is much less strict, is around 1700. I started low carb with dietdoctor.com. I highly recommend it. There are videos explaining the reason why it's a very healthy way to live/eat. I have found it relatively easy. Very easy, in fact. I'm thrilled with the results, and plan to keep it up! I'll be happy to help in any way possible.0
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I try to stay under 20g per day. Lower if possible. Carnivore with dairy and coconut seems to feel the best. At that level my appetite is down, my cravings are gone, and my blood glucose is perfect.
Once I get above 20-30g of carbs, I get hungry and snacky, and as a result I eat more and my BG creeps up. Weight loss usually stalls from those extra calories. It takes me days to weeks to nudge carbs down again. I am in that boat again right now.
I try to keep carbs close to 1500kcal per day. Some days are down to almost 1000kcal and others are over 2000. When carbs are low, I keep it near 1500 with greater ease.0 -
My net carb goal is 25g per day and my calorie goal is 1400 calories. I do up the calories on the days that I lift heavy up to 1500.0
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I stay from 1400 to 1500 cal. Carbs at or below 20 net carbs. I saw a huge improvement when I started following the ketogenic plan and increased fats a small amount and was more careful with the amount of proteins. 10% carbs, 25% protein and 65%. I changed the nutrient % in MFP to make it easier. I've lost 17 lbs in 6 weeks! For me...a miracle.0
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It's been a miracle for me too!
I'm at 20 gm carbs, and calories are 1600-1800. My macros are 5% carbs, 20% protein, and 75% fat. I've been ketogenic almost a year (and I'm still alive! Lol!), and am at 49 pounds lost. I'm healthier than I have ever been! I love what this woe has done for me!
Find the level that makes you feel best! Good luck!!0 -
15% total carbs and 1400kcal. I've lived this lifestyle for a few years now and have adjusted things many times. Right now this feels the best. I can balance my total calories and lower carbs this way.0
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I try to stay under 20g per day. Lower if possible. Carnivore with dairy and coconut seems to feel the best. At that level my appetite is down, my cravings are gone, and my blood glucose is perfect.
Once I get above 20-30g of carbs, I get hungry and snacky, and as a result I eat more and my BG creeps up. Weight loss usually stalls from those extra calories. It takes me days to weeks to nudge carbs down again. I am in that boat again right now.
I try to keep carbs close to 1500kcal per day. Some days are down to almost 1000kcal and others are over 2000. When carbs are low, I keep it near 1500 with greater ease.
Aha! Interesting tip..... Any idea why carbs > 30g leads to hungry and snacky?
Thanks!
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I try to stay at or below 20g carbs. My calories fluctuate anywhere from 1200-1800. I'm 48 yo male, 6' tall and currently 253lbs. I've lost 52lbs since starting this WOE on Oct 13 of last year. It's been the most successful least difficult weight loss effort of my life. I plan to eat this way permanently.0
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Aha! Interesting tip..... Any idea why carbs > 30g leads to hungry and snacky?
Here's the carb-insulin hypothesis in a single slide (wish I could find a better image):
On the left is the glycemic response. Somewhat different for each us, but whenever you have a glucose dip, the theory says it stimulates hunger.
On the right is the effect of insulin levels on fat oxidation. You can see how sensitive it is at the lower levels. The more you can reduce insulin, the more fat you'll metabolize.
So the trick is finding the two curves that work well for you. The more insulin resistant you are, the more you'll need to restrict carbs.0 -
Trying for 30 g net carbs per day or less - managing it, but I eat a LOT of Atkins prepared meals. Pre-measured and ready made is a Godsend for my hectic schedule, even if the tradeoff is it's not freshly prepared. It's done wonders for my fasting glucose and I don't go through the day feeling like I could gnaw my own arm off.
Research has shown low carb is excellent for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease too. I'm only down 8 pounds currently - 47 more to go - but my husband lost 80 pounds in 2 years following a low-carb diet, so there you go.
I'm currently planning to go over my macros and micros to make sure when I transition to a maintenance diet I'm getting all the nutrients in balance.0 -
5% carb (<20g), 25% protein and 70% fat. To treat gut Candida imbalance, I started on 20%carb, 20% protein and 60% fat which doctor recommended including no sugars/startches/fruits/artificial sweeteners. I still follow diet 4 mths later but have reduced carbs further having seen results from others here. Feel great. Personally, experiments are still inconclusive but I suspect my body does not care so much regarding total carb in terms of very low to low carb.0
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I try to stay under 20g per day. Lower if possible. Carnivore with dairy and coconut seems to feel the best. At that level my appetite is down, my cravings are gone, and my blood glucose is perfect.
Once I get above 20-30g of carbs, I get hungry and snacky, and as a result I eat more and my BG creeps up. Weight loss usually stalls from those extra calories. It takes me days to weeks to nudge carbs down again. I am in that boat again right now.
I try to keep carbs close to 1500kcal per day. Some days are down to almost 1000kcal and others are over 2000. When carbs are low, I keep it near 1500 with greater ease.
Aha! Interesting tip..... Any idea why carbs > 30g leads to hungry and snacky?
Thanks!
I think @wabmester probably nailed it. I had prediabetes which I think was set off by steroids. Losing weight to get into the mid-normal BMI range has not made managing my blood glucose any easier. I have had issues with low blood pressure and reactive hypoglycemia (BG dips to below starting levels after a brief rise after eating). Because I have stubborn insulin resistance, and possibly because I feel the BG lows (due to low BP) maybe I am more likely to turn to to food for a pick me up during my BG roller coaster.... Or maybe it is just years of bad habits that are hard to break. Or both!? LOL
Supposedly the carb-insulin hypothesis has been disproved by someone, but it sure made a LOT of sense for my situation. I gained at least half of my weight after becoming prediabetic.0 -
I'm usually at about 20-60 grams carbs per day, total calories at about 1200-1800 per day, and I've been losing about 1.5-2lbs per week.0
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My goals have been 1350 calories, 20-30 gm net carbs per day. I started about 18 lbs from goal weight. I met that goal in 2.5 months and decided to aim a little lower.
I'm 39, 5'7" and have PCOS. My weight is relatively low for my height but I don't have much lean muscle mass. I'm moving toward recomping now, eating closer to maintenance still LCHF and trying to get into a good strength and HIIT routine.0 -
I'm a diabetic trying to get off insulin and lose weight. I was at 35 net carbs and was progressively lowering my insulin injections, but I couldn't get rid of my last 20 units of insulin. So I took it down to 20 net carbs, blood glucose still wouldn't budge and actually started going up, I've just refined my meal plans to eliminate 7 grams of Quest carbs and am staying around 8-13 total carbs. I think I'm going to be able to finally get down to 15 units of insulin as of tomorrow, but I need to get my butt to the gym. I know exercise will help me get off my insulin all together and it doesn't take much effort for me to see the benefits to my blood glucose levels, at least it hasn't before.
On top of already being very overweight, I gained 60 lbs after starting insulin, so I'm determined to get off it so that it no longer affects my weight. So my carb levels are very much dictated by my blood glucose levels.0 -
I did 20g for most of last year and lost very little - 9 kg in about 10 months - (carbs were coming mainly from cauliflower/broccoli/zucchini/etc).
Just after Xmas I've cut out all vegetables. My carbs are now at about 10 - 13 tops. Some days 6.
I've dropped 6kg since Xmas, which is pretty much what I lost in 6 months eating vegetables.
My calories are sitting at about 1550 to 1600, but I tend to eat more on a Saturday. Still less carbs, but more food, up to about 2200 cals.
Not sure it makes sense, my MIL often tells me I'm being stupid, no one ever got fat from eating vegetables, but results can't be argued with IMO.0 -
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Wow, you guys are really low carb.
I think I'm doing good when I'm below 50 carbs a day. I'm only losing a half pound a week so maybe I should look at reducing my carbs more. I don't pay attention to calories because some days I'm really low and some days I'm over what the calorie counters believe I should eat to lose weight.
I'm following the Always Hungry diet and I have never felt better in my life. All the aches and pains I had in my hands and ankles went away. I'm well over 50 and have RA in my hands and ankles. Well, I use to any way. There were times my hands hurt so bad that I could not reach for my drink. I wish I had discovered LCHF dieting long ago. Like before I signed up for weight watchers and quit after 6 months because I was so hungry.0 -
I love this forum! And seeing all the different approaches! I learn so much from reading here!
I started Atkins Feb 1. I have kept carbs at or under 20g per day for the most part. I aimed for 5/20/75 macros but I seem to realistically tap out at 6/25/69...
I originally set myself up with 1800 cals per day. I've lost 9 pounds so far. I ended up doing some calculator thing here and I came up with 1660 for a moderately easy and sustainable deficit. So I paired down the cals a few days ago. So far, so good....0 -
I have lost 17 pounds in a month on keto. I am 57, 5' 7", and started at 217. Finally under 200 (barely). I am at 1300 cal, macros at 5/25/70.0
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cedarsidefarm wrote: »Wow, you guys are really low carb.
I think I'm doing good when I'm below 50 carbs a day. I'm only losing a half pound a week so maybe I should look at reducing my carbs more. I don't pay attention to calories because some days I'm really low and some days I'm over what the calorie counters believe I should eat to lose weight.
I'm following the Always Hungry diet and I have never felt better in my life. All the aches and pains I had in my hands and ankles went away. I'm well over 50 and have RA in my hands and ankles. Well, I use to any way. There were times my hands hurt so bad that I could not reach for my drink. I wish I had discovered LCHF dieting long ago. Like before I signed up for weight watchers and quit after 6 months because I was so hungry.
It seems pretty low carbs around here lately.... Maybe more carbs in the summer was the norm? Last summer we even had one member who consistently ate 200+g of carbs per day but he was so active, and eating his carbs around his extremely long bike rides, that he was making ketones. Carb levels that work for one may not work for another. Everyone around here is very accepting of that.
I have some autoimmune arthritis that has cleared up too.. I had a minor flare up when I first went low carb, and I have had a hint of inflammation when I let my carbs creep up, but overall I have found a LCHF diet to be a miracle cure. . I hope you have continued success! 0 -
I had aching in my joints over the past year that cleared up when I started keto. I'm not even sure what caused it; I do have MS but was wondering if I was developing arthritis. I was thrilled to see it go though!0
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Ok, I've got one for you - can you reliably estimate insulin resistance with glucose measurements alone, or do you also need to measure insulin levels?
Thanks again.
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Ever had a lipid panel? High triglycerides and low HDL seem to be a pretty good marker for insulin resistance.0
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Yes.
But don't triglycerides tend to bounce around quite a bit? (And I take lipid meds....).
I suppose the best method is to test each food carefully with a glucose meter and lay off anything that produces too sharp of a spike....0 -
I think if you ever experience the feeling of low blood sugar, the shaky, gotta eat right now or I'm gonna die feeling, it's a pretty safe assumption there's some insulin resistance going on.
My thinking is that unless your pancreas gave you too much insulin, you wouldn't have the low blood sugar. If your pancreas tends to give you too much insulin, it makes sense that it's related to a need for extra insulin, because of the resistance.
My sister has fought with low blood sugar for many years. I remember telling her that she probably has high blood sugar in between the lows because I know how she ate and I just kept thinking that it makes absolutely no sense that eats the amount of sugar and bread and frackers that she does and has low blood sugar. I recall her getting defensive about it. Practically barking at me, "I don't have high blood sugar. I have low blood sugar. I need to eat more stuff like this!"
Fast forward and she's T2D and 100+ pounds heavier and still won't listen to me.
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I like my carbs to come in around 28-35 a day. I am a rebel and cannot just stick with an even 30. 0
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »I think if you ever experience the feeling of low blood sugar, the shaky, gotta eat right now or I'm gonna die feeling, it's a pretty safe assumption there's some insulin resistance going on.
My thinking is that unless your pancreas gave you too much insulin, you wouldn't have the low blood sugar. If your pancreas tends to give you too much insulin, it makes sense that it's related to a need for extra insulin, because of the resistance.
My sister has fought with low blood sugar for many years. I remember telling her that she probably has high blood sugar in between the lows because I know how she ate and I just kept thinking that it makes absolutely no sense that eats the amount of sugar and bread and frackers that she does and has low blood sugar. I recall her getting defensive about it. Practically barking at me, "I don't have high blood sugar. I have low blood sugar. I need to eat more stuff like this!"
Fast forward and she's T2D and 100+ pounds heavier and still won't listen to me.
Oy, vay.
I can't recall ever feeling that I was experiencing a high or low , whether it was blood pressure, glucose, or lipids.
It just is what it is.... but what it is is better than what it isn't, which is what it was.0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »I think if you ever experience the feeling of low blood sugar, the shaky, gotta eat right now or I'm gonna die feeling, it's a pretty safe assumption there's some insulin resistance going on.
My thinking is that unless your pancreas gave you too much insulin, you wouldn't have the low blood sugar. If your pancreas tends to give you too much insulin, it makes sense that it's related to a need for extra insulin, because of the resistance.
My sister has fought with low blood sugar for many years. I remember telling her that she probably has high blood sugar in between the lows because I know how she ate and I just kept thinking that it makes absolutely no sense that eats the amount of sugar and bread and frackers that she does and has low blood sugar. I recall her getting defensive about it. Practically barking at me, "I don't have high blood sugar. I have low blood sugar. I need to eat more stuff like this!"
Fast forward and she's T2D and 100+ pounds heavier and still won't listen to me.
Oy, vay.
I can't recall ever feeling that I was experiencing a high or low , whether it was blood pressure, glucose, or lipids.
It just is what it is.... but what it is is better than what it isn't, which is what it was.
Ok Dr Suess!
I'm not sure what you're talking about. For realz. Lol0 -
I haven't done the really low carb thing yet. Mostly in the 50-75 g range. Have lost 15 lbs in the last month , Since mid January. Dr. was impressed today. T2 D . Have been watching the sodium and when I feel low blood sugar am having pickle and ham or a cheese stick instead of something higher carb. That plus more water. It seems to be working well. I'm so thankful for all the insights and info from this group.0
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