Help- How Many Carbs are needed a day?
Replies
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I'm consuming 1030 or less a day, too, and it is SLOW going! I'm 54 and started out weighing 178 five weeks ago. Have lost only 4 pounds. I walk an average of 3 miles a day (briskly). I'm not sure about the carbs, so can't answer your question. I'm trying hard to increase my protein intake.
It's very frustrating to get on the scales (and too tempting not to!) and they go up and down half a pound or a pound with no reason from one day to the next. So, I feel with you!!! Just keep doing it! It takes longer than they tell you it will. Maybe some of us really have sluggish metabolisms. MFP tells me every night that if I keep up, I'll weight 166 pounds in five weeks. It's been telling me that for five weeks so I no longer believe it! ;-)
Did your doctor put you on such a restricted caloric diet, or did you do that yourself? If the latter, it is not medically advisable (without doctor approval and supervision) to go under 1200 calories a day, especially when you are exercising. You can cause a lot of harm to your body over time doing that, even if you feel ok. Your body (under such severe restrictions) will get to a point where you can't lose weight, because of the restrain of being on such a restricted diet.
Be careful.1 -
Hi there, use this calculator http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
I entered your data and it gives you this:
Daily Calorie Requirements
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) 1422
Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE) 1707
Daily calories based on goal in step 6 1365 <<<
THIS IS BASED ON LITTLE ACTIVITY, AND LOSING 20% OF YOUR TDEE
Nutrient values in each meal
Number Meals 3 meals/day
Calories Per Meal - 455
45% Protein 51 grams - 204 calories (approx. TOTAL for the day 612)
35% Carbohydrates 39 grams - 159 calories (TOTAL for the day 477)
20% Fat 10 grams - 91 calories (TOTAL for the day 273)
What I have learned is that if you provide your body lower nutrients and calories than what it needs you are doing it a disservice by slowing your metabolism (and making it harder to lose the weight). You should up your calorie intake.
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from my fitness pal, tracking and weigh any other meat. my fitness pal says women dieting should consume 1000- 1200 per day.
1200 is the minimum recommended intake, and MFP will not give a goal less than that. I eat 1480 net to lose a pound a week.
If you aren't weighing everything, you should start to, as it sounds like you're eating more than you think. Five pounds in three weeks is excellent results, actually, but that may slow down if you aren't logging accurately.I'm losing weight with 50-60% of my daily calories from carbs. Eating fewer calories than your body is using during the day is what's required for weight loss, not specific amounts of each macro. Also, weight loss isn't linear.
Are you using a food scale to weigh all solids and measuring cups/spoons for all liquids?
5 pounds in 4 weeks is actually a good weight loss rate, especially if you don't have much to lose.
Thank you , I have 40 pds to lose , working hard but have a real physical job and not exercising .
What sort of job? And what do you want to do about carbs?
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If you have lost 5lbs, in 3 weeks, on a caloric deficit, and have not mentioned having a medical issue, why do you keep reverting back to carbs? Sounds to me like you are losing just fine, and are only making things more complicated by being concerned with a macro that may or may not be an issue worth worrying about.0
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you dont have to go that low
1200 is the minimum
I lost 101 pounds in 8.5 months and no low carb at all. Just eating around 1200 the first 2 months..then i went to 1300 for some months and now 1400.
And i didn't cut out any carb at all.1 -
If you lower your calorie intake to extremes, your body thinks it is in starvation mode and slows down your metabolism to hang on to every calorie so you won't starve. Many a dieter has ruined his/hermetabolism with severe limiting of caloric intake. In terms of low carb living, Jimmy Moore lost over 100 pounds and has many excellent FREE podcasts with excellent interviews of health and medical professionals. Go to iTunes to download.-3
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You don't NEED any carbs, though it would be difficult and unsustainable to try to eat that way.
How many G/day of carbs are you eating now?1 -
from my fitness pal, tracking and weigh any other meat. my fitness pal says women dieting should consume 1000- 1200 per day.
1200 is the minimum recommended intake, and MFP will not give a goal less than that. I eat 1480 net to lose a pound a week.
If you aren't weighing everything, you should start to, as it sounds like you're eating more than you think. Five pounds in three weeks is excellent results, actually, but that may slow down if you aren't logging accurately.
Mfp will give results if it's at least 1000 calories a day. I try to eat between 1000-1200 a day and I'm always under 1200 unless it's a gym day and it always shows me progress reports1 -
yes itreducing carbs wont make you lose weight faster if the amount of calories per day still stays the same. So if you cut carbs down low but increase protein and fats and at the end or the day your total calories would have been the same whether it came from mostly carbs or very little from carbs you will still lose the same amount. Does this make sense?
yes it does make sense , and my calories are right at 1000 and low carb because I was so addicted to sweet and unhealthy eating habbits.azulvioleta6 wrote: »You don't NEED any carbs, though it would be difficult and unsustainable to try to eat that way.
How many G/day of carbs are you eating now?
50 carbs per day , thank you .0 -
The answer is 0. You need zero carbs. Your body can make any glycogen needed for brain function etc from protein. You can go as low as you want. Plenty of people do extremely well health wise eating just meat and fat. I have been under 20g a day for over 4 years. I have never been healthier.0
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reducing carbs wont make you lose weight faster if the amount of calories per day still stays the same. So if you cut carbs down low but increase protein and fats and at the end or the day your total calories would have been the same whether it came from mostly carbs or very little from carbs you will still lose the same amount. Does this make sense?
Actually not true. Cutting carbs and eating the same calories often does result in increased weightloss. A calorie is not a calorie, the human body is a little more complex than, say, a car.0 -
EbonyDahlia wrote: »reducing carbs wont make you lose weight faster if the amount of calories per day still stays the same. So if you cut carbs down low but increase protein and fats and at the end or the day your total calories would have been the same whether it came from mostly carbs or very little from carbs you will still lose the same amount. Does this make sense?
Actually not true. Cutting carbs and eating the same calories often does result in increased weightloss. A calorie is not a calorie, the human body is a little more complex than, say, a car.
A 500 cal deficit on low carb vs 500 cal deficit on high carb/high protein will result in the exact same weight loss overall (1lb per week). The only difference with low carb is the initial water weight/glycogen drop in the beginning of the diet.
A calorie is a unit of measurement of energy, so yes, a calorie is a calorie. Sorry to burst your bubble. Nutrition does not equal calories, but that does not negate the importance of nutrition.6 -
cerise_noir wrote: »EbonyDahlia wrote: »reducing carbs wont make you lose weight faster if the amount of calories per day still stays the same. So if you cut carbs down low but increase protein and fats and at the end or the day your total calories would have been the same whether it came from mostly carbs or very little from carbs you will still lose the same amount. Does this make sense?
Actually not true. Cutting carbs and eating the same calories often does result in increased weightloss. A calorie is not a calorie, the human body is a little more complex than, say, a car.
A 500 cal deficit on low carb vs 500 cal deficit on high carb/high protein will result in the exact same weight loss overall (1lb per week). The only difference with low carb is the initial water weight/glycogen drop in the beginning of the diet.
A calorie is a unit of measurement of energy, so yes, a calorie is a calorie. Sorry to burst your bubble. Nutrition does not equal calories, but that does not negate the importance of nutrition.
We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. In my personal experience, and what I've observed from others eating low carb - 1500 calories high carb and 1500 calories low carb do not produce the exact same results over time.0 -
EbonyDahlia wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »EbonyDahlia wrote: »reducing carbs wont make you lose weight faster if the amount of calories per day still stays the same. So if you cut carbs down low but increase protein and fats and at the end or the day your total calories would have been the same whether it came from mostly carbs or very little from carbs you will still lose the same amount. Does this make sense?
Actually not true. Cutting carbs and eating the same calories often does result in increased weightloss. A calorie is not a calorie, the human body is a little more complex than, say, a car.
A 500 cal deficit on low carb vs 500 cal deficit on high carb/high protein will result in the exact same weight loss overall (1lb per week). The only difference with low carb is the initial water weight/glycogen drop in the beginning of the diet.
A calorie is a unit of measurement of energy, so yes, a calorie is a calorie. Sorry to burst your bubble. Nutrition does not equal calories, but that does not negate the importance of nutrition.
We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. In my personal experience, and what I've observed from others eating low carb - 1500 calories high carb and 1500 calories low carb do not produce the exact same results over time.
Which results?1 -
Holy necro thread Batman!
Eating below 1200 calories is not healthy or safe unless it has been prescribed by a competent doctor & you're being very carefully monitored.0 -
EbonyDahlia wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »EbonyDahlia wrote: »reducing carbs wont make you lose weight faster if the amount of calories per day still stays the same. So if you cut carbs down low but increase protein and fats and at the end or the day your total calories would have been the same whether it came from mostly carbs or very little from carbs you will still lose the same amount. Does this make sense?
Actually not true. Cutting carbs and eating the same calories often does result in increased weightloss. A calorie is not a calorie, the human body is a little more complex than, say, a car.
A 500 cal deficit on low carb vs 500 cal deficit on high carb/high protein will result in the exact same weight loss overall (1lb per week). The only difference with low carb is the initial water weight/glycogen drop in the beginning of the diet.
A calorie is a unit of measurement of energy, so yes, a calorie is a calorie. Sorry to burst your bubble. Nutrition does not equal calories, but that does not negate the importance of nutrition.
We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. In my personal experience, and what I've observed from others eating low carb - 1500 calories high carb and 1500 calories low carb do not produce the exact same results over time.
All studies I have looked into show that initially LCHF diets have a greater weight loss (mainly water) but after 12 months there is no difference at all.1 -
BasicGreatGuy wrote: »I'm consuming 1030 or less a day, too, and it is SLOW going! I'm 54 and started out weighing 178 five weeks ago. Have lost only 4 pounds. I walk an average of 3 miles a day (briskly). I'm not sure about the carbs, so can't answer your question. I'm trying hard to increase my protein intake.
It's very frustrating to get on the scales (and too tempting not to!) and they go up and down half a pound or a pound with no reason from one day to the next. So, I feel with you!!! Just keep doing it! It takes longer than they tell you it will. Maybe some of us really have sluggish metabolisms. MFP tells me every night that if I keep up, I'll weight 166 pounds in five weeks. It's been telling me that for five weeks so I no longer believe it! ;-)
Did your doctor put you on such a restricted caloric diet, or did you do that yourself? If the latter, it is not medically advisable (without doctor approval and supervision) to go under 1200 calories a day, especially when you are exercising. You can cause a lot of harm to your body over time doing that, even if you feel ok. Your body (under such severe restrictions) will get to a point where you can't lose weight, because of the restrain of being on such a restricted diet.
Be careful.
If I didn't exercise and wanted to lose weight I'd be restricted to around 1000 calories and I don't need a doctor to tell me this. Why? At 4'11 my TDEE is slightly less than 1400 so at 1200 I'd be losing less than a pound a month. My BMR is actually less than 1200. Us shorties may have a different set of rules as we approach goal weight but for the majority of the population 1200 calories would not be advised.0 -
60% of my calories are carbs. Lost over 60 pounds.
Crap. Old thread.0 -
With low carb you're best researching for what suits you as there are many different kinds like paleo, keto and atkins. I believe low carb can be anything under 100g a day but not entirely sure. I eat less than 20g net carbs a day but it's more a preference for that type of lifestyle - I'm not fussed on rice or bread etc. It's defo not for everyone. The most important thing is your calories/CICO.
My calorie goal is 1310 (I stick to 1200) less than 20g carbs, at least 30% of protein and then fats till I'm full or reach my goal. Down 25.5lbs since mid-Jan.0 -
yes itreducing carbs wont make you lose weight faster if the amount of calories per day still stays the same. So if you cut carbs down low but increase protein and fats and at the end or the day your total calories would have been the same whether it came from mostly carbs or very little from carbs you will still lose the same amount. Does this make sense?
yes it does make sense , and my calories are right at 1000 and low carb because I was so addicted to sweet and unhealthy eating habbits.azulvioleta6 wrote: »You don't NEED any carbs, though it would be difficult and unsustainable to try to eat that way.
How many G/day of carbs are you eating now?
50 carbs per day , thank you .
Welcome back, OP. Since you've bumped your thread after nearly two years, have you made progress with your plan? Are you near your goal?
Long term restriction to very low calorie levels can lead to serious problems, so I hope you're having you're doctor monitor your health as you are doing this.
If you are close to your goal, what will your maintenance level be?
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EbonyDahlia wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »EbonyDahlia wrote: »reducing carbs wont make you lose weight faster if the amount of calories per day still stays the same. So if you cut carbs down low but increase protein and fats and at the end or the day your total calories would have been the same whether it came from mostly carbs or very little from carbs you will still lose the same amount. Does this make sense?
Actually not true. Cutting carbs and eating the same calories often does result in increased weightloss. A calorie is not a calorie, the human body is a little more complex than, say, a car.
A 500 cal deficit on low carb vs 500 cal deficit on high carb/high protein will result in the exact same weight loss overall (1lb per week). The only difference with low carb is the initial water weight/glycogen drop in the beginning of the diet.
A calorie is a unit of measurement of energy, so yes, a calorie is a calorie. Sorry to burst your bubble. Nutrition does not equal calories, but that does not negate the importance of nutrition.
We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. In my personal experience, and what I've observed from others eating low carb - 1500 calories high carb and 1500 calories low carb do not produce the exact same results over time.
Okaaay. Cool.1 -
There are a lot of free macro nutrient calculators out there. Here is one you can try and model several different ways: http://macronutrientcalculator.com/. There are a number of people on here with lots of different opinions and experiences. The bottom line is that most people don't think that you can provide your body with enough vitamins and nutrients on 1,000 calories per day. I happen to believe that it can be done but that you absolutely have to be careful and probably should consult with your doctor about it from a health perspective.
Some of the responders make some really good points. 5 lbs lost in 3 weeks is pretty good progress. I am actually somewhat surprised like the rest that your results aren't even more than that with this low calorie intake. That suggests that you may be logging but not necessarily getting your portions sizes logged properly. A food scale and measuring spoons/cups might help if you are not already using them. Calorie labels on all foods have a margin of error of up to 20% which really adds up; especially if you are not getting your portion sizes correct.
You should really try to get your macro nutrient mix right for your particular health and diet beliefs. Changes to the macro nutrient mix will not significantly impact your weight loss results. Calories in versus Calories out (CICO) is the determining factor in weight loss. Macro Nutrient mix will impact the toll that the weight loss will have on your body. Most diets stress high protein for muscle maintenance during weight loss. This is the reason why most diets cut carbs in lieu of protein content. Your body needs carbs and good fats. Be careful not to cut them too far.
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