I'm curious as to what the daily carb limit is for those here. I'm sure it's different for everyone to some degree, but I'd like to see what limits people have for those who are trying to lose and not maintain.
I stay below 50g per day, although I aim for under 20. 20 is the "induction" limit for Atkins. If you look at the primal blueprint recommendations (the carb curve) it says that anything under 100 grams is optimal for weight loss.
Honestly though, it's really personal. I do recommend though that if you're just now going low carb that you read up on "carb flu", which is basically the detox that happens when you go low carb. For up to two weeks you can feel lousy, but salt, magnesium and broth help a lot with that.
I always tell everyone to give it two weeks. Usually within a week I feel fantastic, even if I've been high carb for months.
Keep in mind that just by cutting out a lot of the junkier food and focusing on vegetables meat and fruit you can lower your carbs substantially (If you were eating that stuff before). This may work if you're less of a counter, more of a moderation person.
I never counted. I figured once eating mostly whole foods and cutting out all grains, I'd be fine.
I also had very loose time goals. Time is irrelevant to me, even weight more or less. It's all about health.
I'd have been happy with 50lbs gone in one year. And I was hoping for 200 by the end of 2014. 198 as of today. I also don't think I ever hit ketosis and that wasn't a goal of mine either.
I think self-experimentation is most important. You will figure out what works. So once the framework of no grains and whole foods, my particular framework, was in place, then everything just kind of worked itself out.
Right now I am staying under 100 grams total. I was losing weight rapidly (for me) on under 30 net carbs but I am taking a break. Just aiming to maintain for awhile. My weight is lower than it has been in 35 years and I need to adjust to it. Need to verify that I am living a food lifestyle that I can stick to and maintain my weight long term.
I just can not express the difference having a low carb diet has made in my life!
I don't have any limit. I am completely unaware of any limit but when i do a fitness pal calorie count day (rare) the computer does it for me. I believe if your calories are reduced from maintenance, and your proportion of carbs to fats and protein is about what is recommended you will be fine. I will be fine and so far, it has proven to be true.
I don't focus on carbs at all. I focus on nutrition and keeping my overall calories low enough to lose weight but not so low that i get hungry. I am now trying to eat protein at every meal but i have to be honest, i don't always want an egg for breakfast so sometimes i only get whats in the yoghurt or milk and so its not so much.
But I would caution you DO have to work it out for your body. I have been on lots of sites beyond 3FC. There are some people EXTREMELY carb sensitive. They can't have some foods I do, they can't have the amount of carbs I do.
A banana might do some serious negative stuff to them whereas other people can tolerate it. Best to experiment, pay attention, get feedback, look at the scale. You'll work it out over the course of a few weeks or so.
I have been trying to keep it under 50g carbs per day.. I have dieted a lot over the past 40 years and the last 2 1/2 years I have done extreme diets hcg and IP... So I am very carb sensitive I am one who can get fat eating fresh fruit and vegetables.. so I have to keep carbs very low to get the scale to go down... But as Diamond mentioned you have to work it out for you self just try to keep track of of what the scale says and what u eat for a week or 2 and u will have it dialed in for your self ... Best of luck
I don't count carbs. I eat them! Yum! I adhere to a strict low fat, low calorie diet and increase my work out routine daily. I eat fruits, mostly low fat meats, vegetables, one square of dark chocolate daily, and non fat yogurt. I don't eat grains, processed, or dessert type foods. When I started my health routine, I was taking two pills daily for high blood pressure. Last week, I was taken off all blood pressure medications.
Most sites recommend aiming for 50 - 100g carbs per day. I usually start with "under 80" as my goal for the first week in hopes of bypassing the carb flu funk. Being pregnant, I aim for under 80 the whole time because sometimes I just want that banana and indulge.
It's really about finding the right number for you and determining how carb sensitive you are.
My macronutrient ranges are 20% carbs, 30% protein, and 50% fat. I eat 60-70 grams of carbs per day and it's all veggies, fruits, and dairy. I'll sometimes drop a bit lower by cutting some dairy but my body really demands veggies and fruits.
I'm extemely carb sensitive and my body hates grain carbs. Like, a lot. (I only eat grains about twice a month and when I do they are wheat free and/or gluten free). My "magic formula" is <100 I lose, 100 I maintain. >100 I gain.
I have a basic food intake routine and my weekday carbs has been pretty much around 5-7, with maybe up to 10 pending extra cups of coffee i have on the weekend.
Last edited by TheSatinPumpkin; 04-30-2014 at 10:02 PM.
Daily carb limit
