how many carbs should i try to stay under
 

I have decided to try a low carb diet. i have heard in the past to stay under 100 carbs per day is that correct. what else do i need to know. i know i should probably find some book on it. what book would you suggest and which low carb plan. nothing else is working for me. i have been exsercing for two and a half months and have gained 4 pounds. i have been a low calorie diet. staying between 1200 to 1500 calories and i cant lose something is definatly wrong.
I NEED HELP PLEASE!!
thanks for any responses:^:

Personally I try to stay below 100 grams and the weight is steadily coming off since I restarted in January. My average right now is just over 2 lbs a week :)

I generally eat a south beach diet lifestyle and that's a great diet- I just had to make sure I still stayed under 100 grams because for me anything about that and I stop losing weight.

Is there anything else i should know about a south beach diet? I have a friend who told me she lost 10 pounds this month so far on a low carb diet, but not which one. and what kind of book would you recommend so i can really get started. i am already up to 60 carbs today due to late night snacking which i am still trying to contain.
thanks :)

I think on amazon there are a few different south beach diet books and used ones are very affordable. I think the one I got was just the regular south beach diet book.

http://www.amazon.com/South-Beach-Di...7462806&sr=8-4

Can't beat it for $2. :)

I mean for me Atkins is too severe and when I did it I became very ill to the point my doctor said my gall bladder was suffering. I was vomitting after meals a month in to it and my doctor said that was what it was and told me to try south beach instead.

I just got the "17 Day Diet" and liked that because its all spelled out for you NO COUNTING carbs or calories. Its all portions and easy to follow. There are several stages of 17 days and with each you change it up getting your metabolism to kick in and then readjust. Check it out! This is my 4th day and I have already lost 2 lbs. My goal is 20lbs.

I found there are a ton of informational videos on YouTube. I'm trying the ketogenic diet. You hear of people even losing 8 pounds in the first week. I'm only on day 3 and kinda fighting a headache today but not bad and only slightly cravings.cruise the videos and learn all about the diets to find one that is right for you. Good luck.

You don't really need a book. There is so much information available on the internet. First off, you need to be sure you know what a carb is. My BIL's doctor told him to cut back on carbohydrates but he doesn't know what a carb is. Everything he eats is a carb.

I would start out cutting back on sweets, bread, pasta, rice, fruit, the obvious starchy carbs and drink a lot of water. If you can comfortably start at 100 gm an day, do that and see if you start to lose. If, not, cut back by 10 grams at a time, until you find the level where you can lose, but not feel deprived. Everyone is different and everyone will lose at a different carb count.

I am thinking the Atkins diet says 40 carbs a day but 100 would work well too, sugar and white flour are evil to me, I gain weight looking at them lol

I recommend the Whole30 and Mark's Daily Apple websites - no book needed. Mark's "carb curve" article is especially great!
Start by noticing how many carbs you usually eat in a day - aim for under 100 afterwards :) You'll figure out with time what works best for you.
Some people have very bad withdrawl - I prefer to "transition" than go cold turkey :)