I'm sure this question has come up before but I am
asking again. Just what is a low carb diet or way of
eating? How few carbs do you need to get to before
you can say you are on a low carb way of eating? I
know Atkins starts at around 20 carbs a day but I
understand it is one of the more strict plans. What
is your best guess at how many carbs you can eat
a day and still be low carbing? SMW

This sort of depends who you ask. I don't know that there is a definitive authority on this question. A few years ago I was writing some weight loss material for patients and reviewing various diet materials and I divided diets into three categories: low fat, low glycemic, and low carb. I used less than 100 grams of carb/day as my definition of low carb but some people would lump all the low glycemic diets (south beach, sonoma, schwartzbein etc.) into the low carb category as well. It depends on your perspective. I hope this was helpful.

Without question, the most popular and well known low carb "diet" is Atkins and in general, the more you restrict your carbs, the quicker you will lose weight which accounts for the popularity of Atkins. However, there are other "diets" that people would unequivocally label low carb such as Protein Power (40 grams/day) and Four Corners (50 grams/day). They are based on the same theory of changing your metabolism from a carbohydrate burning metabolism to fat burning. Some that have higher carb counts, like Fat Flush, have other elements into the theory behind them. This may be more info than you wanted.

There's sooo many theories about how much (carbs) is too much, bla bla bla...it can be confusing for a newbee. The info posted by both Jersey & Petra is both very very accurate (in my opinion). For me...to just keep it simple in my mind...instead of focusing too much on details (which...believe me can confuse and scramble your brain cells)...I just follow the "no-white" approach (i.e., breads, sugar, ya know...processed crap!) I make sure that everything I buy (for me...that is..have a 9yr old)..has 2grams or less carbs/serving. This way...I'm assured I'm not getting too many carbs. Another simple way to make sure you're going "low-carb" enough...is to use those "Ketostix"...even if your in a very light shade of pink (which I'm usually in)...it means you've stayed low enough in your carb intake to enter into "Ketosis" which is the magical state your body goes into when it's burning fat for energy instead of glucose (sugar/carbs). Hope this helps as well. Happy low-carbin sista! Joyce

If you are still in the stage where you are trying to figure out which diet approach you want to try, you should read Living the Low Carb Life by Jonny Bowden. This is book explains extremely well why low carb works, why it is good for our bodies, why sugar-free products are not the gift that we are told they are. He also reviews fourteen low carb diets on the market today and gives them a rating.

You can try all of the diets and decide for yourself which one works best for you. However, I would say which ever plan you ultimately chose, buy and read the book for yourself. Do not use what others say you should eat according to the diet.

Good luck.

Excellent book. I also highly recommend it. I'm a big Johnny Bowden fan in general.

Orrrr.....you could spend endless hours on the net and get more confused! My point is...I spent alot of time searching..searching...and with so much literature out there to read...with so many different approaches...it can be confusing AND "time consuming"!

All that time spent reading...listening to others...and then reading some more would better be spent at the gym...or going for a long walk...Atkins is simple...and they're many variations...there are "no magic foods" to eat. Sugar free deserts don't "make you fat"...YOU CAN have foods YOU LIKE..believe me...I'm living proof! I've maintained my weight (never becoming obese) living this way!

It's just annoying to me that some folk think the only way to be healthy..or be trim is to be "robotic", "bitter", "cult-like"! It's just not true...but in the end...(as you'll see in alot of my posts)...I encourage you to "listen to your body"...get the basics about low-carb (read the book) and most importantly...ENJOY YOUR NEW LIFESTYLE (whatever it is)...that way, you'll actually stick to it! Wishing you success slowmovin! Joyce

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts on what is eating low carb.
I was more curious as to what every one thinks of as eating low
carb than a perfect answer. My on research suggests that a
person taking in about 2000 calories a day would need between
230 and 300 carbs. Therefore I think those who suggested 100
carbs or below as a bench mark for low carbing are in the right
ball park. That would be half the carbs the average person should
take in and I think half and below what is recommended could
certainly be called low carbing. I am going to look for the book
some of you suggested. I agree that the kinds of carbs you eat
can be important. Whole grains, veggies and fruits are best and
leave the sugar and empty calories alone. Thanks again for your
thoughts. SMW

SMW--

I think that the "typical American diet", as recommended by the FDA-types is 50-60% calories from carbohydrates per day.

"Low carb" can be anywhere between 0-40% of calories from carbohydrate, depending on which plan you follow.

Atkins is on the "Very Low Carb" end of the scale, where getting your body into the state of ketosis and keeping it there is more or less the goal. (usually 0-15% from carbs, depending on what phase of the diet you're in and which "version" of Atkins you're using). Something like Zone and South Beach are on the "moderate" carb end of the scale at about 30% calories from carbs.

I think which diet you choose to follow with Low Carb depends entirely on how you react to the different takes on Low Carb, and what's manageable for your lifestyle.