What Is The Real Answer To How Many Carbs Per Day To Lose Weight?



There is no exact reply to "how many carbs per day to lose weight." There are a whole host of variables affecting each individual's ideal intake of carbs. The list of factors is too extensive to give here but the main ones to consider are genes, age, sex, height and weight and your daily level of activity. The last factor is particularly significant because the greater our level of activity is the more we need carbs and the more flexibility we can have in our diet.

As more and more of us become overweight, more and more of us need to know how many carbs per day to lose weight. Increasingly research is being undertaken to find out how much we need carbs, or not, in our diet and what effect different levels of carbs have on our bodies.

I think, however, that it would be beneficial to have some basic guidelines to help determine how many carbs you need per day to lose weight. Recent research suggests that there are five levels of carb intake, each having different impacts on the body.



Lean Belly Breakthrough

Lean Belly Breakthrough 



Level 1: 300+ grams per day. This is known as the danger zone and it is the zone into which more and more of the so-called developed world is falling.Most of us who struggle with our weight have no trouble reaching this level of carbohydrate intake. A modern western diet which is made up of processed foods, grains, cereals, pasta, sodas, sweets, cookies etc easily reaches this level and it poses huge health risks and leads to excess weight gain, dangerous body fat levels, diabetes, cancers and other diseases and ailments which are too numerous to mention. Therefore, in order to lead a healthy life and lose weight, carb intake must be reduced to sensible levels.

Level 2: 150 - 300 grams per day. At this level there will still be relentless weight gains over a long period of time. These high levels of carb intake cause increased production of insulin which has the effect of preventing the body from burning fat which can lead to all manner of medical conditions as mentioned above. Remarkably, this is the level of carb intake recommended by the US Department Of Agriculture. Research shows that people who are at this level will expect to gain around 1.5lbs of fat every year for 40 years

Level 3: 100-150 grams per day. This range is believed to be the optimal level for weight maintenance i.e. it allows you to stay at your optimal, healthy weight. A diet high in fruit and vegetables should be easily maintained at this level provided foods high in sugars and bad carbs are avoided.

Level 4: 50-100 grams per day. In order to lose weight safely and healthily, this level is recommended. Carb intake at this level will lessen the production of insulin, thus facilitating higher levels of fat burning in the body. Weight loss of between 1 and 2 lbs per week can be expected at this level, provided fat and protein requirements are met. (usually through the consumption of fruits and vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, seeds and nuts.) Because the weight loss will be at a sensible pace, there is a much greater chance that the weight loss will be permanent with less chance of the yo-yo effect occurring. When weight loss targets have been attained, you can transfer into the maintenance zone as explained above.

Level 5: 0-50 grams per day. These levels of carb intake should only be attempted for rapid, short-term weight loss. It should only be used for very short periods of time and only if there is adequate intake of fat and protein. This may necessitate taking supplements. Prolonged use of these levels of carb intake can lead to severe health issues because of the deficiency of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, protein and fat.

These are only general guidelines which can be adapted to your own individual needs but I hope they will help you understand how many carbs per day to lose weight.


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