When trying to lose weight, one of the first foods most people cut from their diet is carbohydrates. This assumption is not completely wrong, but it is also not completely correct. Carbohydrates are an important nutrient, but there are many misconceptions about when and how much carbohydrate you can consume in a day.
First, cutting out carbohydrates completely is not necessary for weight loss. In fact, most people can lose weight without drastically cutting back on carbohydrates, says Christy Brissett, RD, owner of 80 Twenty Nutrition in Chicago.
Yes, you read that correctly! “Foods rich in carbohydrates are your allies in weight loss and weight management,” says Charlotte Martin, RDN, owner of Shaped by Charlotte. “They don’t ‘make you fat’ and they don’t prevent you from losing fat if you want to.”
Instead, just shift your focus away from carbohydrates. amount to quality-That means choosing carbohydrates that are high in fiber and less refined in most cases. “You can control your fullness, hunger, overall caloric intake, and by-product of that, weight. No carb or calorie counting required,” says Martin.
Additionally, cutting out carbohydrates can cause other negative side effects. “Dietary fiber is a carbohydrate and is *very* important for feeding your gut bacteria,” says Crystal Scott, RDN. top nutrition coaching. “When you cut out carbohydrates, you’re also cutting out an important source of fiber, which can have a negative impact on your gut bacteria.” Fiber also helps increase the volume of your poop, making it smoother to pass. It can make your intestinal muscles work harder, she added.
meet an expert: Christy Brissette, RD, is the owner of 80 Twenty Nutrition in Chicago. Charlotte Martin, RDN, is the owner of Shaped by Charlotte. Danielle Crumble-Smith, R.D., is the owner of Eat Well Live Well.
First, what exactly are carbohydrates and what do they do?
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, carbohydrates are macronutrients and are the body’s most important source of energy. The digestive system converts carbohydrates into glucose (also known as sugar), which the body uses as energy for cells, tissues, and organs.
Carbohydrates are also divided into two different categories: simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates include dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, include whole grains, starchy vegetables, and legumes.
Your body tends to digest simple carbohydrates faster, while complex carbohydrates provide a longer-lasting source of energy.But you do By the way, a balanced diet requires both types of carbohydrates.
Simple carbohydrates have a reputation for being “bad” carbohydrates, but that’s actually far from the truth. “For example, if you’re a runner or an endurance athlete, consuming simple carbohydrates before a race or training session may help increase your performance by increasing your glycogen stores,” says Eat Well Live Well. explains Daniel Crumble-Smith, MD, owner of . “Eating a bagel or banana with a little almond butter will give you an instant boost of energy.”
Also, for people with hypoglycemia or diabetes, simple carbohydrate intake may be necessary to bring blood sugar levels back into the normal range, she added.
So how many carbohydrates should you eat every day to lose weight?
Dietary guidelines recommend getting 45 to 65 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates, Brissett says. However, because everyone requires a different number of calories each day, there is no set amount of carbohydrates that will fit everyone into a low-carb diet. If you usually know how many calories you consume each day, you can do a little math to find your low-carb range. For example, if a day he takes in 1,800 calories, this corresponds to 203-293 grams of carbohydrates per day.
“Reducing carbohydrates below the 45-65% range is not recommended for most people, as it makes it much more difficult to get all your vitamins and minerals each day,” Brissett says.
With that in mind, finding the sweet spot that’s best for you and your weight loss goals may require some modifications, says Liz Blom, a Minnesota-based nutrition and wellness coach managing says the nutritionist.
If you’re trying to lose weight, she suggests getting about 45 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates and using tools like MyFitnessPal to track your intake. If you’re not losing weight after the first week, Blom says you can try cutting back. On the other hand, if you start to lose weight but start to feel very sluggish, try increasing your carbohydrate intake a little and see how your mood and weight respond.
It’s also important to note that the amount of daily calories you should get from carbohydrates is often influenced by several different factors, including your activity level, body composition, age, and pre-existing medical conditions.
Daniel Schaub, RD, Culinary Nutrition Manager at Territory Foods said: You may want to aim for the lower end of the carbohydrate range if:
- Have diabetes or other metabolic disorders that require stable blood sugar levels and lower insulin levels
- Eating more protein and fat can help you feel fuller and maintain muscle mass, so if you’re struggling to maintain a healthy weight
- You are older and feel that your metabolism slows down with age.
“Dairy products (such as yogurt and cottage cheese), berries (lowest in carbohydrates and highest in fiber of all fruits), seeds, non-starchy vegetables, legumes, and whole grains such as quinoa and oats. ,” says Martin.
On the other hand, Schaub says: You may want to aim for the higher end of your carbohydrate range if:
- I am an athlete who wants to improve my performance.
- An active person with high muscle mass and low body fat.
- suffering from kidney disease.Because a diet high in carbohydrates may reduce the protein filtration load on the kidneys
- Have digestive problems, especially constipation.May improve with a diet rich in fiber, such as whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables
You may want to prioritize eating more carbohydrate-rich fruits (like apples, bananas, and pineapples), starchy vegetables (like potatoes and sweet potatoes), and legumes and grains of all kinds, Martin says.
Still, if you’re trying to lose weight, Blom says you’ll want to make sure your carbohydrate intake doesn’t exceed 65 percent of your daily caloric intake. “This leaves less room for protein and healthy fats, which can lead to satiety and other weight loss benefits,” she points out.
The key to maintaining carbohydrate control is to eat plenty of healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and even dairy products, and keep your intake in check, Blom says. These healthy carbohydrate sources are also high in fiber, so they’ll fill you up faster and curb your appetite than things like pasta or donuts.
What are examples of simple and complex carbohydrates?
We have already discussed the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are quickly and easily digested, while complex carbohydrates take longer (but provide longer-lasting energy).
Examples of simple carbohydrates include:
- fresh fruit and dried fruit
- dairy products
- fruit juice, jam, jelly
- White bread
- white rice and pasta
- candy and soda
- most breakfast cereals
- Sweeteners such as maple syrup or honey
Again, simple carbohydrates are not “bad”, so you don’t need to eliminate them completely. However, choosing complex carbohydrates to increase your carbohydrate intake can lead to weight loss.
Examples of complex carbohydrates include:
- millet
- Chickpea
- rolled oats
- barley
- multigrain hot cereal
- sweet potato
- spelled out
- butternut squash
- potato
- Kamut
- Black bean
- Whole-grain bread
- sprouted grain bread
- whole grain pasta
- Quinoa
- brown rice
- farro
- lentil
- Greenpeace
You can learn more about why these foods fall into the complex carbohydrate category in the gallery below. Ideally, you would primarily consume these types of carbohydrates to supplement your daily carbohydrate intake.
19 complex carbohydrates you should include in your diet
How exactly does a low-carb diet help you lose weight?
At a very basic level, weight loss occurs when the number of calories you burn is less than the number of calories you burn (a calorie deficit). Schaub says a low-carb diet is one way for him to reach his goals, but it’s not the only way. More important than the amount of carbohydrates is the type of carbohydrates you eat. You can get many of the same low-carb benefits by replacing simple carbohydrates, such as refined grains and sugar, with complex carbohydrates, such as carbohydrates from vegetables and legumes.
“Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and dairy products all contain carbohydrates, but they are minimally processed and rich in fiber and other nutrients. These types of carbohydrates “There are no studies that show that eating . . . interferes with healthy weight loss,” explains Schaub. She added that carbohydrates found in processed foods such as pasta, bagels, muffins, crackers, soda, and candy do not contain many nutrients and are a major cause of weight gain and metabolic problems.
For example, in a 2017 review: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health that simple carbohydrates like sugar and sweeteners may increase obesity rates in the population, while complex carbohydrates like whole grain cereals may contribute to lower overall obesity rates. suggests.
Aside from the difference in health benefits between simple and complex carbohydrates, Schaub says there are two other ways a low-carbohydrate diet can lead to weight loss. First, it prevents blood sugar spikes and also improves insulin sensitivity. This means you feel hungry less often and your energy is less likely to be stored as fat.His 2018 research in british medical journal We have found that low-carbohydrate diets increase the amount of calorie energy you burn and may be a reliable way to treat obesity (especially when insulin levels are high).
When you limit carbohydrates, you’re more likely to get more calories from protein and fat instead. Both are more satiating than carbohydrates. “You’ll feel more satisfied with what you’re eating, so you may eat fewer calories overall,” says Schaub.
Is it okay to eat too many carbohydrates?
surely. Some people report feeling better on a low-carbohydrate diet, while others feel exhausted and unable to function properly. Carbohydrates are also known to improve exercise performance, especially at high intensity.
Also important: Eating too few carbohydrates (less than 100 grams per day) can affect memory. Drastically cutting back on carbohydrates can also affect your mood, Brissett says.
“Carbohydrates are the brain’s preferred source of energy and promote the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that lifts your mood and makes you feel happy,” Brissett says. “This is why low-carbohydrate diets increase the risk of depression.”
Rather than jump right into a very low-carb diet, such as a keto diet, to lose weight, Brissett recommends focusing on minimally processed, complex carbohydrates, reducing portion sizes, and non-starchy vegetables. I encourage my clients to start by increasing their intake of. .
Conclusion: There is a healthy range of carbohydrate intake, and there is no one-size-fits-all recommendation for how much you should consume each day. When finding the right number for you, you need to consider your lifestyle, age, and overall health.
Emilia Benton is a freelance writer and editor based in Houston. In addition to Runner’s World, she has contributed health, fitness, and wellness content to publications such as her Women’s Health, SELF, Prevention, Healthline, and the Houston Chronicle. She has competed in marathons 11 times, is a USATF Level 1 certified running coach, and is an avid traveler.
Sarah Bradley is a freelance writer from Connecticut, where she lives with her husband and three sons. Her feature articles and personal essays on parenting and women’s health have appeared in the Washington Post’s On Parenting, Real Simple, Women’s Health, The Writer, Today’s Parent, Romper, and elsewhere. In her so-called “free time,” Sarah is an amateur baker, homeschooler, and aspiring novelist.
