According to scientific research, low-carbohydrate diets are among the most effective for weight loss and are also very beneficial for health.
Moreover, interestingly, the positive effects of such diets are explained not only by the exclusion of harmful “simple” carbohydrates (such as refined sugar) from the diet, which are “charged” with empty calories, but also by the overall reduction in carbohydrate intake, including “complex” carbohydrates, which have a reputation for being healthy.
Below we will discuss how many carbohydrates are needed per day for weight loss and how to correctly calculate their norm.
Main thoughts:
The Relationship Between Carbohydrates and Weight Loss
Carbohydrates are carriers of calories or the primary source of energy for our body.
Some types of carbohydrates begin to be absorbed already in the mouth, quickly entering the bloodstream and being delivered to the cells of the muscles, brain, and other organs and tissues for nourishment.
An important role in delivering nutrients to the cells is played by insulin – a transport hormone responsible for delivering nutrients into the cells.
– Why is it so easy to gain fat mass on carbohydrates?
The natural reaction of the body to carbohydrates is an increase in insulin levels, which aims to lower blood sugar levels.
Here, sugar refers to glucose – the basic simple carbohydrate to which almost all carbohydrates break down during digestion.
When carbohydrates are consumed in amounts exceeding the body’s energy needs, their excess is directed to storage first in short-term energy stores – glycogen in muscles and the liver, and after these are filled – in long-term stores: body fat, which, as is known, can be virtually limitless.
This means that the more carbohydrates in the diet, the higher the insulin level and the more favorable the conditions for fat deposition.
Conversely: the fewer carbohydrates, the better the conditions for fat burning.
This is just one side of the coin.
An excess of refined sugar in the diet leads to hormonal changes, which further hinder weight loss: in particular, the formation of leptin resistance – a hormone that controls appetite.
This manifests itself in the fact that a person eats but does not feel full, which means they regularly overeat. The excess calories, in turn, are the main cause of the obesity epidemic in our society, and not a lack of physical activity, as we are sometimes led to believe.
In the human body, there is a hormonal mechanism for converting excess carbohydrates into fat; moreover, when there are too many simple carbohydrates in the diet, the hormonal mechanism regulating appetite can be disrupted, leading to overeating.
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How many carbohydrates are needed per day for weight loss?
All low-carbohydrate diets imply a strong restriction on the amount of carbohydrates, especially simple (sugars) and starchy (bread, potatoes, pasta).
At the same time, the ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrates for weight loss shifts towards increasing the share of healthy fats, protein, and non-starchy vegetables rich in fiber.
According to official recommendations, the daily carbohydrate intake for an average person should be 45 – 65% of the total caloric intake.
With a calculated caloric intake for weight loss of 2000 calories, carbohydrates account for about 225-325 grams per day.
Traditionally, a low-carbohydrate diet is understood to be a diet in which less than 200 g of carbohydrates are consumed per day. However, actual data indicate that the effectiveness of weight loss will be significantly higher, and health benefits greater, if this norm is reduced even further.
Most often, the optimal norm is called 50-150 grams of carbohydrates per day 1.
100-150 grams per day
Goal – weight maintenance, lean muscle definition, and weight loss.
100 – 150 g of carbohydrates per day is the recommended daily intake for those who engage in sports and simultaneously want to maintain a toned, lean muscle form, or simply strive to be healthy and maintain weight 2.
This amount of carbohydrates is usually sufficient for weight loss and “cutting body fat” in fitness/bodybuilding; however, individual adjustments may be required (see below).
50-100 grams of carbohydrates per day
Goal – weight loss.
This amount is considered optimal for initiating a gradual, sustainable weight loss process 2.
For those who easily gain weight, it will also help maintain weight without allowing fat accumulation.
20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day
Goal – improving health and weight loss.
This is a diet with virtually no carbohydrates, which is characteristic of the ketogenic diet – one of the examples of low-carbohydrate diets, which experts call one of the most effective not only for weight loss but also beneficial for health: among its advantages is even anti-cancer action.
With such a minimal amount of carbohydrates, the benefits for metabolic health begin to manifest. This is the ideal diet for those who want to lose weight quickly or change the course of serious metabolic diseases, such as diabetes or cancer.
Limiting carbohydrates to 50 grams per day puts the body into a state of ketosis – a state in which the body switches from using carbohydrates as the primary source of energy to fats 1.
The norm of carbohydrates per day for weight loss varies from 50 to 150 g per day. With an intake of less than 50 g, beneficial effects for metabolic health begin to manifest.
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The necessity of an individual approach in calculations
Despite the exact ranges for carbohydrate norms provided above, it is important to understand that the optimal amount of carbohydrates for each individual is unique and is determined by at least: age, gender, body composition, level of physical activity, metabolic rate, and, obviously, can vary significantly from person to person.
Athletes, especially those with high muscle mass, need more carbohydrates even at rest.
In sports, carbohydrates are the main source of energy. Without sufficient intake, it is impossible to gain muscle mass in bodybuilding or to ensure speed performance in running.
Moreover, muscles can even start to break down due to a lack of carbohydrates (=energy) in order to meet energy needs by using amino acids that make up muscle fibers. This is known as “muscle catabolism.”
Considering the above, athletes should “restrict” carbohydrate intake very cautiously. That is why the standard ketogenic diet is NOT recommended for athletes for body cutting.
The rate of internal metabolism is another important parameter. It is individual and is the main consumer of calories in our body: about 70% (!) of daily calories go to support the functioning of internal organs and systems.
This is a lot and explains why physical exercises are NOT very effective for weight loss.
The indicated value is average and can vary within a fairly wide range from person to person.
People with a fast metabolism are referred to as ectomorphs in terms of body types. Everyone has encountered them in life: they eat a lot but remain thin. For them, weight loss issues are often irrelevant, just as the need to restrict carbohydrates.
The opposite body type is called endomorph: the metabolism is slow, and fat mass is gained very easily. Endomorphs need to be very careful with carbohydrates.
What does all this mean?
It means that people with a high metabolism or a high level of physical activity require more calories throughout the day, which are primarily provided by carbohydrates.
Conversely, for physically INactive people and those with a NOT high metabolism, carbohydrate norms for weight loss can be further reduced.
The norm of carbohydrates for weight loss is individual and is determined by numerous factors, among which the level of physical activity and the rate of internal metabolism are of primary importance.
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How to calculate the individual carbohydrate norm for weight loss/”body drying”?
The algorithm is as follows:
- assess your daily calorie needs using this calculator/formula;
- depending on your chosen goal (weight maintenance, weight loss, health improvement), limit your carbohydrate intake to the value mentioned above;
- if over one to two months the dynamics of weight maintenance or reduction is undesirable – try to further reduce carbohydrate intake;
- if you lead an active lifestyle and notice a decrease in endurance, recovery speed, and muscle mass – reconsider the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates: increase the share of proteins or fats.
Correct ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates for weight loss
The universal rule for weight loss is as follows: the overall calorie content of food throughout the day 3,4 is more important than the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
To lose weight, it is necessary to create a calorie deficit, i.e., consume fewer calories than are expended throughout the day. At the same time, to maintain health, it is important to ensure the intake of necessary nutrients, the proportion of which decreases when calorie intake (= volume of food consumed) is reduced.
The ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates matters in the sense that some of them provide better satiety, i.e., better suppress appetite, and are also richer in beneficial substances.
For example, protein-rich foods have a high satiety index, and therefore their consumption is recommended for weight loss. More energy is expended in digesting protein than carbohydrates (the so-called “thermogenic effect”), which means less potential for fat deposition.
Additionally, a slight increase in protein intake helps to prevent the loss of muscle mass, which often occurs during weight loss.
It is sometimes believed that an excess of fats in food also contributes to better satiety; however, scientific studies do not support this. We discussed this issue in the article on the effectiveness of low-carbohydrate diets for weight loss and health.
The same applies to fiber: the more foods containing it in our diet, the less we want to eat.
For weight loss, the most important factor is NOT the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, but the overall calorie content of food.
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Example
The body’s reaction to 100 calories from cabbage and cake differs fundamentally.
Firstly, the portion size of cabbage at that calorie level is significantly larger than the size of a piece of cake, meaning cabbage fills the stomach better than cake and satisfies hunger more effectively.
Secondly, cabbage contains vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which are almost completely absent in a piece of cake, which is also “loaded” with sugar and trans fats. The former is beneficial for health, while the latter is harmful.
Thirdly, sweets trigger a hormonal response – a sharp rise in insulin levels, followed by a similarly sharp drop, which causes intense hunger and even greater calorie consumption.
Fourthly, excess sugar harms metabolic health, accelerates aging processes, is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, leads to fatty liver formation, etc., not to mention cavities.
So, what will you prefer for lunch today: a cabbage salad or a sweet treat?
How to calculate the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates?
According to official recommendations, the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates should be as follows:
- 20–35% of calories from fats;
- 10–35% of calories from protein;
- 45–65% of calories from carbohydrates.
When losing weight, the ratio changes: the share of carbohydrates decreases, while the shares of fats and proteins increase.
How exactly? On different low-carbohydrate diets, it varies.
For instance, on a standard ketogenic diet, which is one of the most effective for weight loss, the ratios are as follows:
- 70% of calories from healthy fats;
- 25% of calories from protein;
- 5% of calories from carbohydrates.
How to use these percentages?
Nutritionists love to calculate everything and teach simple mortals like us to do the same. All such calculations are quite complex, unpleasant, and also very inaccurate.
Remember a simple rule: the most important factor in weight loss is reducing the amount of carbohydrates, primarily simple ones (like sugar). This one step is already enough for weight to start normalizing, even without controlling the ratios of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
Once you have determined your carbohydrate norm (see above), the other ingredients (proteins and fats) can be varied according to taste preferences, level of physical activity, etc.
Why taste preferences?
Because no less important than the correct quantitative ratio between proteins, fats, and carbohydrates is the taste of food, or rather – finding a combination of macronutrients that one can adhere to for a long time.
This is very important. The effective diet is the one you can stick to for a long time.
Any calculations of the ratio between proteins, fats, and carbohydrates during weight loss are very inaccurate. The primary importance is the restriction of carbohydrate intake, while the proportions of proteins and fats can be varied.
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Example calculation (for those who like to count)
So, let’s assume that the calculated daily caloric intake for weight loss is 2000 calories for a man weighing 80 kg.
The chosen carbohydrate norm is 150 g per day, which corresponds to weight maintenance and body cutting in sports.
150 grams of carbohydrates correspond to 150 g * 4 cal = 600 calories (1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories).
Next, we calculate the amount of protein.
For physically inactive people, it is recommended to consume 0.6-1 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, and as noted above, this amount can be slightly increased during a diet to avoid muscle mass breakdown.
For the calculation, we will take the lower limit of the range (0.6 g/kg) and increase it to 1 g/kg.
This corresponds to 80 kg * 1 g/kg = 80 g of protein per day, which amounts to 80 g * 4 cal = 320 calories (1 g of protein = 4 calories).
And finally, fats. We subtract the caloric share of proteins and carbohydrates from the total caloric intake to determine the caloric value of fats: (2000 cal – 600 cal – 320 cal) = 1080 cal. This is 1080 cal / 9 cal = 120 grams of fat per day (1 g of fat = 9 calories).
What carbohydrates are best for weight loss?
According to the generally accepted classification, carbohydrates can be conditionally divided into simple and complex (or fast and slow).
This division is quite conditional, as there are no products that contain exclusively simple or complex carbohydrates; however, it is suitable for the sake of simplicity in understanding the issue.
All simple or fast carbohydrates are the worst carbohydrates for weight loss and health. Their consumption in large quantities should be avoided, as well as refined products with a high content of them.
What is being referred to?
The list of fast carbohydrates harmful for weight loss includes:
- table sugar (sucrose);
- brown sugar;
- cane sugar;
- corn syrup;
- glucose;
- fructose or fruit sugar;
- lactose or milk sugar;
- maltose or malt sugar.
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List of products containing “fast” harmful carbohydrates for weight loss:
- sugar
- honey, jams, syrups
- sweet carbonated drinks
- sports drinks
- candies, chocolate
- desserts
- ice cream and milkshakes;
- breakfast cereals.
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List of recommended products containing proteins, fats, and “complex” carbohydrates beneficial for weight loss:
- raw nuts (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts);
- seeds (sesame, pumpkin seeds, caraway, hemp, flax);
- legumes (lentils, beans, mung beans, chickpeas, peas);
- non-starchy vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, eggplants, cucumbers, peppers, spinach, etc.);
- avocado;
- grains (buckwheat, brown rice, oatmeal, millet, whole grain bread);
- lean white meat (chicken, turkey);
- fish and other seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, sardines, anchovies, and krill);
- oils: coconut oil, butter, cocoa butter, olives, and olive oil (make sure the olive oil is not diluted with cheap vegetable oils);
- organic pasteurized eggs.
For more detailed information on types of carbohydrates, which ones are more and less beneficial for weight loss, read Which products contain carbohydrates and which are the best for weight loss and health?, as well as What NOT to eat and what to EAT to lose weight?
