How many carbohydrates per day to lose weight


The amount of carbohydrates you eat on a day with a low-carbohydrate diet is different for everyone. Losing weight does not work if you ingest too many carbohydrates, but also getting too little carbohydrates can work against weight loss.
In this article I explain how many carbohydrates you can eat per day to quickly lose weight in a healthy way. Further on you will find an overview where you can see how many carbohydrates per day fit your lifestyle.
Content of this article:
• What are carbohydrates?
• How many carbohydrates per day (including daily menus)
• Low-carbohydrate shopping list
What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are a fuel for your body (just like gasoline for a car). In your body, carbohydrates are converted into sugar (glucose), and this provides energy.
You can distinguish between two types of carbohydrates: fast and slow carbohydrates.
Sources of fast carbohydrates are:
• Sugar *
• Bread
• Pasta
• Rice
• Grain products
• Flower
• Sweets
• Breakfast cereals
• Pastry
• Ice
• Fizzy drink
• Fruit juices from the pack
• Ready-made meals
• Soups and sauces from the pack / can
• Artificial sweeteners
* Products with refined sugars are also included in the fast carbohydrate category.
Sources of slow carbohydrates are:
• Vegetables
• Legumes
• Oats
• Fruit
• Sweet potato
• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
What is the difference between these species?
The difference between fast and slow carbohydrates is that the slow carbohydrates consist of essential nutrients. Slow carbohydrates contain vitamins, minerals and fiber that you need to make the diet useful in your body.
These nutrients are lacking with fast carbohydrates. Your body also struggles to process this form of carbohydrates.
If you often eat fast carbohydrates, you will soon experience symptoms such as being overweight (especially around your stomach), fatigue and low resistance. In the long term, chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases can also occur.
With a low- carbohydrate diet you avoid the fast carbohydrates and eat small portions of slow carbohydrates. You get the other necessary nutrients from fats and proteins .
It is important to do this well, because by eating the right fats and proteins you will not experience any hunger while following a low-carbohydrate diet.
How many carbohydrates per day?
How many carbohydrates you need is different per person. What is the perfect amount of carbohydrates for you to lose weight can be too much or too little for another person.
Your carbohydrate need depends on a number of factors:
• Age
• Sex
• Physique
• How active you are
• Current state of health
• Personal preference
Are you very sporty and you have a lot of muscle mass, then you can use more carbohydrates than someone who moves very little and has little muscle mass.
Your physical health is also an important factor here. For example, if you are a type 2 diabetes patient, it is important to keep a close eye on how your body responds to reducing the amount of carbohydrates per day. This is related to the medication you take.
Below you will find the guidelines that we use in the Live Sugar free program :
Low carbohydrate: About 50-75 grams of carbohydrates per day
The low-carbohydrate diet is suitable for people who:
• Do not engage in sports
• Being middle-aged
• Being overweight
• Have a sedentary profession
• Want to lose weight faster
If you fall under this category, an average amount of 50-75 grams of carbohydrates per day is a good guideline to start with. Then try out the daily menu below.
Sample daily menu
Breakfast : Porridge made of 30 grams of oatmeal, 75 grams of blueberries, 200 ml unsweetened vegetable milk, 1 tbsp linseed and 1 tbsp coconut grater.
Lunch : Greek salad of cucumber, tomatoes, olives, lettuce of your choice and slices of smoked salmon.
Snacks : Handful of unsalted nuts and half an avocado with Hüttenkäse.
Dinner: 300 grams of steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc.) with 150 grams of meat or fish of your choice.
Listen to your body with this amount of carbohydrates per day. If you start with a low-carbohydrate diet, you may experience symptoms such as fatigue, feelings of hunger and headaches. Most complaints are over after a week.
If that is not the case, then this amount of carbohydrates per day may be too little for you. Then try the daily menu of the carbohydrate limited list.
Carbohydrate limited: Approximately 75-100 grams of carbohydrates per day
The low-carbohydrate diet is suitable for people who:
• Have a slightly active appeal
• Occasionally light sports
• Move daily
• Be on target weight after following a low-carbohydrate diet
If you fall under this category, an average amount of 75-100 grams of carbohydrates per day is a good guideline to start with. Then try out the daily menu below.
Sample daily menu
Breakfast : 1 mug of oatmeal, 1 tbsp linseed, 1 egg, 1 small banana or 1/2 large banana (70 grams), unsweetened almond milk, 1 tsp cinnamon and / or cocoa powder, 20 g unsalted almonds. Serve 100 grams of Greek yogurt next to it.
Lunch: A salad of 75 grams of kale, 1 handful of dried cranberry, 1 mandarin, 1/2 apple, 1 boiled egg, 2 tbsp pine nuts and a dash of olive oil.
Snack: Cucumber with a spoon of nut paste
Dinner: Broccoli soup: 350 grams of broccoli, 75 grams of smoked salmon, 20 grams of quinoa, 10 grams of pine nuts, 10 grams of Greek yoghurt, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 stock cube.
Carbohydrate rich: Approximately 100-150 grams of carbohydrates per day
A carbohydrate-rich diet is suitable for people who:
• Have an active lifestyle
• Intensive sports
• Doing physically heavy work
• Want to stay on weight
You can still lose weight with this amount of carbohydrates per day, but it will be more gradual than if you eat low-carb and restricted foods. The advantage of this guideline is that it can be maintained well and that it does not have to be temporary. This prevents you from having to deal with the yo-yo effect.
Sample daily menu
Breakfast: 150 grams of Greek yogurt with 1 banana, 1 date and 1 tbsp linseed.
Lunch : Vegetable omelette of 150 grams of vegetables and 2 eggs, possibly served on 2 whole-grain rice cakes.
Dinner: 250 grams of steamed vegetables, 150 grams of meat or fish of your choice and 1 sweet potato.
Snacks: A piece of fruit and snack vegetables with hummus dip
Do not eat too much, but certainly not too few carbohydrates
In order to lose weight effectively, it is important that you do not eat too much, but certainly not too few carbohydrates. This can hinder the weight loss.
Too little carbohydrate: less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day
Diets are known where you eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates how to get younger face per day. This is also called the ketogenic diet. In some situations this diet may be useful, but it is not advisable to follow this diet without supervision.
You can also experience symptoms such as dizziness, tiredness, feelings of hunger, headache, feeling down, etc. with this amount of carbohydrates per day.
Too many carbohydrates: more than 150 grams per day
With more than 150 grams of carbohydrates per day, you run the risk of gaining weight again. If you are on your target weight, make sure that you limit carbohydrate and continue to eat up to 150 grams of carbohydrates. You get the remaining food from fats and proteins.
For sportsmen and sportswomen, this advice may differ, so be advised by an expert in the field of sports.
Low-carbohydrate shopping list
As you have been able to read, the amount of carbohydrates that you have to eat one day is different for everyone, but do not be too focused on this.
It is more important that you pay attention to your body and pay attention to what feels right. Take the amount of carbohydrates as a starting point, but be careful that you get enough nutrients.
Keep it simple for yourself. Eat vegetables, healthy fats and proteins during every meal. Always choose raw, fresh ingredients.
In the shopping list you will also find an overview of the right fats and proteins that you can eat while following a low-carbohydrate diet.
Prevent mistakes: print out the low-carbohydrate shopping list and stick it on your fridge.


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