How many carbs a day?

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-04-2003
How many carbs a day?
2
Wed, 04-13-2005 - 3:27pm
I can't help but think that my carbs are way out there. Yesterday it was 189 grams . I try so hard to watch them but they always creep up on me. What is your average daily intake on carbs? How high is to high? I still can't figure this stuff out.
Martina
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Wed, 04-13-2005 - 10:14pm

Here's some info I found-


On a low-carb diet: In the book by Dr Atkins, he recommends no more than 20 grams of carbs per day for two weeks. After, you slowly increase the carb intake to 30 grams over four weeks, and then by 10 gram increments slowly after that until you have stopped losing. If you need to lose more, cut back, if not just maintain.

Not "dieting": According to books.nap.edu the average female should consume between 180 and 230 grams and the average male should consume between 200 and 330 grams to meet the average demand for energy needs while consuming acceptable levels of fat and protein.
WWW.nap.edu lists the Dietary Reference charts and shows 130 grams as the Recommended Daily Allowance in order to decrease the risk of chronic disease. This level, 130 grams, was listed at the previously mentioned website as necessary, the absolute daily MINIMUM to meet brain requirements daily since your brain is the only organ of your body which is carbohydrate dependent - It must get daily carbs to run properly!!


Here's another point of view: http://exercise.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/lowcarb.htm

~IslandGirl


*** Moderation Is Key ***


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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-2003
Thu, 04-14-2005 - 12:23pm

Apparently you need 130 grams of carbs to function per day according to many nutritionists.


Each gram of carbs is equal to 4 calories.


Depending on what diet you are following you would have 30%-55% of your calories coming from carbs.


So just figure out if you want to do low carb (30%) or a regular diet (50%) or somewhere in between, and then take that percentage of your total caloric intake and divide by 4.