Working Out Your Ideal Carb Intake

Say Hello to Carbs

Before we even get into how many carbs you, as an individual, should be eating every day, let’s talk about what carbs are, what they do, and what purposes they serve.

You probably know carbs as providers of energy, and that’s exactly right. While we can get energy from fat, and even from protein, carbs are our bodies’ most easily accessible source of energy. The carbs we eat are broken down, either into glucose to be used for energy virtually straight away, or for glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscle cells and can be used at a later date.

Therefore, it would make sense that the more energy you expend, the more carbs you need. This brings us on to the first general point regarding how many carbs you should eat.

If you have an active job, train hard several times per week, and especially if you’re a competing athlete, you’ll be using glucose and glycogen at a much faster rate than the average person, so therefore need to eat more carbs to replenish your energy stores. Likewise, if you spend eight hours every day behind a desk, drive to and from work, sit on the couch when you get home, and rarely exercise, you really don’t need that many carbs to sustain your energy output.

Define your goals

The second point of consideration is what your goals are. The S.M.A.R.T. criteria is a popular method used to formulate effective goals in various contexts, from personal growth to project management. When setting goals using the S.M.A.R.T. criteria, you ensure that they are:

1. Specific: Clearly define your goal. Instead of making a vague objective like "I want to get fit," you should specify what that means for you, such as "I want to be able to run 5 kilometers without stopping."

2. Measurable: Establish a metric to measure your progress. By having measurable goals, you can track your progress and stay motivated. For example, "I want to lose 15 pounds" is a measurable goal.

3. Achievable (or Attainable): Your goal should be realistic based on your current situation, resources, and time constraints. For instance, aiming to lose 50 pounds in a month is neither healthy nor achievable for most people.

4. Relevant: Your goal should be relevant to your broader life objectives or values. If you're aiming for a healthier lifestyle, a relevant goal might be to reduce your cholesterol levels or decrease blood pressure, rather than merely focusing on aesthetics.

5. Time-bound: Assign a deadline or timeframe to your goal. This creates a sense of urgency and can be a strong motivator. For example, "I want to lose 15 pounds in the next 3 months" is a time-bound goal.

Low carb is often touted as a method of losing weight, and while there are flaws in the theory that cutting carbs automatically leads to weight loss, it is true that by slashing your carb intake, you do two things that help with weight loss.

Firstly, by taking your carb intake down, you slash your calorie intake, which will almost certainly put you into a calorie deficit, which leads to fat loss. Secondly, lower levels of carbohydrate in your diet leads to lower levels of insulin and blood sugar, which may be beneficial for burning fat.

Carbs are highly effective for laying down slabs of lean muscle, as they aid recovery and provide a much needed source of calories to aid with bulking.

The final consideration here is your current condition and dieting history. If you’re currently overweight or obese, you may well benefit from a lower carb intake. Your body has plenty of readily available body fat to use for energy, so doesn’t need much in the way of carbohydrate to survive. If you’ve frequently yoyo dieted, and always had trouble with sticking to a plan, then going slightly lower with your carbs may be helpful too.

See Also: 10 Carbs You Should Always Keep In Your Diet

Genetics play somewhat of a role too, as simply put, some people just tolerate carbs better than others. You’ll probably know how well you deal with carbs, simply by monitoring how you feel after eating a high carb meal:

Feel energetic and ready to go and work out? Then you respond well to carbs.

Feel like going straight to bed? High carb diets probably aren’t for you.