What level should carbs be at?

Hi,

I was keeping my fats at 50g-60g and protein at 40g (protein wasn’t restricted, it was just naturally what I’d have). With my previous loss I was the same for fat and protein, but my carbs were around 210g to get 1600-1800 cals per day. To help with egg quality I made some changes to lower carbs to 150g, but that has meant my cals are only around 1200-1300 and I’ve been losing too much weight. I’ve upped my protein to 50g, which raises my carbs to 180-190g (as my protein tends to come from legumes/pulses). Is that OK? It brings my cals to around 1400-1500. I just want to know what I should be aiming at, as I’ve cut back too far and wasn’t sure what I should increase. What level do you recommend for carbs please?

Thanks.

There is no limit on carbs. They are free and limited only by the amount of calories in them. I want you on 50-60 g protein and fat for egg quality. If you can't get enough calories, then up protein and fat limits in 5 g increments till weight loss stabilizes. But carbs are really the best way to stop extra weight loss, and if you're losing too much weight that's a sign you can probably tolerate more carbs anyway.

There is no limit on carbs on any version of the diet. When it's a matter of egg quality, we up protein and fat, make sure we are using whole grains, fruit, and veg and no added sugar, and full fat dairy only, no skim or part skim. (skim dairy is both highly detrimental for bloodsugar and egg quality, and is also higher in cars) Because we keep calories the same and up protein and fat, this in effect cuts carbs without having to count carbs at all.

Legumes, pulses, and nuts are all allowed within limits. I truly don't think that 210 g carbs was too much, and 180-190 is no big deal to me. These are still lower carb diets!! The average American is eating 90 g a day of JUST SUGAR let alone carbs in fruit and grain products. 150 is quite low carb and hard to stick to without losing tons of weight (exception those with PCOS/IR that's very severe) unless you're going keto and having tons of meat and fatty stuff.

To break this down for you mathematically using the upper limit of protein and fat as illustration:

60 g fat: 540 cals
60 g protein: 240 cals

So eating upper limits of protein and fat would yield 780 cals.

On an 1800 cal diet, this would then require 255 grams of carbs.
On a 1700 cal diet this requires 230 g carbs
On a 1600 cal diet, this requires 205 g carbs
On a 1500 cal diet this requires 180 g carbs
On a 1400 cal diet this requires 150 g carbs.

You have to go all the way down to 1400 calories a day to fit in LE Diet macros eating the upper limit of fat and protein. You gotta eat more protein and fat, or more carbs, or a combination to slow the weight loss down.

The only way to get to 150 g carbs on LE Diet is eating way more protein and fat OR by cutting cals to the brink of losing too much weight. I think you are fine to boost your carb intake to 180-190 or even 210 because that's way less than most Americans eat and less than most swayers eat.

Thanks for your detailed and prompt response. I don’t feel so worried about the amount of carbs now.