100 grams of carbs considered low?

(Manny) #1

Hey guys ive been following a 6 day “low carb” 1 day “high carb” type diet.
I try to keep all carbs clean, even on those high carb days.
Do you guys consider 100 grams of carbs a day to be low? Ive tried doing about 20 grams a day but did not like it, so I moved up to 50. 50 seemed too low for me aswell and now ive been following 100.
On my high carb day I usually like to throw in a cheat meal and move my total carbs up to at least 200.

(Raj Seth) #2

Manny - it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. To be Ketogenic, the carbs have to be low enough that your body can switch to lipolysis, or fat burning. This has the side effect of producing ketones, which is why it’s called Ketogenic ie generating ketones. While everyone has a different threshold carb amount that will halt lipolysis, generally 20 gems is low enough that it works for most, while 100 gms is generally NOT considered low carb, and certainly not Ketogenic level. 200 gms of carbs would be well outside the keto envelope

Then again, this could just be a troll…

(Chris W) #3

I am not sure what clean carbs mean first of all

I consider having 10g of carbs to be low, I typically have 12-18g a day.
At 100g its not likely you even close to ketosis, and if you add in that cheat meal that does not help.
In order to be in ketosis you need to do several things, first BG needs to be low based on intake, insulin needs to be low, liver glycogen needs to be depleted. You can only accomplish that by not eating carbs and restricting protein to a medium level.

(Kaiden) #4

The brain requires, more or less, 120 grams of glucose a day. So, 100 grams of carbohydrates means at least some of these grams will need to be manufactured in the liver. So, yes, 100 grams does fall within a low carb range, but for ketosis, 100 grams is far too high. We’re looking at under 20, generally speaking.chart

(Manny) #5

Thanks for the reply
What I meant by clean carbs is instead of starchy carbsI consume more complex carbs. I might be in the wrong forum im not looking to be in ketosis I just want a basic low carb approach instead of a 20 gram a day type diet.

(Kaiden) #6

Well, since you’re here, try it for a few months… say now until the end of summer.

(Manny) #7

Rajseth
No trolling lol
I mean ive tried being at less than 20 but i just didnt like it.
Im not trying to be in ketosis I like 100 grms better
I now this is the keto forums but I wanted to ask those that know more

(Manny) #8

Ill have to give it another go
I was on doing 20 grms a few weeks back for about 2 weeks.
I feel like it wasnt for me and instead raised my carb intake

(Kaiden) #9

One thing you might want to try is a gradual tolerance test, the way Atkins laid out. Start with 0, 5, 10, or 20… and add a few carbs each week after two weeks. Test whatever markers you can, weight, ketones, glucose, blood pressure, body fat percentage, etc. See how you do.

(Chris W) #10

I think you are asking a contextual question here low carbs is generally anything under 50 but if you are talking in terms of the diet then I think that is under 80g but i am not sure never followed it.

May I ask what your goals are, and when you were under 20g a day how exactly were you eating. Keto has drastically changed my life so I think if you are having any kind of health issues this is the way to go.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #11

Dr. Stephen Phinney, who originally coined the term “nutritional ketosis” many years ago, talks (or used to talk) about 100g/day as being “low-carb” and assumes that many people can get into ketosis at that level. As already posted, we recommend a limit of 20g/day, because it’s a level at which even the most insulin-resistant can get into ketosis. As also previously pointed out, the point is not to produce ketone bodies for their own sake, but to get the body to become fat- or keto-adapted, because when the majority of our cells are burning fatty acids instead of glucose, it reduces insulin resistance and promotes metabolic health

Try this series of videos by Dr. Phinney:

(Mike W.) #12

When you were eating 20g carbs a day did you increase your fat…a lot?

(Rob) #13

From your picture,

  1. you seem relatively young which suggests that you will be more metabolically flexible than people who have deranged for longer.
  2. You are also a “large” man (not automatically meaning you are metabolically unhealthy, but indicative) suggesting that you should probably have a crack at proper keto (20g NET carbs).

The benefit of 1 is that once you have metabolically healed yourself (good weight, good blood and other markers), your maintaining level of carbs may well be higher, e.g. at the 100g level while still staying in ketosis. Remember ketosis isn’t just for weight loss, it is a preferred state for mental clarity, reduced inflammation, prevention of chronic disease etc.

I would give proper keto a try. You may well not need to do it for that long to achieve goals and adjust to long-term LCHF. KCKO!

(TJ Borden) #14

Agreed, but keep in mind, Phinney worked mostly with athletes and/or patients that weren’t necessarily as metabolically deranged as many here on the forum.

It really depends on where @Manny290 is at health wise. Someone who is insulin resistant is going to have trouble getting into ketosis at 100 grams a day, with 200 grams from time to time, and almost certainly would have an even tougher time becoming fat adapted.

I’ve found days where I might “indulge” in carby food, that I can do 100 grams and not get kicked out, but that’s after being keto and fat adapted for over 6 months.

@Manny290, more to your point. It really depends on what your goals are. If it’s just to loose a few pounds, then yeah, many people will shed pounds by simply cutting back on carbs, but if you have a lot to lose, there’s a good chance there are some metabolic issues that are causing the weight gain to begin with.

You mentioned you tried it for a couple weeks, and it makes sense that it was tough. When you get down to a 20g or less level, many go through carb withdrawal (aka keto flu). It takes time for your system to adjust, burn once it does, its worth it.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #15

Not only that, but I just noticed that on the Virta Web site they are now talking about a 60g/day limit. So perhaps his thinking is evolving, now that he’s dealing with a broader population.

(TJ Borden) #16

I don’t want him to evolve too far. I’m still hoping to watch a cage match on protein between him and Jason Fung… okay, it would be more of a town hall. But cage match will sell more tickets.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #17

Well, . . . I hate to disappoint you, but going by his discussion of fasting in the third video I posted above, and Megan Ramos’s remarks in the recent Dudes podcast she did, I suspect that Phinney and Fung aren’t actually as far apart as we tend to think.

Now, if the Rock and John Cena were to have a debate over OMAD versus IF, that would be a cage match I’d definitely pay to see! :bacon: