Carbs And Calories: Counting For Keto Success

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that puts the body into a state of ketosis. To stay in ketosis, a person's daily intake should be up to 50 grams of carbs, with 70-80% of calories from fats, 20-30% from protein, and 5% or fewer from carbs.

To calculate net carbs, subtract the amount of dietary fibre and half the amount of sugar alcohol from the total carbohydrates. Net carbs are the number of carbohydrates absorbed into the body, while total carbs include all types of sugars, including starch, fibre, and sugar alcohols.

There are also keto macro calculators available online that can help you figure out the exact amount of carbs, fat, and protein you need to reach your goal weight.

Calculating net carbs

To calculate net carbs, you need to know the total number of carbohydrates in the food. This information is available on the nutrition label.

Net carbs are the number of carbohydrates absorbed into your body. Some carbohydrates, like fiber and sugar alcohols, are not absorbed into your bloodstream and, therefore, are not part of your daily allowance of net carbs.

To calculate net carbs, follow these steps:

• Determine the total carb content by looking at the number of total carbohydrates, fiber, and sugar alcohols (sometimes shown as erythritol on nutrition labels).
• Subtract the amount of dietary fiber and half the amount of sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrate amount. The result is the net carb amount.

For example, if a food has 20g of total carbs, 8g of fiber, and 5g of sugar alcohols, the net carbs would be 7g.

It's important to note that the keto diet recommends a daily intake of no more than 50g of net carbs, and the fewer, the better.

Counting total carbs vs net carbs

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves taking a very low amount of carbohydrates and substituting them with fat to stimulate the body's fat-burning processes. When following the keto diet, it is important to consider the number of "net carbs" in foods. This is because the ketogenic diet puts the body into ketosis, where fat is used for energy instead of carbs.

Net carbs are the grams of total carbohydrates in a food minus its grams of total fibre. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest, so it doesn't count towards the amount of carbs that can trigger an insulin response. Net carbs are the only carbs that count on keto.

Total carbs include all carbohydrates present in food, including fibre and sugar alcohols, which are not fully absorbed by the body.

How to Calculate Net Carbs

The basic formula for calculating net carbs is:

> Net Carbs = Total Carbs – Fibre – Sugar Alcohols

For example, a food item with 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 10 grams of fibre, and 6 grams of sugar alcohols would have 4 grams of net carbohydrates.

Staying under 20-25 net carbs on keto is optimal for reaching the fat-burning state of ketosis quickly. However, this varies from person to person, and a more active person can usually tolerate a higher daily carb limit. The keto diet generally restricts daily net carb intake to 20-50 grams.

Counting Net Carbs vs Total Carbs

Most dietitians advise focusing on total carbohydrate consumption instead of net carbohydrates as the accurate measurement. Counting total carbs may be preferable for reaching ketosis more quickly or avoiding a plateau. However, counting net carbs is considered a more sustainable way to track macros and encourages the consumption of whole foods and vegetables. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to test different counting methods and decide what works best for their goals and lifestyle.

How many carbs per day?

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that puts the body into a state of ketosis. To stay in ketosis, a person can consume up to 50 grams of net carbs per day. Net carbs are the number of carbohydrates absorbed into the body.

Net carbs are calculated by subtracting dietary fibre and sugar alcohols from the total number of carbs. The formula is:

> Net Carbs = Total Carbs – Fibre – Sugar Alcohols

For example, if a food has 20 grams of total carbs, 8 grams of fibre, and 5 grams of sugar alcohols, then it has 7 grams of net carbs.

The keto diet recommends that 5% of your total daily calories should come from carbs. For most people, this works out to be 20-30 grams of carbohydrates per day.

However, the number of net carbs a person can eat and still enter a fat-burning state can vary from 20 to 50 grams. People who are more active can usually tolerate a higher daily carb limit, while those who are insulin-resistant or have been eating a carb-heavy diet for a long time might need to set a lower limit.

It is important to note that not all calories are created equal. Protein, for instance, burns more calories due to its thermic effect, and it is also highly satiating, leading to fewer calories consumed.

To calculate your ideal keto macro ratios, you can use a keto macro calculator. These calculators take into account factors such as your weight, height, body fat percentage, and activity level to determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

It is recommended that you consult a doctor or dietitian before starting a keto diet to ensure that it is safe and appropriate for you.

Using a keto calculator

Next, the calculator will determine your physical activity level (PAL), which measures the energy you expend during daily activities. By combining your BMR and PAL, the calculator can estimate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), or the number of calories burned in 24 hours. This value is essential for determining your calorie intake goal.

In the third step, you can specify whether you want to maintain, lose, or gain weight by selecting a calorie deficit or surplus. For example, choosing a 10% calorie deficit will result in consuming 10% fewer calories than you need, aiding in moderate weight loss.

If you're using a specialised calculator, there may be additional advanced fields to fill out, such as body fat percentage, protein ratio, and total carb intake. These inputs contribute to a more precise estimation of your TDEE and help tailor the calculator's recommendations to your specific goals.

Finally, the keto calculator will utilise all the information provided to generate your ideal macro targets, including the amount of carbohydrates, fat, and protein you should consume to reach your desired weight.

Tracking macros

The keto diet is an extremely low-carb, high-fat diet that helps people lose weight quickly and effectively. To stay in ketosis, a person can consume up to 50 grams of carbs per day. However, the keto diet also requires that most of your daily calories come from healthy fats, and protein is consumed in moderate amounts to boost metabolism and support lean muscle mass.

The standard keto diet macro ratio is:

• 5% or fewer calories from carbohydrates
• 70-80% of calories from healthy fats
• 20-30% of calories from protein

To calculate your keto diet macros, you must first determine your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Your TDEE measures how much energy you expend each day, both at rest and when exercising. You can use a keto calculator to determine your TDEE and then create your optimum macro ratio.

To achieve fat loss, you need to be in a calorie deficit. A safe calorie deficit is around 20% of your daily calories. This will help you lose weight at a moderate pace.

To calculate net carbs, you can use an online database or do it manually using the nutrition label on food packaging. First, determine the total carb content by looking at the number of total carbohydrates, fibre, and sugar alcohols. Then, subtract the amount of dietary fibre and half the amount of sugar alcohols from the total carb content. The result is the net carb amount.

It is important to note that not all calories are created equal. Protein, for example, burns more calories due to its thermic effect and is highly satiating, leading to fewer overall calories consumed. Additionally, food quality matters. Whole foods are the best source of calories as they are full of vitamins and minerals that boost your health.

Frequently asked questions