Thinking of making a plan like Atkins? So you must be wondering how many carbohydrates per day are needed to lose weight with a plan like that. Low-carb meal plans are very specific about how many carbohydrates you need each day to lose, maintain, or gain weight. Here’s a look at the low-carb world to help you learn how to lose, maintain, or gain weight and stay in control of your weight loss goals.

Only net carbs count

The first thing to understand when counting carbs is that the only carbs that count are net carbs. Net carbs are the only carbs that affect your blood sugar level. Net carbs are the carbs you get when you subtract the fiber in a food from the total carb count. So, for example, if you read the label on a can of vegetables and it says: Fiber 4 grams, Carbs 10 grams, then your net carbohydrate per serving would be 6.

Don’t go over 20 net carbs at first

Studies have concluded that on the Atkins plan, to lose weight, you must stick to 20 net carbs or less. 12-15 of those carbs should come primarily from vegetables. You can eat almost any type of protein on this plan, as much as you need to feel full. So if you love bacon, sausage, beef, shrimp, buttered steak, this is a dieter’s dream as long as you eat your veggies.

What does 20 net carbs look like?

So how do you fit into all those carbs that are supposed to come from vegetables? Well, some vegetables are higher in carbohydrates than others. During the first 2 weeks of induction, you choose vegetables from the low and medium carbohydrate group. So, for example, 20 net carbs equals roughly 4 cups of salad greens and 2 cups of cooked greens.

That sounds like a lot, but getting those 20 net carbs from vegetables is actually pretty easy. Here’s a sample from a day on Atkins with a total net carbs of 20:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs and sausage; ½ cup steamed spinach

Snack: 1 stick of cheese in strips; ½ Haas avocado

Lunch: Roast beef; 4 cups of mixed lettuce; ½ cup of mung bean sprouts; 5 black olives; 2 tablespoons of chopped onions; 2 tablespoons lemon dill vinaigrette

Snack: 10 green olives; 1 slice of cheddar cheese

Dinner: Baked salmon fillet; 6 spears of asparagus; 2 cups arugula; 5 cherry tomatoes; ½ cup sliced ​​cucumbers 2 tablespoons Italian dressing

The total amount of net carbs for this menu is 20 net carbs. Of those 20 carbohydrates, 16 come from vegetables! This looks like a ton of food, and it is. But it is the right types of food that will allow you to lose a lot of weight in a very short period of time.

In fact, you can easily lose up to 15 pounds in the first two weeks if you follow this plan, as long as you stick to your allotted carbs. So, in answer to the question, “How many carbohydrates per day to lose weight?” The answer is 20 net carbs.