How many carbs should I eat a day to lose weight?

Reviewed 2 November 2026 · How these numbers are calculated

There's no magic carb number for weight loss: calories decide that. Once you've set protein (about 1.6–2.2 g per kg of a healthy weight) and a healthy minimum of fat, carbs fill the rest of your calories. For people losing about 0.5% of their weight a week at 8,000 steps, that's roughly 130–170 g a day for women and 220–270 g for men. Fewer carbs works too if you prefer it, as long as calories and protein are right.

Carbs a day while losing weight

Daily macros to lose about 0.5% of body weight a week (age 40, 8,000 steps)
Person	Calories	Carbs	Protein	Fat
Woman, 60 kg 132 lb	1,400	135 g	110 g	50 g
Woman, 70 kg 154 lb	1,500	130 g	125 g	55 g
Woman, 85 kg 187 lb	1,650	165 g	125 g	55 g
Man, 75 kg 165 lb	1,870	215 g	135 g	50 g
Man, 90 kg 198 lb	2,020	235 g	145 g	55 g
Man, 110 kg 243 lb	2,220	275 g	145 g	60 g

Women 165 cm (5′5″), men 178 cm (5′10″). From the same rules as the macro calculator.

Low-carb, keto and balanced

Common carb levels
Approach	Carbs a day	Notes
Balanced	150 g or more	Easy to fit fruit, grains and potatoes; suits regular training
Low-carb	under 130 g	Below the amount the brain normally runs on; many people feel fine
Very low-carb / keto	under 50 g	The body shifts to burning ketones; strict and hard for many to keep up

When calories and protein are the same, low-carb and higher-carb diets lose about the same amount of fat over months. Low-carb diets often lose more weight in the first week or two, but much of that is water: each gram of stored carbohydrate (glycogen) holds about three grams of water. Pick the approach you can keep.

Carbs and exercise

Carbs are the main fuel for hard or long training. If you lift, play sports or run, keeping carbs moderate around workouts helps performance and recovery, and going very low can make sessions feel flat. See lifting weights and eating back exercise calories.

Which carbs?

Choose carbs that bring fibre and nutrients with them: vegetables, fruit, beans and lentils, oats, potatoes and whole grains. Aim for about 14 g of fibre per 1,000 calories; it keeps you full on fewer calories. Sweets, pastries and soft drinks are easy to overeat and add calories without filling you up. Typical values per 100 g are in what are macros?

For women

At lower calorie targets, carbs are what gives way once protein and a healthy fat minimum are set. That's deliberate: very low fat can upset hormones and the menstrual cycle. If carbs end up very low, a slower pace leaves more room. See the macro calculator and how much protein you need.