Day 16
Today, we’re going to learn a few extra facts about carbs.
Today’s Mission
Here’s a list of today’s assignments. You’ll find more details down below!
- Track the calories you eat today, keeping within your daily calorie goals, as well as paying attention to your carb, protein and fat percentage goals.
- Carb percentage goals recap, plus a few more carb facts.
- Come on over to Facebook, Twitter or Google + for support (or use the comments down below).
- Fill out the Daily Habits Awareness Sheet for Week 3 at the end of the day.
Recommended Percentage of Calories from Carbs
A healthy person should aim to get 45% to 65% of their calories from carbs, with active individuals aiming for 55% to 65% of their calories coming from carbs.
How Many Calories are in 1g of Carb?
There are approximately 4 calories in 1 gram of carb. I use the word “approximately” because many people believe it’s exactly 4 calories. It’s not.
What many people don’t realize is that when carbs are analyzed in food products, carb grams are counted as the difference between 100 and protein, fat and a few other items. Here’s a direct quote from the USDA:
Carbohydrate, when present, is determined as the difference between 100 and the sum of the percentages of water, protein, total lipid (fat), ash, and, when present, alcohol.
So, if you eat a 10g of carbs, you’re eating (approximately) 40 calories.
What about Fiber Grams?
Many people believe that since fiber is not digestible, you can simply subtract the number of fiber grams from your carb grams to get a true carb count. But that isn’t quite right.
According to the American Diabetes Association:
“Because fiber is not digested like other carbohydrates, for carbohydrate counting purposes, if a serving of a food contains more than or equal to 5 grams of dietary fiber, you can subtract half the grams of dietary fiber from the total carbohydrate serving of that food.”
Did you know that, contrary to popular belief, fiber DOES have calories? Soluble fiber can be digested by the large intestine. It doesn’t have as many calories as carbs but can still contribute calories, overall.
Recommended Reading
If you really want to delve into carbs, the Harvard School of Public Health has an in-depth article on carbohydrates, “Carbohydrates: Good Carbs Guide the Way”
Share the Experience
What’s your carb percentage goal? Do you eat a lot of carbs? Have you ever gone on a low-carb diet?
Missed a Day? Check out the links down below. Sign Up Here for Daily Emails!
Week 1
Prep Day | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7
Week 2
Week 2 Prep | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14
Week 3
Week 3 Prep | Day 15 | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21
Week 4
Week 4 Prep | Day 22 | Day 23 | Day 24 | Day 25 | Day 26 | Day 27 | Day 28 | Graduation Day - Beyond the Boot Camp