How to Count Carbs on an 1,800-Calorie Diet Plan

Despite what you might have heard, carbohydrates are not a dieter's enemy. Unless you are on a low-carbohydrate diet for health reasons as advised by your physician, you don't have to cut them entirely from your weight loss plans. You can make counting carbs part of an overall weight loss or maintenance strategy that includes consuming a total of 1,800 calories each day.

Things You'll Need

• Calculator
• Notebook or journal
• Menu plan

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Instructions

• 1

  Read the nutritional information printed on everything you plan to eat in the next week. Look at the nutritional label for a term marked "Carbohydrates" and write down the figure, in grams, for one serving of that food or drink on your list. Note the calories per serving and include it on your list as well.

• 2

  Look up carbohydrate and calorie information for foods without packaging. You can find the nutritional data online. Make sure you include the figure in grams for "Total Carbohydrates" on the food label as this figure includes the carbs from sugars, starches and dietary fibers in each serving. Note that the total carb figure is usually in bold to stand out on the label. If the food label does not provide a total carbohydrate figure, calculate the total grams of carbs in the given food by adding the values for sugar, starch and fiber.

• 3

  Set a carb goal for your diet. If you have diabetes, note that your goal should probably be fewer than 200 grams of carbs per day but consult with your doctor or dietician before you put your plan into action.

• 4

  Create a menu based on your list that includes foods and drinks and totals no more than 1,800 calories for three meals and up to two snacks each day. Fill your menu with food choices that offer nutritious, high-fiber carbs like cereal, brown rice, legumes, pasta, fruits and vegetables.