I have noticed one very strange thing though.  Bread seems to be a total
no-no.  Every time I have tried to loose weight I have noticed that eating
bread is not a good idea for me.

Does anybody have any idea why bread as opposed to any other carbohydrate is
bad for me.

One other thing...  I know this is probably old news but I have found that
drinking a glass of grapefruit juice every morning helps loose weight more
efficiently?

Regards

Jim.

Jim, I'd recommend looking on the web for a discussion of the Atkins
diet, or checking out the alt.support.diet.low-carb news group.  I
would be doing this school of though an injustice if I tried to
explain it, I think, since I don't follow it or believe it's the best
approach.

I have lost a little over 100 lbs. following a diet that includes
carbs.  I don't eat huge amounts of carbs, but that's just because I'm
trying to keep my protein intake pretty high and it doesn't leave room
for as many carbs as some people eat.  (As to why the high protein: I
am a competing weightlifter and believe that it helps me build muscle.
Also, it gives me a greater feeling of satiety than carbs do.)

It is worth noting, though, that many carbs are poor nutrition
sources.  Yes, they're a source of energy, but that's just another way
of saying calories.  Carbs like white bread, potatoes, white rice and
noodles made with white flour are fairly low on nutrients and on
fiber.  Better choices are whole grain breads, brown rice, and whole
wheat noodles.  And fruits and vegetables are also good-for-you carbs.

There are also many people who apparently have a sensitivity to carbs
such that eating them causes them to have out-of-control hunger for
more carbs.  I don't have this myself and can't relate, but it could
be a reason to watch one's carb intake.

One thing that has changed since the 80s is that fewer people feel
dietary fat, in moderation, is a bad thing.  Just as with carbs, there
are good fats and not-so-good fats.  Good fats, for example, are those
found in fish and nuts.  Meat fats and dairy fats are not as good
(though many Atkins dieters would disagree with me here).  Trans fats,
such as partially-hydrogenated oils, are pretty much universally
considered to be poor choices.

My belief, and what has worked for me, is the old calories in,
calories out thing: eat less, exercise more.

Chris
262/155/ (holding in 152-165 weight class)

On my present WOE, I get approximately 50% of my calories from carbs.
I don't do anything to aim for this, it's just the way my eating
happens to turn out.

janice
233/177/133

You can lose weight in a variety of ways. The only thing you need to
lose weight is eat less calories than you spend. Some people find
though, that by eating less carbs, they control their appetite better.

Also, all people need all kinds of nutrients, vitamins etc. There are
not many of them in white bread and potatoes and junk food. So, if you
reduce how much you eat, and on top of that eat a lot of bread and
potatoes, you will not get enough nutrients. A bad thing in itself,
plus, it can make you crave all kinds of things. Harder to diet this
way.

So, you can lose weight with a lot or with little carbs. Lowering
carbs has its advantages, but disadvantages of high carb dieting are
not insurmountable for healthy people with good glucose metabolism.

i