It really IS all about the calories.  The deal with carbs is that simple
carbs, like from sugar, white bread, pasta, potatoes, rice etc are broken
down into sugar to fuel the body, and this metabolism happens very quickly -
giving your insulin a spike, but then it drops very quickly again, and you
get a "crash" of sorts.  At this point your body will crave more simple
carbs.  It's almost like addiction - and if you cut out simple carbs, you
generally don't have the ups and downs of energy and cravings and such.

Food that digests slowly and evenly is better because it provides a level
constant supply of energy.  Low gi carbs, or complex carbs from whole
grains, whole wheat breads, veggies etc fall into this category.  It's a
good idea to get your nutrition from balanced sources of lean protein, good
fats and high fiber low gi carbs.

det

The doctor is right because it comes down to the fact that you've got to
burn more calories than you consume to lose weight.  

But the putting that into practice means you have to choose calories so
that you are sated and have enough energy for your activities and don't
get food cravings.  And many of us have found that avoiding foods with a
high glycemic index help us to live more comfortably in our calorie
budgets.

I've personally found that I prefer to eat at least 25% of my calories in
the form of oils and I believe they are being used to increase my
metabolism in that some of the EFAs go directly to metabolic processes
like repairing cells.  So I'm saying that some calories are better used
than others.

They aren't BAD per se, just that they aren't the best place to blow your
calorie budget because they won't fill you up or fuel your body properly
and you'll be left hungrier than if you had eaten a better choice.  In
other words, it's likely you'll go hungry and feel miserable if you choose
to spend your calories on those foods while keeping within a calorie
budget.

Because these examples are calorie-dense, meaning that it is very easy to
blow your calorie budget if you aren't paying attention to portion
size.  (And portion sizes are usually MUCH smaller than you suspect they
are.)  Also, most people put saturated fats on these starches and that
brings you back to poor food choices.  In themselves they're great -
anything with nutrients and fiber gets a thumbs up from me.

I'm baking some whole wheat bread right now and it smells great.  My kids
just pointed out that we don't have any butter in the house.  I don't
care, I'll eat it plain.  I would have bought them butter if anyone had
put it on the grocery list.  (So there.)  But they'll be content with the
"I can't believe it's not butter" spray.

So, how's the jobhunt going, if you don't mind me asking?

Wendy

Everybody doesn't think carbs are so bad,  that's just what
the scammers are making money off right now.

It's not just calories, it's the nutritional content.  Read
what I posted about that yesterday.
It's not just what you eat it's what you burn.  If you are
not exercising you will plateau and you will not be healthy.

Some people say that it is hard for them to control their eating if
they eat bread and potatoes. They say that potatoes have similar
effect to sugar. I am not one of them, but I believe them.

It is all about calories, more or less, but it is easier to lose
weight on some foods than on others.

Supposedly people who are "low carbing" can eat more calories and
still lose weight, though.

i

well you just said it. carbs are calories but dont have a lot of nutritional
value. I think carbs are still essential, but cutting down on them is a good
idea because if those carbs are not used during the day they get converted
to fat.

Another good good thing about cutting down on carbs is that you can burn
more fat when they are not present in the body. When there are no carb
deposits, your body will start burning the fat. I had very good results with
exercise, lower carb intake, and lower calorie intake in general.

good luck,
--t

It sounds like you have the right idea.  Well, I think that people
aren't getting the message at all.  Everyone seems to agree (low-carb,
low-fat, vegetarians, etc.) that *refined* carbs are bad and whole
grains are good.  Refined carbs include sugars, white flour and white
rice.  Basically, if you don't make it yourself, watch the fiber count.

Also, remember that balance is important.  This is where you will find
disagreement from different groups so I will leave that to figure out
for yourself :-)  Basically, foods break down into fats, carbs and
proteins.  That's what you'll be balancing (along with getting enough
fiber, vitamins, minerals from your foods).

Good luck!

Not everyone feels that carbs are bad.  There is some preliminary research
that shows that by virtually eliminating them, you may access stored fat for
faster weight loss.  I tend to believe the research but I prefer variety in
my diet.

Everything in moderation.....

Nothing is wrong with brown rice and whole grain bread.  White
potatoes are absorded as fast as sugar, tho. However, limiting carbs,
even good carbs may be helpful if you have insulin resistance - and if
you're overweight that's likely.  By limiting I mean not eating over
50% carbs by calories for any meal.  Invest in a glucometer to see if
you have any blood glucose issues.  After meals, you don't want your
BG to be over 140, ideally not over 120.  Otherwise it's possible that
high BG levels will crash, causing hunger.  The hunger may cause you
to overeat or break your diet.  Furhtermore, if you have BG issues it
may be better to eat six smaller meals than 3 large ones.