Argh, there is nothing wrong with carbs. Like all foods, if you eat too much of it, its bad, and if you must eat carbs, then get them from nutritious sources like whole grain breads and fruit and not from empty calories from sodas and other refined sugars. Think about this--3/4 of the world eats either rice or potatoes with every meal and yet Americans, not the third-world, are the fatasses of the world.
What is bad? Fat. Cut that from your diet and you'll be amazed at how your own fat will disappear. That's what I hate about those no/low-carb diets--full of cheese, mayo, fatty meats, and other foods that should be avoided.
What else is bad? Too many Calories. Frankly, it doesn't matter what your food is made up of, if you're eating more than you're burning off, you'll gain weight.
What else is bad? Not moving. Exercise burns off all those pesky calories, speeds up the metabolism, and burns muscle which means you can burn calories even when you're watching Dr. Phil.
Speaking of pudgy diet gurus...I was watching Low Carb and Loving It on Food TV today--I can't stand that guy. He makes the fattiest foods and calls them healthy. While his healthy-looking son was making a salad, George was making turkey burgers filled with cheese and covered with mayo. His son scoffed at the mayo because he eats low fat, low calorie, but George called it healthy because there wasn't a bun on the burger. Like I said, his son looked in great shape (down from 300 lbs), but George's man-boobs were jiggling as he was slicing chicken and he's got a big gut. Yeah, low-carb is healthy.
So what should one eat...
--Lots of fruit and vegetables (all that fiber fills your stomach, makes you feel full, and cleans you out).
--A moderate amount of meat (Protein digests easier than carbs and much more than fat, plus it helps build muscle)
--Very low fat (you gotta have some, plus non-fat meals give you cravings. The problem is that it takes more energy to burn fat, so you don't want too much of it)
I've been there--I lost 75 lbs and have kept it off for 5 years now. I did it by eating a balanced diet (see above) and by exercising. I continue to do both to this day. I ate all my favourite foods, but made sure i limited the portions on high-fat foods or empty calories. That way, I didn't feel the need to cheat or feel guilty if I blew it one night (hey, everyone does, and any time I went to my parent's house for dinner, it was a typical midwestern meal). The trick was to stay on track and to tell myself "this is the way I eat now," not "I'm on a diet."
Sorry for the rant, but I can't stand this low-carb lie.
