No Carbs

Scott Hardie | February 15, 2004
This no-carb and low-carb diet craze has gained critical mass in this country, and that can only mean one thing: I predict that this fall, a Simpsons episode will involve Homer on a no-carb diet.

Erik Bates | February 15, 2004
[hidden by request]

Steve Dunn | February 15, 2004
There are sound biological reasons why a low carb diet is superior to a low fat diet. If it's retarded, then the US government approved "food pyramid" is equally retarded, possibly more retarded.

That said, Erik is right on the money in that the real "secret" to weight loss is very simple - you eat fewer calories than you expend. Period. Healthy eating is mostly common sense, but a lot of it happens to correspond to a low carb (not "no carb") diet. Eat less sugar. Eat less chips and crackers.

I don't believe in diet fads, but I'm glad the Adkins Diet is causing such a stir - not because "carbs are bad, mmm-kay?" Rather, because the conventional wisdom low-fat, high carb diet is sooooooo stupid.

Erik Bates | February 15, 2004
[hidden by request]

Lori Lancaster | February 16, 2004
[hidden by request]

Denise Sawicki | February 16, 2004
This bread company near my work started advertising low-carb bread. What the heck do they make it out of, meat?

Anna Gregoline | February 16, 2004
LOL

Scott Hardie | February 16, 2004
Well, if they can make veggie burgers, why not? Now we just need vegetables made out of bread and our society can be officially insane.

Jackie Mason | February 16, 2004
[hidden by request]

Anna Gregoline | February 16, 2004
I know I NEVER feel like exercising. EVER. And there's also finding time to do it. The only time I really really have for exercising is on the weekends, and that's not really enough. When I get home from work, I just want to rest and relax. And I could never get up at like 5, exercise, take a shower and then go to work. I'd be exhausted by 10!

Lori Lancaster | February 16, 2004
[hidden by request]

Denise Sawicki | February 16, 2004
Well, not having seen the bread in question, my best guess is that it is a whole-grain bread cut into very small, thin slices.

My internet searching indicates that some promoters of low-carb products will subtract out the number of grams of carbohydrates from fiber since the fiber is actually indigestible and hence doesn't have any calories. So they will list "Net carbs" as the total carbohydrates minus the carbohydrates from fiber. However I also found plenty of websites indicating that the whole "net carbs" thing is a hoax and that you should only eat things that are exclusively made of protein and fat. Anyhow I'm not a nutrition expert by any means but the second group of websites sounds more ludicrous than the first, to me. Don't ask me why I was bored enough to look this up, when I pretty much eat whatever I feel like eating. :P

Anyway I suggest the option of small, thin slices because it seems to be a common tactic to advertise something as being low-calorie or low fat when really it is just *small*, for instance I once saw a brand of granola bars that said on the box something like "now with one third less fat." Well, maybe each individual bar now had less fat than before but this was largely due to the bars being much smaller than before. It's kind of amusing.

Scott Hardie | February 17, 2004
I still laugh every time I see this on a giant window decal at the local Hardee's.

Yeah. When I want to lose weight, Hardee's is the first place to go.

Anna Gregoline | February 17, 2004
Oh god I miss Hardees.

Lori Lancaster | February 17, 2004
[hidden by request]

Scott Hardie | February 17, 2004
I miss Hardee's too. At least twice a month, I'd go to the one in Macomb for a monster burger, a ham & cheese sandwich, and a medium curly fries, and be in my little glutton heaven. I moved down here, and they didn't offer curly fries in the south, and two months later they discontinued the monster burger too, so screw 'em. A year and a half later and I'm still waiting to see something new on the menu worth a return visit.

Also missed: The cheesy bean & rice burrito at Taco Bell, discontinued two weeks ago. It was a limited-time promotion, but it was cheap and damn tasty.

Jackie Mason | February 18, 2004
[hidden by request]

Scott Hardie | February 18, 2004
Exactly. Or the Go Active! Happy Meals.

Anna Gregoline | February 18, 2004
How can anyone not offer curly fries, really? They are so awesome.

I remember Hardees fries being particularly good. Ah, that takes me back. I remember a lot of college through what I ate and who I ate it with. Funny.

Scott Hardie | February 21, 2004
Just spotted at the grocery: Colorful jars of low-carb alfredo sauce from Kraft. Yes, that's right. Low-carb pasta sauce.

Anna Gregoline | February 21, 2004
Wha wha wha? I hate this craze.

Matthew Preston | February 21, 2004
Not to be the guy to point out the obvious, but what good is a low-carb pasta sauce when you can't eat the pasta? (I think Scott meant for us to read between the lines on that one).

Denise Sawicki | February 21, 2004
Maybe they're meant to use spaghetti squash.

Ewww they're supposed to use pork rinds instead of flour to make a crispy fried chicken coating. Obviously that's better for you.

Anna Gregoline | February 21, 2004
AHHHHHHH PORK RINDS!