With all these new diets I am so confused about carbs and fat and calories. It's frustrating. I don't know how many carbs I'm supposed to stay under. It seems like everything that is low in fat is super high in carbs. I don't get it. I'm trying to stay low on everything, but it's hard. I know everyone is going to have their own opinion about what to watch. Some people are all about watching carbs and staying away from them, but not watching fat grams. Other people are just the opposite. They watch the fat grams and could care less about carbs. Any and all feedback is welcome. I'm not following a specific diet plan, but would like to nail something down soon.

Andrea

I'm just strating out, but I've decided to go by calories - they're easier to count out for me. I'm a fast food junkie because I'm always on the go and with so many food allergies, I'm just shooting for the calories. I'm hoping this is my answer.

Sign up to www.fitday.com. It's a free site that gives you nutritional counts and also lets you know if you are meeting your daily requirments. Check out all the different forumas and you will eventually come up with a plan.
And welcome to 3FC!

I just signed up for it. That's an awesome site! THANKS!!! I need everything I can get to keep track.

Watching calories helped me lose 100 pounds two years ago, and keep it off since then. However, while watching calories it was essential to make sure I was getting complete nutrition: Enough protein (at least 60gm, preferably a lot more), enough fat (fingernails and hair are good indicators -- as long as they're okay, then you're getting more than enough fat), and especially vitamins and minerals (at least 3-4 cups of vegetables and fruit per day). That kept me healthy all the way through, and even since entering maintenance.