This would be me.

BUT.

I also believe in watching my proportion of macronutrients. I've found that if I stick to my 1500 cals, but it's 80% carbs, then my losing slows down. Right now I'm working on a 40/35/25 balance (that's 40% carbs, 35% protein, and 25% fats).

So no, a calorie isn't just a calorie, if you're talking about a long term, sustainable eating plan.

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Thanks guys.... once again I can't believe how much ya'll rock! I have been eating carefully - only eating whole grains, fruits, vegtables, my one carb weakness is multi grain tostitos... mmmmm.
I just don't like white rice or white bread it sits like a lump in my stomach. People are always amazed that I eat as healthy as I do. I'm a fiber junkie - I eat lots of south beach diet bars, salads, curves bars, fiberone cereal, black beans. DailyPlate has been a big help.
I have gained 50 pounds in 4 years... I gained a bit during our move across the county and about 20 before I was diagnosed with acid reflux (I was carbo loading to push back the acid). For the most part my weight is a mystery. I am frustrated to tears and I have started having panic attacks often. I have most of the symptoms for hypothyroidism, however, my blood work is fine. The nutritionist thought lower carb would work because it would lower the insulin release that stores fat. I will try her plan and keep you guys posted if it budges the scale.. I have nothing to lose right besides ummmm 40+ pounds.

Definitions and labels can get a person hung up as well. In many circles, 50%or even 60% of calories from carbohydrates IS low carb. Among some low carbers, anything over 60g of carbohydrates is not "low carb" and among some doctors and dieticians anything under 200g of carbohydrates starts to qualify as low carb (at 800 calories, that could be anything from 30 to 65% of calories).

It's kind of hard to agree on anything when everyone is using a different definition. I think we can agree that it is a good thing to eat more natural food and less "invented" foods, more of the stuff your great grandparents could identify at first glance, at least in category. They may never have seen an ugli fruit or a white nectarine, but they could identify them as fruit. Where as "cheese doodles" - are they food or packing material?

Deep fried foods, historically were mostly "party foods," once in a blue moon, not a daily or even monthly thing. Also, the "natural order" is to have to expel a lot of effort to get food. The higher in calories, generally the more work it would require to obtain.

We've upset the natural order, and have to work pretty hard to compensate for that. Gone are the days (at least among most humans) when the lazy or disabled don't get to eat. And that's mostly a good thing. If I could, I would find a way to rig up something that made food available to me only by working for it first. Maybe hooking up a treadmill or bicycle to a vending kind of apparatus or locks on the cabinets/fridge. Fifteen minutes on the treadmill for something low calorie and healthy, and an hour for something unhealthy... You would bet it would change my reaction to boredom hunger... do I want that piece of pizza in the fridge badly enough to walk a mile for it? Most of the time, probably not.

To some degree, when we set up our kitchens we can do this to a point. Buy not buying trigger foods in bulk, it does mean that if you have a craving, you have to decide whether to leave the house to get what you want. Sometimes you may decide that you do want it badly enough to go and get it, but if you don't have it lying around the house, at least it becomes a
conscious choice that requires some energy expenditure to acquire.

Making eating conscious, it's a pretty common challenge. Just "grabbing something" because it's easy is a strong temptation. How many people have any idea how balanced their diet is, or how much sodium, carbs, calories, fat, protein, vitamins..... they are getting. I would guess that more of us here do than the general population. And that really is for many people the first step - paying attention to what you are eating. And it can be a challenge, but after a while it does get easier. It's certainly something I can do and plan on doing for life. My dietary needs my change, but my need to pay attention to my diet probably never will. Once you have a problem with food and/or being overweight, I don't think it every disappears, at least not for most people. Like having diabetes, it can be a pain in the butt sometimes, but it's just something you have to deal with.