[starkfist]

There's a lot of glycemic index nonsense out there today. There is a low carb meme which will have you believe that just a few ounces of "carbs" will throw your metabolism out of whack and you won't lose weight even if you keep calories low. This is bullshit.

However, if you are trying to lose weight, it's often good to leave out carbs simply because it is so easy to overeat carbs. I love pasta and could easily eat 1200 calories worth of spaghetti and still have room for more. On the other hand , I almost have to choke down 1200 calories of eggs, fruit and vegetables.

[evo_9]

I disagree - glycemic index is a hugely important factor that a lot of people just don't consider. I certainly didn't until recently and now I'm a convert.

Why GI is a big deal is simple: if you eat a lot of high GI foods your spike your blood sugar levels causing all sorts of issues from mood swings to hunger.

For me simply paying a little more attention and eating more low GI foods has had a profound effect on my well being. I find I'm more focused and centered mentally and emotionally; I never have mood swings from 'bottoming out' - aka running out of fuel and needing to eat. This use to cause me a lot of stress with my gf and my ex (they have told me in the past they worried about when I would be hungry next because I'd become irrational and argumentative).

I think it's easy to think something like the glycemic index is just a new 'fad' diet type of thing. I know I use to think only people with diabetes had to worry about GI. But what I've found is that it is a hugely beneficial thing no matter who you are.

Final thought on this - if you really don't think there is anything to the whole GI thing, next time you are hungry eat 8-10 almonds (maybe mix in some raisons or cranberries - they are high GI but together the overall 'load' is low) and see how quickly your hunger vanishes and your mood levels off. This isn't for 10 minutes either; I then have enough time to really think about lunch/dinner and make a really good choice instead of eating whatever is laying around because I'm 'starving'.

Anyway, I lost around 35 pounds in the past 2 month using this 'trick', but I also workout 5 days and get out and hike, play hockey and generally try to be active when I'm not coding.

[matwood]

Here is a good article from Alan Aragon about the GI.

http://alanaragon.com/elements-challenging-the-validity-of-t...

Unlike most books out there, he includes all his pubmed references.

[eru]

If it works for you, that's fine. And it may work for some other people, too.

The problem with anecdotes is that there are always lots of confounding variables.

[js2]

Just, fyi, that low-carb meme has been around since 1863:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Banting

Maybe Banting was on to something. :-)

[potatolicious]

> "it's often good to leave out carbs simply because it is so easy to overeat carbs"

Great truth. I find that carbs go through my system like a water slide - I get hungry fast, and that in turn leads to overeating.

A chunk of meat, while not being exactly low on calories (I pick lean cuts) and has a lot more fat than bread, lasts me a lot longer, and reduces cravings by an incredible amount.

For me that's the main benefit - I'm not particularly concerned with whether or not carbs are good for you, all I know is that on carb-heavy diets I eat more.