Should I Eat Carbs?

So apparently if you look almost anywhere on the internet about losing weight, there are a bunch of people telling you if you want to lose weight you absolutely must cut carbs (carbohydrates, for all you who don't use short forms) completely from your diet. In other words, carbs are the reincarnation of the devil designed to make you fat. Even supposedly healthy carbs like oatmeal, and whole grains, are just evil carbs pretending to be healthy. Some will even say you can eat as many calories as you want (I wish), and still lose weight, as long as you don't eat any of the dreaded "c" word.

Seriously?

Come on, people! Losing weight is supposed to be about becoming healthy, fit, and happy. Not trying to look like a skeleton with flesh who doesn't enjoy eating because all they do is worry about how fat something will make them.

Okay, I know some of you are probably thinking, but what if they do like not eating carbs? Well, let's think for a minute about what they're carbophobic diet would actually look like, so we can get a better opinion. Bread is gone. Pretty much all deserts (so long cookies, and cakes, and fudge, maybe I'll see you in the afterlife). Most drinks (juice, milk, pop, ect.). Even most fruit as they can contain a lot of carbs. So, really, something I've been told by pretty much everyone since I was alive (fruit) is unhealthy for me? When did Hell freeze over? Can you honestly tell me you wouldn't miss any of these things?

Let's look at what would be included in the carbophobic diet. Well, we have meat, cheese, vegetables, and fats (olive oil, most nuts). But some even exclude all dairy products so you're left with meat, fats, and vegetables. Yum! Okay. These things do taste good. But is this really all you want to eat?

So if the carbophobic diet is so awful, why do they lose weight? Well, probably because it's easier to eat ten cookies than it is to eat ten chicken breasts. I'm not saying you don't have to limit sweets when you eat carbs, because you do. If you don't, then you've merged with the denial diet, even worse than the carbophobic diet, and you don't even lose weight with it!!! In essence, people who lose weight on carbophobic diets, are probably eating less calories (and also less junk than before, like cookies, and cakes).

Bottom line: there are good carbs (whole grains and such), and bad carbs (refined grains like white bread, sweets). You needn't cut out all bad carbs, but keep them to a minimum, and focus on eating healthy carbs, also known as complex carbs because they take longer to break down, and keep you fuller, for longer. It also helps to find lower calorie versions of things, that also replace bad ingredients with good ingredients. Like using honey or stevia which are natural sugars, instead of table sugar. Then you can feel satisfied without beating your goals to a bloody pulp,
(in the bad way).

Just remember, focus on healthy, not skinny. What's your opinion on carbs?