It's very difficult to give up familiar foods. It's so easy to say, "Oh, hey, look at this great low carb version of my favorite food! I don't have to give it up after all!" It was the same with all the low fat foods. Many people didn't bother to pay attention to ingredients or portion control. If people do the same with the low carb versions of these foods, nothing will change.

Labels are one of the most important dieting tools available to the general public, and often one of the most under-used as well. Take the time to read the labels. Study the ingredients. Learn which ingredients are good and which are bad.

I know I can usually be satisfied with the recommended portion sizes, but some people aren't. Understand portion sizes and change the numbers to reflect how much will actually be eaten. Know that if the portion is doubled, that calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrates double as well.

Some of the foods marketed for low carbers may not be bad at all, and some may be worse than eating the original counterpart. It all comes down to reading labels and making choices. We can choose to be healthy or we can choose to eat partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup.

Someday, companies may learn that we want to be healthy, that we don't want to pollute our bodies with their processed flours, refined sugars, and chemically altered fats. This will only happen if we show them that's what we want. If we continue to purchase foods with trans-fatty acids and HCFS, etc., they'll keep making them. Let's show them what we really want!