I have been under the impression my whole life that carbs were necessary for energy. Need energy? eat pasta! Is this wrong? If not, how do you obtain energy on a low carb diet?

edit: sorry, may be in wrong forum, I just noticed the "newbie question" area.

Yep! I think we all were under that impression and it made a lot of us fatter and fatter!

In the fat loss phase, fat - your own and dietary - is used as fuel. As you gradually move towards weight maintenance, you slowly increase the amount of carbohydrates you eat. All plans are specific in the way this is done, but it generally means more fruit, starchier vegetables, whole grains and legumes. It's a balancing act between fat, protein and carbohydrates. But, carbohydrates will probably never again be the base of your eating pyramid.

If you're very active, you may need to find the right kind of carbohydrates to be able to fuel your activities.

I would like to suggest either reading Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution or Protein Power - I think Protein Power explains it better - for the inside scoop behind the physiology of how low-carbing works.

Karen