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that previously came from fat were often replaced by calories from bread, pasta, pretzels, and “fat-free” diet foods. Although many people joined the fat-free diet revolution, as a society, our body weights continued to increase. The fat-free diet just didn’t seem to work well to sustain long-term weight loss.
    In more recent years, the tables have turned: fat has become less demonized, and research suggests that weight-loss efforts may be more successful if they are aimed at reducing carbohydrate intake. Excessive intake of carbohydrates is a source of excess calories andbody weight, and surveys suggest that most people eat more carbohydrates than they think they should. 11 There is science to back the idea that low-carbohydrate diets can work. A study featured in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that both a low-carbohydrate diet and a Mediterranean-style diet (which is also low in carbohydrates) are significantly more effective in reducing body weight compared to a low-fat diet. 12 Likewise, another study found that a diet allowing only limited carbohydrate intake was more effective in producing short-term weight loss among women who were obese than a low-fat diet with a focus on limited caloric intake. 13
    PROBLEM #6: LOW-CARBOHYDRATE DIETS ARE HARD TO STICK TO
    So, if a low-carbohydrate diet seems to be the best bet for sustained weight loss, why isn’t everyone on one and losing weight? Herein lies the problem: what is good isn’t always easy. In one survey, 87 percent of respondents reported that they crave carbohydrates (like bread, pasta, and rice) about eleven times per week, suggesting the large role that they play in the diet of many people. 14 Given this finding, it is no surprise that a big problem with low-carbohydrate diets is that people seem to have a lot of difficulty staying on them.
    Sticking to a low-carb diet is often hard because of “carb confusion.” There are several different low-carbohydrate diets out there, and different ways of counting carbohydrates. There are lots of different terms, like net carbs , good carbs, bad carbs , and glycemic index , which can be confusing, complicated, and sometimes even contradictory as you try to decide which foods to eat. Also, some low-carb diets are very restrictive, while others seem more relaxed. Deciding which foods are acceptable and which are not can be hard. A survey suggests that most people consider vegetables and wholegrains to be healthy carbs, but many people also think that fruit juices and jams or jellies are good carbohydrates to consume; however, as it turns out, fruit juices, jams, and jellies are not healthy carbs, as they often contain high amounts of added sugar. 15 One of the key reasons low-carb diets fail, which has been ignored up until this point, is addiction to carbohydrate-rich foods, which might be making adherence to low-carbohydrate diets difficult. In this book, we will simplify the carbohydrate conundrum and explain how you can eat a low-carbohydrate diet in a way that is easy to understand.

    Understanding why diets typically fail can help you be more successful with changing your eating habits in the future. Knowing what you can—and can’t—control and recognizing why certain diets may not have worked for you in the past will help you to focus your efforts for the best results.
    In the next chapter, we’ll help you take stock of your current sugar intake so you can start reducing it. It’s probably much higher than you think—and easier to cut down on than you might expect.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
List five of the different diet approaches you have tried in the past. Then consider each.
• What about each plan didn’t work for you?
• Do you notice a common theme?
By knowing which aspects of your previous dieting attempts may have contributed to their failure, you become aware of your weaknesses. You may also identify areas over which you don’t have much control, such as feeling like you have an