LAURIE: Did you see Art Carey's column yesterday in the Inquirer? It was about a doctor in Wilmington who is extreme in his advocacy of a high-protein, low-carb diet. One result of my jaw problems is that for going on 3 months now, my bread/pasta/rice consumption has been way, way down because I couldn't chew the stuff.

I have lost so much weight - more than 10 pounds! - and even now that I'm eating more (but still limited with bread/pasta, my faves), I don't seem to be gaining weight. Makes me wonder if the low-carb diet I've accidentally been on is a factor, not just the fact I'm eating less.

JULIE: Athough I think the Wilmington doctor's approach is rubbish, I absolutely swear by the premise about cutting back on carbs. Ever since I cut back (not eliminated) carbs, I have not had to worry about my weight at all. But I don't think the solution is to substitute high fat and lots of red meat for carbs. Fish, chicken, low-carb fruit and veggies and nuts are the way to go. I avoid all bread, rice, pasta and potatoes, something that used to be staples in my diet. Fortunately, I've never been one for sweets, so giving that up has been a lot easier than giving up fried potatoes.

LAURIE: Julie, I like your approach. I don't eat beef or pork, so I wouldn't want to be all-protein all the time.

THERESA: Laurie's onto something. The more protein I eat in relation to carbs, the easier it is to keep my weight where I want it. Protein is so much more satisfying. If I have eggs or a protein bar for breakfast, I am so much less likely to want a sugary snack before lunch. Eating sugary carbs makes me want to eat more of the same. And that includes lots of "white food" I like-- pasta, bagels, white bread, white potatoes.

Not that carbs are all bad. A new paperback came into the office the other day that looks intriguing: "Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs" by Maggie Greenwood-Robinson (set for release Jan. 6). She reports that good carbs are high in nutrition, low in added sugar and additives, are minimally processed and help control blood sugar and insulin levels. She lists 25 "supercarbs" that boost the immune system and help us perform at our best: Apples, artichokes, avocado, beets, berries, broccoli sprouts, brown rice, bulgar wheat, cabbage, concord grape juice, garlic, greens, kiwifruit, legumes, oatmeal, onions, oranges, pineapple, red pepper, romaine lettuce, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, wheat bran, winter squash and yogurt.

Fortunately, there's a lot of good food on that list. And when it comes to protein, I, like Julie, try to stick to lean protein-- yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, more chicken and fish than beef or sausage. And I've pretty much given up the cheddar cheese that was once my very favorite food.

APRIL: I absolutely LOVE carbs. I eat tons of them, I just avoid straight fatty foods. I wouldn't hesitate to down a bagel, a couple bowls of cereal, or a sandwich. I just watch what I put on those things. No cream cheese on the bagel, skim milk in the cereal, low-fat turkey on the sandwich, little things like that make a difference to me, not the carbs.

YVETTE: Like Julie, I have had successes after cutting back on the carbs in my diet. I've also substituted the sweets for chicken, fish, fruit and veggies. So, it does work.

THERESA: Researchers at Tufts University recently experimented with ways to bring nutritional balance to the Atkins Diet, and they concluded it couldn't be done. Check out their findings here. Also, check out this recent BBC story about possible dangers associated with the Atkins diet. I think it's important to strike a healthy balance. For too long, we thought all fat and protein was to be avoided, so we snarfed on SnackWell low-fat cookies and pasta with marinara sauce and wondered why we couldn't seem to lose weight. Protein is important. But so are the right kinds of carbs.

Do you have comments to share about carbs vs. fats and protein?