linda gigliotti: the body prefers to get energycarbydrate, and carbohydrate we may refer to as sugars or starches, but we get carbohydrates from grain products, fruits and vegetables primarily. joanne ikeda: carbohydrates are really a great source of energy for the body, particularly complex carbohydrates because it takes a while for the body to digest them, to absorb them, and then it gives a fairly constant elevation to blood glucose levels. and that's what we want because that's where we're getting our energy from. dietary fiber is another important health benefit of complex carbohydrates. the typical american consumes about 10 grams of fiber a day. medical experts recommend doubling that amount-- adding more fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grain cereal products to the diet. protis used initially in the body to maintain scle mass, to build cells, antibodies, hormones, etc. and generally, that need for protein will be met if we take in 12 to no more than 20% of our calories from protein. any additional protein that we take in will be used for energy. calories will be

linda gigliotti: i do have to emphasize that it's not a magic potion. it's a way to get the ball rolling, a way, perhaps, for that patient to reduce rather urgent medical problems, to be able to increase their physical activity so they can begin to burn more calories, in terms of calorie output, and then move eventually into the maintenance phase of the program. it is in the maintance phase th the patient begins to build new and healthy eating habits. linda gigliotti: in maintenance, we emphasize using fruits and vegetables as the bottom of their food guide pyramid, if you will, consuming an absolute minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. because they are low calorie density, high water containing, but a lot of other nutrients in terms of vitamins and minerals coming from the fruits and vegetables. i knew that maybe maintaining was going to be a whole heck of a lot harder. we spent a lot of time talking about just how many calories' difference you have to change in your lifestyle and, for me, to maintain a 100 pound loss, it's you know