Just a few thoughts in the CI=CO debate...

• The human body does not use combustion. Therefore the calorie itself is suspect as a yard stick since a calorie is measured by lighting the food on fire.

• People throw about the laws of thermodynamics all the time when it comes to weight loss. How many of these people actually took thermodynamics in college? Raise your hand. (My hand is up. I got a B or B+....it's been a while).

• If you want to invoke the first law of thermodynamics (conservation of energy... Calories in = Calories Out), you can't do it while ignoring the second law (entropy... Calories in = Calories Out + ENTROPY)

Here is an example I have given in the past. You have 2 guys (lets say identical twins) with identical cars. The only thing different between the two is you give one man 10 gallons of refined gasoline and the other man 10 gallons of crude oil.

Now they both got 10 gallons of combustible material to use in their cars. Are both of them going to be able to travel the same distance?

Of course not. The 10 gallons guy#2 got will have to be refined. After the refining process, he is not going to have 10 gallons of gasoline.

In this analogy, carbs are the "refined gasoline". Fat and protein are "crude oil". No surprise, no magic in why 10 gallons does not equal 10 gallons.