A Durango Roast Beef Sandwich from Blimpie's Carb Counter menu
You hear about low-carb diets everywhere -- there's the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Hampton's Diet and the 30-day Low-carb Diet Solution. All sorts of people are trying some form of low-carbing, from movie stars to your mailman. In fact, there’s a good chance that as you’re reading this, you’re also thinking about a co-worker or relative that has recently lost weight on one of these plans. You might even be trying a low-carb lifestyle yourself.

Some people are totally behind the idea and really do consider it a true diet revolution but others think it’s yet another passing trend. For years the medical community has recommended a balanced diet -- rich in complex carbohydrates with lots of fiber and vegetables, and a limited intake of red meat and fatty foods. Low-carb plans advise something almost completely opposite. So, what’s the real story?

In this article, we'll take a look at carbohydrates, the basic idea behind low-carbing and the concept of net carbs. An increasing number of grocery stores and restaurants are responding to the needs of the low-carb consumer. Many folks following a low-fat or low-calorie plan find fast-food out of the question. Not so for the low-carb dieter. We'll take a quick peek at how you can stay true to a low-carb plan while on the go and how the fast-food industry is joining the low-carb craze.