Here’s a fantastic discussion about Taubes by James Krieger: Bullshitter of the Day: Gary Taubes. Losing or gaining fat is ultimately a question of calorie consumption. If you eat more calories than you expend you will in the long run gain weight and fat. If you eat fewer calories than you expend, you will lose weight and fat. There’s nothing more to it, and certainly no “metabolic advantage” for eating protein and fat over carbohydrates.

Does that mean eating a high carb diet full of bread, pasta, rice, sugar and the like is a good idea? No! All those foods are very calorie dense. In the simplest terms, this means you can eat more calories (remember that’s really all that matters) without feeling satisfied. Ever had a muffin at 3pm only to feel ravenous again in an hour? Eating a diet full of lower caloric density foods such as meat, vegetables, and fruits will on the whole leave you feeling more satisfied and less likely to overeat.

And finally, not getting adequate protein is much more likely on a high carb diet. Adequate protein is critical to maintaining lean body mass (your muscles, organs, and all that good stuff). If you’re having some meat, tofu, milk, or whey protein with most meals this is easy.

So whats the upshot of all this? Eat a balanced diet, get adequate protein, try not to eat foods that don’t fill you up, make sure to get your micro nutrients from fruits and vegetables, and stay away from junk food!