I completely disagree... I think...

i guess it depends on what kind of eating plan you're following... for low carb plans like atkins, calories don't matter. on restricted calorie plans, they do.

The Atkins chocolate bar, is still, just a chocolate bar. Calories are strictly energy, it's just if we store energy we end up with fat.

And sure the BL cuts down on white carbs, and sugar but they also limit calories.

calories don't come just from sugar, or carbs
Also, I don't see any of their bars on their site for 280 calories. Which one are you talking about?

It's processed so it is bad for you anyways. Doesn't matter how many calories something has, it's what makes up those calories that count. Why are you eating that, there must be a way to spend the calories better. All calories are not created equal.

To explain the "removal of carbs" if they cut out the carbs they replace it with sugar and it works the same way with sugar. Carbs are bascially sugar when it becomes broken down. Try to aim for no more than 100 grams of carbs a day. 1 to 1.5 time your body weight in protein and 20 grams or less of fat a day. That should help ya. Also stay away from replacement bars, make your own. If you can't read the label on something then don't buy it!

A calorie is a unit of energy. It's not up for debate! Lol

But I understand your frustration. Sometimes I look at nutrition facts, and I just scratch my head. How in the world is this THAT many calories?!?!

Totally agree!

Calories in vs Calories out....that's all that counts!!

Check this out!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Calories,_Bad_Calories

Yes, I completely agree that there are good calories and bad calories. I'm a firm believer in REAL food. 100 calories of veggies is going to process in your body different than a 100 calorie processed diet bar. But when you get down to real food calories, you need to burn more than you consume to lose weight.

Can't disagree with that!

I think it's unfair that when I have something which is virtually carb free such as the atkins chocolate bar, its still 280 calories on my diary!

sugar is bad for u, therefore less or no sugar should equal low calories not high calories.

Sugar is not the only thing that provides calories. That Atkins Advantage bar has 12 grams of fat and 18 grams of protein. It also has 22 carbs but because 10 of those are fiber they "don't count" in a low-carb plan -- fiber is indigestible and therefore does not turn into glucose the way simple carbs like starches and sugars do. But all three of the "macro" nutrients (carbs/fats/protein) are used by the body for energy... that's what calories measure -- energy being used or stored by the body.

Even fiber counts toward the calories reported for a food, which I think odd because it doesn't matter if you are following a low-carb or a reduced calorie diet -- your body will not digest those fibers.

Calories are a useful fiction. There is no such thing as a calorie. Food is made of chemicals -- carbohydrates (sugar, starch, and fiber), fat, and protein, along with micronutrients like Vitamin D and iron. Calories are just a shorthand way of talking about the energy content of the food.

To explain the "removal of carbs" if they cut out the carbs they replace it with sugar and it works the same way with sugar. Carbs are bascially sugar when it becomes broken down. Try to aim for no more than 100 grams of carbs a day. 1 to 1.5 time your body weight in protein and 20 grams or less of fat a day. That should help ya. Also stay away from replacement bars, make your own. If you can't read the label on something then don't buy it!

100 grams of carbs is quite low. While some people successfully use a low-carb diet to lose weight & get healthy, it is far from recommended for everyone, and it's not a good idea to go around telling everyone to do it so matter-of-factly.

To the OP: as others have said, no one "defined" a calorie - it is what it is. If you try to eat more real foods - non (or very low)-processed fruits, veggies, meats, eggs, grains & starchy veggies, nuts, beans, etc - you'll find you feel you get a much better value for the amount of calories they "cost".

Solution: Stop eating Atkins processed crap and do Atkins the way it's meant to be done (clean eating). If you need a chocolate fix, go out and get a high quality dark chocolate bar. At least that way the sugars are natural, and the item is full of antioxidants and other nutrients.