I recall an article I read a few years ago. The author recounted his discovery of some non-fat cookies at the local "Quik Stop Gas & Shop" when he stopped in for a fill-up on his way home from work. The cookies were delicious (and fat-free!) so he began to make a habit of stopping to buy a bag of cookies on his way home every day. It was only after he gained 5-10 ponds that he read the label. While the cookies were fat free they weren't sugar free (and they certainly weren't calorie free!).
I've personally seen "fat free" brownies with a half-inch of chocolate fudge icing slathered on top! They had more icing than the "regular" (with fat) version! They're certainly yummy but they are not a "low calorie food".
Despite some recent surprising study results, a calorie still counts for something. Replacing fat with sugar (or carbohydrates with fats and proteins) may not produce the weight-loss results you're hoping for.
A recent article in USA Today notes
An explosion of low-carb foods designed especially for people on Atkins-type diets is contributing to diet failure".
…
The problem : Dieters are eating too many of these new low-carb protein bars, muffins and brownie mixes, which are low in carbohydrates but often high in calories.The trend is similar to the problems dieters faced in the 1980s and 1990s: eating too much low-fat processed food and still piling on the calories.
Simply put, just because you bought a box of "low-carb baking mix", doesn't mean you can happily go back to having bread with every meal and a "short stack" every day for breakfast. Unfortunately, even in the world of "low-carbing", Eat Less (Eat Better) is still the most important motto in the struggle to maintain a healthy weight.
Slightly Off KIlter 