Okay, so I've learned good carbs are oatmeal and whole wheat bread...what are bad carbs - potatoes and pasta? And what makes a bad carb a bad carb?Thanks.

A GI rating. The GI (Glycemic Index) is a measure of how fast the food is broken down and absorbed within an hour of ingesting.

There's another measure called the GL (Glycemic Load) that measures the effect over the lifetime of the food in the body.

One other topic is complex vs simple carbs. This is a molecular difference and simply carbs are more easily converted to glycogen and absorbed, but also cause a big spike in insulin production.

As you know, or should, insulin is responsible for shuttling glygogen to the active and inactive tissue, so it's adding to muscle and fat. Keeping the insulin production at a moderate and even level helps to produce less fat storage.

Good carbs are things that are natural like: fruit, veggies, whole wheat, potatoes, etc.

Bad carbs are typically food items that are refined. Examples: most cereals, most breads (like white bread), most pastas, cookies, cakes, candy, etc.

This is obviously a very basic and simple explanation. Cynic gave some info above that is good to know. Typically a food is preferred if it is on the lower/middle end of the Glycemic Index.

Here is a great page/scale about the index: http://www.glycemicindex.com/

Even bad carbs can be enjoyed in moderation!

I agree. If you are trying to lose fat, good carbs are the most natural carbs. Natural meaning not changed from it's natural state. Things like oats, oat bran, brown rice, potatoes, yams, barley, lentils, all sorts of beans, all sorts of veggies and fruits. Whole grains such as whole wheat breads are still fairly good choices. High sugar, and overly processed carbs are not a good choice for fat loss, such as white pastas and breads, sweetened cereals, high sugar yogurt, etc.

It's also important to time the right carbs at the right time. For example, before and after workouts you want to have some quick and medium release carbs, and late in the day if you are less active eating lower glycemic carbs will help.

Sarah