Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution

I started Atkins a month ago. I had major carb/caffeine withdrawl for the first 2 days (headache.) I took my Excedrin and kept on going and on day 3 finally felt great. I switched from Diet Coke to Diet Rite as Dr. Atkins recommended in his book. If you drink diet drinks try to switch to one of the great Diet Rite flavors because Diet Coke contains caffeine, sodium and Nutra Sweet. Dont use Equal packets but instead use Splenda. I didnt realize how much the Nutra Sweet causes carb cravings until I gave it up and the cravings went away after a few days. Ive been very busy this past month and didnt have time to exercise at all and guess what...I still lost 13.5 pounds by eating Cheese, eggs, meat, fish, and blueberries(berries are lower carb than other fruits). LOL. Fat doesnt make you fat. Thats the main thing you need to get in your head after reading this book. Not eating enough fat in your food will actually make you look older and give you bad skin. Just try this diet for a month and you will learn that this is all true. I tried all the other diets in the world, but this is the only one that let me eat and still lose weight without rushing home to exercise after a hard day at work. I plan on adding exercise to my routine and I will update this review and let you know how much more weightloss resulted this month. If you are a person who sits at a computer all day and doesnt have time to exercise much, this diet can still make you lose weight. I still cant believe I lost 13.5 pounds in one month without starving or exercising.

Update (3 Months Later)...I feel great. I have lost 30 lbs. and 6 inches from my waist. I dont feel cravings for sweets anymore at all. This is not a diet for me anymore. I think its the way people should eat all the time. It truly makes you healthier. People who say negative things about this diet are just clinging on to their tired,dated and failed diet plans which have resulted in the obesity epidemic in the USA. I am so thankful to Dr. Atkins and his research which proved the old ways wrong.

First, let me say that yes, you will lose weight on this diet but only initially and temporarily unless you stay on this diet for the rest of your life, in which case you will increase your risk of dying from kidney failure or heart disease or liver disease. Remember too, simply because this book was written by someone with the two magic letters MD behind their name does NOT make him the Yoda of diet and nutrition. In fact, most medical schools today do not even require med students to take a single course in nutrition, and certainly no medical schools required a nutrition course 30 years ago when Atkins was in med school. If it had been required back then, this book would never have been written - assuming the motives behind writing this book were well-intended which Im not so sure they were. That some medical professionals would endorse this diet simply amazes me. People must know that low cholesterol levels and low points on a scale are not the holy grails of good health. Your instincts should tell you that eating mostly fat and meat is not terribly healthy. Your doctor should tell you that this diet brings about weight loss through a process of ketosis (a very ungood thing) which is just as worrisome as high levels of cholesterol. However, if your instincts dont convince you and your doctor doesnt tell you, why not look at a group of people who are on the whole much slimmer than us Americans and have the highest life expectancy in the world, yet do the exact OPPOSITE of what Atkins recommends - This would be the Japanese, who eat mostly grains and fruits (carbohydrates) but very little fat and meat. Problem is, too many Americans want that quick fix diet without giving up bad habits, so all of these flavor of the month best-sellers just tell you what you want to hear - that you can eat as much of this or that to your hearts content and drop the pounds, become healthy, etc. However, the long term self sacrificing truth is that the healthiest solution to getting (and staying) fit and trim is to get off your duff and move and eat smaller portions from a variety of natural foods, and then move some more... Problem is, the truly healthy approach to dieting does not bring instant results and therefore does not sell as many books.

I finally bought the book, after having learned about the diet on the internet. Atkins makes a large number of valid points about eating habits. I have lost 11 pounds so far (just need to lose 15 more). It was easy, I was never hungry, and I never had to exercise.

There are almost 800 reviews on Amazon.com about this diet, most of them are positive. A small fraction of nutirionists will tell you the diet is bad. The whole concept is to cut back on sugar and flour. What is so bad about that

The remaining few negative posts will all be from people who obviously did not follow the diet properly, and give up after only one week. They will complain about being sluggish and weak during the first week. You **will** feel crappy the first week. Tt is because of all the sugar in your body. After that you will feel great. the only time I feel weak or suffer from headaches are the days after I cheat and eat something with carbs. Ask yourself, would you mind feeling weak for a few days if it meant you would lose 10, 20 or 50 pounds or more YES.

People also complain about how you get bad breath while on the diet. Obviously they did not read the book. The process of burning fat generates ketones in your body. The ketones (and hence the old fat) needs to be removed through your body. If you dont drink enough water, you will breathe it out, and your mouth will taste funny, and your breath will smell. The solution is to drink lots of water. Problem solved.

People will also complain about constipation due to lack of fiber, since vegetables are limited on the diet. Well, guess what Other foods (such as nuts) have fiber. Apparantly enough for a low carb diet. The reason why you need lots of fiber is because of the carbs. Take away the carbs, and you need less fiber.

When I heard about this diet, I figured I would go on the Internet and find hundreds of people crying that they cant lose weight on it just like any other diet. I was shocked to find that almost everyone has had success. Just go to remarq.com and read the Low Carb Diet - Support group. You will be amazed at how many people are having astounding success. Some people have lost hundreds of pounds. Then go to the other newsgroups and you will find the opposite.

Ever tried Slim Fast shakes Look at the sugar content, and compare it to a can of Coke or Pepsi (not diet). You may as well just drink Coke. Those things are just filled with sugar. And those weight watchers foods and candy bars They are also filled with sugar.

Some people will claim that there may be a health risk associated with this diet. I thought to myself, over my 29 years there have been times when I ate a lot worse. I used to eat pizza 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And I didnt die. I figured there were people on this diet who obviously had been doing it for years, and have lost a lot of weight (one guy lost 150 pounds). If they survived, so will I.

This diet is designed to cut out sugar and refined flour and other modern foods. Want proof that there are no long term health effects Humans have been living on this planet for thousands of years without sugar and refined flour and they survived. So will you.

Who is an expert in weight loss Not doctors, not nutritionists, and not thin people. The experts are fat people who have succeeded at losing weight. And they say the diet works. Just read the next 780 messages and youll see.

I have succeeded in losing 14 pounds and am very close to my goal weight. This is the only diet that has ever worked for me. I would like to comment on what some other people have posted here (you will see their reviews following mine).

One reader says that by denying yourself of carbs, you will only crave them more. This is both true and false. You will only crave them while your body is still receiving carbs. Once you have given them up, you will find that you will no longer desire them or have cravings. This reader also says that the Carbohydrate Addicts Diet has less side effects. The reason why is simply because that diet has a more gradual transition period, while Atkins is cold-turkey. You will feel run down and weak for the first few days that you give up carbs, but after that you will feel as though you have more energy. This is because it is the process of burning carbs off that makes you feel weak. You can prove this simply by eating a large amount of carby foods, such as candy. The next day you will definitely feel run down and weak (and probably crave more). This person also claims that she is a vegetarian, so eating meat to her is disgusting (although she thinks fish is okay). You can do a low-carb diet that is vegetarian. You merely have less of a choice of food.

Another person complains that it works great at first, but then the loss slows down. This is true for any diet because some of the loss is water (which is lost quickly). As you weigh less, you will lose fewer pounds. Obviously someone who weighs 300 pounds can afford to lose 30 pounds, but someone who weighs 120 pounds cannot.

The student nurse comments that the brain can only function on glucose (which only comes from carbs). She is wrong. the brain also functions great on ketones, which only comes from fat. Which would you rather do, get your energy from the food you eat or by burning your fat This is a well known fact. She also claims that you will lose muscle if you do not eat carbs. this is also not true. Studies have shown that locarb diets have less muscle loss than other diets (such as low fat diets) because locarb diets induce ketosis, which is the process of burning fat. She also says that you should eat omega3 fatty acids. She obviously is not familiar with Dr Atkins. he also strongly makes the same recommendation. She claims also that eskimos are healthier because they get a lot of exercise. Do you really believe that eskimos get more exercise than people who live in warmer climates I highly doubt it. they do however have the advantage that they have to burn more calories to keep their body temperature up.

To burn 1 pound of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories or so. Do some research to see how much exercise you need to do to burn 3,500 calories. From Dr Koops web site. The energy you use to exercise consumes fat. A 180-pound person who walks five miles burns about 750 calories. If that person walked five times per week, he or she would burn more than 1 pound of fat (3,500 calories = 1 pound of fat). That means you have to walk 25 miles to burn 1 pound of fat, IF you weigh 180 pounds. I weigh 156. I would need to walk far more than 25 miles to lose 1 pound. Or I could cut back on carbs, and lose 1 pound in a day or two with no exercise. Which would you chose I live in the city, and dont have a car, so i walk everywhere, and it never helped me lose weight. Not even rollerblading 10 miles, twice a week.

Please, if you do the diet, read the book, buy the Atkins starter kit, take all the supplements that he recommends (+ extra calcium), and read the lo-carb support groups on usenet. If you do not, you will have the negative symptoms that people describe. If you do, you will have the same good fortune as the rest of us.

Good luck.

I had purchased this book almost 3 years ago. After having read it, I put it away and decided that this could not be true.

About 2 years ago, I started hearing people talking about
hyperinsulinemia and how/why it causes weight gain. I had even heard some doctors discuss it in the hospital I work at.

I had asked one of the doctors about it, and he suggested I attend a seminar about health and nutrition in order to learn more about it. At that seminar, I was astonished to learn that the very same things Dr. Atkins wrote about in his book, that FAT DOES NOT MAKE US FAT, BUT HIGHLY REFINED CARBOHYDRATES (SIMPLE SUGARS) DO INDEED MAKE US FAT, as well as SICK, were being discussed at large. Hyperinsulinism is caused by the refined carbohydrates we consume.

Last year, I decided to give that diet a try. I did shed pounds, and quickly. Not only that, my HDL (good cholesterol) went up and my LDL (bad cholesterol) went down. I felt more energetic and less hungry.

However, I could not tolerate the fact that I would have to give up my carbohydrates FOR GOOD. Also, I found it tough only eating 3 cups of vegetables a day. I found myself wanting more vegetables. Following the 2 week period, I began to crave fruits. By the third week, I simply had to have an orange.

I, personally, cannot live without carbohydrates. I feel I must have some fruit, pasta, rice, etc. Dont get me wrong,
Dr. Atkins IS telling the truth, hes not a liar. Highly refined carbs are definitely the cause for cardiovascular diseases, especially coronary heart disease leading to Myocardial Infarction (heart attack). Needless to say, however, if ones fate is to die from a heart attack, then he WILL die of a heart attack, regardless of his good health, physical activity and daily nutrition.

For those of you who find this diet easy enough to adhere to without fruit consumption, then Id say go for it. You will lose weight -- FAST. Dont forget to drink LOTS of water.

Those of you who, like me, cannot give up the carbs for good and find the limited quantity of vegetables, as well as abstaining from fruit difficult, then perhaps you should consider reading The Carbohydrate Addicts Lifespan Program by Drs. Richard andamp. Rachael Heller. Its a great book (great program, too) and they also discuss hyperinsulinemia.

Good luck in whatever you choose andamp. good health.

I have lost over sixty pounds and maintained the loss for over five years thanks to Atkins diet. After thirty years of fruitless dieting - and the accompanying, constant hunger and weakness - I must say that there is only one side effect to the diet. eating with others will solicit comments about how I thought pasta was good for you and the like. Ive known others who, like myself, actually read the entire book and had similar (or greater) success. (A co-worker lost 130 pounds and has maintained that loss for three years to date, for example.) There truly is no hunger, no cravings, no fatigue, no needing to be obsessed with dieting, no living in a gym - and no regain. But I have frequently been puzzled when I have met or heard from those who cannot take Dr Atkins word for what his diet is. They combine the sage wisdom of other plans, believing they read it in Atkins book, or take prejudiced comments from elsewhere and assume them to be true. The common assumption - that Atkins dieters are constantly stuffing themselves with high fat foods, undoubtedly in a contest to see who can consume the most calories in a day - is absurd. After the first few weeks, one experiences a blessed reduction in appetite and absence of any cravings. (Politically incorrect as it is to state the truth - for many people, eating high carbohydrate foods when hungry has an effect similar to drinking from the ocean when thirsty.)Though there is no weighing, measuring, or keeping diaries, one finds that ones caloric intake is drastically reduced. The other fictions - that this is a temporary diet (that is true only of Induction - which prejudiced reviewers present as the entire diet) - that Atkins dieters are aiming for a heart attack soon (I doubt a cardiologist has much interest in killing his patients..) - that staying on the diet leads to weight gain - all are ridiculous. It is true that one will gain weight if one goes back to a high carbohydrate diet - but why would anyone who has a problem with carbs want to do so Those contemplating following the diet MUST read the book in its entirety, and not add what they were taught elsewhere. I would include my E-Mail address, except that, when Ive made favourable comments about this diet on Internet fora, Ive been deluged with E-Mail that tells me how wrong I am... Everett Koops successes lost only 12 pounds in a year. Other successes with high carb, low fat programmes, of which Ive read on the Internet, had track records such as losing 19 pounds and gaining half of it back soon. Ive seen studies where those who successfully lost weight through exercise lost only six pounds in a year. The new wisdom is that one should not lose more than a pound a month. ...Ill take Atkins any day.

On August 17th 2003 The Sunday Times reported the death of a 16 year old teenager in the USA on day 8 of an Atkins diet. Her death was attributed to an abnormal heart rhythm brought about by low levels of potassium and calcium in her blood. An American doctor also suffered severe chest pain and heart dysrythmia while on an Atkin diet. Potassium and calcium levels are vital for normal conductivity of electrical impulses which keep the heart beating.

The popular high protein, low carbohydrate, Atkins Diet for losing weight has been criticized by leading nutritionist Dr Susan Jebb, of the Medical Research Council Centre for Human Nutrition Research in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Speaking at a briefing at the Royal Institution, London in August 2003, Dr. Jebb said that the diet is a fad and based on pseudo-science. She rejects as fundamentally unhealthy any diet which cuts out an entire food group (carbohydrates in this case). She says that the Atkin Diet could pose serious health problems and that it would be negligent to recommend the Atkins diet to anyone who was overweight.

Dr. Jebb is the latest in a series of nutritionists who have criticised the Atkins Diet devised by Dr Robert Atkins in the 1960s. Atkins believed that excess carbohydrate intake results in overproduction of insulin which in turn stimulates hunger and weight gain.

Dr Jane Ogden, from Kings College says that most of the benefits of the Atkins diet were in the mind and that its simple format and allowance of tasty, high-fat food made it popular. The diet can be effective in the short term, like all low carbohydrate diets, but it is usually doomed to failure - The moment the body starts losing weight, it lowers metabolic rate making it harder to shed further pounds. With any diet, about 60 per cent of people lose weight in the first few weeks but over the next few years 95-99 per cent regain all the weight they lose - and some put on even more. The reality of dieting is that you have to modify the behaviour that you have learned from being a baby, and thats extremely difficult.

Nutritionists are also saying that a high protein diet like the Atkins results in excessive demands on the kidneys and increases calcium loss from the body with repercussions on bone development and structure. Carbohydrate foods can protect against heart disease and also are an important source of fibre which aids colon health and can reduce the risk of high cholesterol and cancer. Carbohydrate foods are also a key source of vitamins and antioxidants.

High fat diets like the Atkins are a known risk for a variety of cancers.

Dr. Jebbs criticism has been rejected by at least one fan of the Atkins Diet, who says in a letter to The Telegraph that the Atkins diet, whilst initially forbidding carbohydrates for the two induction weeks, then allows dieters to reintroduce carbohydrates. The point at which the dieter stops losing weight is that particular persons level and cutting back from this point will restart the weight loss. Everyones ability to assimilate carbohydrates is different and it is finding this level which is the key to this way of eating and subsequent weight loss.

I read this book several times before starting the diet. Then I did the diet for 4 days - lost 2 lbs in 4 days, not bad. I ended up cheating because I missed my orange juice and toast, but I will tell you I felt great, I felt very even. I also loved the fact that I could eat cheese, eggs, steak, etc. all my favorite foods. But I also eat tons of fruit and I really missed my fruit. A friend told me about Suzanne Somers Eat Great Lose Weight. Normally I would never have bought a book by Suzanne Somers but my friend lost 11lbs on it so I tried it. A lot of it is like Atkins - you can eat meat, cheese, eggs, oil, fats, etc. (and no portion control) but you can also eat carbs - pasta, bread, rice - you just dont eat them together. You can have fruit but only on an empty stomach. Its called food combining and I lost 3lbs per week, 10 lbs in a month eating all the foods I love. If you dont miss carbs, then Atkins is for you. But if you miss your cereal, bread, pasta, fruit, etc. then try this one. I felt good on Atkins, but I feel great on Suzanne Somers. Hey, the woman is in her 50s and look at her body.

I wont describe all the details behind low-carbohydrate dieting. I assume that interested readers scanning through these reviews know the basics. for two weeks, you will restrict yourself to fewer than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. When those two weeks are over, you will gradually increase your carbohydrate intake, but the amount of carbs you eat will continue to be fairly low. In essence, youll be eating lots of meat, eggs, cheese, and limited veggies (some veggies are loaded with carbs, some arent).

I first read this book three years ago, and I periodically go on and off the Atkins diet (not what the good doctor recommends by the way, but Ill explain more about this in a moment). In truth, I encourage people to read Atkins book entirely, but it is not essential. There are plenty of Web sites out there that can give you full information regarding low-carb dieting. Below, Ill list my views on the pros and cons of the Atkins diet. Please keep in mind that these pros and cons are subjective and reflect my experiences with the Atkins diet. People reactions to the Atkins diet differ widely. When in doubt, buy the book, try the diet yourself, and see what happens.

PROS
1) You truly can eat limitless portions. Im a 31 year old male, and I bounce around from being 10-20 pounds overweight. That may not seem like too much, but I do slip into the same poor eating patterns that plague plus-sized people. I eat out of boredom. I eat when Im anxious. I eat when I feel down. On the Atkins diet, I can pretty much munch away--just as long as I am eating proteins.

2) Youll see results. I lose a bit more slowly than the typical male should, but still I dropped about 15 pounds over six weeks. Most males can expect to lose more than this, however. Females, I understand, lose weight more slowly, so you will have to be patient. Regardless, you should see pretty quick results. Also, I noticed that the weight I lost were true pounds shed. It took me nearly a year to gain those 15 pounds back.

3) Although Im not completely sold on the long-term benefits of Atkins plan, I do agree with many of his ideas, ideas that do run contrary to common nutritional advice. Eggs, meats, cheeses, and heavy creams are not bad in and of themselves. Rather, the empty, nutritionless calories found in breads, pastas, rices, and sweets are the true culprits. Atkins pushes for a more natural diet, and Im glad to see him champion this. Even before I read New Diet Revolution, I just knew (or rather, my body knew) that eating prime rib hurt the body less than eating processed food.

CONS
1) All diets are restrictive, and so is Atkins diet. Most diets, of course, restrict quantities and/or calories. Atkins diet may give you back quantity and (to an extent) calories, but dont be fooled. this is still a very restrictive diet. The good doctor will brag about all the sumptuous foods you can eat (lobster, chicken breasts smothered with a heavy cream or butter sauce, imported cheeses, mushroom omelets etc.), but heres the reality. youre going to eat meat, meat, and more meat. Then, youre going to eat eggs, eggs, and more eggs. The Atkins diet essentially takes away all side dishes. Yes, vegetables are allowed, but because so many vegetables are filled with carbs, youll be eating maybe a cup or two of salad, spinich, or broccoli each day. Yes, in time you will slowly increase your carb intake, but youll always be restricting them greatly. In short, this diet gets old, and quick. Name a way to cook eggs, and Ive tried it, boy. scrambled, soft-boiled, fried, poached. After a short time on this diet, you may literally become sick of eating bacon and eggs. Im a meat lover, and I get sick of this diet after three or four days. Sure, a nicely cooked steak may indeed be a luxury, but not when you eat one every day.

2) Physcial reactions. This may be quite individual to me, but I feel lousy on this diet. I feel tired, and I suffer from headaches. Dr. Atkins brags that you should feel an energy boost from his diet (and maybe some people do), but I feel the complete opposite. Interested low-carb dieters beware. Your body may not react well to this diet.

3) There still havent been any long-term studies on low-carb dieting and its wear and tear on the body. The only statistics provided have been from Atkins himself, statistics and case studies hes kept on file for over 25 years. I guess Im saying, Id like to hear a bit more feedback from independent researchers. Im not ready to commit to the Atkins diet as a WOL (way of life). Dont misunderstand me. I agree with Atkins belief that carbohydrates are the problem, but Im not ready (nor strong enough) to become a lifetime low-carber. Thus, I try to lead a 75pct. low-carb lifestyle. The majority of the time, I avoid carbs. Occasionally, Ill eat pasta or rice, but then Ill go right back to excluding carbs. This style of dieting may not work for everyone (indeed, if you are a true carb addict, you may not be strong enough to sometimes eat carbs and then ignore them), but it works for me.

I hope this review proves helpful. Readers may wish to note that there are other low-carb books out there that are much more flexible than Atkins. There are wonderful books that take the principles of low-carb dieting and apply them to less austere regimens. Still, the Atkins diet does work, and if you are interested in trying low-carb dieting, you might as well start here.

First of all, let me say that I am very glad that what Dr. Atkins has been promoting for over 30 years has finally been accepted as both safe and effective.Prior to Atkins, I tried the high fiber, high carb programs and felt stringy, lost weight but stayed fat.I became a warrior and went to the gym, did the best I could considdering how out of shape I was, lost a few pounds, toned up a little but the results were far too slow so I quit.I tried one of the over the counter diet shakes. Nothing. Tried the fat burners had a huge increase in energy but was up half the nite and had the jitters.As a last resort I tried Atkins. Several days---nothing. I continued for 7 days. Still nothing in weight loss based on my bathroom scale, but did notice my pants were looser and I loved eating eggs, steaks, chops and cheese again. Finally around the start of the third week, I started to lose. First 5 lbs. Then 8 lbs. Then 10 lbs. I noticed in the mirror that I looked tighter and my pants were a lot looser now. I didnt measure but figure I lost any easy 1 1/2 to 2 waistline inches.I was starting to get tired of eggs every morning so started to take a shake in place of breakfast. Noticed it tasted good and mixed with water.I also added the Vit/Min, Oil and weight-loss accelerator products. By this time, I had noticed that my skin was tighter and smoother. I had high energy. No mid morning let down and no hunger pangs.Dieting was no longer a drudgery. I have since started going to the gym again. One of the guys at the gym said, Wow Louie you look great must be working out like crazy huh. I told him that I was just starting back but was on the Atkins Diet. Two other gm members are now on Atkins.As another reviewer commented, most diets dont work. Any weight loss is usually lean tissue (muscle) and water and very little fat. Most diets lead to deprivation. Most people who are on diets are easily identifiable. they look haggard, tired, are always hungry and also irritable. My weight loss came slow, I believe because I messed my metabolism up with other diets and plans. The thermogenic plans especially speed up your metabolism and when you stop...look out.I loved the Atkins diet. It is such a pleasure to be losing Fat, not just weight and putting good things into my body. Oh, my complexion which had been a problem for a long time has cleared up.A friend tried to steer me away from Atkins and started on this high Ketosis thing. ... I told him to read the book and asd him if he saw the NY Times article and told him to try it. This guy has always been thin but now (in his 50s) has to run 3-4 miles every day, is in good shape for a 50 year old, but how many have the desire or abiity to run 3-4 miles every day I know I dont.I recommend the Atkins diet wholeheartily and believe it is the perfect answer to looking better and living longer.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2004 It has been a few years since I wrote this review. it is now dated by the progressive deterioration in the QUALITY of our food supply. Better choices now are The Makers Diet (Jordan)(the current BEST choice), The No Grain Diet (Mercola), The Schwarzbein Principle (1 and 2). These diets are a lot of work, since they emphasize the QUALITY of your food choices. If that is too much for you, Atkins remains a good place to start, and is MUCH better then doing nothing.

Also check out www.westona.org, www.functionalmedicine.org, www.mercola.com and (of course my own) www.inflammationclinic.com.

One final thought. Dr. Atkins was FAR ahead of his time recognizing the importance of lowering insulin levles by eliminating sugar and simple carbohydrates. He will always get my vote for a Nobel prize. Dr. Atkins, may you rest in peace.

ORIGINAL REVIEW. This is the book everyone loves to hate. Every time I ask people what they didnt like about this book I hear one criticism after another. Im sure youve heard them too. Next time you hear these criticisms, ask you friend some of the following questions.

Which of the Atkins diets did you disagree with The Induction, Pre-Maintenance, or Maintenance phase
Which of the 55 vegetables which Dr. Atkins lists to include in your diet do you think is unhealthy

You will almost always find THEY NEVER READ THE BOOK. And most people who have tried the Atkins Diet never read the book either.

If you are heavy someone needs to tell you that YOU ARE DYING. Right now. Your weight is killing you faster then you know. It has long been recognized that obesity, heart disease, lipid disorders, diabetes, and a host of other degenerative conditions are in fact ONE DISEASE- Metabolic Syndrome (also known as insulin resistance, Syndrome X and a host of lesser used names). And insulin resistance is caused primarily by sugar and too many carbohydrates in our diet (also trans fats, but not natural saturated or unsaturated fat). If you want to save your life you must learn about sugars, simple carbohydrates, and how to avoid them, and, in my opinion, this book remains the best place to start.

BUT YOU MUST READ THE BOOK.

This book is a treasure box full of information, much of which is counter intuitive. And all the information is carefully documented and referenced in the back. Two years (and 40 pounds) ago, when I first read Dr. Atkins book, I was stunned by the level of information in it (and I am a physician). In fact, there is so much information in the book it is difficult to absorb the first time. Which, unfortunately, is where much of the confusion about the diet starts.

If you are overweight, you have insulin resistance. And if you have insulin resistance, your metabolism IS NO LONGER NORMAL. You must TEMPORARILY restrict your eating from high carbohydrate foods to drag your metabolism back to where it should be. In my opinion, because Dr. Atkins diet is more strict initially (remember, you still should eat THREE servings of vegetables per day even during the strictest part of the diet) it allows you to progress faster to restore your metabolism back to where it should be.

I now have literally COUNTLESS patients who have lost over 25 pounds, several who have lost over 100 pounds, and several diabetic patients who have been able to stop get off all diabetes medications.

More criticisms youll hear.

But what about my cholesterol It is now known (and, in fact, has been for some time) that well over 80pct. of your cholesterol is made by the liver and is not a reflection of the fat in your diet. Most will see their cholesterol drop dramatically on the diet. Almost all will see their HDL (good cholesterol) go up significantly. A FEW patients will have their LDL (bad cholesterol) go up- but here again, limited knowledge will hurt you. NOT ALL LDL IS BAD. LDL is in fact made of a variety of different particle sizes (LDL subclasses A and B) and only one of these (Type B LDL) is bad. MOST PEOPLE ON A LOW CARBOHYDRATE DIET LOWER THEIR PRODUCTION OF THE BAD TYPE B LDL EVEN IF THEIR TOTAL LDL INCREASES. Most community labs are not yet able to measure these different subtypes (requires a LDL-GGE test). Fortunately, if your LDL increases you can almost always tell whether the increase or decrease is good or bad by looking at your triglyceride levels. People who increase production of the bad LDL (which is rare) almost always increase their triglycerides as well. MOST PEOPLE, HOWEVER, WILL NOTICE A DRAMATIC DROP IN THEIR TRIGLYCERIDE LEVEL.

I just dont feel good without eating some sugar. Did you hear me You ARE DYING FROM SUGAR. You will never feel good again if you dont get it out of your body.

I think complex carbohydrates are good for you. You are right. Complex carbohydrates are good for you. And Dr. Atkins strongly recommends that once you get your weight down to where it should be you add limited amounts of complex carbohydrates back in your diet.

I love fruit, and I know fruit is good for me. If you are at your appropriate weight, fruit is EXCELLENT for you. But it is full of sugar. AND YOU CANT HANDLE ANY SUGAR. Once you get your weight back down you should start incorporating fruit regularly in your diet. But if you dont cut out the fruit, you will never get your weight down.

I do have some criticisms of the book.
(1) The book is TOO complete. Weighing in at 522 pages of intense material, most people just cant get through it. BUT TRY.
(2) In fact, you need to read THREE books to really get the complete Atkins diet, this one, Dr. Atkins Age Defying Diet, and Dr. Atkins Vitamin book. ALL ARE EXCELLENT (but who other then a doctor will read them all).
(3) The section on Trans Fats in the new edition is still not enough (of course, adding more would make the book even bigger.)

This man deserves a Nobel prize for standing up to ridicule for 30 YEARS. Now low carb diets are everywhere, and amazingly he is still criticized by people who know nothing about his diet.

This book changed my life and the entire way I practice medicine. I have countless patients it has helped. If you want to lose weight and improve your health, read this book FIRST. Then read Sugar Blues. Then Protein Power LifePlan.

P.S. Thank you, Dr. Atkins for saving my life.

This is my third report on this amazing, by now clinically and scientifically very well documented and proven diet.

I lost a staggering 147 pounds on it, with ease I might add, while improving my lipid profiles dramatically. All that in about 18 months time, without exercise, all the while eating luxuriously. Without hunger, without cravings, without my nose falling off.

Being a scientist myself, I can wholeheartedly back this diet from my very own personal experience with it, as well as from the readily available, copious amounts of peer-reviewed, scientific research and literature. There is nothing strange, dangerous, fad or even boring about this diet if you follow a few supersimple guidelines.

1. Read (really READ) the book cover to cover at least twice. Let it sink in.
2. Ignore the noisy negativist critics, but stick with the facts, as outlined in his copiously footnoted and referenced book
3. Have a full checkup before starting the diet. This will make it easier to check and validate the astounding improvements in your lipid profile.
4. Keep a diary and keep track of your progress.
5. Eat all you want of the allowed foods but do not gorge.
6. Drink LOTS of water. At least 3 liters a day as a rule of thumb.

You will see vast improvements in the first week. After the second week of Induction (only the first phase of this brilliant regimen) you will see and feel dramatic improvements. If you have lots to lose, like I did, you can opt to stay in ketosis (a absolutely natural and fully safe metabolical state) and keep losing fast. Otherwise you can add more veggies and other healthy carbs to your diet and slow down weight loss a bit. Just follow the book, it is clear enough.

This diet isnt all meats, as some uninformed and biased negativists keep yelling. To the contrary. Knowing the scientific truth myself, as outlined in detail in Atkins book, I still cant believe all the nonsense one hears about this diet. All critizisms I have read so far, also on this website, without exception are based on either false reasoning, misinformation or half-truths. There is no shred of evidence of all the nonsense that is printed and touted over the mainstream media over this diet.

On the other hand there are literally mountains of hard, established scientific facts and research showing that dr. Atkins approach (it is not a diet, its a regimen) is the right way for many, if not all, obese patients and diabetics.

Ill give you some other established facts to think of. If this diet is so bad, why did the Olympic swimming team WIN on it Why do professional cyclists show 80pct. more stamina as traditionally carb-loading cyclists on this diet Why is this diet often exclusively used for severe epilepsy patients with wonderful results Why is this diet so good for patients with Crohn disease Why are diabetics often able to get completely off medication on this diet IN OTHER WORDS. WHY DOES YOUR HEALTH IMPROVE DRAMATICALLY ON IT

I could go on and on. There is so much scientific research AND clinical evidence in the medical literature that this diet is simply the most excellent and healthy regimen for obese persons, or, to be more precise, for most people that are health conscious.

Some food for thought... In all my scientific career I have never read ANY explanation for the above facts...why Because the critics have no real arguments, thats why. They have no facts, no literature, nothing to back it up except a lot of humbug and false reasoning plus a nice overdose of (sadly, often Government sponsored) misinformation.

If I may give you some advice, buy the book. READ IT. It IS indeed a revolution, a revolution that is fully backed by decades of hard, factual nutritional science.

Dont take my word for it...try it yourself. Your body (and your doctor.) will be grateful. Oh, BTW, no doubt you heard that the critics now yell that dr. Atkins recently had a heartattack. He did not... even cardiac specialists agree that his illness was totally unrelated to his diet. It was merely a cardiomypathy, a muscle infection. Nothing to do with the diet.

Another point of interest, hot from the needle. the New York times just published a major piece about the Atkins diet, outling the same scientific facts as I stated above. Indeed, this article, written by writer Gary Taubes for the prestigeous journal Science flat out states that Atkins most likely has been completely right for over 30 years and that mainstream science is now almost forced to agree with him. Mainstream researchers from Duke, Harvard and other worldfamous centers of nutritional research now agree with Atkins. Very interesting to read, and it also makes very much clear that the scientific truth, for political and commercial reasons, has been a total taboo for over 30 years.

So even the title of Atkins book is perfect...a revolution indeed.

I have to admit, that I had my reservations about this program. Based on accepted scientific dogma, the Atkins Diet seemed very dangerous.Then I bumped into a friend that I hadnt seen in awhile. He had lost around 60 lbs and looked fantastic. Then his wife came out and she had lost 45 lbs. I asked what they were doing and they said Atkins.What impressed me is that these eople didnt look like normal dieters. They looked wonderful. So radiant. So much energy. Their skin had a glow to it. I told them that I had heard some bad things about Atkins and they showed me the NY Times article about carbs. Between the article and their new slim appearance I was sold and started the next day.My first observation was that I wasnt hungery and I felt great. I enjoyed a big increase in energy. That never happened before on any diet.I lost 5 lbs. in the first three days and noticed inch loss in all major fat accumulation areas. Handlebars started to dissappear. Stomach got tighter. Chest firmed up.My nails, hair and skin all showed marked improvements. Like my friends, I started to get a healthly glow on my skin. Previously, I had been on a balanced diet and had tried and the diet and exercise system with little or no results.Around my 30s, I started a higher fiber/complex carb program with pasta, grains, fruits, legumes and interstingly, that is when I started to gain weight. Now I believe that its carbohydrates that make you fat.Im consuming more calories with Atkins, feel better, have more energy than with the balanced or complex carb program.Im in sales and on the road a lot. Its nice to be able to eat those luscious hi protein foods like lobster, shrimp, prime rib, pork chops for lunch or dinner and scrambled eggs or a nice cheese omlet for breakfast. I also enjoy the Atkins bars.I was a former Atkins basher and foolishly believed the medical community that warned that this program is dangerous. I think that being overweight is dangerous as is the food programs recommended by dieticians and doctors. But I was willing to be changed.I think that the NY Times article may finally proove to many that Atkins was right all the time. What I think is funny are people who think this program is dangerous but puff away on a cigerette, munch on a high sugar sticky bun or put down a double order of fries. Atkins has given me a new perception of dieting and nutrition. Im a lifer on this program. and am sold, sold, sold.

As a health practitioner and a patient of Dr. Atkins since 1974, Ive been aware of the controversy surrounding Dr. Atkins for a long time. I was a 12-year-old with a 350 cholesterol, who was well on his way to being a 14 or 15-year-old dead from a heart attack. Dr. Atkins put me on that oh-so-maligned diet of his, and in three months of no-sugar/no-carbs, high-fat/high-protein, my cholesterol dropped from 350 to 210. Ive yet, in all the years since, to see another diet, or a drug for that matter, that can claim the same results. Ive also never seen someone who has helped so many people go through such a sustained assault from the medical mainstream and the media. This extraordinary book not only updates the work hes been doing for the past 30 years. it cites extensive research that backs up his positions. (One of the ongoing attacks, for years, was that he based his conclusions solely on his 35,000 + patients, and never cited actual clinical studies.)

One of the most compelling parts of the book is the section on heart health/cholesterol--one of the topics for which he has consistently taken the most heat. He shows dramatically how much of the mainstream theory is being disproven by more and more studies. fat is not the enemy. sugar and high carbs (especially refined carbs) are more dangerous by far.

The other major gripe I have with the reception of this book is the assumption that the extreme low-carb approach is what Dr. Atkins advocates for everybody. Read more carefully, folks. thats the WEIGHT LOSS program. Once your weight is where you want it, you begin to eat more whole grain complex carbs and fruit (brown rice, millet, and the like, as opposed to refined carbs such as pastas and breads, and concentrated sugars such as fruit juices, honey, etc.) to halt the weight loss process. The book explains this very clearly.

One of the other consistent things I hear is the danger of consuming so much animal products given the horrible amounts of toxic chemicals pumped into commercially raised livestock (growth hormones, antibiotics, etc.) Again, read more carefully. at least 15 years ago, Dr. Atkins was among the first voices in this country to advocate ORGANIC meat and poultry--back when such a thing was largely unheard of. Yes, its a bit more expensive, and in some areas harder to find. but isnt your health worth it

Will Dr. Atkins ever advise you to eat a pint of Ben and Jerrys once a week Not likely. But the powers that be have put on their blinders, and cite only the parts of Atkins philosophy that suit their own intransigent purposes. Meanwhile a week doesnt go by when several clients come through my door and tell me, unsolicited, how since theyve come off the high-carb/low-fat approach and incorporated more protein into their diets, theyre feeling like human beings again for the first time in years.... more energy, greater mental clarity, better emotional stability/less depression, and long-term aches and pains beginning to disappear. Think for yourselves. experiment, and listen to your own bodies.

This diet works. This doctor can write. This is, without a doubt the BEST approach to losing weight and the healthiest way to eat and live. One fella said the diet is expensive. I say, have you noticed lately how much a quadruple coronary bypass costs

Some say the menu choices are limited Maybe during the induction diet but Rack of Lamb to Lobster cooked in Butter with a tossed salad and brocolli with cheese for your dinner doesnt sound like deprivation to me. Some say Dr. Atkins doesnt prove his case. Well, that is not what I found out when I lost 29 pounds in the first two weeks.

Others claim the INDUCTION phase (first 14 days) doesnt provide adequate nutritional support for a long-term diet program. They obviously skipped the part (page 100 ff) where Dr. Atkins strongly recommends that dieters take a broad multi-vitamin four times a day and where he suggests other dietary supplements for various concerns readers may experience or need help addressing.

Finally, I commend Dr. Atkins .. his book is written on a seventh-grade level which coupled with the low cost of a paperback makes it available to the masses at a very small . He also takes the time to explain all medical terms and to make the results of scientific studies understandable to the least of us. This is a man who has helped more patients on a one-to-one basis than any other physician, and he is a man who has taken the time to educate the public vis-a-vis his radio shows and books so that millions can benefit from his discoveries and experiences.

I owe my life to Dr. Atkins. After 25 years of smoking one and a half packs daily, I started putting on pounds and I make a Herculean effort to follow a LOW FAT, HIGH CARBOHYDRATE diet. I had NEVER eaten more of the RIGHT foods and less of the BAD foods in my life. And, yet I was gaining nearly a pound every week. At the same time my blood pressure was pushing unhealthy levels while my blood sugar levels became quite erratic. Previously, I never hated vegetables but never ate them regularly. And, fruit, I avoided like the plague since it gave me lots of acid reflux. But, fearing the worst, I was determined to eat lots of fruit and vegetables and I guzzled juices like they were soda pop. I can say I even got to like them albeit I also was downing nearly a dozen Rolaids to handle the reflux I was experiencing. And, yet, nothing was working ... my effort to stem off weight gain as a result of quitting smoking was a failure. Doing everything right was VERY wrong. Fortunately, a friend pointed me in the right direction ... and there I stand confident in the Dr. Atkins weight loss program. Low fat and high carbs works for about 5pct. of the population who has the discipline to stick with it despite the pain. Look at the people who are on it ... drawn and tired looking and they will tell you they are ALWAYS hungry even shortly after eating a meal. Under the Dr. Atkins program, if you are hungry, the Doctor tells you to open your mouth and eat like God intended ... just stay with foods authorized.

As for me, I enjoyed the induction phase. It showed I could effortlessly lose weight and not feel like warmed-over death. I felt better, had more energy, no more brain-fog and I did not feel tired and worn out at the end of the day.

I hope you will decide to try the diet. I have given the books to a few of my friends and even a few family members Id like to see stick around for a few more decades if the good Lord doesnt return first. Do yourself a favor. its a good read and VERY enlightening. Stop folks lying to you ... check out the facts. Itll save your life. Ciao and God bless. Tony.

Prior to Atkins, I was a Slim Fast fan. Lost weight. But then I realized that Slim Fast is just low calorie sugar and the weight I had lost was more lean tissue than actual fat. I had just become a smaller fat person and got tired of just drinking shakes all the time. I also tried the 40-30-30, lost weight there too but was always hungry and tired. It was hard to stay on and I quit.I also tried to work it off by going to the gym only to put it right back on again. I also tried jogging, that was hard on my knees and back. I was so out of shape I could hardly run a block. Exercise is for fit people.I tried the BALANCED DIETS too including nutritionist and dietician recommended programs. I lost some weight but was tired all the time, hungry, looked gaunt and nutritionally depleted. In short, the conventional and so called sensible ways to lose weight dont work. I felt tired, depressed, and hungry and very quickly regained any weight that I lost.Then I heard about Atkins. What a enjoyable way to lose weight. I wasnt hungry. I wasnt tired. My skin became tighter and firmer. My hair and nails improved. Even my beard became thicker. My skin became radiant again. Something I havent seen in myself since I was in my twenties. No more dry skin. I looked rejuvenated, younger and healthy.I read an article about protein. It stands for of First Importance. No article ever said that carbs are of first importance. Now I know why.My weight dropped from 250 to 173 in five months. I have gone from a 45 waist to 32. I look and feel like a teenager again and at 44 that is great.I intend to stay on Atkins ad infinitum. The program is safe and effective. You get to eat real foods and some really great foods like lobster. I cheated over the Thanksgiving holiday and did not gain a pound. This diet is incredible.I have started jogging again along the beach. Now I have the energy ro run 3 miles, no aches and pains. The people who advocate exercise for weight loss dont understand the fitness and overall condition of the morbidly obese that I was. We need another vehicle. Atkins is that vehicle. Read the book and follow the program. It works. Dont reinvent the wheel. Dont try to combine this with other diets or believe you need those fruits and veggies. Try it, just try it. Youll be glad you did.

This books title says it all. The New Diet Revolution. This is a new revolution indeed. It is a extremely drastic change from the normal diets that we have all grown up with. Especially now with all the NO FAT diet craze. But reading this book will cast a much needed sunshine on the dreary world of Dieting most of us live in.

Unlike some people who were skeptical when they first read Dr. Atkinss theory of low carb, high fat, I immediately believed it. I was the classic carbohydrate addict. I restricted myself from eating any sort of fat, loaded up on the so called energy foods, and managed to steadily gain 75lbs. I tried everything short of starving myself (which was the only thing that worked) yet I could not lose an inch or an ounce. Then one day while I was surfing the internet, I happened upon the Atkins website. It was like a veil had been lifted from my eyes. I understood that eating all those so called Fat Free sugar laden foods was what was making me Fat.

It is true, carbohydrates, are the enemy. Think about it. Centuries ago, there were no candy bars, sodas, cookies, vending machines filled with a carbohydrate addicts snackorama dream. According to recent studies, Americans now consume more than 100lbs of sugar per year, up from 4lbs since the beginning of last century (1900s). WOW. The vast majority of American society today is Obese or on the verge of it.

Do not listen to people who tell you that your body cannot function without carbohydrates, that is only slightly true. The body can live without it for a long time, time enough for you to utilize your stored fat into much needed fuel. As soon as the human body depletes itself from its store of glycogen (carbohydrates), your body goes into a state of Ketosis. According to some doctors, ketosis is a dangerous state to be in, since many diabetics reach this state if their insulin is low and it becomes dangerous for them. As long as you are not a diabetic, the state of ketosis that the body enters after it is free of carbohydrates, is not in any way dangerous to a person without diabetes. In fact Ketosis has many great qualities. It is like you are on a fast, and if you have ever been on a fast, you know that fasting suppresses the appetite. And unlike fasting which WILL deplete your body of its muscle, when you are in a state of Ketosis, your body utilizes its fat for energy, something which it probably never did before. You do not lose precious muscle while in a state of Ketosis, nor do you feel the incessant need for food, plus no more mood swings or shifts in energy.

This diet has helped me in many ways. I have lost half of the weight I need to. I no longer have food on my mind 24/7. I feel that I am FREE.

I have read different sources about the Atkins Diet, take my word, do not believe everything that you read. After losing the weight that you need, Atkins advocates introducing the good carbs back into your diet, such as fruits and veggies. The trick is to stay away from refined sugar, flour and like foods.

And for those who are just starting out, if you feel the need for sweets, he has many different foods which will help stop the cravings. My favorite is the Atkins Diet Advantage bar, it can be found in most health food stores.

To all the pessimists out there, give it a chance. It is different, but I believe that if you give it a genuine try, it WILL work.

Dozens of diets, fads and gimmicks abound, but how many have the success rate or the longevity of Atkins Answer. Only Atkins.

Atkins has been around now for over 30 years and for 1 reason it works.

People are worried about the fat in the Atkins program but go around eating potato chips, frendh fries and ice cream Cmon.

I lost 48 lbs initially with Atkins a few years ago and have maintained it. While losing weight, I gained muscle, filled out my figure, lost in major fat areas. waist, hips and thighs.

While on the program, I didnt feel like I was on a diet. I felt like I was having a feast each and every day.

My skin tone also improved.

Energy soared. I went from a couch potato to starting a mild exercise program of walking now Im pumping iron too and doing more advanced exercises, cardio and spot training.

I know people will say its the exercise. And that would be only partly true. I lost 48 lbs without any exercise at all, just Atkins. The exercise part came because I wanted to firm up and improve my condition and health.

I highly recommend the Atkins diet. It is simply the best and most successful fat loss program of all time.

Dr Atkins, RIP.

In my estimation, for the great majority of people out there reading this, your success on this diet is dependant on the degree you follow the recommendations in the book. If you refuse to follow all of them, your milage may vary. If so, then dont blame the diet while at the same time not revealing your own failure to follow directions or contact the Atkins Center for advice.

In my eyes, the AMA has lost credibility by supporting diets that dont work and make people frustrated. More and more people like me, are discovering the connection between health problems like, diabeties, heart problems and obesity and carbo/sugar consumption. And, finding out that it is something that we can contol ourselves without having to rely on visits to the doctor and pharmecy for medication.

My wife has tried many approved diets over the years and none of them worked. She has been on the Dr. Atkins diet for over a year now. She is healthier and happier than ever, and dropped 25 pounds until she reached her normal ideal weight and has kept it off, with occassional small rises here and there but very easy for her to get right back to her ideal weight. Her last medical exam was only a month ago, and the doctor said she is in fantastic health, all levels in normal range or better than normal range. This was an improvement from her medical exam around a year prior. She loves this diet. It has become a way of healthy life for her.

Two years ago I was in a normal cholesterol range, according to a blood test. Seven weeks ago, I had another blood test. Cholesterol was very high. My doctor told me that he was going to prescribe medication to bring my cholesterol down and that Id be on it for life. Strangely, he did not inquire whether or not I exercised. Nor did he inquire whether or not my eating habits changed. He didnt inquire what had changed about my life style from two years ago or whether or not I ate more sugary foods, or lots of potatoes, bread, pasta and other carbos. I asked what could have caused my cholesterol to go up like that. His pat answer was genetic. He had a know-it-all arrogant attitude that I found offensive, and I chose to do some research on the subject first. Call it coincidence, but all of a sudden there were several newspaper articles appearing in Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Tribune with headings like 70 deaths directly related to cholesterol heart medication and other similar articles. Yikes.

I decided that if my health was ok two years ago and since then I stopped exercising and started eating sugary foods and lots of bread, pasta, beer and soft drinks that maybe if started exercising and eating right I would recover lost ground. If I caused my own problem, then I should be able to correct it without taking risky drugs, as long as I follow the right advice.

We couldnt find the Dr. Atkins book in the house, so my wife bought me a new copy of the New Diet Revolution. It was exactly what I needed. It educated me as to the number one suspect for why my cholesterol had gone up. carbos and sugar affect insulin, which controls cholesterol production by the liver. Control your insulin and your cholesterol will head back towards normal. The book educated me on how to identify sugar in its many forms on processed food lables. It educated me on how to identify the foods my body needs for health, growth and a strong immune system. There is much more helpful related educational information in the book.

So, I started the diet about 5 weeks ago. Besides loosing 30 pounds, I noticed that my heartburn went away. Nor do I have gas and various other aches and pains in my back and legs.

After about 1 week into the 2-week induction diet I had mild headaches coming and going for about a day and a half and they have never returned. Pretty much the same thing happened with some other minor aches and pains. During the 1st week I really missed spagetti and lasagna and bread and milk and chocolate and coffee and my morning cherry danish. Now, after 5 weeks I can easily live without them. I dont want to go back to feeling like I did when I was eating all those carbos and junk. The physiological and psychological cravings have gone away.

But, perhaps a difference between my success and some of those who didnt report success, is that I made a firm committment to follow the diet. Every day I would read part of the book. It really made more and more sense to me.

By the end of the 2nd week, I had less cravings for carbos, increased energy and stamina.

Things just keep on improving for me. Now,I can literally say I can effortless walk right on by the most succlent chocolate snacks and cherry danish treats. The desire for them is either gone completely or so trivial that I dont even notice it anymore.

I dont get tired after eating a meal anymore like I used to, before the Dr. Atkins diet.

I dont feel nervous. I feel more certain and confident of myself. I think clearer.

I sleep better, dont wake up feeling drained of energy like I used to. Im more alert, I have more life in me, Im more energetic.

My skin is looking healthier.

My cholesterol has dropped.

My teeth and gums appear to be healthier.

For work, I sit at a desk all day, so 30 minutes of exercise a day along with vita-nutrients including acidophilus is a must for me, and definitely contributing to my improved sense of well-being and health.

As Dr. Atkins says in his book, if anyone has a problem on the diet, you can contact the Atkins Center in NYC for advice.

This is an update from a Sept. 99 review, and a Jan 2000 review. When I started my diet in July of 1999, I was 270 lbs and 6 tall. I have lost 87 lbs and have passed my goal weight of 185. Have held below 185 for over two months. My menu is basically eggs, bacon and sausage for breakfast. a chicken (most often double chicken) salad for lunch. and steak, vegetables and salad for dinner. I snack on the Atkins bars and on Macadamia nuts. I have added a little fruit to the diet after hitting my goal. My cholesterol is 147. I am extremely strict. I have eaten no bread, pasta, sugar etc. for the entire period, and I have absolutely no desire to eat such food again. My only real deviation has been the continued consumption of caffeine in coffee and diet drinks and an occasional (every other month) glass of wine.

For my body type, this diet worked great. During the past year, I have read the book several times, and it helps to reinforce what foods to eat. The key is just doing it every day.

My Doctor, who had prescribed a no fat diet for me for the last 12 years, gave me a check up recently and told me that for middle aged men with large bellies, this diet seems to work the best. My problem is why didnt he tell me about this diet himself 12 years ago if that is what he truly thought. Luckily, I found the Atkins book on my own. Good luck.

P.S. For those who hate this diet, I dont care if I lost 87 lbs of water. lugging that much water around was a real pain.

Designed to catapult your body into a state of fat meltdown, Dr. Atkinss diet has taken America by storm. It targets insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. The bodies of most overeaters are continually in a state of hyperinsulinism. their bodies are so adept at releasing insulin to help convert excess carbohydrates to fat that theres always too much of the hormone circulating through the body. This puts the body into a bind. it always wants to store fat. Even when people with hyperinsulinism try to lose weight--especially when they cut fat but increase carbohydrate consumption--their efforts will fail. This is why Dr. Atkins refers to insulin as the fat-producing hormone.

Dr. Atkinss diet is extremely low in carbohydrates, which helps to regulate insulin production and decrease circulating insulin. less insulin soon results in less fat storage and fewer food cravings. The diet is far from torturous, though--those whove tried it attest that hunger is not a part of this plan. Ninety percent of Dr. Atkinss patients--more than 25,000 of them--have experienced dramatic weight loss. The book includes recipes for such luscious, low-carb dishes as lobster soup, zabaglione, sea bass, and blueberry ice cream, and even includes a carbohydrate gram counter and menus. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly
Twenty years after publication of his bestselling Diet Revolution , Dr. Atkins is back and ready to raise a new ruckus. Once again, he contends that weight gain has little to do with fat intake. indeed, he will demonstrate how much fat you can burn off, while eating liberally, even luxuriously.79 He encourages dieters to revel in traditional sources of protein like red meat, and to eat eggs and bacon for breakfast82-3 . Rapid weight loss, he promises, will be achieved through his 14-day induction diet, in which almost all carbohydrates are virtually banned from the table, forcing the body to go into a fat-burning metabolic state called ketosis. He still urges broad-based vitamin supplements to take up any nutritional slack. So whats changed in 20 years Atkins says he now is more interested in complete wellness than in dropping pounds quickly. he stresses that the induction is not to be considered a lifetime regimen unless, of course, the dieter has particularly stubborn metabolic resistance. Readers of his last book may notice some defensiveness--two decades of criticism clearly have taken their toll. Nonetheless, there is enough of the old Atkins to make this the most arrogant diet book to appear in a long while. sic, ital I hope to amaze you , he writes, as I amazed millions of dieters in the past . And thats when hes in his modest mode. 75,000 first printing. Literary Guild alternate.