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Summary: This is dangerous to your health, please dont try it.
Review: This is awful and dangerous to your health. If you're that serious about losing weight, try weight watchers, that way you can still eat normal foods. This is so dangerous and detrimental to your health everyone, if you don't believe me, then research the effects on your own scientifically. I cant believe he's even allowed to sell a book that could cause someones death.
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Summary: This is such a hard diet to follow
Review: Hi- I do not know how anyone can follow this diet even for just the induction period of 2 weeks. Ugh ! I bought the new revolution book and the carb counter because I am serious about losing my weight. I am not chronically overweight - but around 10 pounds. This diet is sooo horrible. I found myself irritable and nervous for two days -and then I said this is enough. All you seem to be able to eat is bacon and eggs ?? No cereal and milk, or even a cup of coffee and milk ? It is too ridiculous. I think moderation and exercise is the only way a person can really ever lose weight and keep it off. I am recomending people check out all different weight loss programs - I am now reading "Get with the Program" and he makes much more sense than the Atkins low carb book. I do not agree that low fat and high carbs make people overweight - I think it is low exercise and over eating in general that makes most people fat. Fruits, grains and veggies are an important part of the food group. I know many people may disagree because they have lost weight on the Atkins diet - I say good for you. It sure isn't my kind if diet.
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Summary: TRIED IT, LOVED IT, BROKE IT, DID IT AGAIN
Review: EASY TO READ, IT WORKS. AFTER LOSING 14 ILS IN TWO WEEKS (HUBBY LOST 19ILS) I WAS HAPPY AND WENT ON VACATION. IT WAS HARD TO STICK TO IT ON VACATION (LIKE A FEW FROZEN DRINKS!) SO EVENTUALLY STARTED EATING CARBS. HOWEVER, BACK ON IT AGAIN, WENT FROM 132 TO 119. I KNOW I WASN'T VERY HEAVEY, BUT I ATE REALLY BADLY, PIZZA, PASTA, CHOLOLATE FOR BREAKFAST, YOU NAME IT. MY HUBBY LOSSES IT FASTER (THAT'S BECAUSE HE DOEN'T HAVE HORMONES GOING CRAZY) BUT HE HAS LOWERED HIS BAD CHOLESTRAL. DOCTORS HAD TOLD HIM BECAUSE HIS WAS FROM HIS FATHER HE COULD NEVER LOWER IT WIHOUT PILLS. WELL HE HAS JUST PROVEN THEM WRONG. BENIFITS : MORE ENERGY, I HAVE A VERY ACTIVE 2 YR OLD AND STAY AT HOME I ACTUALLY STARTED WORKING OUT ( LAST TIME WAS 2 YRS AGO) DON'T CRAVE CARB FOODS ...[I TRIED SOME]SUGAR FREE PRODUCTS, BUT WHEN I ATE THEM I CRAVED MORE CARBS AND GAINED WEIGHT, READ THE LABLES. ... PS YOU REALLY HAVE TO READ ALL THE BOOK TO REALLY GET A GRIP OF THE CONCEPT TO THIS WAY OF LIVING, NOT A FAD DIET A WAY OF LIFE. pps IT COSTS MORE TO BE ON THIS, COZ YOU BUY MORE EXPENCIVE ITEMS. ...
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Summary: Carbohydrate Addicts???
Review: I have tried this diet several times and induction is really hard if you fall in the category of Carbohydrate Addict. I am now trying it again and read some of these reviews to either motivate me or give me pointers so I don't fail again. I am now in a positive frame of mind and the negative reviews have not detered me as I feel that this can be a very corrective diet for many including me. My father has moved from being diabetic to not being diabetic following the diet pretty loosely. This and others have motivated me to try again. Here are a few pointers that I feel have made me fail in the past. 1. I used to eat two/meals a day and no breakfast. Now eat breakfast 7:30am, got really hungry by 9:30 - 10am but counteracted with protein snacks at that time or any other time I feel hungry and this helps me though it. Unlike many who reviewed I still lust at carbs even after induction. I cannot miss a meal or I feel as if my main meal will not satisfy me. 2. I drink more water - I thought 4-5 glasses really ought to be enough you really need all of those 8 glasses. 3. I eat a protein snack or a meal before intense aerobic exercise or I will wither away and feel weak. Exercise may help to kick start ketosis. 4. I try not to add too much fat with the protein as I feel anything in excess cannot be good and to develop better long term eating habits for after induction when I want to increase my carb intake. You can't add more carbs and keep a high fat intake - recipe for disaster I have found. Once I have kick started my metobolic rate with the atkins formula and inched of about 30-40lbs, I plan to maintain with a less rigid low carb plan. The funny thing is most people don't realise that the ZONE or the Carbohydrate addicts diet are variants to the atkins maintainance program. Many successful dieters have used induction to start and one of the others to maintain. When they hit a plateau they go back to induction for a week or so. Ultimately, I feel that if you are a carbohydrate addict (such as myself), there are a number of underlying conditions that cause this but only a low carb diet will help in the long run.
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Summary: This is a HAPPY diet!
Review: I have tried various diets before and have been miserable on each and every one of them, until I tried the Atkins diet. This is so wonderful. I do NOT feel deprived! I am NOT hungry! :) I eat according to the diet and am very satisfied. I don't get hungry 15 minutes later either. This is just so much fun!!! And YES, I am losing weight!! I feel good and am lookin' pretty good too! I have also noticed that other health problems I'd been struggling with have just kind of faded away. (chronic headaches, achey muscles, fatigue, and other things) I haven't had my cholesteral rechecked yet, but I look forward to going to the doctor to have that done. I'm buying this set for a friend.
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Summary: Diet is a must try for anyone overweight!
Review: Every winter I gain weight as many others I know who live in Upstate NY. I mean, who wants to go outside with all that snow? Ick! Once spring comes around, I usually start my low fat/high carb diet and starve myself until I lose the 20 - 30 pounds I gained in the winter. Usually by the end of the summer and when the leaves start falling, I can finally fit into my summer clothes. Great, but a bit untimely. I excersise 5 days a week and constantly think about food and when I am allowed to eat my daily pittance that most low fat diets require. Yes, it is bleak, but I really look good after a few months. This year, I just could not do that again after hearing about Atkins from a friend. I had not seen this friend since my last high school reunion in which he now weighed over 350 pounds. Watching him move 5 feet just looked painful. He was always heavy in high school but it looked like it obesity would be his death sentence. A couple years later we bumped into each other and I didn't even recognize him. Fortunately we were real close friends growing up, so it wasn't rude to say "Man, you used to be SOO fat! What happened?". He told me about Atkins. Enough said. I tried this diet and for the first 3-4 days was a little sluggish and got an occasional headache. After that short and uncomfortable induction, I woke up full of energy, my workouts were much better as I had more stamina and I felt healthier than I ever have. I found that I ate more natural foods on Atkins than I ever have before. Meat, and low carb veggies and a lot of water is my entire diet. No more processed food, no sugars. Getting rid of bread and milk was hard at first, but now I just eat them once a week on my cheat day. I have already lost all my winter weight and can actually fit into my summer clothes and it is actually summer! No more heartburn, bloating, and hunger. Get this! My girlfriend who is an EMT has been taking my blood pressure for almost three years now as it has really been high for along time. The other day she took it, 130/70, I could not believe it. In all the years that I have worked out, this has never happened. Today I just bought two more copies of this book, one for my dad who is in the 300+ range who my mother has been trying to get him to lose weight by pumping him full of carbs. The other is for a dear friend of mine who is also 300+ pounds. For those naysayers that you read in these reviews, please understand that the ones that have actually DONE the diet, always say they quit during induction. That is the problem. They will quit any diet regardless. All diets are hard the first week, most diets are hard for life. Not Atkins. I am a changed man!
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Summary: This is a Miracle
Review: I was not obese, but I knew I was over weight. I tried to convince myself that the wieght was ok on my athletic frame. Wrong!!!! When I learned my trygliceride count was at the ceiling I asked my doctor what to do. He said go low carb. I had no idea what this meant. A friend suggested Atkins. I went to the website and figured out what to do. I started immediately. In four weeks I lost 20 lbs without going to the gym. Now I am at the gym every other day and I am still losing weight. I had another blood test. My trygliceride count went way down and my bad cholestorol also went way down. My Dr was amazed. Trust me. I was never able to lose weight until I started Atkins. I am not hungary. I eat great meals and I feel great. Once you get the hang of this, you can eat what you want with the confidence of being able to control yourself. You also have the will power to avoid things like fast food, sugar bread baskets and other unhealthy foods. I got these books for Father's Day. There is a load of information here. Recipes, eating strategies, information on medical studies etc. If you are serious about it, get the books to go with it.
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Summary: Eat yourself thin! It REALLY DOES work!!
Review: I can see from the other reviews I've read that other people get the criticism too. It is unbelievable to me how badly people want to hold onto past notions. To me it all adds up. The sky rocketing obesity and diabetes in this country and all the carbs being consumed. People say it is the fat in fast foods making Americans fat. What else do these foods contain? Tons of carbs! Huge amounts of sugar in soda, high in starch and carbs french fries, not to mention the bun. Another thought is this. In decades past people did eat meat and eggs for breakfast (before we were all told how unhealthy that was) and there weren't nearly as many obese people as there are now. My dad is almost 70 and has eaten it for breakfast most of his life and is slim and healthy. I also agree with other reviewers that most people who say it is a bad diet know VERY little about it. People tell me it isn't healthy to lose weight so fast for one thing. I have lost about 30 pounds in about 2 1/2 months. I don't think that is too fast. I've also heard the kidney story. It is probably the same people saying this that are packing away quarter pounders and whoppers all the time. There are a lot of healthy choices everyone knows about for their protein sources. I have eaten way less burger than ever because I usually ate it with pasta or bread. Now I eat more turkey, chicken, shrimp, lean pork, and fish than ever before. Also, I agree with the person who said they eat more vegetables than ever. Before this I ate salads infrequently and mostly got my veggies on my burgers. I know I am eating much better. Losing weight lowers your blood pressure and gives you more energy to be more active. I also feel less cravings and false hunger than ever before. Who hasn't eaten a big (high carb) meal and felt inexplicable hungry an hour or so later? I know I did and never understood why until I read Dr. Atkins' book. I have a friend who is overweight and no matter what I tell her about this diet she has negative responses and research to say it's bad. I understand that somewhat because I felt it wasn't healthy before I read the books also. Partly because there does seem to be people out there giving it a bad name. You have probably heard of them. They say they can eat tons of hamburger patties, pepperoni, and the like and lose weight. I'm sure they probably do, but they are also the people who go off the plan and gain it all back. I think the most important thing is to fit it into your lifestyle and do it so it can be a permanent part of your life. If you are someone who craves fast food or something else not on the plan, then let yourself have it OCCASIONALLY and then go right back on the diet. That is how I have stuck with it and I plan to do it for life. That overweight friend of mine has lost a couple pounds in the time I've lost the 30. She has been eating the low fat way and probably still eating lots of carbs. This is the same friend who has always told me that white flour isn't good for you. Go figure.
Also, by the way, here's a note to encourage you beginners. I know at least 12 people who are doing this diet(or version of.) They have all lost 30 pounds or more. Some of them as much as 50 or 60! I figured it out and that adds up to well over 300 pounds lost!! Some of them have been on it for 3 years or more. I have lost 2 jean sizes already and I plan to lose a couple more in the coming months. I know you can do it too!!
Rating: 
Summary: My two cents worth
Review: I never met a man that I could not learn something from. Thank you Dr Atkins for bringing to the forefront, just how critical it is for us to eliminate white processed flour products and cane sugar from our diet. These two products result in high insulin levels in our blood stream, and that not only block fat elimination, but also creates it. Eating animal protein does not create that problem. I think a lot of hysteria is created because in order to broadcast the pain free diet, much is made over the issue of being able to eat animal fat, and still lose weight. It is not necessary to eat animal fat in quantity to lose weight on this diet. Why not do this diet and eat lean meats? Lean cuts, and more fish and fowl. If you are a big beefeater, look into local farmers who raise their herds organically, without the use of growth hormones. They sell in quantity at about 70 cents per pound. Freezers are cheap, as well as the 39 dollars per year in electricity it takes to run them. Do it up right.
The other thing that I think is worthy of mention is that the word carbohydrates is overused. White flour and cane sugar are carbohydrates, but so is an orange, or a grapefruit, or a piece of asparagus, or lettuce, or a cucumber. In the Nutri System program you can eat all the lettuce, cucumber, and celery you want. In the Fit for Life program, you eat all the fruits and vegetables you want, and still lose the weight. They tell you not to mix proteins and starches at the same time, which results in you eating your large salad or steamed vegetable with just the meat, but not the bread. Same path, different journey. In Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss, a book that you find in all of the health food stores, we learn that everything our body is made of comes from the earthen soil. Nutritionally abundant soil makes a nutritionally abundant plant, and then we eat the plant. He argues that when we eat an animal, we are getting the nutrition second hand. Dr Weil suggests that our diets should consist of no more than 20 percent meat. Dr Bernie Siegel in "Love Medicine and Miracles" states that, "Even lovers and vegetarians have to die someday" Dietitians are not known to agree universally with one another.
Next point is the overwhelming statistics that prove that those who undergo the Atkins "treatment" have lower levels of LDLs. (Bad cholesterol) If you have a 250 pound person, who now weighs 150 pounds, you have lower LDLs. Why not maintain a low fat intake, and enjoy your favorite meats, cooked lean, but seasoned with natures flavorings. I noticed that the latest statistics published on the Atkins diet, conclude that the participants did have lower LDLs while on the diet, but later on in the results, they added, that the participants were eating two servings a week of Salmon, which is know to be high in Omega 3 fatty acids. So there is a tip. Eat Salmon while undergoing the program, to offset the fat intake. But then again, why not eat the Salmon, while eating more lean, and less fat?
Dr Atkins states that the low fat craze has led to a diet high in carbohydrates, and that is what is to blame for Americans weight problem. Can't argue about that, but the solution is not to pig out on fat. Discovering fruits and vegetables in abundance, while strictly eliminating white flour products and cane sugar is the key to weight loss. Whole grain products are more dietetic; they are not as readily absorbed due to the increased roughage. I love all of the diets. I've done most all of the major ones. I lose on the average about 20 pounds per year. Since I have been losing weight for 27 years, you could say that I have lost over 500 pounds. I do like the bears' do. I live in the Northeast. It gets cold here in the winter, and when it does, I crave fattening things. A calorie is a measurement of heat. When our bodies burn fat, or calories, they generate warmth. When the spring comes, I lose my appetite, and start eating an abundance of fruit and vegetables, limit my carbs, and eat almost zero cane sugar, and it comes off. The only thing missing out of this equation is the support. I guess that is one of the reasons why Atkins is so popular. He has created a kind of cult. The army is taking no prisoners. Either believe in the Atkins plan or be shot at sunrise. :-) It is unusual to see this level of dedication in any program.
Like I said, I have a lot to learn from this man. The astonishing thing is that the white flour and cane sugar create the big insulin rise. Does the animal fat not cause this rise? And if so, does a lot of it simply pass through the intestines, unassimilated by the body, due to the low insulin levels?
In the past year, the government, realizing America's weight problem, decided to get the major weight loss gurus together. What happened? They couldn't agree on anything. It turned into a shouting match. My approach is to study them all. Learn something from each one of them. What I have learned is that there is no one diet for everyone.
I hope this was helpful. I for sure will assimilate what I have learned from Dr Atkins in my annual dietary program. I thank him for that.
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Summary: Thumbs Up for Dr. Robert Atkins
Review: While there are still many naysayers to the Atkins Diet, many MD's now recognize that with the lower weight achieved thru curbing carbs and eating fats-- comes lower bad cholesterol counts and lower blood pressure. The toughest part of this diet is maintaining one's weight. This long-range obstacle is no different for Atkins than any other diet. Many of the folks who took off the pounds thru diet (any diet!) put them back over time. The secret: diet for life. Low carbs doesn't mean no carbs-- It merely means planning your meals carefully.
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