Rating: Summary: Depends on You Review: Like most diet books and programs, this one can be very effective for some, somewhat effective for many, and useless for others. People keep looking for THE ANSWER for weight loss because they do not like the real answers that have already been found. Reduced calories, eating healthy, and regular exercise WILL cause weight loss and body-toning. Any system that makes that happen for you is a good system for you. But, it's the changes in behavior that work, not the system. This one is as good as any, if followed, and as useless as any, if not followed. This is a nicely packaged program; if you use it, it will work. If you don't make the lasting changes, this becomes a good doorstop or paperweight.
Rating: Summary: Atkins program works, book explains and justifies approach Review: Not only am I losing weight, the Atkins program is a healthful way of eating I can live with forever. (Only the first two weeks are highly restrictive.) Most impressive is that he ENCOURAGES people to track their health stats - blood pressure, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), glucose levels - to judge for themselves whether the program is healthful as well as effective in weight loss. My experience is exactly what the book predicts, increasing my confidence in the program. After decades of trying to make low fat approaches work, this is terrific! Contrary to critics' claims, Atkins provides credible explanations for why it works. The past 40 years of conventional dietary recommendations have been a disaster for MOST of the US public. Read this with an open mind and try something different. You'll likely find it works for you, too. (For the record, I have no connection to Atkins, other than buying his book and trying his program.)
Rating: Summary: I know this sounds like a paid endorsement but ... Review: it's not - I can't believe I'm actually writing this. Please, if you have a weight problem give this book a serious look. I'm 31 yrs old 5'11" (female) and (was)253 lbs. I suffered from acid reflux, painful feet, I was tired all the time, & had elevated blood pressure (I was probably on my way to becoming diabetic but was too afraid to get the blood tests done because I dreaded the results). And yes I tried the low-fat approach to eating but continued to gain instead of losing weight and felt more tired than ever. Since starting 1/12/03 I have lost 20 lbs (I now have the energy to work out 30 minutes a day - before I would get home from work eat dinner and collapse on the couch). I went to the Dr. last week for a cold and my blood pressure has already dropped to where it used to be in my late teens and early 20's (110/75). By the way, the tiredness, acid reflux and painful feet have all disappeared too! It's not just the weight loss that is so wonderful but I feel better than I have in 10 yrs! I can't believe one reviewer denounced the book for recommending vitamin supplements. Based on the typical American diet EVERYONE would benefit from taking supplements, our soil is so depleted of minerals and our food so over-processed that very few foods still provide us with any nutrients at all. I'm sure that there would be some people whom this diet would not work for, but I would ask them if they REALLY read the whole book, understood it, and followed it properly. Sure it didn't work for the guy who ate a pound of bacon a day, or the person who thought they didn't NEED to drink 64 ounces of water a day (which you should be doing anyway). For those who say this book is dangerous for whatever reason there is a whole chapter in the book devoted to refuting these ridiculous claims. I found the book informative, easy to read, and the diet easy to follow. It's all true - no cravings, energy boosted, and the pounds melt off - I look forward to getting on the scale now. Be warned though this is a lifestyle change. It amazes me how many people say that "sure I lost a lot of weight but then I went off the diet and it came right back". Well, no kidding? You go back to eating the ... that made you gain weight in the first place and you'll put weight back on, that's a "no-brainer" but this diet is easy enough to follow and work into everyday life. Can you (do you really want to?) drink shakes for breakfast and lunch for the rest of your life to lose weight, eat prepackaged meals, or even starve yourself or do you want to eat REAL healthy foods, that keep you satisfied? Do you want to be in control of your life and your weight again? Give the methods in this book an honest try and I doubt you'll be disappointed. When I hit my goal weight I'm going to write Dr. Atkins a "thank you" for giving me my life back.
Rating: Summary: The Atkin's Illusion Review: You lose weight by eating less and exercising more. No mystery about it. Dr. Atkin's book like any other other fad diet (Diet in a bottle, etc.) just buts a twist on it for marketing purposes. Reality isn't sexy and it doesn't sell books in America. Dr. Atkin's book preys on the weak and desparate.The calorie deficiency fact to losing weight is at the core of any diet. It is the only way you lose weight. Period. That is how your body works. If you burn 3,500 calories more than you consume, you lose 1 lb. of fat. That's the harsh reality of it. If you want to lose 2 lbs. a week, then you need to create a calorie deficit of 7,000 calories a week. You can do that by reducing your daily calorie intake by 500 calories and exercising to burn off the other 500 calories resulting in a daily calorie deficit of 1000 calories. This equates to a weekly calorie deficit of 7,000 calories and a loss of 2 lbs. of mostly pure fat in a week. It's really that simple. Dr. Atkins does not want to just tell you that because he wouldn't sell you any books if it seemed that easy. But, in all reality, that IS the reason people lose weight at first on his diet. He would probably tell you that if you asked him because any physician knows that calories is what causes fat and nothing else. If his diet is right and carbohydrates is what causes us to be fat then why is it that Asians are not nearly as overweight as Americans while their staple diet is rice? Why is it that they are in better health generally and do not have nearly the same amount of problems with heart disease? And, how will all that extra saturated fat that the average American on the Atkin's diet consumes affect their chance for heart disease? How can you discount the fact that saturated fat and cholesterol clogs your arteries. Dr. Atkins is profiting at the expense of people's health and that is sickening. Sure, you will lose that weight at first - lot's of it. But more often than not it will end up coming back and usually you will be as fatter as ever when you return to eating normally. I've seen it happen with many people. Really, how long can most Americans go without having a piece of cake, pie, fruit, etc? Ridiculous. You want to lose weight? Eat less and exercise more. That has been the only sure proof way to do it for centuries. Sure, it takes willpower as with anything. But nothing is easy. And, at least by moving to a healthy lifestyle will make you feel better than by punishing your health and happiness by buying into the Atkin's diet. You'll be in worse health than ever while Dr. Atkin's cruises around in his yacht eating pasta and cake.
Rating: Summary: Criminally easy way to eat! Review: However, the one star is for the way the book is written! It's very unprofessionally put together. That said, I've lost over 50 pounds and plan to stay that way (and continue to lose a bit more) forever, because my eating lifestyle is now one that I can live with. Cutting out refined carbohydrates is easy.... I don't buy into all that "low carb bread" garbage. I don't crave replacements for stuff I used to like, that I now look on with disgust. And best of all, I am not biting my nails, counting the minutes and seconds to the next meal!! I am completely satisfied.
Rating: Summary: You must follow Dr. Atkins' guidelines... Review: I tried the diet a few years ago and lost 18 pounds in three weeks. I was very happy with it but went off the diet after those three weeks because I did not follow the guidelines, which suggest doing the first phase for two weeks only. I think some of the problems people have been experiencing stem from that, too. It is too easy to lose a lot of weight at first and then just think that if two weeks of the induction is good, then three will be better. I am now going to go back to this diet because it is the only thing that has ever worked for me. The book is very easy to read and understand, and I think that if followed carefully, the diet can be very sucessful. I just think it is important to note that you have to follow the entire diet and book, not just parts of it.
Rating: Summary: Sorry, not for me Review: Okay I have finally read this book which has been on best seller list for the past three years now. First off, the doc has something to say. He does make sense when he discusses the dangerous of refined sugar and processed foods. Up to now fine but when I first glanced at the induction phase read it through then saw I had to take vitamins as well. I simply closed the book and returned it to my library. I could never eat like that, not for a short time and certainly not for the rest of my life. Give me a break! I find it a bit ironic that the doc lambastes refined products and such but has no qualms about pushing pills. Sure take another pill folks! Before long you'll be taking more pills then you can count. I have never been a proponent of pills, or vitamins or anything that comes in a tablet. I choose to get my nutrients from natural resources. Still I believe this diet does work for some not for others and a lot of folks fall in between. Having said that; I still would never try such a regiment.
Rating: Summary: None better Review: Can be used for weight loss and maintenance Worldwide, this valuable supplement to the Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution has sold 1,600,000 copies! Need anyone say more? If selling 1.6 million copies of a book doesn't persuade you, nothing will. Also recommend Dreams by Belcher for an inspirational charge.
Rating: Summary: this rating for book.. not for diet Review: I'll qualify my title by saying that the way he writes the book makes for very tedious reading. If he removed the many many times he flat out repeats himself the book would be only 2/3 as thick. I guess one would say he's only trying to bring his key points home but really I think he's padding the book so it wouldn't hold in your hand as thin as it should be. I say that's why it was reduced in price. It's not hard to grasp the concept of his diet so why the constant repitition? So far this diet worked once in a limited way for me. I lost a grand total of 8 pounds. I'm trying it again after a few years and so far I don't see any weight loss. I will probably need to really start working out and limiting calories too now. So what makes it any differant than a normal diet? You're supposed to be able to eat all you want of foods that are carb free (which is what attracted me as I have a hard time limiting my food) but maybe they didn't know my capacity to eat before they made that statement. I think it will work best on those that need drastic weight loss. After a while the limitations of the diet drive you batty so you will need to purchase (or get from the library) some Atkins style cookbooks. I will give this latest attempt one more week and will COUNT grams of carbs as best I can this time to see if I'm going over the 20 gram limit. Even cheese and eggs and some meat has some carbs so in reality you can't just keep eatin til you're satisfied. In that respect it is not much differant than going veggie or something like that. Limit yourself to 1200 calories and work out for 30 to 60 minutes a day and you will lose weight on ANY diet. [snif] But I wanted to eat my head off and still lose weight. Maybe that statement should be refined in later editions of the book.
Rating: Summary: I'm very glad I read the book and tried the diet Review: The book is clear, readable and easy to apply. I found the book's core recommendations--very low carbohydrate intake with increased protein and fat as needed--very easy to follow. As Atkins predicted, when I cut my carbohydrate intake to 20 grams per day, I lost weight (at the rate of about 2.5 lb. per week), and saw my cholesterol--especially the bad, low-density kind--go down as well. Also, as he predicted, I lost most of my life-long craving for high-carb treats. I followed Atkins' advice by consulting with my doctor and getting my cholesterol tested before and after the weight-loss phase of the diet. My doctor still doesn't recommend the diet, but he was very impressed with my weight loss and reduced cholesterol. As Atkins recommends, I've now started to eat a few more carbs, without seeing my weight move up again. At this point, other than not eating cereal for breakfast and avoiding the obvious high-carb mains, side-dishes and desserts when I eat out, this hardly seems like a diet. I'm not a doctor, and am very well aware that one case doesn't prove anything. However, if Atkins is to be believed, many thousands of people have experienced pretty much what I did. And, as recent articles in some of the major news magazines have summarized, there's a small but growing set of scientific studies that support his ideas, including a substantial study reported in the _New England Journal of Medicine_. If you're interested in losing weight, I'd strongly suggest that you read this book and judge for yourself. Robert Adler, author of Science Firsts: From the Creation of Science to the Science of Creation (John Wiley & Sons, Sept., 2002).
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