Rating: 
Summary: This book has given me a new life
Review: For 30 plus years I have struggled with my weight and lost the battle. I've tried many times to lose weight and always ended up weighing 10 pounds more when I got done than I did when I started.
At the end of January this year my doctor called me in and told me that I was well on my way to becoming diabetic and that I really needed to lose some weight. As he was trying to explain to me the role that carbohydrates play in becoming diabetic he asked me if I was familiar with Dr. Atkins work. I said no and he dropped that line of discussion and went on to talk to me about the problems being diabetic would cause. Since my mother had been diabetic I was all too familiar with that scene and knew that I didn't want to go there. At that point in my life I as almost 62, weighed 330 pounds, my fasting blood sugar was 135 and my total cholesterol was 235. I have slept with a CPAP machine since 1987 because of sleep apnea. And I had no idea how I was going to do anything about any of these problems since I have never been able to be successful before. The next day as I was walking through the local...store I saw a display of Dr. Atkins books and decided that I could afford to invest in myself and see what my doctor had been trying to explain to me. It took me a day or so to get around to reading the book "Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution Revised", but once I started it I knew almost immediately that this was going to work for me. By the time I had read to the end of the chapter on the Induction Phase I knew that I was going to try it. I started my new life on the 4th of February, 2002, which was a Monday. By mid afternoon on Tuesday I knew that I had found the answer. On the 8th of February I went to dinner with some people I used to work with and even though I had only lost two pounds I announced that I was on this new diet and was going to lose 180 pounds. I know that none of them believed me. As I write this it is the 111th day of my diet. I have already lost 82 pounds and only have 98 to go. I am only 8 pounds from the half way point in my journey and I expect to be at my goal weight of 150 pounds well before Christmas. The last time I weighed 150 pounds was 1967. I have already gone for size 4X and 5X shirts to 1X. Because of my size and lack of energy I had not been able to do much exercise for several years. When I started the diet I could not walk across a room without running out of air. About three days into the diet I found that I had the energy to start an exercise program and began to walk. It took me almost an hour to walk a half mile at the beginning. I am now walking seven to eight miles a day at a pace of three miles an hour. And I've only missed one day walking since I started that program in the first week of my diet. And that day was spent riding 350 miles on the motorcycle I had decide in January that I would have to sell because I could no longer ride it. And now I'm planning a 2500 mile trip in the next week or so. As of the 10th of May I've added 30-40 minutes a day on my new Bowflex to my exercise program. This has already given me a real boost in strength and energy. Even though I still have 99 pounds to go my life has been changed by this diet. For the first time in my life I believe that I can decided how much I want to weigh and what size I want to be and I find that exciting. I have already been able to stop taking several prescription drugs that I've had to take for the last 15 or 20 years. For the first time in almost thirty years I no longer have to take medication for my blood pressure. And I expect that with the loss of another 50 pounds I will be able to get off the CPAP machine. It's now been six months since I started the diet and I am down 120 pounds. I still feel great, and have more energy than I've had in years. I'm now walking 13 miles a day and working out on the Bowflex. Only 60 pounds to go to reach my goal.
Rating: 
Summary: poor diet. what a shame
Review: The typical American diet is generally too high in total calories and high in both refined sugar/starch as well as protein and saturated fat. Atkins only goes after the sugar and goes crazy with too much protein and fat. Why not tell the truth which is that people should be eating more whole grains, legumes and potatoes with the skin instead of relying on a gimmick based on a starvation reflex that will hurt you in the long term?
Rating:
Summary: Boo....2 thumbs down.
Review: Ok, perhaps some people really do thrive on a low-carb, high fat diet, and if you are one of those people congratulations.
I, on the other hand, followed this diet RELIGIOUSLY. During the first week I had diarheah, and by the end of the next week I had lost 15 pounds, become very dehydrated and HORRIBLY constipated and ended up in the hospital for rehydration and a laxitive!! This was quite ironic considering the diet itself made me so thirsty that I was drinking over 100 oz of water a day! And my cholesterol went up over 200, which it has never done before. My 15 pound loss was obviously water weight and muscle (contrary to what is said in the book) and within a week of resuming normal eating habits the weight came back...but check this out, I could GO TO THE BATHROOM AGAIN!! I was also quite well hydrated and feeling great. After this whole fiasco I switched to a sensible low fat diet and lost all the weight (and kept it off) No diet that puts a person in the hospital is worth it.
Also, it really irritated the intestines of a friend of mine who has some sort of bowel problem. To the point that she was in extreme agony. She literally could not even walk, and was also hospitalized. (Her doc told her it was a result of eliminating carbs)
So, if it's worth the risk to you, have at it. Good luck.
Rating:
Summary: This book is like a never ending infomercial
Review: This book could have been written in 50 pages and not the zillion plus pages that it reads like. Dr. Atkins, please summarize everything down to a few concise points, expand on the menue information and then I would recomend your book. This book is pure torture, but the diet is not too bad. Ummmmmm, a diet that lets you eat IN-N-OUT Burgers, protein style!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Try This Diet And Decide For Yourself!
Review: First, does this diet work? Yes! Is the Atkins' Diet easy to stick to? Er...well, sort of. I won't 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, you'll be eating lots of meat, eggs, cheese, and limited veggies (some veggies are loaded with carbs, some aren't). 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 I'll 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, I'll 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. I'm 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 I'm 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) You'll 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 I'm 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 I'm 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 don't 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 here's the reality: you're going to eat meat, meat, and more meat. Then, you're 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, you'll 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 you'll always be restricting them greatly. In short, this diet gets old, and quick! Name a way to cook eggs, and I've 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. I'm 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 haven't 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 he's kept on file for over 25 years. I guess I'm saying, I'd like to hear a bit more feedback from independent researchers. I'm not ready to commit to the Atkins' diet as a WOL (way of life). Don't misunderstand me. I agree with Atkins' belief that carbohydrates are the problem, but I'm not ready (nor strong enough) to become a lifetime low-carber. Thus, I try to lead a 75% low-carb lifestyle. The majority of the time, I avoid carbs. Occasionally, I'll eat pasta or rice, but then I'll 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.
Rating:
Summary: Good read but lots of hype.
Review: Atkins gives you a lot of great information but he hypes up his plan to make it sound better than it is. Most people do not have the freedom to eat enormous amounts of anything, fat, protein or carbs and lose weight. BUT, low carb is the answer, and Atkins has enough inspiration to prove it. I'd add this book to your low carb library only after reading better books like Life Without Bread or Protein Power Lifeplan by the Eades.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't try taking the easy way out
Review: The Atkins diet makes sense, but once again... everyone tries to take the easy way out. People claim this and that and that people are getting fat from following the food pyramid and that this is actually very safe etc... blah blah blah. People tend to make a lot of claims when they want it enough. There's actually a reason why carbs are in the bottom of the pyriamid and why doctors for so many years have recommend them to people. Carbs are natural, easy to digest, good for energy, etc... Of course, you stay away from sugar, that's been known. I used to be 250 5 years ago when I've should've been 175. Today, I'm 180 and I nearly all muscle and very little fat. I didn't do it with the atkins diet and I ate carbs all the time, but I turned out great. The bottom line is, you eat healthy and you lose weight by exercising. Moderation is the key, moderation of everything. Today, I still drink a few beers, go out to eat, etc... I've just changed my lifestyle to be healthy. Sure it took a little while, but I did it didn't I? It took almost 2 years to lose 75 pounds, I could've probably done it in half the time on this diet, but I did it the natural and healthy way. Don't try to take the easy way out people. I've read this and I know several people on it. This diet, like many things in life, makes you mentally weak. You can't control yourself and show restraint, you're not going to be that better off anyways. My tips? Start small, start healthy, and you'll become healthy. Moderation is the key. And if you're gonna take this diet, for god's sake, read the whole thing through carefully and learn to get your vitamins and fiber. Watch your blood pressure and cholestoral while you're at it.
Rating:
Summary: I can eat all of this rich delicious food,&loose pds& inch
Review: This book teaches you how to eat wonderful and delicious foods in sufficient quantities to never feel hungry; while losing weight rather effectively. It teaches you not to fixate on the scale, but rather to go by how your clothes are fitting. I don't have to go to weekly meetings and weighins to be chastised when I haven't lost pounds.Lipolysis is the best appetite suppressent on the planet, I have to remind myself to eat three meals daily.
Rating:
Summary: The book that started it all
Review: This book not only gives you details of the famous low-carb diet that will have you shedding tens of pounds within the month but also gives some detailed health advice that really has nothing to do with the diet itself. This information is handy but since this is a "diet" book, not a "health" book, the book would be better with this information left out. That is not to say that diets and health don't highly relate to each other--they obviously do--but advice of what supplements to take in order to prevent disease X should be left out of a book designed to help you shed pounds. This book would have been rated higher if all of the information in it was relevant to the primary task.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, but the truth is....
Review: ... eat less, exercise more, period. When I say eat less, I mean to eat less at every meal, but have more meals during the day. The low carb approach is very good to kick start weight loss but it is hard to keep for life. Instead, just having good sense at the table is what really works. I was 212lb when I should be 175lb. The book helped me to understand why sugar is so adictive and harmful to our bodies. In fact, I still eat carbs but much less than before. I started running every day. The results are amazing. I'm down to 193lb after 3 weeks and still losing....There is no miracleme quit my adiction to sugar. Sugar is a drug, just accept this as a reality. I don't care if you weight 450lb or more. You can do it. The key is persistance, habit, comon sense, and most of all, loving y book or pill that will do it for you. What this book did for me was helping ourself. 'You can not change what you tolerate'. If you tolerate fat in your body, you'll never get thin.
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