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Summary: Great Book!
Review: Great book. I read it carefully and followed all the advice and I've lost 24 pounds in two and half weeks. If you buy the book, READ IT COVER TO COVER or you might miss important points.
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Summary: Too Much Reading... Not enough menu's
Review: I got kinda bored reading the book. It was full of stuff that I didn't care about. I wanted to read some more menu's, food plans or alternatives to the foods I'm told not to eat. And what is the deal with the person who said they gained all their weight back after two days of holiday eatiang? Hey, I'm going to try the menu but I'm not going to spend a whole lot of money on products until I know something first hand. A friend gave me the book. I'll get back to all in a few weeks.
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Summary: My first diet EVER ! - The Atkins diet.
Review: THE BOOK: The concepts of this diet could well have been condensed into 1 chapter. Most of the book is spent trying to persuade you that the diet works.MY EXPERIENCE ON THE DIET (The honest truth): The only good thing about this diet is the fact that you probably won't be on it long enough for it to kill you. I've never been on a diet in my life. I only planned to stay on the diet 30 day to lose a few pounds so that my joints would be less stressed during exercise. 18 hours into the diet I was so sick to my stomach from all of the butter, meat, fat etc. that I could hardly be more than a quick trip away from a "facility" for fear of an accident. EXPERIENCES OF MY FRIENDS: One friend of mine tried the Atkins diet and 2 weeks into it collapsed and his wife had to call an ambulance because he would not regain conciousness. His doctor told him to stop the diet. Another friend of mine, currently on it, is having similar stomach problems as I encountered but has remained on the diet. His added side effect is that he has no energy and can barely stay awake during the day. As well, he now has an irregular heartbeat. The doctors have told him to stop the Atkins diet and just eat a well balanced meal and exercise. I think I'll take that advice and return to my balanced meal and lifestyle of 1998.
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Summary: A Waste of Time for Many People
Review: Speaking for a group of guys who have been following to the letter the austere, ultrastrict Induction Diet for 17 days, have been in ketosis for 15 of those days, and have lost exactly ZERO pounds, I can tell you this diet simply doesn't work for most people (the reviewer who claims she lost 29 pounds in two weeks must have made a typo, or maybe she had twins). We all began with great hopes and total commitment, and now we feel like we've been sold a bill of goods. Men are supposed to lose quicker than women, yet we've kept our daily carbs to well below 20g, cut out all caffeine and alcohol, and still got no results. We can't all be exceptions to the rule. Statistically, that's too improbable. Something's definitely flawed in Atkins' logic. Ketosis seems only to be burning all the fat Atkins makes us eat and none that's around our midsections! Meat and cheese at every meal... It's sickening after a while. Prisoners eat better. The whole "lamb chops and lobster" example the book loves to give is good for ONE day. Eating it or something like it twice a day forever is a grim fate indeed. One thing Atkins gets right is that ketosis can lead to appetite suppresion. It happened for me but not for my three friends. Sounds great at first, but as I've come to realize, going through life without an appetite is like going through life without a sex drive. There's no joy in eating any longer. One final note about Atkins' flawed logic. He loves to make an example of the French, using them to bolster his "butter and cream is good" argument. Did it strike anyone else that he was leaving something out? He never mentions two other famous aspects of French cuisine: their enthusiastic consumption of red wine with nearly every meal and, of course, French bread.
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Summary: Not A Meat Lover
Review: The concepts introduced in Dr. Atkins book are very interesting and easily explained. However, I just found the diet too restrictive--no dairy, fresh fruits and veggies! I just couldn't face more meat and cheese. How can that be a healthy life long eating plan?
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Summary: Final Update from Sacramento
Review: 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 didn't 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 don't care if I lost 87 lbs of water; lugging that much water around was a real pain.
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Summary: Atkin's Proof is in the readership!
Review: Many people complain that he has no scientific results to back up his claims. However, why else is his book a #1 Best Seller? If his product didn't work, people would not use it. And people who complain that it does not work, simply didn't follow it. You simply can't have carbs in your diet. It's tough at first, but when I have the choice if eating as much steak as I want for dinner or a bowl of pasta with nothing on it, which are you going to choose? I have been on the diet for 2 weeks now and I lost 10 pounds the first week, and 5 so far this second week. I was even following the old book and just ordered his new one. He does an excellent job of helping you make it work in the real world, by giving you examples of things you can eat if you go out, and setting different levels if you can't follow his most restrictive plan. If you have found that other diets leave you craving and tired, then switch to this diet. I have never been happier, or healthier!
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Summary: Don't even try this diet!
Review: I tried Atkin's for a month. I managed to lose 10 pounds, but guess what, after a holiday weekend I gained all 10 back in a matter of 5 days. That is because once your body goes into ketosis and you eat normally again, you gain more weight than ever because your body chemistry is screwed up. Not only that, it was just water weight I lost. You will not lose fat permanently on this diet. The ONLY way to lose fat for good is to cut calories (but emphasize protein and fiber) and exercise. I have since done that, and am losing weight. Even better, if I do cheat once and a while, I don't gain the weight back!
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Summary: Use This Book as Training For Your Personal Eating Plan
Review: When I read this book, I was shocked at first; here is a method that turns "conventional wisdom" about dieting on its head (that's why this book offends so many "nutritionists", it violates principles they've long accepted as gospel)! But, I'd known many people who had been successful at it, so I decided to give it a try. Sure enough, six weeks and thirty five pounds later, I can say that there really is something here. My advise to anyone with a weight problem would be to read the book and give it a serious chance without breaking the rules, then learn its lessons and apply them to their own weight loss program. As far as "lessons go, I'd specifically mention the following: 1. There are two ways to lose weight. One is to reduce the amount of calories one consumes until the body is not able to maintain its short-term fuel, causing long-term reserves to be burned instead (and weight loss). The other way (I've learned from this book) is to lower carbohydrate intake to the point that the body automatically begins using long-term reserves, due to the hierarchy of how the body processes food. Which method is best for you? That's up to you. But at least this book arms you with the knowledge of how your body processes work. 2. The one thing that virtually all diet experts agree upon is that refined sugars and simple carbohydrates are bad. No matter how you choose to eat, that fact should tell you something. (Interestingly enough, those two items make up the great majority of "junk" foods produced by the food industry...and therein lies the secret of understanding why things are the way they are). This book teaches you to eat real food! As to my own experience with the Atkins Diet: Yes, I felt awful the first week. But that experience is short-lived, the body adapts, and the results have generally been positive. Will I remain eating this way all my life? Doubtful...I can't see myself eating meat like this forever. But whatever I do, I'll have greater control over my weight than ever before, because I have a better understanding of how weight gain happens than I ever had before. This book has given me that.
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Summary: Good information, but the diet is too restrictive
Review: I thought the information presented in this book was very interesting and useful. First of all, it blasted the low-fat diets (which also don't work for me) completely out of the water. Secondly, it pinpointed a major flaw in my previous diets, in that I ate too many (low-fat) carbohydrates, and too few of the types of foods that fill you up for longer. I also discovered that the carbohydrates I'd been eating, especially the ones high in natural or refined sugars, wreaked havoc with my glucose levels. The most amazing thing to me, was that its claims of significantly reducing your hunger between meals were absolutely true. It worked for me at first, but in the long run, the diet was too restrictive. During my first 2 weeks on the induction diet, I lost 9 pounds, and was very excited. However, after my initial success, my weight loss slowed drastically, and I only lost 2 more pounds over the following 6 weeks. I had an intense craving for carbohydrates, which had nothing to do with hunger, or lack thereof. It was so bad, the smell of toast from the office break room had me salivating. I would have done just about anything for a slice of toast, which wasn't even my favorite carb before the diet. Needless to say, my efforts failed shortly after that point, and I am still searching for a plan that works for me. All in all, though the diet eventually failed for me, I came away with some valuable lessons learned. I would recommend this book for that reason alone.
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