Rating: 
Summary: Still a yo-yo
Review: After many failed attempts to lose weight after two back injuries, I decided to give this a try. It worked for the first two weeks, I lost 13lbs. all without exercising, but the problem came in the third week. As I started to add carbs back into my food consumption, even a small amount, I gained the weight back. I started to exercise the best I could given my present condition, but the weight has stayed. I believe this eating plan works (diet is a dirty word)when followed closely with minimum carb intake. I'm going to give it another try, as I have seen excellent results from others who have tried it and succeeded. Best of luck.
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Summary: I lost 7 lbs. and started with no will power!
Review: I have been doing the Atkins Induction diet for 14 days and I have lost 7 lbs which is alot for my height (5 ft/now 120 lbs., my goal is 105-only 15 to go) I have 2 boys and I have tried everything--shakes, expensive diet/meeting programs, and low fat diets. The only time I lost weight was with WW and it was because I was living at home with my mom(before marriage) who was doing WW as well and there were no sweets in the house. My weakness has always been cookies,chocolate,cakes,ETC.I always thought that it was my fault that I had no willpower,but after reading Dr. Atkin's book (ENTIRELY! ) I realized that I was addicted to sugar! Now as to the reviews I have just read. I had to stop because I was so angry.You CAN have fruit and veggies, but in moderation and at the right phase of the diet. I also agree that this way of eating is not for everyone. My mom did the 2wk induction and one week in she had to go to the emergency room for heart palpatations.She is fine with no lasting effects. My mom modified it for her health and is stilling losing weight and her heart is fine DR. Atkins tell readers to go to their Dr. first before starting the diet. You can get enough nutrients the 1st 2 wks if you take supplements. Those that said they were sick from eating so much fat could've left some butter out of foods, or get low fat cheese that has no sugar/carbs, etc. Also remember that with any diet you must EXERCISE. I have reduced my appetite and I no longer crave all the sugar. I snuck a chocolate creme cookie the other day and it tasted awful. If I can get the will power to keep from binging, then anyone can. I don't see myself not eating sugar for the rest of my life, but I would like to see if I can handle small treats on "special occasions" only. If it doesn't work and I regain a little back, it is so easy to get quick results on the 2 wk induction. If you are a junk food junkie and have no willpower when it comes to "sweets" give this way of eating a try. I started gradually, (cut the sweets a few days, then I cut the breads for a few days, then all other carbs) I had very little side effects. Now as I am in Ketosis the only symptoms I have is being light headed when I stand too quickly.I have more energy, and more confidence and self-esteem than I have had since I turned 13(17 years ago). I can't wait till I reach goal and I can buy a whole new wardrobe(compliments of my husband)!
Rating: 
Summary: Americans are too FAT even eating "low fat" foods!
Review: Our family of 4 just returned from a month in Germany and France. Everywhere we went we saw thin (not skinny), athletic, attractive people of all ages. Most of the time when we saw truly overweight people they turned out to be Americans. It was a real eye opener!My husband and I went on the Atkins Diet almost two years ago. I read the entire book and followed its advice (went to the doctor, took the recommended tests, etc.) We each lost at least 20 pounds in a short period of time. Then came Christmas and we went off the diet "temporarily". That doesn't really work for the exact same reason Dr. Atkins warns us -- carb addiction! We were "re-addicted" almost immediately. We have now gained all of the weight back BUT that doesn't tell us that this diet doesn't work. To the contrary, it tells us that the diet DOES work IF we follow it correctly. I am tired of being tired. I am sick of back pain from carrying around 50 extra pounds. After visiting France and Germany and eating with our friends from these countries, we FELT better. (The only really BIG difference in French eating habits and the Atkins Diet is the amount of bread and wine they consume.) We noticed that they look younger and they're not gaunt looking like our friends on low or no fat diets. The body NEEDS some fat. Look at your friends on these low fat diets -- do they look older, wrinkled and tired? Ours do. They're thinner, yes, but at what price? Are they healthier? We realized we LOVED this diet, we were NEVER hungry, we felt better physically, we felt better about ourselves for DOING something about our weight, and we decided we want to look more like the Europeans we saw this summer than the other American tourists! We're going back on the diet right away and we're both really looking FORWARD to it. Now, that's SOMETHING! If you're interested in this diet, READ THE BOOK! You MUST make the time commitment to read the entire book so that you understand what it is that you're doing and why. AND realize the power of the cereal lobbyists. A LOT of money is spent on cereal and chips in the US. If we all started kicking our carb addictions they would be in trouble -- they don't want that any more than the tobbaco companies wanted us to kick our nicotine addiction. Good Luck!
Rating:
Summary: Outstading Approach For Health But Don't Forget Vegetables
Review: Dr. Atkins deserves to be honored for being the true pioneer that he is. He was promoting the "low carb" approach far before it was popular. There is no question that this approach is a major element of a successful weight loss program. My only objection is that the program should incorporate more above ground vegetables. Most all of the benefits and virtually none of the side effects can be achieved with this minor modification. I have some objections to the term "low carb" and think the more accurate restriction would be "low grains". Grains such as wheat, rice, corn, cereal, pasta and underground vegetables like potatoes, beets and carrots are rapidly broken down to sugar and cause most of the insulin disturbance contributing to obesity. I have counseled thousand of patients successfully with this approach over the years. ... This book would be a valuable and important addition to anyone's library who is seeking to understand one of the most physical important influences on chronic illness in our culture.
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Summary: 2 years later, I'm healthier and thinner.....
Review: After reading some of the other book reviews, I became infuriated as it became obvious to me that many people DID NOT READ THE BOOK! Allow me to give you the good, bad and the ugly on the Atkins Diet: First the BAD and UGLY: for the first 2 weeks, your carbohydrates are very restricted; you may feel tired for a few days; you can't have sugar, refined flour products , alcohol, certain fruits or vegetables or caffeine; you will have to fill yourself on chicken, fish, salads, nuts, eggs and some cheese; you may suffer constipation; you have to exercise and drink water; you should also take vitamin supplements; after you lose the weight, you cannot go back to your old eating habits. Now the GOOD: You will add 5 grams of carbs per week into your daily meals until you reach your goal weight-- this means you GRADUALLY ADD HEALTHY CARBS BACK INTO YOUR DIET (FRUITS, VEGGIES, WHOLE GRAIN BREAD). This is the on-going loss period. By this time, the fatigue you may have experienced is gone. You will feel great. You won't fall asleep at your desk at 2:00 in the afternoon. You will sleep better. You can now have 4 oz of wine or beer a day. If you have the success I had, you will lose weight, your cholesterol ratios and triglyceride level will improve, and your energy level will increase. You will be able to maintain your weight by eating all the foods you ate during induction and on-going periods, plus you can even cheat occasionally, as long as you realize that this (as well as any other diet) is a life-long behavioral change (pizza or pasta or cake occasionally, not every day). And any doctor will tell you that you must exercise regularly. Oh, and if you have ever had hypoglycemic "shakes" before going on this diet, they will disappear as well. My doctor has told me that the diet, when followed correctly, is not unhealthy, as the body learns to use protein and fat as primary fuel, instead of the carbs. No diet works for everyone, but if you are considering this diet, please be well informed and READ THE BOOK. It explains the why's, how's and when's of this diet.
Rating:
Summary: Diet Overview
Review: I just finished reading this and my husband and I intend to try it. The book was much longer than it had to be, but contained many good points. I also searched the Net for yeahs and nays, including reviews here. To sum up: Carbo intake increases blood sugar, which increases hunger, which increases eating, which equals weight gain. Proof: Who can eat just one chip or pretzel and not the whole bag? The book also has a good chapter near the end on debunking fallacies. My advice to most critics on this list: TRY READING THE ENTIRE BOOK BEFORE YOU PUT IN YOUR TWO CENTS! I saw MANY comments proving the book was not read. Also, I saw on this list as many doctors/nurses for the diet as I did against it. Also found on the Net: Many kids hospitals are using this diet to treat Epilepsy...does that sound like a bad diet? Also, this diet is not new. Some version has been around 40 years. On the other hand, Phen/fen was around a much shorter time, AMA recommended, and FDA approved. We know how that turned out! To those who are really concerned about their cholesterol on this diet, there are simple home tests sold at your local pharmacy. To those who had nausea and headaches: Did it last longer than a week or two? Were you maybe heavy into caffeine before the diet? If you said "no" and "yes", this was just withdrawal. (Also true of "no" and "no".) To those whose medical problems got worse, the book strongly urges people with health problems to see a doctor before and during doing this diet. Yes, you are told to take supplements, but you should be doing this whether on this diet or not. No one gets every nutrient they really need in the right amount. And you ARE NOT REQUIRED to buy Atkins product. He gives the formula, so feel free to look for a cheaper brand as I did. The diet is not zero carbos. It is not 20g carbo for the rest of your life either. It is 20g. for the first two weeks and then you gradually climb to your personal level. Complaints of no variety are shocking since you can have almost ANY meat, seafood (omega-3), or cheese you want. And veggies in limited quantities that are slowly increased. It IS NOT the NO veggie/NO fruit diet for the rest of your life as some here have claimed. I've also seen some comments of people who admitted they are not really meat eaters. Why would you try this diet then? To those who say they gained as soon as they went off the diet, that happens on any diet! And if you read the book, you would know Atkins is a four stage LIFE TIME eating plan. You don't go off it. Atkins DOES recommend exercise, not being a couch potato. And no, the diet does not have you gorge yourself on fat all day. You are to eat high protein foods until you are full...these foods happen to be high in fat usually. But still, you are not to binge! You should not attempt to enter Ketosis on day 1...you have two weeks! Also, claims that you only lose water on this diet are outrageous. I have seen many testimonials on the Net of people who lost 50-100 lbs. That is NOT all water! As I said before, read the ENTIRE book before you decide.
Rating:
Summary: Read the Entire Book
Review: I've been on the diet for 4 weeks primarily because the low-fat diet was taking me know where. I've lowere my body fat from 22% to 18%, losing 1.5 inches around the whaste. The FDA is reviewing the Atkins's plan at which time a more scientific analysis can be presented on the overall claims made. Ignore reviews from those who only tried the plan for 2 days. Most of these people do not have Nutritionist backgrounds and obviously lack the self control required for the plan to be affective: Pizza, bread, sweets. My only real advice is to READ THE ENTIRE BOOK FIRST, then start the diet. GNC carries the two-week started pack of vitamins and oils to get you going. Having read the entire book, you can easily quiet the ignorant who spout off about the Diet. In a worse-case scenario, if the diet turns out to be harmful, it's not like phen-phen.
Rating: 
Summary: A SURE-FIRE ROUTE TO AN EARLY DEATH!
Review: Okay...I only gave the Atkin's 2 days and gave it up. Was it easy? Yes. Did it help me lose weight? Probably. However, I cannot at all say that this diet is healthy. The sheer amount of fats and oil that I had to consume to 'ensure ketosis' was utterly disgusting and can no way be healthy for anybody. I still shudder when I think of it!After two days of so much saturated fats that I felt ill, I had to stop. The doctor may have said that this diet was a 'luxurious' one but I certainly beg to differ! This diet is probably a sure fire way of ensuring several heart attacks, stroke and the similar in the future. As a relatively fit, healthy girl of 23, I am 30 pounds overweight. I would love to be slim and sleek at 110 pounds but definitely not at the expense of my overall health. The book, as another reviewer did mention, is more suitable for guys, not for women, who generally enjoy fruit and veg and grains. I cannot imagine eating meat, meat, meat all my life. Hey... that is not living! The book itself is poorly written. The doctor wastes way too much time trying to sell his book and justify his diet (which contradicts so many medical theories).... 'it works because... blah blah.... it is for you because...blah blah... it's healthy because....blah'. It was a waste of time reading this endless meandering when he could have easily just gotten to the point. As a word of advice, when you read this book, make sure you have a pen with you to mark out important points. The messiness of his writing will make it impossible for you to find such points later when you need them for reference. All in all, I WOULD NEVER encourage anyone I love to try this diet. The long term effect of ketosis is not yet discovered. I dont want to drop dead in 5 year's time (I'll only be 28 then) with a coronary bypass (touch wood! ). Also, this diet does not appear to be a highly sustainable one. Perhaps hermits with no social life will be able to maintain, but the rest of us with dinner parties and meals with friends will probably have problems keeping to the very rigid restrictions imposed. There are definitely more balanced and effective diets out there. Think about the long term future b4 you throw yourself into this one. Once you are trapped in his diet, you'll be trapped for life.
Rating:
Summary: Wow. . .
Review: It really does work. I bought the book and started one week ago today, and as of this morning, I have lost 10 pounds. I still can't get over it. I'm over six feet tall, and weighed in at 260 last week, and now I'm at 250. I had heard about this diet only a short time ago from friends and coworkers, and everyone had something good to say. So-and-so lost 20 pounds, someone else lost 40...I figured I might as well give it a shot. I had decided to try eating better anyways, and had cut out the Coke and Pepsi drinking, so this would just be another step. I never would have guessed that my "better" eating was still causing me to gain weight. This book is definitely worth it. Out of all the diets, supplements, pills, liquids, shakes, and foods I've ever tried, this is the only one that has shown me such a drastic result, all while still eating normal foods. The first week is certainly rough, as everyone seems to attest to. I had several headaches, a couple of bouts of nausea, and general crankiness, but once I found a well-rounded way to follow the recommendations of the book, I've been great. I drink an Atkins strawberry shake in the morning (albeit, I add a few real strawberries in the blender for a better flavor) and a multivitamin, a normal lunch that consists of polish sausages, or taco salad (sans tortilla), or a big salad with sliced chicken, and have an equally filling dinner consisting of just about anything I can BBQ up. If you can handle giving up pasta, pizza, Coke/Pepsi, breads, and junkfood for a while, you can do it. When you're ready to start the diet, prepare a grocery list of the low-carb foods that you like, and think about what combinations of food you can make that will offer you diversity in your meals. Part of my problem the first week was not having enough variables, and eating the same thing all the time. You can only eat so many omelets before it gets old. Prepare in advance. If you're a snacker, prepare baggies of the snack items you can eat. Pack some sliced pepperoni, or some macadamia nuts, or sugar-free Jell-O. Now that I've found my balance, I can burn through my workday without feeling hungry, or pining for my next meal, all while keeping my carb intake well below 20g. If you're still debating on the diet, just dive in. It's worth it to yourself and to anyone who cares about you. Stop wishing you felt better, or looked better, or weighed less. With this book, some good eating habits, and willpower to do it, you can lose weight.
Rating:
Summary: diet works!withdrawal causes your tiredness!
Review: I lost 15 pounds in 12 weeks, cheating here and there along the way (or i'd have lost more, sooner). I have never been able to lose >any< weight in my life up until this plan. To those who complained about feeling tired and/or lousy the first week or two: when someone goes into detox for drugs or alcohol, they feel awful too! (but do we feel sorry for them and tell them to go off the detox plan? no!) those carbs we eat are toxins in our body, and we feel tired and lousy at first because our bodies are spoiled and we are forcing them to do something healthy, which they seem to be rebelling against! so they go through WITHDRAWAL, and the symptoms can be uncomfortable at first for some people (the more carbohydrate addicted, the worse the symptoms perhaps?) -- but quickly it's over and you soon feel less tired, more motivated and instead of bloated, you feel light and energized.... don't give up on something good for you, just because you don't like going through the withdrawal period!
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