Rating: 
Summary: It works
Review: I read this book 5 months and 70 extra pounds ago. I say "fooey" to the AMA and the government's USDA who persist in condemning Dr. Atkins. (The AMA and the government's FDA are the same folks who told me phen/fen was good for me. HA!) Dr. Atkins is a cardiologist and discovered this plan 30 years ago. Dietary fat is not the same as, and does not equal, body fat. Contrary to the criticisms, this is NOT a NO carbs diet - one is allowed up to 20 carbs per day in the initial 2 week "induction" phase of this "way of eating." (It's not a "flash in the pan" diet - it's a life-long "way of eating.") Carbs can then gradually be adjusted upward. Don't do the "low carb thing" without first reading this book and keeping it handy for reference. I also suggest getting a carbohydrate calorie counter reference - such as Allan Borushek's nifty little "The Doctor's Pocket Calorie, Fat, And Carbohydrate Counter."
Rating:
Summary: I'll never try another diet
Review: My experience with this diet was great. I lost 20 pounds FAST (and I was not that heavy). I did regain a few pounds (3-4) of water weight right after going off the induction diet, but that's to be expected since I didn't follow the ongoing weight loss diet (we want to start a family so being in ketosis is a no-no). I have since re-lost the 3-4 pounds simply by avoiding sugar and white flour. Yes, I did feel rotten the first 2-3 days. SO WHAT! Honestly, if you can't take that much discomfort no wonder you're fat! Start the diet on a Friday or Saturday and expect to feel under the weather for the weekend. Also - take the fish oil supplements at night to avoid nausea. They'll make you sick regardless of your diet.
Rating:
Summary: COLOR ME SKINNY!
Review: ... This diet is awesome. BUTTT, you do have to followinstructions & watch out for all those hidden carbohydrates thefood processors sneak in their products. The critics are just looking for any excuse to give up because sugar is so addicting. That is why you may feel lousy at first because you are going through withdrawal just like with any drug....Also, many people need potassium if they are losing weight too quickly. And to the other geniuses: Gee whiz, OFCOURSE you will gain it all back if you go back to eating the way that made you fat! DUH! Every time I read the reviews I can tell who really reads the book & who just did a half a**ed attempt. The negative reviewers always leave clues that they didn't follow directions. Do it right & you will get the results you are looking for!
Rating: 
Summary: good promises but not for everyone...
Review: I went into this diet with some great expectations..."wow, eat as much as you want and lose weight?" Of course, these expectations are false. i just wanted to lose a few pounds, and it seems that the diet only works if you're hyper obese. I lost 5 pounds, but it wasn't worth the struggle...it's nearly impossible not to eat carbohydrates. The book makes it sound like you can eat whatever you want and there's a great variety, but you can really only eat meat, some vegetables, and jello. I wouldn't call this a great "variety". I wish I could find a more realistic diet plan. Also, you feel very exhausted while on the diet because you're not getting enough nutrients. Supplements just don't do it. I would suggest this diet only for people who really need to take weight off for health reasons...other than that, it's just a whole lot of trouble for something that's not really worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Made Me see the world in black and white
Review: Oh my GOD, This diet that my husband and I have been on for approximately ten days, made us BOTH unbelievably sick. This was the second time we tried this diet. In March, we tried it for approximately five days, before getting sick and this time we made it to ten days before finally throwing in the towel. Now when I say "it made us sick" is that it CONSTIPATED both of us tremendously! We had to take over the counter laxitives! NOT SO FUN to be backed up for days and then have a WEEKEND EXPLOSION on the can! It made our world from color to black and white just like the movie "Pleastville" only in reverse! I'm not much of meateater or a fat-eater either. Common sense tells me this diet may just be for a few in our population and it is certainly not for me. Someone said: "A life without pasta, is a life not worth living", since I'm sicilan I have to believe this! Oh yes as to the weight you are suppose to lose... I lost are you ready? A grand total of three pounds in TEN VERY PAINFUL DAYS! I have now only 37 pounds left to get to my 125 pound goal. I reached this before and it was through a proper combination diet and EXERCISE! I'm out
Rating: 
Summary: Eat like a King? Try eating like a Saint!
Review: So you want to lose weight and take it off. Are you willing to forgo alcoholic beverages forever? Your morning cup of coffee? Pizza? Do you want to spend the rest of your life scraping the meat and cheese off your sandwiches to avoid eating the bread? If you are not willing to do all these things then this diet probably isn't for you. If you are, then you are a saint! Dr. Atkins would have you eat like a king, and he mentions this fact in his book repeatedly, but thorough reading of the book suggests that you would be actually eating more like a Mormom who is allergic to bread, pasta and fruit. Atkins does has some good ideas in this diet, which is why I gave it three stars, but he takes these ideas just a little too far and the average person will have a very difficult time following this diet for the rest of their lives. Still, the book is worth reading for the excellent information you will get on such topics as diabetes, hypoglycemia, food intolerance and heart disease. In fact I agree heartily with Atkins in that since adding refined sugars and white flour to the diet in the late 1800s, that heart disease and obesity has increased to epidemic proportions. But rather than counsel us to reduce or even omit the pastries, candies, cakes and soda that contribute most of our "empty calories", Dr. Atkins takes things a step further and counsels us to reduce and even omit entirely carbohydrate foods that are GOOD for us such as whole wheat bread, rice, pasta and many fruits and vegetables. In fact, Atkins would have us eliminate most of the food groups entirely during the induction phase of the diet (10 days) and then only at very reduced levels during both the "weight loss" and "maintenance" phases of the diet. In short, Atkins is telling us that we need to eat very limited quantities of breads, pastas, rice and fruits for the rest of our lives! Why does Dr. Atkins do this? My theory is that Atkins wants us to lose an enormous amount of weight during the onset of the diet (up to 16 pounds in the first 10 days) so that we are "locked" into his system. Then he wishes to ply us with his multivitamin supplements, his special formulas and of course, the "Dr. Atkins Advantage Bar" which he makes available to us at various websites and in a health store near you. All of this, evidently, to make up for the fact that we are no longer eating nutritious fruits, vegetables, breads and pasta as much. In fact, in the book, Atkins suggests that we may very well need to take up to THIRTY vitamin pills a day! Why? Atkins' book leaves out a lot of critical information. For example, he praises the French for their "high-fat" diet and their low incidence of heart disease. But he fails to mention the whole story: That the French also drink a lot of wine and eat a lot of bread. Those items of course are practically forbidden in the Atkins diet. In fact, the studies on the French diet actually attribute the low incidence of heart disease to the moderate consumption of red wine, not a low-carbohydrate diet (they simply don't have one). Atkins only mentions alcohol twice in the entire book and he dismisses it entirely though he does allow for a glass of wine once in a while, but only during the maintenance phase of the diet. Atkins does not like coffee either. What does he like? Evidently meat, cheese, and a whole lot of vitamin pills. Doesn't sound like a very satisfying lifestyle for me. Still, I did get something from this book. In the six months since I first read it, I have been steadily losing weight at the rate of about a pound a week by simply modifying the Atkins diet. I've eliminated the pastries, candies, cookies and cakes entirely as well as soda. I restrict my carbohydrate intake to whole wheat breads, brown rice, pasta and I eat lots of fruits and vegetables regardless of their carbohydrates. I also drink beer and wine moderately and on a regular basis. More importantly, I don't have to pop a bunch of vitamin pills everyday. So if you are patient and don't mind losing weight slowly, then you can take the Atkins diet and modify it to your own needs.
Rating:
Summary: Not Balanced
Review: In looking at this diet and those of others I choose the 40-30-30 plan over Atkins and have lost over 90 pounds on that diet. The Adkins diet plan does not "Balance" out your meals, but sets you up in a planned eating arena of low carbs, high fat and protein. As soon as you go off the diet plan then back comes the weight. Along with proper diet comes exercise, but that's not stressed enough in Adkins diet. The book is wordy and needs to get to the point, and it's my recommendation that if purchased be prepared for a constant "Atkins plan" in your life.
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Summary: I've lost 30 pounds and counting....
Review: After having 6 kids, I really needed to lose weight, and more than that, I needed to take control of my severe fatigue. (Running after 6 kids requires quite a lot of energy.) I have had hypoglycemia for as long as I can remember. My older sister became diabetic in her 20's, and I really feel that if I did not get control of my diet, the same thing would eventually happen to me. I don't follow the diet as strictly as some people do -- but I AM losing weight, and, more importantly, I feel GOOD - every day! Even if you don't do the diet exactly as Atkins suggests, you will learn more about the body and how it functions from reading this book, and will be able to make better diet choices as a result. I recommend this book to anyone who is tired, hypoglycemic, has spent a lot of time yo-yo dieting, or just needs to lose weight.
Rating:
Summary: It works.
Review: I've been on this diet for the months and have lost 17lbs. I have 18 more to go. Yes, I'm still on 20 grams of carbs a day But I do not feel "trapped" at all. I eat as much of acceptable foods and due to the chemistry of the diet I do not crave the unacceptable foods. I think when I lose 8 or 9 more I may add some fruit each week, but now I feel as good or better than I ever have and don't need to change much. (Although I've added one light beer now and then.)
Rating:
Summary: DANGEROUS DIET
Review: My cholesterol shot up more than 70 points on this diet, from 193 to 268. My doctor tells me I'm now at risk for heart attack and stroke, and I can only attribute this new health problem to this diet. With a diet that encourages carte blanche consumption of eggs, red meat, bacon, butter, cheese and other cholesterol-laden foods, I guess I should have known better.
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