Rating: 
Summary: Better than the 40-30-30 program
Review: I tried the 40-30-30 becuase on paper it made sense. I felt good, had high energy and lost weight, but it wasn't fat, a lot was water and some muscle.Then I went on Atkins. My energy level was just as high. I lost weight faster but most significantly to me was that I lost inches and fat, not just weight. I dropped 2 pant sizes in my first week and for once wasn't afraid to go out to public pools in my swim trunks. Previoously, I used to procrastinate by saying that I didn't look fat in a suit, but I was in denial. My face looks tight. No more double chin. My overall muscle tone has improved significantly. I love this diet. It's the best. Far better than the 40-30-30 which may be okay for those natural high metabolism types who gain a few pounds and lose easily or are already thin. Didn't work for me or anybodyelse that I know. Atkins is the best.
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Summary: Our family lost over 200 lbs with Atkins+health benefits too
Review: My wife and two daughters have lost over 200 lbs since August 2002 following the Atkins program. In my case, I dropped 75 lbs and 8 waistline inches. My blood pressure was at 170/108 is now down to 135/80. And I can tie my shoes and actually see my ribs for the first time since High School! I have more energy, more positive and feel great! My wife Cindy dropped 60 lbs and now has that high school cheer leader shape that I remember when we first started dating. She has slimmed down her hips, things and butt and look fantastic! Our daughter Tammy was suffering from hyperactivity. Along with weight and inch loss, an unexpected benefit was that she is no longer hyperactive (the protein I suppose)and along with our other daughter dropped 38 lbs and 35 lbs respectively. We enjoy the various menues and also started the supplements. I noticed that since using the Vit/Min supplement, in particular the antioxidants, my old knee injury from playing high school football has gone away along with other aches and pains that affect us middle aged people. My wife noticed the same thing. Atkins is a great program and I highly recommend it.
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Summary: Works for me too!
Review: I started Atkins a month ago. I had major carb/caffeine withdrawl for the first 2 days (headache!) I took my Excedrin and kept on going and on day 3 finally felt great! I switched from Diet Coke to Diet Rite as Dr. Atkins recommended in his book. If you drink diet drinks try to switch to one of the great Diet Rite flavors because Diet Coke contains caffeine, sodium and Nutra Sweet. Don't use Equal packets but instead use Splenda. I didn't realize how much the Nutra Sweet causes carb cravings until I gave it up and the cravings went away after a few days. I've been very busy this past month and didn't have time to exercise at all and guess what...I still lost 13.5 pounds by eating Cheese, eggs, meat, fish, and blueberries(berries are lower carb than other fruits). LOL! Fat doesn't make you fat. That's the main thing you need to get in your head after reading this book. Not eating enough fat in your food will actually make you look older and give you bad skin. Just try this diet for a month and you will learn that this is all true. I tried all the other diets in the world, but this is the only one that let me eat and still lose weight without rushing home to exercise after a hard day at work. I plan on adding exercise to my routine and I will update this review and let you know how much more weightloss resulted this month. If you are a person who sits at a computer all day and doesn't have time to exercise much, this diet can still make you lose weight. I still can't believe I lost 13.5 pounds in one month without starving or exercising. Update (3 Months Later)...I feel great. I have lost 30 lbs. and 6 inches from my waist. I don't feel cravings for sweets anymore at all. This is not a diet for me anymore. I think it's the way people should eat all the time. It truly makes you healthier! People who say negative things about this diet are just clinging on to their tired,dated and failed diet plans which have resulted in the obesity epidemic in the USA. I am so thankful to Dr. Atkins and his research which proved the old ways wrong!
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Summary: It works---but who says you have to eat meat and cream?
Review: The complaints about the Atkins diet are that it relies on too much protein (hard on the kidneys), it lacks fruits and vegetables, and that it is not a diet practical for maintaining the weight loss on an ongoing basis. I am going to say that the above is NOT COMPLETELY TRUE; it's all in how you adjust the Atkins diet to your own needs. I have absolutely no luck losing weight on standard calorie-reduction low fat diets, with appropriate exercise. I have had marvelous results with the Atkins diet. But I have adapted the diet, staying within the guidelines, to my own tastes. For example, even on "Induction" where the carbohydrates are most limited, you can have three cups of salad and a cup or so of cooked vegetables. As to meat, I don't like a lot of pork or steak, so I eat chicken breast and fish. If I want mayonnaise on my tuna or egg, of course, that's perfectly ok. So I end up eating FAR less than I did on other diets, I have an occasional piece of cheese or deviled egg, and I am not hungry. As to fruit, it is limited, true, though after induction, you can add strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in small increments. Nuts can be added. And for fruit craving, sugar-free jello is always an option. All the adjustments I made to my diet are in "The Atkins New Diet Revolution." Careful reading of Dr. Atkins' book reveals reasons for not eating a lot of high glycemic foods (high in sugars or starches that break down to sugars) and reasons to eat proteins and fats in reasonable quantities. And the diet does not count calories or portions; it relies on the natural quelling of the appetite so that you regulate your own portion control. I also discovered that the one day I did stray from the diet (a party), I was ravenously hungry the next day as a result of eating a sweet--ONE cup of cocoa, can you believe it? So I'd rather NOT be hungry and stay on this diet. If you don't like fatty foods and mayonnaise and cream, no one says you have to eat them on the Atkins diet. If you don't like a lot of red meat, fish and chicken are options, as is cheese (not cottage cheese, too much lactose.) It's all how you arrange the diet. I certainly know that eliminating starch and sugar has quelled my appetite and made for quick weight loss.
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Summary: The Second Best Thing I Ever Did For Myself!
Review: Fifteen years ago I quit cigarettes...That was the best thing I ever did for myself. After listening to, getting to understand, and practicing the information on the cassettes...This is the second best thing I ever did for myself...A close second!
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Summary: The Second Best Thing I Ever Did For Myself!
Review: Fifteen years ago I quit smoking cigarettes...That was the best thing I ever did for myself. After listening to, getting to understand, and practicing the Atkins approach...This is the second best thing I ever did for myself...A close second!
Rating: 
Summary: Oh boy...where to start?
Review: I'll admit it. I'm a bit apprehensive to write a review on this book, particularly since there are well over 1200 customer reviews on it to date! However, I think that you may find my experience helpful. First, let me start by saying that I do believe that this diet works (it did for me) if you follow it religiously (no cheating!) I also believe in its health perks, such as lowered cholesterol and blood pressure, increased energy, etc. However, if you tend to fall off the diet wagon pretty easily you can really jeopardize your health by alternating between Atkins and carb binges. Think about it. Has eating bacon and twinkies together ever been a good thing? Second, if you consider following this diet, please consult a doctor first. Some gastrointestinal issues can become severely aggravated by this plan, resulting in extreme pain that all of the supplements and herbs in the world cannot cure. When this happened to me my doctor suggested that I discontinue the diet. I did and gained back all of the 15 pounds that I had lost over the previous three weeks in a week's time, plus about ten more in the weeks to follow. Finally, please take into account as to whether you can really follow this type of a diet for the rest of your life. If you don't, you're in for a grave disappointment. Still, it really does work for many people, thus I give it 3 stars. I just suggest that you consider my advice before plunging into such an extreme plan.
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Summary: FINALLY! A doable diet that works!
Review: I am a physician. All my professional life I was steeped in the disinformation regarding low fat diets. And I kept getting fatter and fatter and fatter. Then a friend told me about Atkins. At first I scoffed, but I went out and bought the book anyway. I bought it and read it BEFORE reading the reviews on this site. I wish I had read the reviews first because that alone would have provided the motivation I needed to get going. I went on the induction phase of the diet for two weeks and lost, I kid you not, 16 pounds! I then attempted, more or less successfully to stay on the induction for 8 months over which time I lost a total of 55 pounds. I am still loosing and will stay on the diet until I reach my target weight of 175 - 180 pounds. Another 20 pounds or so. I actually find being on the induction diet easier than trying to modulate my carb intake. I am a carboholic and am just more comfortable avoiding them altogether. It takes 7 - 14 days to rid yourself of your carb craving. BUT, don't cheat. Read the book carefully and adhere to it meticulously. You will loose weight. Now there are those naysayers who whine that they can't stay on the diet or that they feel too deprived. And maybe the diet isn't for everyone. But if you love to eat, hate to count calories, and want an approach that WILL work and more importantly that you CAN do - this is the diet for you. I've resigned myself that I must eat like this for the remainder of my life. Actually not quite as draconian, BUT if I want to stay fit I will have to cut down drastically on carbs. Oh, I almost forgot to mention. I feel great. No more post meal energy crashes. And I feel 20 years younger. I honestly had forgotten how easily I used to move around. I can't wait for the next 20 to come off. And I KNOW that it will. Don't listen to the nattering nabobs of negativity. Go for it. Just do it! Good luck.
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Summary: This diet works!
Review: Many people say that this diet can work for everyone, but I don't believe it can. I know a few people who tried it and it didn't work. If you don't really like protein foods, you won't be able to do it. Also, my mom and grandma have irritable bowel syndrome and it was worse on Atkins.
For people like me, however, it is perfect. I love meat and cheese. It was hard to get started, but once my blood sugar leveled out, I didn't have any more cravings. It was easy. I could be sitting right next to a cake and not want it at all. I have, so far, lost 30 pounds. I have starting excercising on a regular basis and I can lose up to about 4-6 pounds a week with excercising and Atkins.
Rating: 
Summary: If you can do this for life, I applaud you!
Review: My review of this book/program is mixed. It did not work for me but it does seem to be an effective program for some individuals. I'll simply list the pros/cons I found in with this plan/book. Pros
-Advocates drinking of water! Anyone who wants to lose weight needs to develop this habit.
- Yes, we all need fat in our diets! Fats are not evil. We can all argue about how much we need but even people on low-fat diets, need to make sure to include at least small quanities of fats (esp. nuts/peanut butter, fish oils, olive oil).
-Advocates eating unprocessed foods. We don't need the extra chemicals, trans fats, and hidden sugars found in many foods (even diet foods!). I do agree with Dr. Atkins that eating unprocessed food is a key to good health and a longer life.
-It keeps you full. All the protein and fats are great at leaving you satisfied and not as hungry as you may be with traditional diets. Cons
-Overly restrictive induction. I never saw the point of doing an induction. To stop all cravings??? It didn't in me. I may have stuck with this plan if the induction period wasn't so harsh. -Millions of people lose weight without being in ketosis. Is there really any reason that you have to be in this state??? -Doesn't seem to allow for any cheating. Yes, this may should strange but a 'good' lifestyle plan is going to have to allow for the fact that I will make mistakes. -Side effects in some individuals. I had headaches, leg cramps, nausea, constipation (Yes, even with fiber supplements!!!!) and felt sick during the whole month I tried the plan. I took all sorts of vitamins but these symptoms didn't go away completely until I stopped the plan. Some may agree, others may disagree but I just could not do this plan for life. I'm now on a more balanced diet but I do include a few of the tricks I learned from Atkins (i.e. having a veggie with a lean protein instead of potatos, watching out for the 'white' flours/sugars).
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