I don't even know what the diet is to tell the truth. Lol, ive never heard of it. Well, that could be because i"m not a big follower of diets or anything like that. Someone want to fill me in on what it is. please.

Atkins is the extreme of low carb diets. His whole theory is that if you don't feed your body carbs at all, then it will learn to burn fat as energy instead. It's actually very hard on your system and you must ease into it. I would only recommend it to people who are very overweight because you will get better long term results with proper exercise. It does work, but it takes a lot of disapline because if you cheat, your toast. What happens on this diet is that your body starts to conserver energy and any carbs it does get as fat. If you cheat, then you just wasted time trying to train your body AND your body will store all the new carbs as fat ...
... does this make sense?

My son is in Misouri and tells me how big the diet is over there, TV, McDs, Subway, here in Australia is just one of the diets we find popular and is in the press etc. but not as big as in the US.

Hello there, I tried the Atkins diet last summer after I had my 3rd baby, I lost weight at first but then you reach a certain point where the weight stops coming off even after doing the induction. My sister and I started it together, I stopped because it was so hard for me to eat all that meat, veggies and no sugar, after all I am a sugar-holic. My sister is still doing it and has lost a lot of weight on it but I just can't get back into it. Like somebody said before, anything in moderation is the key, plus exercise. I stopped it because I was having digestive problems, gained the weight back though. I just started walking at work on lunch & breaks, and started trim spa to curb sugar cravings and hunger, so far so good! I would not do Atkins again, too restrictive!

it is definately not for everyone. As with a lot of 'diets', it takes a lot of sacrafices and dedication. I think that smart eating and exercise is still the best route.

I’ve read the book 'Atkins for Life', but have not yet attempted the diet myself...i have friends that have gone on the diet and lost weight...

i don't believe that Atkins’ promotes high saturated fat foods (as those opposed to the diet suggest)but actually encourages low fat high protein foods like egg whites, chicken, cottage cheese, beans...etc...

i do agree that high protein diets tend to curb your hunger and your cravings for sugar...but as for the friends who have gone on Atkins, one was hospitalized with kidney complications (i don't know the exact details) and others have gained the weight back once off the diet...

as for the way our bodies metabolize foods...i do believe that our body is able to switch to a 'fat burning' mode...but that is a process built-in as a survival mechanism...it happens when your body thinks you are starving (the process is called ketosis)

the secret miracle to weight loss:

1. take in less calories than your body expends (without starving yourself or the weight will come back fast and furious)
2. exercise and perform strength training exercises to boost metabolism, improve cardiovascular, circulation etc...
3. make the above part of your lifestyle

obviously that is easier said than done...or I wouldn’t find myself in the predicament I am in now...

working to adopt a permanent healthy lifestyle,
ruby

I do agree that the atkins diet works, however if you are an extreme exerciser or are not teribbly over weight it does your system no good. i may seem alittle bias but one of my friends is on this diet and i have noticed you gets sikc easier and is just all over not as cheery. no carbs which are the maing fuel for gaining energy seems to me would make me feel a little glum also. i just believe in exercise and healthy eating habits is the way to go

i'll agree with you on that. I do a modified version of the diet. I take the ideas and theories behind it and put it to use. Basically, I just stay away from high carb foods after 5:00 (unless I need the carbs for a tournament coming up), and increase my protein to carb ratio (fat still stays the same).

So far, the Atkins diet is the best diet Ive seen for dropping alot of wieght quickly. Its pretty hard on your liver, but if you can drop the wieght quick, then just maintain with a proper diet, and exercise, its the way to go.

i am against the atkins diet. but at the same time i feel that its popularity and media coverage has made people aware about the whole carb thing. probably a modified version of it would be best for most people (minus the "bad fat") consumption of course.

The "South Beach Diet" is what you described sorta. It limits 'bad' fats and 'bad' carbs and tries to teach the difference. I bought the book and read through it and it seems to me to be a well balenced approach, of course every body is different and has different nutritional requirements, but in my opinion "The South Beach Diet" is a good start.

yea, the Atkins diet is now a 'fad' and every company is jumping on it. Unfortunately, this will mess you up. If you are serious with the diet, then 95% of the companies out there that are advertising "atkins friendly" are not that friendly and will only server to mess you up ... espcially the beers.

Is anyone here on the atkins diet? is it successful for you? ive been on it for about a month, and ive lost 10 pounds. I think it should be going alittle better then it is though. I saw on walmart's website that theres a video coming out october 12th that teaches you how to turn body fat into energy through an atkins program. I wanna check it out, cause i think it may help. has anyone heard of it?

The atkins thing is a trend, you need to "limit" carbs and sugars not "eliminate" completely, to fool the body like that has its consequences.

The only side affect to atkins is to the kidneys. In order for you to even get close to damaging your kidneys with this diet is to eat red or fatty meats 3-4 times a day, every day for 3 years. Then your kidneys will turn into oil slicks from all the fat and shut down. So...that means eat lean meats more than red fatty meats.

Myths myths....You can read all about it on webmd.com