I can tell you... Atkins is not for everyone...

[discophile]

I have just completed two weeks of Atkins induction phase. I followed it to the letter. I know I have been in ketosis. Yeah, that's the good news. The bad news is that after two weeks of almost bathing in butter and olive oil I have lost diddly f*cking squat weight. Zero. Nadda. Rien. Etc.

What I have got, after two weeks of Atkins, is a bleeding bum from the constipation/piles that it has given me.

Back to the drawing board. [pissed off face]

lowcarbdiets.about.com/b/2011/09/17/gary-taubes-on-why-some-of-us-cant-lose-more-weight.htm

Reducing carbs does not cause serious health problems. But not having a scare story doesn't really make for entertaining TV, does it?

Sorry you didn't have any joy with Atkins, discophile. Come and join Bootcamp - you should have better luck there!

Try cutting out bread and sugar. That works for me when I can stick to it. Replace bread with ryvita or similar. And no biscuits cakes. If I cut out bread and sugar then my appetite reduces. I'm sure it's to do with insulin levels.

I didn't lose weight on Atkins either and I was exercising. I have PCOS quite severly I don't know if this has anything to do with it. There has been a study in Sweden that suggets low carbing is bad for women in the long term- increase in cardiovascular disease.
www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e4026

Cutting out sugar and balancing protein and carb content of meals seems to work best for me.

And critics of the Swedish study...

www.marksdailyapple.com/is-it-time-to-retire-the-low-carb-diet-fad/#axzz2JwEXwr3W

The reason Atkins now suggests its ok to eat wheat products, is after Dr Atkins died, his company was sold. Atkins are now a business that (obviously) wants to make money, health is not the priority. It is very different from when he was alive. And yes, he sold cookbooks and stuff, but encouraged people to avoid these "low carb" products, until they had lost the weight and were in maintenance.

More criticism of the work done in Sweden

I've lost 56lbs since August by low carbing, with only a few cycle rides and normal activity as far as exercise goes. It's been easy - just celebrated 26 weeks (ie 6 months) without a single food cheat, nor the desire to have one. I find the food satisfying, I'm never hungry, and I don't miss any of those filler foods like pasta, rice, bread, pastry etc. I still have a few alcoholic drinks from time to time - though not every week, and coped with the Christmas season with no problem.

I'm sorry if low carbing doesn't work for you (generic you) because I believe it to be a very healthy way of eating (having read Taubes et al on the subject) which is sustainable in the long term. I suffered years of low fat, low cal etc. dieting and loathed every minute of it, including all the counting involved! I spent hours in the gym every day at one point - which became addictive in its own way, but didn't seem to do much as far as shifting the weight went.

The secret is just finding a way of eating that fits in with your tastes and lifestyle, or finding a lifestyle you find it easy to adapt to. If every day is a struggle of willpower and dedication, it's not surprising most people give in eventually. The beauty of low carbing - for me - is that it isn't a struggle, it's a pleasure.

Still got 14 lbs to go to goal, but it'll happen - no rush!

Didn't work for me either and it made me oddly obsessed by food. Try something else... the fast diet seems to work well for me.

I have kidney damage so with hindsight probably not healthiest of diet choice for me anyway!