Atkins diet

Atkins done properly isn't too extreme. The whole dietary regime is about resetting your blood sugar in the first week by eating ketogenic levels of carbohydrates (less than 20g), which can more than accomodate plenty of leafy green vegetables and salad.

The next few weeks are dedicated to learning your personal carbohydrate tolerance - That is, the amount of carbohydrates you can eat to lose, maintain, or gain weight.

Done properly, it can be very balanced. Done badly, you can end up causing a lot of problems.

Eat plenty of:

Saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and fish oils

via Meat, fish, eggs, nuts (particularly almonds), oils, leafy green veg.

If you're going to drink alcohol, wait until you're out of ketosis carbohydrate ranges and enjoy red wine or clear 40%+ spirits with a diet mixer.

Avoid:

Polyunsatuarated fats (they're inflammatory, suppress immune function, and promote cell mutation due to their chemical instability), hydrogenated fats, and man-made trans fats.

Carbohydrates, whether simple or complex (same thing, all sugar), artificial sweeteners.

You'll feel like a new person after your induction phase. Good luck!


EDIT: I should clear up one point - I say avoid polyunsaturated fats, meanwhile advocating eating plenty of fish (fish oil being, primarily, polyunsaturated in nature). There's two main forms of polyunsaturated fats, omega 3 and omega 6, which is a description of where the double bonds are IIRC. Omega 3 are anti-inflammatory and omega 6 is inflammatory. Too much omega 6, a symptom of the modern diet, can cause all manner of problems. Omega 3 on the other hand, being anti-inflammatory in nature, is the antagonist to omega 6 oils. Most foods contain omega 6, not omega 3, and this means that the O3:O6 ratio is not preferable for good health. As such, increasing consumption of O3 through, meanwhile avoiding "polyunsaturated fats" (read: Omega 6), means that ratio will become more favourable for good health.

I definitely DON"T like it. Several years ago my husband and I did this together. He lost weight much faster than me but he always does. When we went without many of the foods we use to eat we became very quick tempered. I think after 6 weeks we could have hurt one another. 2 years ago my doctor reccomended the South Beach diet. I did this as well as walking everyday. I lost over 22 pounds in six months doing this. Now I am using this fitness pal and learning how to eat and exercising.

I think there are aspects of the Atkins plan that are good.

I don't think you ever have to go as low in carbs as the intial stage of Atkins suggests.

I do think limiting carbs in some reasonable fashion is beneficial.

I do best with my Macros set at 45%Fat/ 30%Carb/ 25%Protein. But it took me a couple years to come to this.

To me, higher fat and protein leads to greater satiety. 30%Carbs is just right. I'm happiest and feel best there. MFP wants you at 55%Carbs.....that's too high for me.

Find your Sweet Spot.

I think there are aspects of the Atkins plan that are good.

I don't think you ever have to go as low in carbs as the intial stage of Atkins suggests.

I do think limiting carbs in some reasonable fashion is beneficial.

I do best with my Macros set at 45%Fat/ 30%Carb/ 25%Protein. But it took me a couple years to come to this.

To me, higher fat and protein leads to greater satiety. 30%Carbs is just right. I'm happiest and feel best there. MFP wants you at 55%Carbs.....that's too high for me.

Find your Sweet Spot.

I completely agree with this. Find your sweet spot. For some people, that may be high carb low fat. For others that may be high fat low carb. The former doesn't work for me. I can't eat that many carbs and, when I try, I feel miserable and I certainly don't lose weight. My sweet spot is 50/25/25 fat/protein/carb. It gives me wiggle room for my favorite carbs if I plan for it, but most of my carbs come from whole, unrefined sources like vegetables and fruit.