what's the story with the Atkins diet?

I think most health professionals would recommend South Beach over Atkins.

It can cause kidney failure. Watch out for it. Everything in moderation!

I agree....Atkins diet does help you lose weight fast, but when I was on it I did not have any energy. Also, when you stop you gain all of your weight back plus some extra.

Skip the fad or popular diet plans. There is only one true healthy weightloss method. "Consume less then you burn" or "Eat less, move more".

It is not balanced. Yes, it is low in carbs, but you do need carbs for energy. You need fruits and vegetables and limited protein. Your body requires all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals obtained from a balanced diet. Atkins may be OK for a limited time, but from what I've heard, people lose lots of weight, go back to eating the carbs, etc. and regain the weight. To be in the best shape, we have to learn a new behavior, take time to enjoy our food, limit the portions, eat on as regular a schedule as you can, and exercise, exercise, exercise. Just keeping your body moving and not being a couch potato helps. :happy:

Atkins diet is for those who dont want to work out. The results will end soon as you go off of it. The pounds will come back on as fast (or faster) than you lose. My mom and brother are prime examples of this. My brother lost a ton of weight in a year then the next year I saw him and he was fatter than before.

The ONLY way to lose weight and keep it off is:

Proper diet
Exercise
Commitment

You can eat what you want when you are working out - just have to watch the total calories you consume. This is not really a 'diet' per say, its making healthier choices. I eat all kinds of stuff that Atkins forbids and I am losing weight faster than the best case scenerio Atkins dieter AND I am gaining lean muscle!

Atkins is just like my cheesecake diet. They don't work!!!! When I quit eating a cheesecake everyday, I lost a ton of weight, then when I quit and started eating cheesecake daily again - I GAINED IT ALL BACK!!!!!

Everything in moderation is what people say to justify eating junk and cheating.

Quit looking for the "magic bullet. diet." It does NOT work in the medium to long term.

You know what to do. Eat fewer calories than you burn, and over time, you will lose weight. 1 pound = 3500 calories. 500 calories per day deficit X 7 days a week = 3500 calories = 1 pound lost in 1 week. Set a reasonable goal along these lines. Exercise helps so much to get there and to feel good! Set your MFP profile up to accomplish this

When you eat, watch PORTION CONTROL. 4 ounces of lean white chicken meat is 4 ounces, not 6 ounces. 1 cup of pasta should be measured to be 1 cup, not 1.5 cups or 2 cups. Eat lean protein. Eat lots of fruits and veggies (without butter or fatty sauces but just small and measured amounts of olive oil or Smart butter. Eat 100% whole wheat or whole grain products. Reduce the alcohol consumption. Eat 3 healthy meals a day and 2 healthy snacks a day. Have a treat now and then but do not go nuts. When you overeat, start over the next day. We all have bad days but don't turn them into bad weeks. You know what to do. Quit wasting time looking at "diets."

Atkins, just like the South Beach diet has an induction period of 2 weeks. This is a strict, low carb(less than 20g) period that is to kick start your weight loss and change your body over to burning fat.
After your induction period, you move in to ongoing weight loss, which, just like South Beach, allows you a wider variety of foods, such as berries, nuts and even more veggies.

In Atkins, just like in South Beach, you get the majority of your carbs from veggies(and fruit later). All of these veggies(and fruit) have fiber. LOTS OF FIBER.

No, you can't get kidney failure from Atkins. Atkins puts you into ketosis. NOT KETOACIDOSIS. HUuuuuuuuge difference.

Please read the information on atkins.com.

err... the way to lose weight is to eat less, and move more, but if you are someone who suffers from hypoglycaemia, or type 2 diabetes, you will find things with high carbs play havoc with your system...
i know its the processed crap that does it, you know, the yummy, tasty, flavoursome food-so back to the original qoute..eat less, move more...even if you walk!!

Wow- so much MISinformation here! In the day of the wide world web, we can't research a lifestyle change thoroughly before we throw out what we "HEARD" a way of eating is about?? Amazing.

Atkins focuses on REAL food and lower carb living. Yes, the first 2 weeks are hard. After that, you GRADUALLY add in more carbs week by week. They can include MORE veggies (because YES, you DO eat veggies during induction), dairy, fruit, nuts, etc. The point is to find YOUR personal carb allotment that you can ingest and STILL maintain your weight and/or lose weight, whichever you prefer.

Those of you who know someone's sister's cousin's aunt's brother-in-law who gained all the weight back- did NOT take it as a lifestyle change, and went hog wild for carbs and gained it back. I don't think that's Atkins' fault anymore than someone who would blame Breyer's for gaining weight when they eat a tub of ice cream a day and lie on the couch watching tv.

It's a lifestyle choice. Maybe lowfat works for some of you ... it worked for me, but even with 6 small meals a day, I was sometimes hungry, sometimes just CRAVING what I couldn't have, sometimes just mindlessly wanting something else. One m&m led to another. Fruit smoothie made me want ice cream. Ice cream made me want cookies, and on and on.

In my 4 weeks of Atkins I stopped craving sugar, bread, rice, what have you because I am satiated. I'm satisfied. I eat, then I'm done until the next meal time. I've lost 9 pounds this month, which is more than I lost in 6 months of 'doing the right thing' ie: lowfat and exercising. I welcome the strictness of it because I needed boundaries, and it makes food such a nonissue. What did I have for lunch today? A huge salad with cheese, bacon, ranch dressing ,red onion, tomatoes, boiled eggs and cucumbers. It was DELICIOUS. And I bet this weekend I will have lost another pound!! Thank you, Dr. Atkins.

Long story short- do your research and decide what's right for you. I did, and I LIKE the way I feel when my body is burning fat instead of glycogen for energy!

Do your research and make sure it's what you really want to do. Like others have said, it's a lifestyle choice. It's not one of those 30-day, whatever-fast, lose-weight-then-go-back-to-eating-weird things. If you want your achievements from low carb to stick around, you're going to have to commit.

Low carb in general has done wonders for me. As long as I'm low carb, I have no problems with blood sugar(hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia). Although I never had much weight to lose, I'm full longer(therefore eating less), my skin is better, and in general my body feels better than it ever did on low-fat fare.

Wow- so much MISinformation here! In the day of the wide world web, we can't research a lifestyle change thoroughly before we throw out what we "HEARD" a way of eating is about?? Amazing.

Atkins focuses on REAL food and lower carb living. Yes, the first 2 weeks are hard. After that, you GRADUALLY add in more carbs week by week. They can include MORE veggies (because YES, you DO eat veggies during induction), dairy, fruit, nuts, etc. The point is to find YOUR personal carb allotment that you can ingest and STILL maintain your weight and/or lose weight, whichever you prefer.

Those of you who know someone's sister's cousin's aunt's brother-in-law who gained all the weight back- did NOT take it as a lifestyle change, and went hog wild for carbs and gained it back. I don't think that's Atkins' fault anymore than someone who would blame Breyer's for gaining weight when they eat a tub of ice cream a day and lie on the couch watching tv.

It's a lifestyle choice. Maybe lowfat works for some of you ... it worked for me, but even with 6 small meals a day, I was sometimes hungry, sometimes just CRAVING what I couldn't have, sometimes just mindlessly wanting something else. One m&m led to another. Fruit smoothie made me want ice cream. Ice cream made me want cookies, and on and on.

In my 4 weeks of Atkins I stopped craving sugar, bread, rice, what have you because I am satiated. I'm satisfied. I eat, then I'm done until the next meal time. I've lost 9 pounds this month, which is more than I lost in 6 months of 'doing the right thing' ie: lowfat and exercising. I welcome the strictness of it because I needed boundaries, and it makes food such a nonissue. What did I have for lunch today? A huge salad with cheese, bacon, ranch dressing ,red onion, tomatoes, boiled eggs and cucumbers. It was DELICIOUS. And I bet this weekend I will have lost another pound!! Thank you, Dr. Atkins.

Long story short- do your research and decide what's right for you. I did, and I LIKE the way I feel when my body is burning fat instead of glycogen for energy!

Dear lord, THANK YOU for posting this. My head was about to explode from all the misinformation and downright ignorance I was reading in most of the previous posts. Seriously, if you don't have a clue about something it is ok to keep that fact to yourself.

A lot of the people who become unhealthy on the Atkins diet are doing it wrong. An Atkins diet done properly won't be deficient in anything except for potassium. Fiber won't be a problem if you get the right vegetables in your daily diet. I think people tend to focus too much on the fact they can eat a lot of meat, and don't realize that they're supposed to eat other foods (like fruits and vegetables; within your carb limit, of course).

I'm not on the Atkins diet because I like to eat a big variety of foods. I do, however, think that the Atkins diet, if done right, is fantastic for weight loss (and subsequently your health). The induction phase may be hard, but it does pass.

Just curious... but why would a properly done Atkins plan be at risk for potassium deficiency? Red meat, salmon, fruits and veggies are loaded with potassium.