The only little problem with the above is that Atkins works quite
reliably, if applied as outlined in the Atkins book. Check
alt.support.diet.low-carb, there is plenty of people who lost a lot of
weight on Atkins, have gread blood lipid profiles, have good exercise
performance, and have been maintaining for quite a bit of time.

I am not on Atkins and I eat a lot more carbs than Atkins would
recommend, but I find many of his ideas to be valid. Not eating sugar,
not eating junk food, limiting grains, etc, are very good ideas for
many people who suffer from specific metabolism problems.

Also, check the study that I include below, which shows that low carb
diets work better than low fat diets and also result in better
cholesterol.

Regarding fruits, they are great for some people and not so great for
other people. One can do very well eating little fruits but a lot of
vegetables. You would not miss on any vitamins this way.

As for too much protein being dangerous for low carb dieters, there
are two issues here. One is that low carb diets are, typically, high
fat diets and not high protein. It is hard to overeat protein. Second,
there have been studies that show that high protein is not dangerous
for people with normal healthy kidneys. (not having very specific
ailments) I can find them for you.

The reason why I did not go on atkins is twofold. One is, I started
dieting without knowing much about Atkins. When I read his book, way
into my dieting, I was doing rather well on my own diet (50% of
calories from fat) and decided that switching from something that
worked for me to anything else would be rather stupid. The second
reason is that Atkins is a diet that seems too radical for me, and I
no longer like doing radical things with my body.

But, to some people Atkins is the most appropriate diet, and it does
work, and it does make most people healthier compared to their fat
condition.

i

Ann Intern Med. 2004 May 18;140(10):769-77.     Related Articles,Links  

Comment in:
Ann Intern Med. 2004 May 18;140(10):836-7.
Ann Intern Med. 2004 May 18;140(10):I10.
 
A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-fat diet to treat obesity and hyperlipidemia: a randomized, controlled trial.

Yancy WS Jr, Olsen MK, Guyton JR, Bakst RP, Westman EC.

Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27705, USA.

BACKGROUND: Low-carbohydrate diets remain popular despite a paucity of
scientific evidence on their effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: To compare the
effects of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet program with those of a
low-fat, low-cholesterol, reduced-calorie diet. DESIGN: Randomized,
controlled trial. SETTING: Outpatient research clinic. PARTICIPANTS:
120 overweight, hyperlipidemic volunteers from the
community. INTERVENTION: Low-carbohydrate diet (initially, <20 g of
carbohydrate daily) plus nutritional supplementation, exercise
recommendation, and group meetings, or low-fat diet (<30% energy from
fat, <300 mg of cholesterol daily, and deficit of 500 to 1000 kcal/d)
plus exercise recommendation and group meetings. MEASUREMENTS: Body
weight, body composition, fasting serum lipid levels, and
tolerability. RESULTS: A greater proportion of the low-carbohydrate
diet group than the low-fat diet group completed the study (76%
vs. 57%; P = 0.02). At 24 weeks, weight loss was greater in the
low-carbohydrate diet group than in the low-fat diet group (mean
change, -12.9% vs. -6.7%; P < 0.001). Patients in both groups lost
substantially more fat mass (change, -9.4 kg with the low-carbohydrate
diet vs. -4.8 kg with the low-fat diet) than fat-free mass (change,
-3.3 kg vs. -2.4 kg, respectively). Compared with recipients of the
low-fat diet, recipients of the low-carbohydrate diet had greater
decreases in serum triglyceride levels (change, -0.84 mmol/L vs. -0.31
mmol/L [-74.2 mg/dL vs. -27.9 mg/dL]; P = 0.004) and greater increases
in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (0.14 mmol/L vs. -0.04
mmol/L [5.5 mg/dL vs. -1.6 mg/dL]; P < 0.001). Changes in low-density
lipoprotein cholesterol level did not differ statistically (0.04
mmol/L [1.6 mg/dL] with the low-carbohydrate diet and -0.19 mmol/L
[-7.4 mg/dL] with the low-fat diet; P = 0.2). Minor adverse effects
were more frequent in the low-carbohydrate diet group. LIMITATIONS: We
could not definitively distinguish effects of the low-carbohydrate
diet and those of the nutritional supplements provided only to that
group. In addition, participants were healthy and were followed for
only 24 weeks. These factors limit the generalizability of the study
results. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with a low-fat diet, a low-carbohydrate
diet program had better participant retention and greater weight
loss. During active weight loss, serum triglyceride levels decreased
more and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level increased more
with the low-carbohydrate diet than with the low-fat diet.

You don't see because you're not looking.  Plenty of folks *cure*
plenty of maladies by going on those healthy eating plans.
Ignorance is curable.  Go do some reading.

And this has what to do with Atkins?  Nothing.  Atkins isn't high
protein.  South Beach might or minght not be depending on how it's
done.  Ignorance is curable.  Go do some reading.

Where did you dream that one up?  Fat satisfies appetite even more
than protein.  Ignorance is curable.  Go do some reading.

For two whole weeks.  Pretending two whole weeks is forever is
borderline criminal in my book!  Ignorance is curable.  Go do
some reading.

Dear Pegasus

Ignorance is its own punishment.  It would seem that you have been
punished severely.

ASD_SAH

Lee Rodgers
Lowcarb Retreat http://www.lowcarb.org