Atkins works for me. It's not a diet, it's a way of eating for the rest of my life. Everyone needs to find what works for them and I'm very glad I found Atkins.

As for “russian roulette with your heart,” he was a cardiologist. The whole reason he invented the diet was to help patients improve their blood chemistry, not to lose weight. It worked, dramatically better than the alternatives.

But it was my impression, as Dr. E. suggests, that Dr. Atkins lost control over the Atkins brand. Even a few years before his death, the company was peddling low-carb bagels and other highly-processed monstrosities that it's hard to imagine the author of his book approving of.

I say this as a middle-aged, post menopausal diabetic female who has lost and kept off 75 pounds for 3.5 years now. And who has come off diabetes and high-blood pressure meds while doing so. My morning BP now ranges around 110/65 and A1c down to 4.9, which vastly improved lipid numbers. And this was with a high-fat, Atkins-type diet. My diet has evolved from Atkins to a more paleo-type eating pattern (avoiding all food products and eating foods provided by nature in the form that nature provides).

The formula is *not* as simple as calories in vs calories out. A good starting place to read is Gary Taubes essay 'What if it's all been a bit fat lie', expanded into his 600 page 'Good Calories Bad Calories'

I have the same 15 pounds following me around too, up down up down. Feels SO much better when down rather than up.

Different people have different experiences in OA as in AA, depends so much on the 'culture' of the different people in each group. I'm for anything that works for each person; to each their own. And I think it's better for many/ most to be with high energy or positive people about most any endeavor. Dont want to go away with more probs than you came with. lol

I think the studies in psychoneurology and neurophsiology are going to give more answers about what the difference is in physiology and brain chemistry between the 'hollow leg people' who eat and eat and never gain, people who have no 'shut down, I'm full signal (or thirst signal for that matter), and people who eat moderately and gain far more weight than 'hollow leg' people, and anorexia which makes a person be repulsed by food and exhibit body dysphoria also, and people who choose mood elevating foods almost exclusively, people who love the smell taste texture of food, others who literally forget to eat and/or are not taken by the sensual qualities of food, and people who are easily able to thrive in veganism, and others not. There is so much to learn yet.

While we wait….lol. You're right; some kind of health sparing and health bringing way of eating. Mindfulness helps too

thanks Jer too for telling us the food is ok in Nutrisystem but not as gorgeous as the pictures.

In the meantime, Atkins is a franchise run by various since Atkins death from an accidental fall on the ice some years back. One thing I've noticed about 'diet books' (I used to have enough to insulate a whole wall…lol) is that the 'founder' of the diet prob needs to be alive to hawk it. Tarnower (murdered by Jean), Atkins long gone now, others who have come and gone… so have their 'diets.'

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