[annemj]

This seems to be a rather contentious thread; so I will simply provide you all with my own experiences.

For years I had been vegetarian and had maintained my weight within reason, but I was never thin. A friend of mine tried Atkins in 1996, and it worked; so I switched. I lost a great deal of weight (50 lbs) but was not able to keep it off.

I switched to a vegan diet, but I did not lose weight. (I admit that I was a pretty bad vegan though and did not limit simple carbs, except sweets.) So I went back on Atkins. I lost about 10 lbs. during the first 6 weeks and then lost nothing over the next 2 months. In fact, I gained 3 pounds.

Overall, I can tell you this about my experiences on Atkins:

(1) My generally low (130ish) cholesterol increases to about 175 on Atkins;
(2) If I stay on Atkins for more 4 months, my hair starts thinning;
(3) My digestive system gets all out of whack, not only with irregularity but with heartburn, indigestion, and jabbing pains in my upper colon;
(4) Even though there is no sugar and few carbs, I have candida problems; and
(5) I lack energy, and my brain function is cloudy.

I have recently switched to a macrobiotic diet, and my digestion is better than it has been in years. I am losing weight gradually. I feel much, much better already.

I'm not a physician. I'm not a nutritionist. I'm not a diet expert. But I am a person who has lived in low-carb and in vegetarian land, and while Atkins may work initially to lose some weight, for me it was not a reasonable or legitimate way to keep weight off.