A trip through my family tree is very similar. Heart disease, diabetes, alzheimer's, gout, obesity.... if there is a disease caused or made worse by a diet high in carbohydrates, we got it. Of course all of my relatives were told to cut fat, drink skim milk, eat less meat, and get plenty of whole grains. Then they were given a pile of pills to keep them alive.

Yikes!

I was on 2 pills for high blood pressure and well on my way to diabetes. Because of atkins I"m down to a half a pill and no diabetes worries.
I started the diet from listening to the advice of others and then I read 2 of the books. Amazing information.
Last trip to the Doctor and he asked me what diet I was using. I didn't want to tell him!!! He was actually excited I was doing a lc diet and he's been on one for over 10 years!!
Good luck in your search for knowledge!

Very true; I know a couple of people who would love to lose some weight, but I know they are thinking, But what would I do? For entertainment, for love, for breaks, for something to look forward to?

When I want orange loaf cake with toffee cream cheese frosting, as I did this morning, I make it and I eat it for a week and I'm done. And this is something made with eggs and butter and nut flour and a scant amount of Splenda; it's so much better for me than the actual item.

And I'm happier and healthier.

But people have to believe it... before they go after it.

Sorry for this aside but--do you have a recipe, because this sounds like WOW, for when I'm done with Induction of course. Thanks in advance

My pet peeve is not people who say Atkins didn't work for them even though it is clear from talking to them or reading their comments that they didn't do it right. A first tipoff is when they talk about Atkins being high protein. My peeve is with those people who had a friend or relative get sick or even die while on the Atkins, and they consequently attribute the death or sickness to the diet with no additional proof.

Some of the most strident vegans I've met seem to have a similar experience in their background. I've asked a couple of them if there has ever been a person eating a vegan or vegetarian diet who got any type of cancer, and if so, why do you not attribute their cancer to the diet like you do with Atkins? Maybe I'm hanging around too many Birkenstock wearers?

I read that in my Birkenstocks

I've seen a lot of thin people say it doesn't work for them (self included in the past)...but really it is because they aren't patient enough...when you are thin, it takes time to lose weight.

Umm, if they are thin, why are they trying to lose weight? I've seen several women I know harm themselves by going ultra-thin.......they are essentially starving, but don't know it, but their skin color and tone, loss of muscle, and hairloss really tells the truth, whatever they claim about how they feel. mybe their vision has deteriorated to the point they can't see what is in the mirror in front of them?
LOL,
sollyb

Someone please help me, what "SAD" mean in this post?

Standard American Diet.

It reminds me when some of my husband's relatives remarked, with a couple of years between seeing me, that I looked really good and had lost weight. He proudly shared that I had been faithful to Atkins and that was why. Their reply was, "Oh yes, that works, but you have to stay on it."

My reply (though not to their face)? "Duh!"

Good thing this thread is still going. I remember when I first went all-meat, I had the idea that if all-meat didn't work, then maybe we should look at other underlying conditions that could prevent it from working. Well, it applies here with Atkins too. In spite of all our efforts, in spite of following instructions to the letter, if we fail, maybe we should look at other underlying conditions that could prevent it from working as it should.

Back then, I didn't really have any specific idea about those other conditions. But now I do. Some of those conditions include insulin-induced lipohypertrophy, chronic infection leading to chronic inflammation leading to chronic hyperinsulinemia (that's my problem most likely), some drugs and medications, to name a few. Recently I watched Taubes argue with Gardner and he cited one instance (I believe it's also in GCBC) where one person went all-meat and lost weight, but just one apple a day caused the weight loss to stop.

Anyway, the point is that maybe it doesn't work not because they didn't actually try it, but because they did try it but they still have something else going on that prevents it from working as it should.

A friend of mine "tried" atkins a few weeks ago. I asked her the other day how she was getting on (she didnt look any thinner??!), she said it didnt work for her!! She went on about how it obviously only works for certain people...blah.... On further discussion, she admitted that she was still having 2 spoonfuls of sugar and milk in her coffee and tea (Its horrible without it) and couldnt resist having a pizza with the family (she didnt eat it all tho), oh and she did have a mars bar....!!! DUH!


Jo xxxx

Of Course! Silly me! Thanks. I tried to google it, but it didn't come up.

It "stopped working" for me around the time I was perimenopausal. I think hormones play a role, and women going through menopause have hormonal fluctuations and changes that could account for that. Insulin isn't the only hormone that is in play.

Anyway, what worked for me was eating lean proteins, not too much of it, and not adding extra fat. And lots of high-nutrient veggies.

Atkins is like any other diet. It will work for some but not everybody. Just like a Weight Watchers type plan will work for some people and not others. You have to find what works and it's an ongoing experiment with your own body.

This is so common, but it takes many tries to change almost any habit. Ask any smoker or alcoholic how many tries it takes to make permanent changes. It's tough. I'd go easy on your friend. If she's not ready, she's not ready. No judgment. It's just where she is right now. Good for her for trying.