To answer your last question first, I was ON a low-fat lifestyle (not necessarily hi-carb, though it worked out that way) for over ten years - strictly. It began with 30 grams fat/day or less and, toward the end, I was doing 10/day or less. And my health was getting worse every month.

There came a point where my doctor said he'd done everything for me that he could. There were no more pills to take, no more regimens to try, nothing more could be done for me. I had to SOMEHOW change my health or I would be dead in two years.

That happened in mid-March and I decided to try Atkins on the way home from that doctor visit. (I have a friend who succeeded with it.) It scared the peewaddy out of me to try Atkins because of all the warnings, but it was that or surgery. So, Atkins became my last ditch effort before surgery.

That was almost 9 months ago and I've lost 57 lbs. My blood pressure is down from ungodly high to 135/90 - still too high but better by 60+ pts on both numbers. My triglycerides have come down by half and my total cholesterol is under 200 for the first time in (decades?). My food allergies have disappeared. Several other health problems have cleared up or improved. I have too many wonderful results to EVER go back. Plus, my husband has lost 65 lbs since April and my son has lost 95 lbs - both of them are in MUCH better health, as well.

The first two weeks were difficult because I had headaches (3 days) and cravings (2 weeks), but the results were DRAMATIC even by the end of the first week. My doctor was amazed. He has gone from being anti-Atkins to being on the diet and has, himself, lost 29 lbs on it. After one month, my husband and son joined me on the WOL and everything has been easy as low-carb pie since then. We celebrate some new milestone almost every day with each other. It is truly a miracle.