Adding this for understanding.

Calories are tested by a machine for each food. It is based on buring the food and measureing the increase in temperature of water. It is the burning of fats, carbs and proteins. All of these are in the calorie counts.

While anyone can gain weight eating fats and proteins, the ability to cope with the foodstuff is different than eating carbs. Fats are more satiating and when i am in ketosis, food is not an obsession; too much protein can act like carbs, so high consumption of protein can be a problem too. Like a big steak three times a day is not giving me the control I need to decrease weight. ( That amount of food is weight gain, not loss for me. )

Carbs send me completely out of control. An addict looking for more, an planning the next baked good,. Carbs have a direct effect on the brain and this has been proven in recent years to be more addicted than , I cant remember which was used in the study, I think cocaine.

Doesn't matter the source of the carbs-- carbs are carbs.

Atkins allow you to learn what amounts of proteins , fats and carbs will work for your individual body based on the foods YOU like to eat. The only limit is the number of carbs.

I learned new recipes, especially sweets. But now I dont have such a fondness for sweets, and dont need the sweets. Just by limiting the consumption of carbs as a whole group.

( To drop weight, I do have to also limit proteins and fats.)