Yup! And that "better approach" must include exercise for it to be successful at all. I know lo-carb eaters who don't exercise at all! So, they lose all that weight and then their metabolism is still next to nothing, which means they will need to eat very carefully to not gain it all back.

Janet - hop aboard! Welcome! There is a post just below on Fat Flush - same idea as Atkins from what I see. I post on Diet Pals - we do EVERYTHING, anything, our own thing and basically just keep each other going. I have a friend who has been doing Atkins and has lost a lot of weight. Saw a very good health show of someone who has a lifetime of yo yo dieting and found Atkins suits her and her weight is now staying off - she loves meats, has learned to use the right types of fat (which you need) and still keeps her carbs at bay. My success has been with a more balanced diet - weight watchers. Whatever you decide to follow, feel free to make new friends, join any thread you like and ask questions. You could even start a new thread on whatever diet you choose. We love new faces around here and have lots of encouragement. I use this forum as a journal, every day to reinforce my commitment to myself, write about the bad days too - moods, foods and all - I dust myself off and try again. Whatever you decide to follow, please post no matter what. Hi ya, from Scotland! (I'm waving and yelling - youuu hooooo!) McPeg

I'll try to give you some answers from my experiences with both the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet. Some people, maybe you, maybe not, but definitely me, have a low tolerance for high carb foods, such as pasta, white rice, potatoes, breads, sweets, and even things like fruit juice. If I eat some of those, my blood sugar spikes and I want to eat more and more of these foods - therefore, weight gain. If I eat a small portion of whole wheat bread and a small portion of the whole fruit (with fiber - not just the juice) the body has to work longer and harder to digest the "good" carbs and my blood sugar doesn't spike high. Atkins has you eat enough meat, eggs, salads, and lower carb vegetables to fill you up and make you feel satiated while keeping the carb count to 20-30 grams per day, which is very low. On this plan I felt great and had plenty of energy and lost 22 lbs. in 2 months, but couldn't maintain that strict way of eating. South Beach emphasizes the "good" carb foods like, whole wheat products, brown rice, beans, and less saturated fat in meats, butter, and cheese. I've lost 11 lbs. in 6 weeks doing the SB diet and feel that it is a healthier way of eating that I can stay on forever. SB does get a little confusing at times; they have updates where they add foods that previously were not on their list of foods to enjoy; some foods they promote are hard to find in all areas or are expensive. For myself, I'm sort of combining the elements of Atkins and SB. I make my own Whole wheat bread, stay away from lots of processed foods, and those chemically toxic bottles of Diet Coke/Pepsi/Mt.Dew/etc. - sorry, but I had to say it! I do put real butter on my morning toast but don't have any butter the rest of the day. I use olive or safflower oil in cooking. I start each day with 1 or 2 eggs with turkey bacon or my homemade lean sausage and I have a cup or two of coffee each day. I usually have a small portion of fruit during the day, but not eaten all at once. I take nuts and cheese for my snacks and keep dinner to a protein and salad or vegetable. I try to drink a lot of water each day and have just discovered that I like Crystal Lite diet drink mix - but I add more water than is called for as I like them weaker. And I don't drink it exclusively all day. My job provides me way more walking and physical activity than I want. I'm also dealing with menopause - which I thought I was completely through - arrrggghhhh! But I'm not on hormones and don't plan to be. When I used to eat too much of a high carb food like potatoes, I would feel like a big couch potato - no energy at all. When I stick to protein and vegetables, I feel better and have more energy. It just takes a while to get completely away from our old eating habits. I've said I'm going to post a big sign at home and at my office that says "REMEMBER HOW GOOD LOW CARB FEELS!" Hah! You might want to do some internet searching and read up on low carb diets in general and Atkins and South Beach in particular. This seems to be more than just a fad now - companies are investing in making low carb products, fast food restaurants are adding low carb menus and....Krispy Kreme doughnut stock has recently gone down!! LOL! If you have other questions, I'll be glad to answer if I can. Teresa

No one has been rude and I am truly sorry you feel that way, Lynn. Presenting different information and letting readers see different facets is helpful in developing an understanding, especially when it relates to health issues. We appreciate your help. Surely that does not mean than we cannot bring up other information that might be of value even if it differs from information you have presented?? It seems to me that participatory health, where people have conversations with their health professionals and are encouraged to learn about themselves and whatever medical conditions they may have is a more positive environment than the olden days when the doctor's word was gospel and no one disagreed or asked questions. Teamwork in no way decreases the value of medical professionals, on the contrary, I suspect it may save lives. Doctors make mistakes. Patients mis-comprehend. Without a healthy exchange of information, either of those can result in needless loss of life/good health.