Atkins Diet ?

[quijote]

I did the Atkins thing a few years ago and lost close to 30 lbs., 5-7 of which I've gained back. I think it can work for a lot of people, though not for everyone. Aside from losing weight, an important benefit is to recalibrate your metabolism and rethink your eating habits. But not everyone starts out with the same kind of metabolic and consumption profiles (in addition to other body- and diet-related profiles), so the diet won't work (at all or in the same way) for everyone.

Even though I haven't followed the diet in about 3 years, I still benefit from the effects of increased energy and consciousness related to what I put into my body. I don't think it's a good idea to do the diet long-term, but the whole point of it is to reset your relationship to food and grow into a more balanced eating pattern.

More important in the process of losing weight and getting fit, however, is doing regular exercise. Unfortunately, I have lapsed in this area (as I do every winter), but regular exercise (fast walking, in my case) goes a long way to helping lose weight and increase health, no matter what kind of diet you're on.

Interestingly enough, my cholesterol did not go up while I was on the Atkins diet, but it did go up two years after I stopped and had resumed a balanced program.

[This message has been edited by quijote (edited 02-25-2004).]