Dr Atkins - Another Biography

I am sure that I am not the only person compelled to comment on the analogy of the Atkins diet. However, I am making a positive comment rather than condemnation towards Mr. Atkins.

Why is it that people insist on announcing to the world that Atkins is a no carb diet plan when in fact it is an eating program that restricts carbs in the beginning but does not totally eliminate them. Ove a period of time he encourages us to add them back into our diet until we find our magic number. This spells freedom from obesity for many people...but comments and misinformed articles such as the one I just read on you website invite obesity to rein supreme and force people to continue on the path of failure with their weight.

Perhaps you should do more research before making such comments.

I myself am so appreciative to Dr. Atkins. The low carb life style is not for everyone and not everyone is able to adhere to it. I have been a low carber for over 20 years and do best with the original Atkins formula...and that means leaving off the new low carb products. In doing this I have been able to maintain a 100 pound weight loss. There have been times when I felt sick of it and tried a different approach and began to gain...for some reason my body just needs this particular diet. I sure would not have figured this out on my own. If Doc Atkins had put on weight he may have just been having a tough time sticking to the program...OR may have found out what I found out...the new low carb products make you gain weight...it is the old program that works...at least for some of us.

HE KILLED HIMSELF ON A DEIT HE USED! that's not good but sure you two kill your selfs aswell then?

Atkins died officially of a 'bump on the head'. Some reports indicate heart problems, but he was getting on in age and, from information I can find, well exceeding life expectancy rates for those born in the 1930s.

He was also not the only man in history to have heart problems (he had had at least one cardiac arrest in his lifetime)
In 2004, it is estimated that the number of deaths related to heart problems is along the lines of 450,000 people. Perhaps it is safe to assume one or two of those people were not on Atkins.

Atkins was famous for his diet, that doesn't mean he died of it.

Ok...So you have a point! but you see if you follow Adkins you face more then gain loss(which you want), you face the loss of nutrients your body needs to function properly! You see it's a low carbohydrate diet and from my understanding you don't get the nutrients you need plus you get FAT!Put into your body... From my understanding it's a fad diet, and personally i can only think of words that arn't very good in which ryhme with that Examples: Bad, sad(Poor guy died), etc i mean if you go back to your old eating habits you will gain twice as much weight so why not just excersise and follow a real guide"CANADAS FOOD GUIDE". Just suggestions Dr. Adkins may have not died from his own diet but doesn't mean you or who ever else is on this diet won't?...

What makes adkins diet better then following a guide which is a health benefit! Also working out and becoming stronger instead you get thinner but you get weaker your body can't take not having the right nutrients! Im a highschool student and i know that!

Eric: By no means is the Atkins diet lacking in nutrients. Don't forget you can eat vegetables. Beef, for example, is very nutritious. Also, certain things like vitamin A (retinol) only occur in animal fat. For many reasons, I consider saturated fat to be the healthiest fat, except maybe giving way to Omega-3 fats. I try to make sure at least 50% of my calories come from fat, because that's where my best athletic performance and health is. As far as getting weaker, most of the bodybuilders in the 60s and 70s used low-carb diets to gain muscle and strength, including Schwarzenegger. I would consider Canada's Food Guide to be less healthy than a well-structured Atkins program.

Ya.. To be honest i can't bash it untill i try it but ( What if you want to eat carbohydrates again?)You can't because you will gain alot of weight and your athletic performance will be totally gone aswell as your heart probably wont be in a good posistion plus you don't need vegetables to get vitamin A can't you get it when you(Go out in the sun)!?

Eric: The modification I use to Atkins is I eat a fairly large carbohydrate meal every 2-4 days. You wait until your body's glycogen (carb storage) is empty. Then, you just fill it back up. Unfortunately, you just have to feel that one out; it doesn't work on an entirely even schedule. Your heart will be just fine. Carbohydrates are more damaging to the heart than fat, unless we're talking about trans fats. I consider a high saturated fat diet to be less damaging than a high unsaturated fat diet.

It's vitamin D that your body manufactures in the sunlight from cholesterol. Vegetables do not contain vitamin A; they contain beta carotene, which can be converted to vitamin A, but true vitamin A is retinol, and this occurs only in animal fat.

What did the autopsy report say? Did he have a heart disease or not? What was his weight at the time of his death?

Dr. Atkins did die weighing over 250 pounds, however, it was mostly water wight from the failing organs during his coma. He did not die on 4/8, that is the day he fell. He died on 4/17 after remaining in a coma during that time, which common sense medicine would suggest huge amounts of water weight gain with the failing of the organs. I must say, that IMO, "Eric" has to be one of the most misinformed persons I have heard trying to discuss the Atkins diet. Perhaps he should at the very least read the book before making ridiculous comments. Just a suggestion.

After years of attempting to reduce my weight, I finally tried the Atkin's diet 41 days ago (I weighed 240lbs). I have lost 23 pounds. I have cut my type 2 diabetes medication by more than half. I am seldom hungry. I exercise daily. My goal of 190 pounds is definitely attainable in a lot less time than it would have taken on a calorie reduced diet. I feel good...for the first time in many, many years. Will you hear me say anything negative about Dr. Atkins? Not likely!

The best way to describe the low-carb life style is that it is perfect. I'm 42 years old, my blood pressure is 105/65, my heart beats 55 bpm sitting down, and my cholesteral is consistantly below 140. I don't exercise. It wasn't always like this........I started gaining weight at age 23 (185lb). I'm 6' tall. I was 195 by 29. At age 27 my cholesteral was 260 and I was put on cholesteral medication. By age 29 my cholesteral was 300 and I had high blood pressure. I had a very active lifestyle and excersized every day (military). I had a heart attack at age 30. It was a mild heart attack, but it forced me to leave active duty. My first 2 years after being discharged from active duty was horrifying! I excersized at least 1 hour a day and I went vegitarian. By this time I was 31 and my cholesteral was up to 320 (with medication). My weight had climbed to 220. At age 32 I changed doctors. I told my new doctor I was through taking meds for my blood pressure and my cholesteral. I told him I was through eating the high fiber all vegitarian diet and that I wasn't going to live my life like this. He told me about Dr. Adkins and told me to go to the book store and purchase his book. I read the book and returned to his office a week later totally confused because everything I was reading was opposite of what I had been told from all the doctors and the FDA. He convinced me to try it. I returned to his office 3 months later with a cholesteral of 140 and normal BP. I lost 65 pounds in the next 9 months. By this time I was 33 years old and I passed a physical screening to reinlist into the National Guard. I have remained under 180 pounds for the next 9 years. I still amaze all my friends and familly because they see me eat RED MEAT 3 meals a day. They are all on medications for heart disease and I'm now disease free. Thank you Dr. Atkins for your contributions to society. Thank you for revealing the conspiracy of the FOOD PYRAMID.

Atkins was right. That's all I have to say.

I didnt read the book but i do believe the doctor is right meat is high in protein diets high in protein
will help build muscle and burn fat