Why Not Atkins?
I have several reasons, and there are a few other things I want to try, but I'm not ruling it out forever.
One reason, and I admit it's not a very good one, is the almost cult-like following Atkins has accumulated. The "My diet is better than yours because I can eat steak" crowd is a bit of a turn-off. Some people take it to an extreme and seem to advocate eliminating all traces of carbohydrates from their diet. It's almost as if carbs were a poison rather than an essential nutrient. I don't understand how these people don't get brain damage or heart failure.
I contrast this with Lone Ranger's friendly recommendation of Atkins in a comment to the Food Values post below. It's obvious that Atkins has worked very well for him: An 80-pound change in weight makes a remarkable difference in the quality of life, as he clearly elaborates. I appreciate you sharing the good news with me, brother.
I may yet end up in the Atkins camp, but it is not for me right now. For reasons I'll get into some other time, I'm going to stick with my own plan for a while.
