I am a weight watchers veteran. Last month I gave it up. I was spending money, sick of counting, being obsessed with food and points and not losing. If I had been losing it probably would have made the whole thing more bearable.

My boss lost 95 lbs with Atkins. She looks great, feels great, and has loads of energy. So I decided to look into it.

At first I just tried to avoid carby foods, the ones that are in the food pyramid. Then I realized how much carbs are in things like nuts, especially when the portion sizes are one bite. I was losing but I felt like I wasn't in control.

I downloaded the Atkins for a New You book( 2010), then I heard that the 2002 or older version is better. Why is it better? What's the difference.

Induction intimidates me. I look at all the foods I love and even though they may not be considered carb laden, they are. 20 grams? That seems like nothing to me. Also, these foundation vegetables. I don't like vegetables. I like brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, and green beans. Iceberg lettuce.THat's it. And Carrots are out.

I'm concerned that I"m going to be miserable with the 6 cups of vegetables requirement.

Also, do we count calories or not on Atkins? If we do, isn't it just like any other calorie counting diet?
When it gets down to it, I'm afraid of failing at this, when I really want it to work. I'm old enough now that losing weight isn't just asthetic, it's a health issue.

The more I find out about it the more I feel like I"ve failed on it before I've even started.

I hope I can help answer your questions concerning Atkins. I've been doing Atkins for almost 9 years now

First and foremost, I can't stress enough the importance of reading the book BEFORE you attempt doing Atkins. This will help you to understand exactly how & why Atkins, when done correctly, works. Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution 2002 or prior versions are recommended....why you may ask....because those are the versions Dr. Atkins himself wrote and who knows his own plan better than Dr. Atkins himself!

Induction is 20 net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) with 12-15 of those carbs coming from salads & veggies on the acceptable foods list. You can enjoy your veggies with butter, cheese sauce, full fat ranch dressing, cream sauce, which makes it easier to eat veggies even for those who don't like veggies. The "6 cup veggie requirement"....is part of the "newer" books. While the emphasis should be on veggies & salads, other foods are also permitted.

Counting calories is not necessary on Atkins. That being said, this does not mean you can sit down and eat unlimited amounts of permitted foods. Your main concern is staying away from things like bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, and most importantly sugar.

Successful weight loss is all about lifestyle changes. Whatever plan you choose, it needs to be something you can & will stick with for the rest of your life. Atkins is not for everyone, some find it too restrictive. My suggestion would be to read the book and then decide if you feel this is something that is going to work for you.

I hope this helps.

All the best to you!!

It sounds like you have some concerns about reducing the carbs in your diet... And that's pretty understandable... one suggestion I would have is possibly taking a look at something like "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and "Why We Get Fat And What To Do About It" by Gary Taubes since I feel they offer some insight into the underlying thinking behind carb restriction and it's possible benefits... and this way it might better help you to decide if this way of eating makes sense for you...