I have been on Atkins since February. I have lost 50 pounds... and my cholesterol has dropped 20 points. I feel better than I ever have.
Good for you. Seriously.
However, here's what my internist says about Atkins: It damages your kidneys. However, kidneys can repair themselves unless you go beyond the point of no return. Then, the kidney damage will appear at some later point in life.
He says Atkins is o.k. for around three months. During that three months, you need to be making other changes in your lifestyle, viz., exercise, compiling lower calorie menus, etc. Because you cannot stay on Atkins forever. Your body won't tolerate it.
Typically, what happens is that people start a diet and lose weight. Then they return to their former lifestyle and pick the weight back up.
My wife, a med student, just had a lecture on this very subject. The problem (with Atkins) is that the protein molecule is the hardest of all the molecules on the kidneys.
I'm not talking about you, because your post wasn't out of line, but, honestly, you'd think I just said that Ronald Reagan was not a nice person, from some of the posts I received.
I'm just looking at another side of the issue.