LOL. Well, at least this is what my Dr. has told me… But he also thinks I should give up chocolate.
I know this isn’t “most,” but two doctors (my primary and another doctor in her office) suggested that I go on Atkins.
I only have two major problems with going on it. Sodas and beer. I don’t think I could give up either very easily. Actually, it’d be easier to give up the beer.
I really need to take their advice… sigh.
And good luck, Lib!
Only thing i see wrong there is the peanut butter. It has tons of added sugar. Also while Atkins does say nuts are ok after your first 2 weeks they still do have a fairly large # of carbs.
In Europe (and almost certainly in the US, as you chaps have much better choice of foodstuffs) it is possible to get no-sugar-added peanut butter from health food shops. However, even in their raw state, peanuts are still at least 7% carbohydrates.
I’m thinking of going on Atkins, and I wanted to see how you were doing on it, Lib, now that it’s been a month.
The thing to remember, and it’s stated in the book, is you go off the diet for a while and do another diet and then go back on. Unless they’ve changed the book. I tried the diet. Lost 30 pounds fairly quickly, but as soon as I started adding some carbs back the weight started coming back too. I’d find it hard to use as a life-time diet so I went back to Weight Watchers. Good Luck to all.
We’re still postponing for a variety of reasons, but we’ll let you know. Thanks for asking. 
My aunt and uncle are wholly into the Atkins diet and have had some truly amazing results - they both are looking GREAT! They’ve stuck to it for about five months now and have lost lots of inches (I never asked about the lbs.) Though after their first two weeks they threw themselves into all of the recipes in the Atkins book which include (Lib!) muffins and low-carb beer (which they do sell!) Get past those first two weeks and enjoy - you’ll love it! Good luck! (and… no oatmeal cookies!)
Lib,
A suggestion: pick up a crate of Diet Rite soda. It’s got no carbs, no sugar, and no caffine. It is chock full of Splenda, which Dr. Atkins recommends as a sugar substitute.
It’s no substitute for the water you should be drinking, but it did keep me sane through the first few days of Atkins, when I’d have killed a man for a Coke.
Good luck Libertarian with your quest for a smaller middle. May I suggest a couple of things:
Read the book. Read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution cover to cover and also you might consider reading Protein Power by Drs. Eades and The Secret to Low Carb Sucess by Dr. Laura Richards. There’s a wealth of information and you’ll be more successful and feel better if you get the facts.
Check out www.thinner.com a low carb web site with an awesome message board. You won’t be sorry. There are success stories there and people who’ve done it long term and have the facts and can answer questions from a first person perspective.
Have fun and happy eating.
Gasp! What are you claling peanut butter? Ingredients: peanuts, salt. Recipe for deliciousness. I only buy all-natural peanut butter, the rest is brown lard-paste. No thanks. 
<homer> Mmmmmm brown lard-paste <homer>
I’m thinking of starting this diet in January, at the same time I resume my long delayed Martial Arts training.
So far what I’ve got to do before hand…
1- buy and read the book.
2- find a decent low-carb cookbook (suggestions?)?
3- buy a bunch of meat, cheese, and Diet Rite soda.
Am I missing anything?
Tristan, I bought a couple of low-carb cookbooks, but I don’t use them much. I have had very good luck with the recipes at Low Carb Luxury. They also have good product reviews and articles.
There are a ton of recipes at Low-Carb Friends, but they are less consistently good.
We’ve been trying to finish up all the high-carb foods in the house, and yesterday my husband went to the store and bought only low/no carb stuff. We’re going to start by making our meals low-carb and went our house is empty of high carb foods, go on Induction.