Your Health recently asked for comments from readers who had lost weight and kept it off with the Atkins diet. Not all followed the plan to the letter; many tailored the plan to meet their needs. Here's what some of them told us:
"Last fall I lost more than 30 pounds in three months using the Atkins diet. I have only gained about five back. I was very strict and was consuming less than 30 grams of carbs per day for the entire diet.
"In spite of the high fat and protein contents of the diet (I ate a lot of red meat and cheeses) both my cholesterol and blood pressure were significantly reduced.
"The main reason I went on the diet is that I do not have the time to exercise like I used to. It probably took me about a month to wean myself off the three-month strict Atkins diet and to add beans and bread back into my meals. One permanent change I have made since the diet is trying to eat very little potatoes and pasta. I also try to walk my dog for 15 minutes every morning to stabilize my weight."
-- Eric Dunmire, 29, Cranberry
"I did lose 35 pounds three years ago. I started in February 1999, gained it back by February 2000. You really have to stick with the program and it's a good one! It basically teaches you to eat everything in moderation, of course.
"It is the only diet that really has worked for me in a short amount of time, where I didn't feel deprived. It's all foods that I like and I have a lot of energy. This way of eating is good for someone who isn't particularly active or into killing themselves with exercise. I hate exercise. I like to walk -- I do about 20-30 minutes each day.
"I just started the diet again on Nov. 4, and I can already see and feel the results -- I've already lost eight pounds. This time, I plan to stick with this and just get the extra flesh ball and chain off for good."
-- Betty A. Cilia, 46, of Mt. Lebanon
"I am an advocate of the Atkins diet. Four years ago I lost 23 pounds and have kept it off. My weight loss at that time was relatively painless. I was never hungry, I just focused on the elimination of breads/bagels, pasta, corn, bananas, carrots, desserts, etc., and replaced snacks such as potato chips and pretzels with walnuts, pecans and cashews.
"After my initial weight loss, I devised a modified plan that I refer to as the "5-2 method". During each week, I eat a very low-carb menu for five days and then for two days -- Saturday and Sunday -- I eat what I want, including pizza, sandwiches and desserts.
"This approach has kept my weight constant for almost four years. In addition, my latest cholesterol tests have been in the 130-150 range."
-- Tom Staszewski, 50, of Erie, a former resident of Wilkins
"My husband and I have been on the Atkins diet for about two years. I have lost and kept off 60 pounds and he about 20 to 25 pounds. The first two weeks were unpleasant, though we made lots of salads to go with the proteins. But we've gradually added carbohydrates, concentrating on vegetables and fruits, using some high-protein bread, high-protein, low-carb granola crackers and tortillas
"We've virtually eliminated pasta, rice, potatoes, bread and desserts. Very occasionally we treat ourselves to a really good crusty piece of bread or a small slice of someone's birthday cake. So long as it's occasional, it doesn't seem to matter. We nearly always have a glass of wine for dinner. So we never feel deprived and interestingly, sweets often taste way too sweet; we're not tempted to waste carbs on what is often filler in a meal.
"Eating out is not difficult and restaurants are often happy to give you fruit instead of toast and potatoes or even sandwich fillings without bread, though waitresses sometimes do a double take when you order a hamburger without the bun. Once or twice a year we eat out at some very nice place, forget about the Atkins diet and suffer no ill consequences.
"Other diets have worked briefly, but after 15 pounds or so, I plateau and then begin to gain back weight, even while dieting. This is the first diet I've been on that has worked for the long haul. Our cholesterol and blood pressure check out and we feel energetic and well."
-- Liane Ellison Norman, 65, and Robert Norman, 60, of Squirrel Hill
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