Atkins, or any Lc program is a way of life. AFter you get closer to goal and onto maintanance, you eat more carbs, but still lower carb and no junk food. Going on and off any diet would just screw up your metabolism royaly. It sounds like she is treating it like a crash diet.

Instead of giving your body a rest, you would gain back some each time you quit, and have a harder itme losing it each time you restarted. Why not eat healthy making sure to get veggies, protien, and later fruits, avoid junk food, and not try to yo-yo based on someone elses opinions.

Most nurses I know don't take any nutricion classes at all. What they give you is usually an opinion, nothing more.