You are correct, everyone makes adaptations to suit their needs. I did not want to cut out caffeine from my diet so I have my coffee. It makes me feel bad though that Dr. A said that anyone drinking caffeine was not really doing Atkins. I feel that I am doing Atkins even though I include Maxwell House in my diet. I don't consider this a modified Atkins. I think people who say they are on a modified Atkins diet, do so because they think that Atkins is nothing but meat and eggs and nothing else ( so they add their veggies and some fruit to the diet, which is another phase of the Atkins diet ) or because they don't want any negative replies from naysayers.