Interesting thread. I have been in the group 2. I personally don't think eating a pound of bacon or steak with butter every day is a good thing. I do try to be mindful of portion control, though on occasion I'm mindful of the fact that I'm going back for "legal" seconds! I think that there are healthier choices within our WOE, and it is a good point that carb count doesn't necessarily equal a wise nutritional choice. I eat a good bit of chicken and I've probably been eating OWL or PM levels of fruits and veggies because of the nutritional values. I do snack on cheese and pork skins when I need something salty, but I will also snack by eating celery, almonds, or a spoonful of crunchy peanut butter.

I'm a firm believer that you have to make this WOE livable, or you won't stick to it. So that means the occasional glasses of wine, bites of dessert, and the occasional RS LC chocolate is a good thing. But the whole point is to not only lose the weight but to be healthy and sustain the weightloss. What I found when I was really strict is that I wasn't as happy as I am with having a more modified LC diet. I'm still very careful about the glycemic index. I've also introduced eating 1/4 cup of oatmeal about once or twice a week because of its health benefits. So...I guess while I generally follow Atkins, I've tweaked it a bit to suit me. But hey, it seems to be working, and I guess that is what is really important!