Okay, I know that you guys are going to say that I need to think of this as a way of life and not a diet but first let me explain. I tried Atkins last summer and lost almost 10 pounds in two weeks which I was thrilled about. I obviously did not stay with this way of life and gained it all back in no time at all. A few months later I tried it again but instead of losing I gained about 4 pounds which was heartbreaking because every pound is so hard to lose and so easy to gain. So I started Slim Fast. I have been on this program for a month now and have really stepped up my excercise program. I don't have a problem with this diet ( I find that I don't have any cravings and don't have a problem staying with the diet and am not really hungry) the problem that I have is that I have only lost 4 pounds in a month. Quite a difference from Atkins. And I am sure eventually I will just get down right bored with the shakes and bars. After seeing the Dateline special, I am interested in trying Atkins again but I am scared that I have messed my body up so much from switching back and forth that I will gain those 4 pounds (or maybe more) of the 4 pounds that I tried to hard to lose in the past month. Part of the reason I left Atkins last time was because it was really affecting my health. I was struggling with headaches and was feeling really dizzy all of the time. Granted I didn't experiment too much with it to try to fix the problem. Once I realized I was gaining weight and became the heaviest that I have ever have been I stopped right away. I did it the same way that I did the first time. I just don't understand why I did so well the first time and so bad the second time. Not sure what to expect for this third time. Any suggestions? Thanks for your help. I know I am not approaching this the right way but my way of thinking is that I haven't experienced the feeling great that you guys feel on Atkins so there would be no purpose of me making this a way of life unless I was getting some positive results. I do believe in this way of life because I have heard and read your stories about the great results and they way that you feel..I am just wondering if everyone feels that way or if it is not for everyone. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks guys!!

Four pounds a month is PLENTY! The question to ask yourself is...can I actually subsist on SlimFast shakes the rest of my life. I tried it for a few weeks, lost nothing, and thought 'never again.' I was always hungry!

I'm curious, though. You're pretty light to begin with. It could be that your weight gain was caused by either water retention or too many calories. I had big water retention during induction and thought I gained weight. I'm glad I stuck with it, because they were only phantom water pounds.

At a lower weight, you're not going to lose weight if you are really having a party time with the bacon strips and high calorie foods. That's my experience, anyway. Atkins works for me because it allows me to be satisfied on fewer calories (1500-1800 with regular exercise). Anything more than that, I'd either not lose, or even gain. Good luck!

Does that mean during induction I have to watch my calories too?

I understood that you dont have to keep too close an eye on them during the first 2 weeks, then after that stick to 10 - 12x your weight (which would mean that I was eating less calories than I normally do in everyday life when my weight is regular, but thats besides the point).

I'm getting confused - some say keep up the calories, some lessen them?

My OPINION is to do Atkins as written, counting only carbs and learning to trust your body.

Most tweeking goes on after normal weightloss stalls. I have found they haven't effected my losses one way or the other.