I have been doing extensive research on LC dieting and LC lifestyle, and have read all of the Atkins books. I am on the Atkins plan right now (still in induction) and I really, truly believe Atkins is right on target with the theory of the role insulin plays in weight loss and fat storage, and in controlling insulin levels to lose and maintain weight. However, I believe the Atkins plan is flawed. I believe that the Glycemic Index/Glycemic Load (GI/GL) research that is going on is of FAR more use to LC'ers than just counting carbs. these are my reasons:

1) carb counts are arrived at "by difference", meaning after fat, protien and ash are figured for a given food, the rest is assigned as carbs.

2) going by carb counts alone don't always give accurate views of insulin response. if you look at the gi/gl of certain foods, some foods high in carbs (like Old Fashioned cooked oatmeal, whole grain breads and milk) have little insulin response and CAN be included in a "low carb' diet, yet someone on the Atkins plan having to stay under a certain carb count might never include these healthful foods in their diet because they contain too many carbs per serving.

so my belief is that we indeed need to control insulin response and avoid high blood sugar, but prudent eating of healthful foods with a low glycemic response makes more sense than just counting carb grams alone and trying to stay under some magic number. I would appreciate comments on this, as it's just a theory and I am just searching for the truth like everyone else!!!