i think other ways of eating can certainly work, and personally, i don't know anyone that gained or yo yo'd doing low fat, it was more of a falling of the wagon thing from cravings, hunger, and poor impulse control. the major advantage i see to atkins is that the hunger often times disappear giving a superior edge to controlling eating and sticking with the plan. i'm sitting here right now with my stomach rumbling (a rare occurance i assure you! lol!) and with no desire to eat. lovely. the major knockdown of constant cravings has really helped me to stick with this and build determination to reach my goal. i've done low fat and slim fast and was hungry and craving all the time. i did lose weight, but at times it was perfectly miserable and i didn't really get to eat anything good like i do now.