Tell me more! Please! (I'm 6'4"/285+ and want do peel off about 50-80 pounds or so...)
My wife and I do Atkins and have had tremendous success. She also works part time as a cashier at a grocery store. She can tell the Atkins people by what they're buying. Everyone she talks to has has success with the diet. It's the best and easiest way to lose weight rapidly. The only hard part is the sugar/carb withdrawal stage in the first week or two after beginning induction. After that, you'll feel so much more energetic you won't believe it, and you'll never want to go back. Sugary foods will look to you like poison.
Before I start...I must say this, this whole thing must be a long term lifestyle change for you if your going to do Adkins...then you should do it and eat that way for life, which I believe is a pretty good thing. Also keep in mind that I am not a nutritionist or anything related to it (I'm actually a software developer by trade)...I have no agenda to push or money to make.
In simple terms Adkins is a new way to eat...not a diet. The traditional American diet has morphed into high-carb, high-sugar consumption. Americans are in love with sugar, microwaved "healthy" choice meals, bread, and french (damn them) fried potatoes. All these things will make you fat. Your body takes a longer time to process carbs than it does proteins, and carbs (starchy/sugary foods) easily produce fat unless you go to the gym everyday.
I didn't really get anal about following and understanding some of the more fundemental things about Adkins...I've kept it simple. This is my typical menu for the whole day:
Breakfast: Eggs (anyway I want, with real butter and/or cheddar/mozerella/swiss cheese too!) + a meat of some kind. When I got tired of eggs, I ate the left over meat and veggies for dinner the night before. Portion size equal to a cereal bowl.
Lunch: Salad w/skinless chicken or tuna with REAL dressing (not the diet stuff) I've gotten so used to eating a salad for lunch, I feel guilty if I can't get to one. If I get tired of salad, I had lunchmeat w/mayonaise(the real stuff) lettuce and pork grinds(my potato chip substitute). Portion size equal to a cereal bowl.
Dinner: Meat, chicken (NOT fried), fish (NOT breaded), vegatables, about a 1:1 ratio between the meat and veggies. Portion size equal to 2 cereal bowls. You can have burgers on the grill till your hearts content....just put everything on them as usual except for the bun! It is important to NOT only to eat meat...keep the meat/veggie ration at about 50/50.
I've bascially given up bread, noodles, milk, rice, anything potato, sugar (I use Splenda now), regular pop, and anything else that is really high is carbs. Contrary to Adkins, I enjoy a couple scoops of ice cream, or a slice of cake/pie once a week. Try it, it works. If you have time and the means...get the book too.