On May 16th I was 6' tall, 227 pounds and considered obese. Since May 16th, I've lost 34 pounds following a low carbo/high protein diet, swimming a mile, 3 to 4 times a week, and now lifting weights twice a week. I've lost much of my fat, toned down considerably, and now am adding new lean muscle mass. I have lost my appetite for junk and other sugar laden foods and feel great. My cholesterol has dropped 30 points and...my kidneys are just fine!
I've got about 8 more pounds to drop (unless I can replace it with 8 pounds of lean muscle) and feel very close to my goal.
Bravo!
I've had to modify the diet. I have been a strict vegetarian. When I went on the diet, I had to begin eating fish. I haven't eaten any other flesh. I've lost l4 lb and still have 8 to go. I feel better than I have in years.
I was one of those who are metabolically resistant; so I've stayed on the induction diet for 4 weeks and am still on it.
I have also been exercizing regularly. Today I spent 3 hours on the treadmill, burned up about 2,500 calories, and then lifted weights.
The combination of no carbohydrates and regular vigorous exercize has me feeling great! I look good, and I'm not hungry. I never have to fight with myself to keep from eating, and I don't have any craving for foods that I can't have.
I was one of the main ones who disagreed with Atkins. I tried it as a last resort. So far it's working for me; nothing else did.
I am still concerned about the effects of a diet high in saturated fats over a long period of time. I don't think it's a good idea. In maintanence, it would be a good idea, I think, to try to concentrate on foods that are low in saturated fats, such as fish, tofu, olive oil, etc.
I remember reading something similar, but if you dring adequet water, unless you've got kidney damage before starting the diet, the odds of damaging your kidneys is pretty remote. I know the atkins diet recommends at least 64 oz of water a day, and more is better. Personally, I drink more than 3 liters a day, so I doubt that I'll have that problem.
Mark
In his book, Atkins himself wrote that the diet is contraindicated for patients with active kidney disease. It's not an outrageous leap they're taking, although it requires study, not the ban they want.