It is bread and not butter that is the enemy in Dr. Atkins's popular and controversial low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet. In In Atkins for Life, he continues his decades-long crusade against low-fat eating. Atkins argues that low-fat meals are high-carbohydrate missiles, causing the body to produce excess insulin, which then produces fat, slows down metabolism, and tips the scale. Instead, he urges readers to stop counting calories and fat grams and start counting carbs to rev up their metabolism and burn fat as an energy source. The question of whether "ketosis," the fat meltdown he advocates, is healthy or harmful is a central question of this sequel to the bestselling Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. Packed with recipes, menus, carbohydrate counters, and strategies for staying with the plan, this book is less clear than its predecessor. It veers back and forth between how to begin and how to maintain "a controlled carbohydrate lifestyle." It is also more promotional, with photos of satisfied slim folks and pitches for the branded Atkins products. Still, with its pages of testimonials and studies about weight loss, lowered cholesterol, and increased energy, it is hard to argue with Atkins’s results. He puts his proof in the pudding. --Barbara Mackoff


From Publishers Weekly
Atkins, cardiologist and founder of the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine in New York City, has advocated his high protein/low carb diet regimen for some 30 years (Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution was published in 1972, and Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution in 1992). While fans of the butter-eggs-steak diet have long supported the Atkins program as a way of life, until this past year, the medical community has not warmly endorsed the plan. However, recent students show that the Atkins plan has enabled dieters to both lose and maintain their weight loss as well as reduce their cholesterol levels. This book, which can be used by people familiar with the Atkins plan as well as those who have not followed it, offers detailed questionnaires designed to help readers understand the preferred food choices. Particularly helpful are the charts of "eat regularly," "eat in moderation" and "eat sparingly." Some of the inclusions may surprise readers but Atkins offers explanations of which foods fall into the "higher carb" categories (potatoes, bananas, rice cakes) and therefore must be limited. First-person success stories are sprinkled throughout the book. The second half of the book includes a month's worth of meal plans, holiday menus, and 125 recipes for a variety of foods, including jerk shrimp, potato salad, brown rice pilaf, zucchini latkes, rhubarb applesauce and chocolate souffle. While this diet won't work for everyone, especially vegetarians, this guide is a comprehensive overview for dieters who are ready to embrace the Atkins philosophy.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Dr. Atkins broadens his scope to include lifestyle elements and a more middle-of-the-road attitude toward carbohydrates with this follow-up to the phenomenal bestseller Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution. The main message here is, "people need to understand that what they eat has implications far beyond pounds and inches." Atkins still argues that the consumption of excess carbohydrates, which he believes to be the leading cause of overweight and obesity, is also a precursor for a host of medical conditions -- diabetes, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease among them. By figuring out one's ACE™ (Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium) and adopting the Atkins Lifestyle, readers can achieve a healthy weight and maintain it for life. Indeed, Atkins for Life delivers what the title promises -- a fine-tuning of the Atkins Diet that readers will be able to adopt for life.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Millions of followers already know that the Atkins Diet really works... and new, important studies from leading universities agree. Where, in the past, the Atkins Diet has been the center of medical controversy, it has now been medically proven that the Atkins way is not only delicious, it's a safe and effective plan for shedding pounds for good. Followers are hungry for more information on how to stay on Atkins -- and that's what this book delivers, with:

200 menu plans and 125 recipes
Special holiday meals and fantastic ethnic cuisines
Before-and-after photos and inspiring success stories -- with time-tested tips from those who've been there and won their battle with weight
Self-tests to help readers meet and stay with their goals

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly