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Some people have to try to make your life miserable, if you let them. It was obvious to everyone that I looked and felt better, but some people just have to try to spoil it. I was told: lots of people have died of kidney or liver failure after being on Atkins I read it in the newspaper; you will have a heart attack, it’s not natural; your cholesterol will climb sky high and you will need your toes amputated or you will have a stroke; it will affect your eyesight. All sorts of rubbish. So, I went to see my GP, who admitted that he did not know anything about the Atkins diet, but he also added that he had heard nothing bad about it either. He sent me for a series of tests at the hospital and the results were all satisfactory. He was happy that I’d lost 18 lbs and so was I. Six weeks later, I went for another cholesterol check-up, because of the high fat levels in the diet and, although my cholesterol level was up very slightly, the doctor said there was no cause for concern at all.

The Atkins diet book warns that you might develop bad breath (halitosis). I don’t know whether I did or not – no-one said anything, but I started brushing my teeth four-five times a day just in case. I guess that’s another benefit of following the Atkins diet: increased oral hygiene. It also warns of constipation. I didn’t get that either, although I didn’t give up black coffee, which has always had a laxative effect on me. But surely you can’t suffer from constipation if you’re allowed to eat well over 1lb of greens a day? I hadn’t been eating that well before the diet! So my two main concerns were nebulous.

A couple of weeks later, I was getting bored not going out so much. I was still happy with the diet, but because I am single and am used to going out and drinking beer. So, I decided to go about this scientifically. One day, after work, I drank three pints of Guinness and felt great – the taste was wonderful. Before the diet, I would have drunk five or six pints. To my surprise and delight, the next morning the ketone stick told me that I was still ‘on the diet’. Over the following weeks, I really enjoyed experimenting to find out what would ‘work’ and what would not. I discovered that even a small amount of cider would ruin the Atkins diet; some beers and some lagers were all right; red and white wine were OK. Consuming alcohol does not knock you off the Atkins diet, but it slows down your rate of progress. Even slow progress is progress, I say. Better than giving up the diet or not going out.

Be very wary of people encouraging you to ‘just try a little bit’. They don’t understand or don’t want to understand the trouble they’re causing you. Your body can hold two days worth of carbohydrates. One chocolate, one slice of bread, a bowl of cornflakes or one sugar in your coffee will cost you TWO days to put right. Don’t let them do it to you. This is not a diet for the weekends, in fact I think that it probably could be dangerous to keep ‘falling off the wagon’, because of the high fat content of the diet, which is not dangerous if you stick to it, because you body devours fat and cholesterol in the absence of carbohydrates.

The story ends at this point, with me having got down to under 16 stone and keeping it there, until very recently when I moved to the Far East to live. Once I get used to the food and have my own house and own kitchen, I will get down to 15 stone, I’m sure I will ” with very little effort.

Well, there you have it … My grateful thanks to you, Mr. Blackwell, wherever you are these days, you changed my life and my understanding of food and drink with that book and thank you, Mr. Atkins too.

Do you want to know more about the Atkins Diet? Visit our site on Atkins dieting at: Atkins Dieting Check here for free reprint licence: The Atkins Diet Part Two)..

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One of the most common, and surprising effects of following the Atkins diet is appetite suppression. A lot of the followers of the regimen state that the between meal hunger pangs they used to experience just fade away and very quickly too. This factor makes it easier to remain on the diet and continue losing weight. While other diets leave their followers starving between meals, the Atkins diet offers relief from continuous hunger. The Atkins diet, with its specific recommendation of foods and ingredients, has powerful appetite suppressing effects.

The first key factor is the quantity of protein in the Atkins diet. Protein, much more so than carbohydrates, has the capability to satiate hunger pangs. If you have ever eaten a carbohydrate heavy meal and then felt hungry again a few hours later, you already know that carbohydrates do not have much lasting effect as a hunger satisfier. Protein, on the other hand, when it is combined with a small amount of healthy fats, can keep you feeling full for much longer periods of time.

One of the most sustained appetite suppressing foods on the Atkins diet is the simple egg. Eggs are a great form of quick and easy protein. A recent study revealed that having eggs for breakfast would actually keep hunger pangs at bay throughout the remainder of the day. The research concerned two groups of women. One group ate only eggs for breakfast and the other had a breakfast of bread and cream cheese.

The calorie count for both breakfasts was precisely the same. The participants kept track of what they ate the rest of the day and answered questions about their levels of hunger and satisfaction throughout the day. The results of the study showed that the women who ate the eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied throughout the entire day and they ate less at each meal than the women who were in the bread group.

Eggs contain about 6 grammes of protein each, which helps to even out blood sugar and produces a feeling of satisfaction. Both of these factors help to curb cravings. Egg yolks also contain lutein and xenazanthin. These nutrients have been shown to have amazing effects on eye health. So it’s important to eat the whole egg, and not just the white. Eggs contain choline which is important for maintaining brain function and memory. These nutrients are just an added benefit to the appetite suppressant qualities.

Broccoli and cauliflower, two of the most recommended vegetables on the Atkins programme, also have appetite-suppressant effects. These vegetables are very bulky and they help make your stomach feel full. When your stomach feels full, it will actually create a chemical signal in your body. Your body will reduce its call for food because it believes that your stomach is full of high calorie foods. This occurs regardless of what is actually in your stomach. You can achieve the same results with water and psyllium husk fibre. Both broccoli and cauliflower provide bulk in your diet and are essential vegetables for the Atkins diet.

The Atkins diet focuses on eating small, protein packed meals a few times per day. This will help maintain your blood sugar level in a stabilized state and avoid carbohydrate-induced cravings. With high carbohydrate diets, you are riding a roller-coaster of carbohydrate highs. After you have eaten, you feel fantastic and full. Then after a few hours, you come crashing down and are hungrier than you were previous to eating the carbohydrates. This cycle continues ad infinitum and, over time, you will eat more and more and eventually gain weight.

The protein, fat and vegetable meals of the Atkins diet put your blood sugar back in balance. They provide just enough of each type of food, with a proper amount of carbohydrates (from the vegetables). The vegetables provide quick carbohydrate energy, and the protein gives the meal its staying power. This combination helps suppress your appetite throughout the day.

The Atkins diet is actually a craving control diet that helps suppress your appetite. If you’ve had a problem with carbohydrate cravings before, this new way of eating will help regulate those desires. The more you eat on the plan, the better your cravings will be controlled and the easier it will be to follow the diet. Really, the longer you follow the plan, the more it works and the easier following the diet gets.

If you would like to read a personal experience of the Atkins diet, please visit Appetite Suppression of if you want to read a lot more about the The Atkins Diet click the blue link.

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