Atkins is definitely a hack -- in the same way that a hasty shell script will solve some problem that probably should be done with a well designed C program. same results, but which is better for you has a lot to do with who you are and how disciplined you are at doing the design and learning the C needed to accomplish the task.

i did atkins for a while myself, and i certainly agree that you need a partner to get it done right... as much reinforcement as you can get really. I won't argue that it works either, i'm sure it does, and there's evidence to prove it in the many folks who've used the program to lose lots of fat.

What i will argue is that (for myself) it's not worth the cost, emotionally, physiologically or monetarily. I felt like crap the entire time i was on the program. I was completely sick and tired of bacon and cheese and ham and steak and was about ready to kill for a fucking banana or some spaghetti. on top of all that, i had no energy and was in a terrible mood, as happens to me when my blood sugar gets low, and i'm often angry even in the best of moods, so i was a pretty unpleasant person.

Atkins did help me though, in that it proved that there's one and only one correct solution to weight loss -- eat less, and eat better, permanently.

that being said, i wish nothing but good luck and best wishes to people who want to try it. the fact that i couldn't hack it isn't an indictment of the program, at all, just an indication of my will to endure discomforts such as those i encountered over my 15th ham and cheese roll.

RE: Hackers on Atkins