Back in 1972 Atkins induction capped carbs and dairy, and there wasn't a lot of fake/junky processed "diet" food around to derail you. So if you were still hungry the only things left to eat were carb-free fat & protein. When he said the amounts would be self-limiting, it was hard to believe at first, since there seemed to be no limit to the amount of ice cream, cookies, chips I could consume when not dieting. But fat & protein in the absence of carbs ARE self limiting as they are satiating. Atkins was the first diet I ever tried that didn't involve white-knuckling it through intense hunger & cravings. You were "allowed" lots of fat (I recall lobster swimming in melted butter), but too much fat leads to feeling nauseous, so you naturally cut back to some butter or some salad dressing rather than pools of them. Somehow just knowing that I could have more made me start eating like a "normal" person, choosing just enough for a good taste & texture.