Despite claims to the contrary, neither a very low carb NOR a high carb, low fat diet are really "natural" ways to eat, and no society (save for maybe some eskimos and Japanese) actually eat that way. Instead, the healthiest people in the Western world follow what is commonly called a Mediterranean diet, which is low in red meat, high in fish, olive oil, nuts, and whole grain. Clearly, this is very similar to the lifetime maintenance plan of most low-carb diets, so I think they are very compatible.

My idea is to follow the Protein Power plan until I get pretty close to where I need to be, and then switch to principles I discovered in the book "The Mediterranean Prescription." Atkins is too low carb and harsh for me, and I like Protein Power because it's more realistic for my lifestyle. Actually, the Mediterranean book's "active weight loss" diet is pretty low carb, anyway but I think I need the extra boost from Protein Power.