I think this is a fair memory of original Atkins, he did give this impression. I did lose from 190 down to 170 without counting calories, and it is a common occurrence for people to lose while eating protein and fat to appetite. But Atkins didn't stop there. He suggests a lot of things, some seeming contradictory. For example there are spots where he suggests that if you fail to lose, your fat intake may be a little high. Then there's the fat fast, where you take the opposite strategy of eating almost pure fat--but at lower calories, for a period. Which certainly goes against the unlimited calories idea. And when writing about induction, there's a place where he reminds that while two-thirds of protein can be made into glucose, only one tenth of fat can--the "glycerol" of triglycerol. I'm sure he used all of these with individual patients. With a larger audience--he couldn't give individualized advice, so we get a broad prescription, the one likely to work for most people--and then these various tweaks to try, if it doesn't.

If you have to eat less, how is this better than Weight Watchers? Well, there's this--suppose somebody had to restrict their calories by 20 percent to lose weight, whether they were on a high carb, mixed, or a low carb diet. Even if just switching to a low carb diet didn't result in a spontaneous calorie deficit, that doesn't mean that eating a controlled calorie low carb diet won't be easier that eating a higher carb caloried controlled diet--you can't know that for yourself without doing the experiment. There are plenty of low carb studies showing spontaneous weightloss without discomfort, without prescribed calorie restriction, but there are also a fair number showing weight loss with low carb and calorie restriction combined, without the expected discomfort, Gary Taubes writes about a number of these in Good Calories Bad Calories. I know for myself that eating a more ketogenic (controlled protein as well as carbs) version of the diet allows me to lower my calories without discomfort, and without the binges that this would make me prone to on a less ketogenic diet.

The current LC doctors like Dr Westman, Eenfeldt and Fung explain why CICO doesn't work yet calories count better than Dr Atkins, but he was quite clear that they do matter.

Thank you for those really good replies teaser and Janet!

So let's say I'm drinking tea,eating eggs, tuna with mayo and chicken and that's it. My stick is deep purple. So will I lose weight? And could it take a few days? Or, could I stay the same weight and lose inches?

Eileen, It depends on how much tuna, eggs, mayo and chicken you eat. We, or at least I, can't tell you how much to eat to loose weight. You, and your body, are the only ones that can answer this by experimentation.

Answer: I don't know.

I wish I did. but if you follow the instructions from a solid plan, like Atkins, over a significant amount of time, you should eventually, as someone well put it, move toward a body weight and shape that is appropriate for you at this point in your life.

The only way to find out is to try it and see. What will you do if you DON'T lose weight or inches? Try something else? Of course, your expectations may undermine your commitment to a plan that actually works. Putting a timetable on weight loss is usually the ultimate discouragement.

If you follow the original Atkins Diet Revolution plan AS WRITTEN, you will begin to experience a change in your metabolism from using carbohydrates for energy to using fat for energy--both the fat you eat and the fat on your body. This is different for everyone, and can cause unpleasant side effects for a few days or weeks. See what's written.

Your questions are unanswerable as hypothetical results.

Personally, I think the hype and publicity around Atkins' "eat all the bacon you want" and "eat meat and veggies and fat and still lose weight" was publicity crap to sell books. If you actually read the nitty gritty in Atkins, he admits that yes, calories DO matter.... you can't eat 5000 calories of bacon a day and lose weight.

BUT.... here's the important thing, you CAN "eat all you want" (if you don't have an unusually off-the-bell-curve appetite and related food overconsumption issues) and still lose weight on Atkinds BECAUSE the food on Atkins will satisfy you and not leave you with those "I've got to eat something or I'll gnaw the chair legs" feeling you get on calorie restricted diets. THAT is the difference that makes this WOE sustainable.

I have been on LCHF for 9 months and have lost 60 pounds. I have not cheated. I don't need to. It has taken a while, but as time went on, my need for large portions gradually decreased. And I still felt full. I think that is the secret of Atkins....

Plus, on the biochemical level: You aren't taking in sugar/starch, so your body isn't making as much insulin so you aren't pouring all those calories into your fat cells for storage and then you need to eat more because instead of fueling your daily living activities, the calories you ate are in storage as fat.

So -- the answer is that the the calories matter, but what your body does with them and how they make you feel matter more.

This is the third time you have asked the same question in this thread. Sadly, our answers are not going to change.

1. YOU CAN BE IN KETOSIS AND NOT LOSE BODY FAT, AND YOU CAN LOSE BODY FAT WITHOUT BEING IN KETOSIS. A purple stick means there is acetoacetate in your urine. End of story.
( see more at post 2) do yourself a favor and throw them out.

2. "Although there is no need to count calories, they do matter. Gaining weight results from taking in more calories than you expend through exercise, thermogenesis, and other metabolic functions." (From Dr Atkins books, see more at post 17) Nothing's changed, btw, what do you for activity? Consider adding a walk, I listen to LC podcasts while walking to learn more about the diet.

The "eat all the bacon you want" diet is the one Dr Westman calls the Chet Atkins Diet

Jey 100 - I am sorry I offended you by asking the same questions three times. I was speaking with other people, who were very helpful, and did not realize this would annoy you. I will not post again, and I thank the people who gave me very good advice.

I think that you are too focused on the sticks.. They will not tell you what you are doing right or wrong.

The best thing to do is to track your food for a few days. I use fatsecret.com to track everything. It is free and has an app. Makes it really easy.

Dr Atkins plan was not to teach you to eat all the time or without focus but to learn to eat well and lose weight doing it.
You don't have that much to lose so you are most likely not going to drop a lot at once. It will most likely be a slower process.
I wonder if you read Atkins book all the way through?

What I would do is plan a good breakfast lunch and dinner for tomorrow. Sit and eat the meals and write it all down. It is not that you need to do this forever but we need to figure out where the issue is here.
How many carbs and calories you are actually taking in.

There is hope. Don't give up..