You know this is another sad example of the state of journalism today. Obviously the author had something specific in mind to write about. I guess her point is low-carb works but 'eating in moderation" is better? Low-carb works but is not for everyone? Her point is a bit diluted. Whatever. It's obvious to me that she just got a bunch of quotes together, from people she might or might not have interviewed personally and strung them together in an attempt to make some kind of point.

MY point is that a PROPER journalist like Gary Taubes would have personally nterviewed many subject experts and would have asked hard questions in an attempt to understand the subject. He would have thought critically about anything he was told and not just just accepted it hook, line and sinker. He would have researched things he didn't understand.

THEN he would have written an article, which maybe would have been quite different from what he initially planned. That is what a good journalist does. But he's one in a million. The rest are seemingly content to gather their information from press releases, and so-called experts with impressive but empty titles.

What makes this article suspect to me is the disconnected feel of the article and the fact she obviously had no understanding of what the Atkins plan is. So she probably just grabbed those quotes from somewhere.

Hrm, the article stinks, yes. But can anyone explain the headline to me? Play on words? Mixed metaphor? Use Your Loaf As You Diet?

I think they are just pointing to the fact that in Atkins ongoing weight loss" stage, this carbohydrate allowance rises to between 30g and 60g, and includes options such as oatmeal, brown rice and [B]wholemeal bread.[/B]

So you can use your loaf (or a slice of it at least) in your Atkins Ongoing Weight loss stage. As I've never studied Atkins either the new or rebranded version I can't say but I've been told this plan I'm using is similar to Atkins ongoing. However I can't see the point in even using a slice of wholemeal bread. I've managed perfectly well without since the end of January and don't see any reason to restart now. It's not even as though bread is cheap any more. Why use carbs that are high glycemic load when there are plenty of complex carbohydrates that have much lower glycemic load.

Use your loaf is UK slang for use your head.

I haven't read the new book that was not written by Dr. Atkins. I have had emails with Collette, one of the authors of the Atkins Corporation new book. I believe the new book is about the same except if you exercise you can eat more carbs. It reminds me of WW. If I exercised more I could have more points.
I do think the author of this article is pretty funny when she says that Atkins is High protein. I don't think that was what Dr. Atkins had in mind after reading his previous books.

Ah! I was mystified by the title too!

Oooooooooooooooooooooh! Now it makes sense!

Woah, you just might have caught a flagrant case of plagiarism. This is the same mistake that was made in this article. Where did they get this stupid explanation?

Just call me 007....LOL

You're right though, it can't be a common mistake--it doesn't even make sense! Unfortunately, I think that mistake alone could cause some people to shun Atkins...it makes it seem more complicated than it is.

What really irks me about the article is the use of the word gorge when referring to eating protein or fats... Sets the tone for the whole article. Stupid.

You can indeed find the word GORGE twice on the Atkins website.

Here is the context in which the word gorge occurs.

Research has shown that on a controlled carbohydrate program, more calories are burned than on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, so there is a certain metabolic advantage to the controlled carb approach. But understand that this does not give you a license to gorge.

and here
The work of Jeff Volek, RD, PhD, a researcher at the University of Connecticut. Volek--whose rigorous research has been published --found that overweight men and women on a low-carb diet who consumed 36 grams of saturated fat a day actually reduced their number of small dense LDL particles (the real "bad" guys) and reduced their triglycerides (by a whopping 51%). Many researchers consider triglycerides to be more of a risk factor for heart disease than cholesterol ever was.
“The message isn't that you should gorge on butter, bacon and cheese," says Volek. "It's that there's no scientific reason that natural foods containing saturated fat can't, or shouldn't, be part of a healthy diet."

Maybe we should write her to tell her we "used our loaf" when reading her article and found it filled with inaccuracies, badly cobbled together from disparate sources, poorly researched and just a really bad bad example of journalism

Did anyone get an email today about how "Atkins is back!" and how it is the "new" Atkins? Here is the first paragraph of the email I received...

As you probably know, Atkins has been changing the way the world eats for nearly forty years - and over the decades, as we learn more, we make small but important improvements to the program. Today's Atkins is more flexible to fit individual needs and lifestyles. It stresses the importance of leaner proteins, getting most of your carbs from vegetables in Induction, as well as the importance of vegetable fats like olive oil. That's not to say you can't have bacon - you can eat any meat or fish on earth. But Atkins isn't and never has been "all you can eat eggs, bacon and cheese." It's never been "no-carb" either - it's just all about good carbs in the right amounts. Seems things haven't changed much at all.

Interesting--sounds like they're trying to appeal to the Low Fat/Low Cal crew. Thoughts?

I got it too and my reaction was pretty much the same -I thought if I'd wanted to do South Beach, I'd have done South Beach!

They don't have a choice. Too many people were convinced by the propaganda machine that Atkins was "gorge on eggs and bacon and brie" and the diet with "no carbs".

So they are making it sound like the "new and improved" Aktins. They are making it sound like they listened to the critics. Eating more olive oil is not going to harm you. Eating all your carbs from vegetables sources is already what was recommended but they make it sound like it's new to correct people's misconception. Choosing leaner cuts of meat shouldn't be too much of an issue unless you go crazy with it.

So all the naysayers are rejoicing because Atkins finally addressed their concerns <cough>.

Meanwhile little has changed

It's just a little marketing magic. It's like when you call the complaint desk to bitch about some non existent problem and the staff smile and pretend they will address your concerns, knowing full well that it's a non-issue. You walk away satisfied "something was done" and the company hasn't lost a customer.