The first week or two (called induction) is strictly meat and veggies. No veggies with carbs such as potatos or carrots. No lettuce, use romaine lettuce instead. Induction is intended to break all sugar addictions and bad eating habits. For the first few days, you feel lousy. After your body gets used to it, if you do it right, you feel great. The most important thing is that you are supposed to take lots of vitamins. Dr. Atkins really stresses that because you are depriving your body of alot of necessary vitamins otherwise. After induction, you slowly but surely add carbs back into your life. Without the carb addictions, you continue to eat much better and continue to lose weight.

People are hurting themselves because they aren't going by the book. If they followed the diet correctly, they wouldn't be depriving themselves.

I get plenty of carbs in my diet. I just don't insist on having pasta and bread with every meal now. There was a time where I had to have carbs all day long. It has actually helped with my insomnia quite a bit too.