One thing that Atkins was very quick to point out was that he did not invent his diet. He got it from the American Medical Association in one of the New England Journals as an alternative to a low fat diet. I believe it was in the '60's when the discription of the low carb diet was suggested for people who didn't lose weight on a low fat diet. Atkins just put a process around it. I saw him on TV right before the accident and he looked much closer to 198 than 258. For those of you who don't think the diet is well balanced, you are wrong. It is what you make it. It is totally configurable to all of your suggestions. The key is to watch your processed sugar, starch, and flour intake. All fruits and vegetables are ok to eat, as is anything else that is "good for you". The problem is that people think the first two weeks of the diet has the same rules as the rest of the diet and that is not the case.