T.,
The true Atkins Diet is VERY BAD FOR YOU. It is almost all meat, which does not have the approriate nutritional content for all your daily needs. It is true, Dr Atkins died of cardiovascular complications - he had a major coronary event. Protein alone is not a good thing. Another serious problem with eating so much meat and protein is that it can cause kidney failure. Think about going three times a week every week to be dialyzed for 3-4 hours each time. Does this sound like a happy alternative to being thin?
I agree with your doctor. The Southbeach diet provides a nutrionally balanced diet. Another good option is Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers actually teaches you good eating habits, and this is truely the key to losing weight and keeping it off. You need to change your dietary habits and start excercising. It sounds so cliche' but it truely is the best way to control your weight - eat well and excercise.
Nothing can be changed overnight - nor should it if you want it to stick. Start slowly, but have a plan. The best thing to do is to start cutting out the junk from your diet - cookies, cakes, ice cream, candy, pop (even diet pop can be bad for you if it has phosphoric acid and caffiene in it), chips, snack bars (yes, these may say they are good for you but can be loaded with sugar and calories). This is easiest to do at the grocery store - don't shop hungry and really think twice before buying junk. I'm not saying you can never eat it again, just make it a speacial treat on rare occasions (not the special treat each day). The best way to grocery shop is to stay on the perimeter of the store, that's where the bakery, produce, meat and dairy are located. Try to limit the amounts of prepared food that you buy and eat. These are LOADED with salt and preservatives - even those Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers meals that so many people buy to help them lose weight. A high salt diet will lead to hypertension and then subsequent cardiovascular and kidney problems. Read the labels on these prepared foods and keep track of how much salt you are eating.
Oh yes, and another good reason not to eat or serve prepared foods to your children is that there are scientific studies that suggest the real culprit in the increase in autism in children is not due to vaccinations, but linked to diet. The same chemicals that people claim cause autism in vaccines are the same ones that were there when we all got them as children - but we got them in higher amounts! The increase in artificial colors and flavorings, preservatives, and chemicals in foods may be to blame. This may also be the main cause in the increase in ADHD seen in children as well. When they put children on healthy diets, they find many of their behavioral problems decrease.
Start slowly by replacing sweet things with fruit. Many fruits are just as sweet as candy, cookies and cakes. Replace salty snacks with nuts that have protein in them. Start drinking more water - replace one can of diet coke with a glass of water each week until you stop drinking pop except on rare occasions. Water will fill you up and will make your skin, hair and nails healthier. They make flavored water if you just need to have some flovor, or add a slice of lemon or lime to the water. If you are in need of bubbles, club soda with lime or lemon is a better alternative. Soda that contains phosphoric acid (colas) will deplete your bones of calcium and high amounts of phosphate in the diet can lead to other kidney related problems. Replace white breads and pastas with whole grain breads and pastas which have a lower glycemic value and will take longer to digest - you will feel fuller. Fill up on salads and vegetables for dinner - eat these off your plate first and then move onto the breads and main dish, you might find you eat less because you will be fuller. Eat SLOWLY. I know this is a hard thing to do in our go, go, go world we live in, but if you take a little more time to eat, you might realize you are full before you overeat.
Sorry this is not the magic bullet answer, but hopefully this advice will be helpful to you and others. Good luck!
N.