I just went to the 'dangers of Atkins diet' article.

The things it says about the benefits of the diet are all true as far as I know, and you might think they should be calling it a good thing - but the description what the diet involves is not right.

You might find my earlier comments abraisive and unpleasant - but there are so many lies being presented as facts that I feel justified in pointing out rather forcefully that reading the books is essential. On the diet as described people could become very ill.

The amount of carbohydrate allowed per day is 30gm, equal to one small potato it says. What rubbish.

Today I have eaten half an onion, half a sweet pepper, mushrooms - didn't count, maybe 8, two tomatoes, 5 oz of lean steak, 4 oz of chicken, and 10 oz of mixed green salad a couple of eggs and some cheese, with olive oil and lemon juice. I then added a few small boiled new potatoes from the family dinner, as I have already lost 2 lb this week so I must eat a few ounces of denser carbohydrate vegetables and tomorrow I'll probably have to add an apple as well.

Is that what you'd expect from what the media tells you is the Atkins diet?

I eat everything either fresh or, if suitable, buy it fresh and keep it in the freezer for a few days until needed. It feels like a really healthy diet. I don't get headaches, and as for all the dire consequences predicted - I can't remember when I felt as well, to be truthful. Not just OK, really well.

Anyone into regular exercise can eat rather more than I do - I eat about 50 gm of carb on a normal day, regular exercisers are suposed to eat up to 90 gm in ongoing weight loss mode. Anyone not as overweight as I am should not lose as much as I do, but I want to take some pressure off my knee joints, they ache in the damp weather.

Anne