Just another perspective...
As a teen I used the Atkins diet to lose a few pounds, found it very easy, and then maintained that extra thinness for years. I felt no bad side effects and it was great to control hunger and cravings for sweets. Years later I began to eat the typical average diet with more carbs and gained weight...still my health was fine though. Forward many more years and then rather suddenly in my early 50's I became seriously diabetic with the damage from it giving me cataracts in both eyes (got surgery) and extreme nerve pain in my feet/legs. I found out only then that there was a genetic history in my family relatives of diabetes even though neither of my parents had it and I hadn't shown any predisposition to it before. My first blood sugar tested out to 395 and first A1C test was over 14.
I had to look at my diet, I had to educate myself fast on how to regain my health. I chose again to look at Atkins and other similar diets and decided to go back to that way of eating -- very strict for the first 6 months or so -- and this brought my blood sugar down gradually and I went on once daily insulin shots (Lantus) of 10 units. At the same time I lost all excess weight (30 pounds) and my blood pressure and all other blood panels improved dramatically. I maintained and further improved over the next year, even getting all the nerve pain to disappear in my feet and everywhere else it happened with the help of alpha-lipoic acid tablets. It was such a relief!
Today, a few years later, my blood sugar and all blood tests are perfect...and I no longer even need any insulin shots or diabetic medications of any type. All this change was due only to the change in my diet. I eat low-carb (those coming from veggies and some fruits), no starchy veg., no wheat, no sugar, no pastas or bread. Meats in small quantities, Greek yogurt, eggs and some cheese are okay. I never increased my exercise, I just get exercise in my everyday activities. Diet change is what saved my life, and that is certainly motivation enough for me to continue this way. I do not take any medications for anything and want to try and avoid them as long as possible.
Everyone is different. Genetics does play a role in what happens with your health...even young teens have been found to have the clogged arteries more often expected in older people. You can change your health, though, with diet...find what works for you.
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