As a former gym-rat, personal trainer and eating disorder freakazoid, I have abused my body in every dietary way possible: starvation, binging, purging, under-nourished over activity. . . The oldest trick in the bodybuilder's book (pre-Atkins!)was to drop water weight using an uber high protien diet. We're not talking a "low-carb" or "no sugar" diet - we're talking about cracking open a can of tuna every three hours and chugging it down, hard boiled eggs (no lunchmeat, as the preservatives can cause water retention). I abused that method so much throughout my life that (1) it doesn't work for me anymore and (2)more than once, I've had crystallization of protien and developed kidney problems. Dr. Atkins denies that this is a possibility, but I am here to tell you from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE that it is. They body can only process as much protien as it can process (about 1 gram of protien per pound of lean body mass per day). . .otherwise, it gets stored just like anything else. High protien works. . .temporarily. It's a good jumpstart and a great tool to break oneself of sugar addictions. But it's not a permanent, plausible way to live one's life. The best advice I've ever gotten or given is to make sure that your meals contain a protien, a carb (in the form of veggies or fruit) and a fat (in the form of olive oil, nuts, cheese); to ask yourself if what you're about to put into your mouth is beneficial as fuel for your body and, if it isn't and you still want some (cake, cookies!), take a bite or two, savor it and be done with it. Life is much easier that way. MUCH. xoxo