Hi from the UK-Nelson, You are doing a great service here at the body.com, keep up the excellent work. Before i tell you my question how are you ? I hope your doing very well and in good health. Since starting meds after diagnosed 2 years ago I have seen my cd4 go from just 9 to now 368, which is very impressive - after the first fews month I went undetectable and have stayed that way since, I have always eaten healthy and take good quality vits, exercise etc. I am on combiver/nevaripine, i have noticed a bloating effect on my stomach and i have gained 13lbs around my middle. How safe is it for me to do the Atkins diet for six months and see what happens ! will starting the diet help shift the extra pounds and bloating. Thanks for your advice.

Congratulations on your good response to therapy. The Atkins diet is heavily criticized by dietitians. I have seen good results in people who want to lose visceral fat. But I have a few concerns that you should keep in mind: 1- You may feel more tired for a few weeks, 2- Your initial weight loss will probably be water, 3- Be careful with bad breath from ketosis, 4- Mood swings are also reported, 5- Take the recommended vitamins since Dr Atkins removes fruits and vegetables from his diet, 6- You may experience constipation due to lack of fiber and 7- Be careful not to lose lean body mass along with the fat (get a BIA test done every month to see how your body is changing.) If you are willing to go through this and exercise, I think you will have a good chance at losing inches off your waist. Be careful about a rebound effect afterwards when you decide to go back to a normal diet. Some people regain all the lost weight and more! I am assuming you are exercising, right? I hope this helps! Nelson