My neighbor, who also has a small fruit stand, has planted out a number of Tommy Atkins trees. This year, in a very poor mango producing environment, the Tommy Atkins did better here in Fkorida than most other cultivars. My neighbor has customers who specifically ask for Tommy Atkins as that is what they have come to expect and be acustomed to. A tree ripened Tommy Atkins is certainly fantastic compared to the store bought picked too early and then cooked in a hot water treatment fruits. However, I do not know of one case in 15 years of doing taste tests with many, many varieites of mangoes where Tommy Atkins didn't come in at the bottom of the heap when preferences were expressed. I sheepishly admit to planting one out (for the sake of completeness) and for the sake of those few people that actually request the fruit at my fruit stand. But, obviously, I am in strong agreement with all of the prior opinions given above advising that you should taste before you plant. You won't be sorry you did. Harry

Hi, I'm still here and still following Atkins. I have lost 15 pounds in just about 6 months, but my husband and I ate out last week and I saw a pound or so come back after that. It's always dangerous to eat out, I find. I'm at about 40g carbs daily (total--I'm doing Atkins '92, which does not subtract fiber), and I think that is close to my critical carbohydrate level for losing. As long as I stick to plan, I stay in ketosis and my hunger is well suppressed, so that I don't overeat. I generally eat about 1300 calories per day. I still have quite a few pounds that I need to lose, but I am looking at this as a total lifestyle change. I imagine it will take me a complete year or more to lose all the weight I have set for my goal. I started at 152, was 137 at my lowest--probably 138 right now due to the date night--and my goal is, I think, 119. We'll see as I get closer to that. I am a 5'2.5" tall, 40 year old woman. I'd love to have an Atkins buddy on this forum. So far, I haven't come across anyone else following this way of eating. I imagine an allergy to eggs would make things difficult, but you can do other proteins and fats, right? Best wishes to you. I hope to see you here often.

Here are a couple of recipes that got a thumbs up from my husband and me: Ratatouille Soup 1 small eggplant (abt. 1#), left unpeeled and cubed 2 medium zucchini, cubed salt 2 t. olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 lg. clove garlic, finely minced 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped 1 c. canned chopped tomatoes, with their juices 4 c. defatted chicken or vegetable broth 1 lg. or 2 small bay leaf 2 T. chopped fresh basil leaves 2 T. chopped fresh parsley freshly ground pepper freshly grated parmesan cheese Combine eggplant and zucchini in a large colander, sprinkle liberally with salt, toss, and allow to stand and drain for 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a heavy 4 or 5 qt. saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggplant, zucchini, and red pepper and stir well to combine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini and eggplant begin to lose their raw appearance, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add the tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf; stir to combine, and increase the heat to high. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, partially cover the saucepan, and simmer until the vegetables are completely tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in 2 T. of the basil and parsley and cook 5 minutes longer. Remove bay leaf. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and reheat before serving. Garnish each serving with parmesan cheese, as desired. 6 Servings 77 calories, 2.3 grams fat I think the soup would be good cold as well, like gazpacho. Turkey Scaloppine 1 lb. turkey cutlets c. chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 7.5 oz. can tomatoes, cut up 2 T. dry white wine 2 t. capers, drained 3 oz. slice mushrooms ¼ t. dried oregano, crushed 1/8 t. pepper Nonstick spray coating Place each cutlet between 2 pieces of clear plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound meat to about 1/8 inch thickness. Sprinkle meat lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside. Repeat with each cutlet. For sauce, in a medium saucepan, cook onion and garlic, covered, in 2 T. water till onion is tender but now brown. Stir in undrained tomatoes, wine, capers (if desired), oregano, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Keep warm. Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray coating. Saute mushrooms 3 to 5 minutes, till slightly browned and softened. Remove mushrooms from pan and keep warm. Spray skillet again with NS coating, if needed. Cook meat, half at a time, over medium-high heat for one to two minutes per side or to desired doneness. Transfer meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Repeat with remaining cutlets. Serves 4 196 calories, 22 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat To serve, spoon sauce over cutlets. Sautéed Salmon with Zucchini Noodles and Red Bell Pepper Coulis These sautéed, julienne-cut zucchini strips are a lower-calorie alternative to pasta. A coulis is a thick purée or sauce. Red Bell Pepper Coulis (recipe follows) 4 medium zucchini 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon minced shallots 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cracked pepper 1 garlic clove, minced 6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon butter, divided Chopped fresh parsley (optional) Freshly ground pepper (optional) Prepare Red Bell Pepper Coulis; set aside. Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips, stopping at the inside part of the zucchini containing the seeds; discard middle portions. Cut strips lengthwise into long, thin "noodles"; set aside. Combine lime juice and next 4 ingredients (lime juice through garlic) in a small bowl. Rub salmon with juice mixture. Dredge salmon in flour. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove salmon from skillet. Set aside; keep warm. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in skillet. Add zucchini noodles; saute 4 minutes or until wilted, tossing gently. Spoon Red Bell Pepper Coulis onto 6 serving plates. Top with zucchini noodles and salmon. Garnish with chopped parsley and freshly ground pepper, if desired. 6 servings CALORIES 376 (45% from fat); FAT 18.7g (sat 4g, mono 8.7g, poly 3.6g); PROTEIN 38.9g; CARB 12.3g; FIBER 1.8g Red Bell Pepper Coulis This recipe goes with Sauteed Salmon with Zucchini Noodles and Red Bell Pepper Coulis 2 teaspoons olive oil 3 cups coarsely chopped red bell pepper 2 tablespoons minced shallots 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper 2 garlic cloves, minced 3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, shallots, jalapeño pepper, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Add broth; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Place pepper mixture in a blender, and process until smooth. Strain purée through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Stir in vinegar and salt. Yield: 1 cup (serving size: 2 1/2 tablespoons) CALORIES 40, FAT 2g (sat 0.3g, mono 1.1g, poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 1.1g; CARB 5.4g; FIBER 1.3g I use the zucchini noodle trick a lot. Good luck to all!

I started my Atkins roller coaster years ago. My experiences have been similar to the information that JpRakia provided. I was to the point I was considering eating lard to lose weight. This is the first time I heard about the golden shots. I have lost weight on Atkins over the years but this last year it was impossible. I joined weight weighters 8 weeks ago and I have lost 13 Lbs. so far. The weight is melting off like it used to do on Atkins. I'm doing Flex ( points )because "Core" sounded to much like Atkins. The strange thing is that Weight Watchers never worked for me before Akins. Try something different than Atkins and see if that works for you. If I could get Atkins to work again, I would, but Atkins has been so tough that Weight watcher is easy. I'm in the habit of counting ever carb gram so counting points are no longer a big deal. Lastly, I was to the point I was considering eating lard to lose weight. Wishing the best, Sincerely, Maggie.