As you have to ask, I will assume that you are new to the Atkins way of life, but that that you have not read any of the Atkins books. In short, the answer is, no, you cannot eat sugar filled foods and expect the Atkins diet to work for you. Atkins, like most of the carbohydrate controlled diets, is more qualitative, less quantitative than typical diets. Don't listen to people who will tell you, "A little bite won't hurt you.", but, as this is an insulin control diet, a little bit of something sweet WILL hurt you.

If you are having problems with cravings, or stalls at any point in the diet, drop back down to induction. Go back to the book, and read over the food list, and the rules of induction again. http://www.atkins.com/Program/FourPhases/WhatIsInduction/AcceptableFoodsList.aspx Follow the rules strictly, and you will find that if you follow the rules strictly for 14 days, the cravings will abate. Keep your daily intake of carbohydrate to 20 grams or fewer per day. Drink your water. Avoid caffeine. Keep a food diary. Make sure to keep your fat intake high. Yes, I said high. A combination of very low carbohydrate, and very low fat will not work, and it not safe. There are many online food diaries that you can make a free login with to track your intake quickly, and easily. These computer based food diaries also track the fractional carbohydrates that do add up. At the very least, take a high quality multivitamin supplement, and an essential fatty acid supplement. Some people feel a need to supplement with fiber as well, but do NOT take your fiber with your other supplements, or any medications.

If you are currently used to consuming caffeine in Large quantities, rather than going cold turkey, and stopping abruptly, taper down. If you are used to drinking 8 cups of full caffeine coffee in the morning, either drop the quantity slowly, or slowly add some decaffeinated coffee to your pot. (You CANNOT use the powdered non-dairy creamer. That is mostly corn syrup, which is one of the worst sugars available.) If you don't have to share the pot, start out with mostly caffeinated, some decaffeinated. As an example, if you normally use 4 scoops of coffee, use 3 scoops regular, and one scoop of decaffeinated. After a few days, drop it to 2 and 2. After a few more days, drop it down to 3 and 1, and eventually to all 4 scoops of decaffeinated.

Other doctors who have also studied controlled carbohydrate living have found that the use of artificial sweeteners keeps the cravings for sweets and other carbohydrates alive and well. If you can go the 14 days on 20 grams of carbohydrate or less per day, and are still craving carbohydrates, but are using artificial sweeteners, you may need to go clean, no sweeteners at all.

There are many forums and support groups available online that can be very helpful. They can be helpful to help you to find good recipes. It can help you to stay motivated, and stay on the diet. One of the other elements of the online forums or support groups is that if you are having problems losing, you can post your menus to your peers, and your peers can critique, and tell you, based upon their own experience what the stumbling blocks in your menu plan might be. I won't suggest a specific support group for you, as support groups are like shoes, one size does NOT fit all.

As Dr Atkins is no longer alive, if you want to read the writings of another controlled carbohydrate living doctor, Dr Michael Eades, co-author of the "Protein Power" series of books is very down to earth, and writes a very educational, and entertaining blog. http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/