Structured diets work because they limit both your calorie and carbohydrate intake. Freely feeding on Atkins or Dukan or Southbeach, despite the carbohydrate deprivation (which comes at a cost, carbs are fun!), the bet is you won’t lose any weight, because you’ll eat too many calories. Structured low carb diets can work, even adding fruit, if you keep your total calories under about 1500. About is the key word here, because you don’t have to make yourself too crazy about calories, as long as your carb intake is low enough (under 60 grams a day) and your calorie intake is low enough too (under 1500-1600 a day). You’ll lose faster eating 40 grams of carb and 1000 calories a day, but you’ll be hungrier and have more cravings. Weight loss is a dance. The fewer calories and carbs you eat, the faster you are going to lose – but it’s harder. The lower your carb intake, the greater your sweet and starch cravings. And the lower you calorie intake, the greater your hunger.