This actually flys in the face of my recent published research, which recommends low-glycemic impact diets that do not count calories. I largely agree with you that aerobic exercise is overrated for weight loss, but we should be explicit in that the goal is not to lose any kind of body mass, but to lose fat. The best ways to maintain muscle mass while losing body weight is to lift weights and and eat adequite protein (also backed by up by research, though I don't have the links handy). One of the nice features of low-glycemic diets, like the Atkins diet, is that you get a lot of protein and thus maintain more muscle mass.