The Atkins Diet

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History
The Atkins Diet (or "Atkins Nutritional Approach") was developed by Dr. Robert C. Atkins, an internist and a cardiologist, in the early 1970s. He published his weight-loss plan in his book, "Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution," in 1972. The book soared to popularity, and it and its successors are still very popular among dieters today. Over 10 million copies have been sold worldwide.

How it works
The Atkins Diet is a low-carb, high-protein, high-fat weight-loss plan. Unlike some plans where you simply chooses food off a list, Atkins dieters are required to count the number of carbs they consume. The diet is divided into four phases.

The diet plan consists of three phases:

Phase 1 - Induction

You must limit their net carbohydrates to 20 carbs per day, and most of these (12-15) should come from vegetables. The list of acceptable foods for this phase includes, but is not limited to:

Lean meat and fish
Eggs
Cheese
Leafy vegetables, as well as some others
Fats and Oils, including butter, vegetable oils, and mayonnaise
Sugar-free beverages

You should drink at least 8 glasses of water per day during this phase. Alcohol is forbidden. 1-2 caffeinated beverages may be ok for some people, but could cause hypoglycemia or cravings in others.

This two-week phase is ideal for people who have a lot of weight to lose, or those would like to jumpstart their diet.

Phase 2 - Ongoing Weight Loss

During this phase, other healthy foods will be added back into the diet. Carbs are added gradually while weight is watched closely, to allow the dieter to find their personal threshold, called Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing (CCLL). This number varies greatly from person to person.

This phase begins with an allowance of 25 net carbs per day. Each week, this number is increased by 5 grams until weight loss stalls, and the individuals CCLL is determined. For example, if the dieter stops losing weight when they are consuming 50 grams per day, then the CCLL is 45 grams, and he or she should eat 45 grams or less per week from that point forward.

In addition to the foods listed in Phase 1, the following can now be consumed:

Some dairy products
Nuts and seeds
Some fruits
Lemon, lime, and tomato juice
Atkins shakes and bars

You should continue this phase until you are within 10lbs of your goal weight.

Phase 3 - Pre-Maintenance

To begin this phase, add 10 carbs to your CCLL, and that is your carb allowance for the first week. (In other words, if during phase II you determined your CCLL to be 45 grams, you would begin phase III consuming 55 net carbs per week.)

You should add 10 net carbs per week until you determine your Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE), that is, the point at which you are neither gaining nor losing weight. Ideally, this level should be reached at the same time as your goal weight, so carbs should be adjusted as necessary to keep losing weight until this point is reached.

New foods for Phase 3:

Starchy Vegetables
Legumes
More fruits
Some grains

The goal of this phase is not to lose weight, but to fine-tune your eating habits and permanently keep-off what you've lost. Slower is definitely better for this phase, and it can take up to a few months to lose those last few pounds.

This phase should be continued until you have been at your goal weight for one month.

Phase 4 - Lifetime Maintenance

By sticking with your newly-developed healthy eating habits and the ACE you determined in the last phase, you can easily stay within 5lbs of your goal weight for life.

During this phase, continue eating all the healthy foods from Phase 3, and continue avoiding bad fats and refined foods, like those made with white flours and sugar.

These guidelines should be followed for the rest of your life to ensure that the weight stays off. You may see your weight fluctuate between 2-3 pounds in either direction, this is perfectly normal.

Popularity
Dr. Atkins book has been reprinted at least 28 times, and prior to his death in 2003, he appeared on many radio and television talk shows to discuss his program.

Celebrities that have successfully used this diet to lose weight include Minnie Driver, Dennis Franz, Stevie Nicks, Donald Trump, and Sarah Jessica Parker.