In the ‘80s we had the ‘F-plan’, in the Noughties, we’ve got the Atkins diet. Devotees to the Atkins plan claim to shed their unwanted pounds quickly and easily while still being able to tuck into ‘fry-ups’, while those whose tried it and fallen ‘off the wagon’ report feeding ill and hungry throughout it.

Love it or hate it, the Atkins diet has actually been around longer than you may think. Developed in the early ‘70s by the late Robert C. Atkins, M.D. (who was reportedly over weight when he died), his book - "Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution" - introduced the Atkins Diet to the world.

Atkins’ theory is that the way your body processes the carbohydrates you eat -- not how much fat you eat -- that causes you to gain weight. By lowering your carbohydrate input, and eating high protein food, your body should enter a state of Ketosis. This is where your body burns fat as fuel.

The diet has four stages, the first 14 days of which are very strict indeed. You gradually re-introduce food but opting for a healthier option – eg eating whole wheat bread instead of white.

The Atkins Diet may be suitable for you if you like to eat a lot of meat, as bacon and eggs form a big part of the ‘acceptable’ diet, while in the first few weeks, pasta, alcohol, certain vegetables and other carbohydrate-rich foods are banned.

There is a list of acceptable foods, which you are not allowed to stray from – not even one chip! - so if you find to hard to follow ‘rules’, you may find the Atkins diet heavy going.

About the Author

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