You can eat as much of protein food such as meat, chicken, eggs, cheese etc and there is no restriction on the intake of fats and butter. Stay away from rice, potatoes and wheat products like breads, pasta etc. The diet apparently encourages the body to burn its own fat by starving it of carbohydrate which is the normal source of energy available to the body.

The people who swear by Atkins claim they feel more energetic and alert and less sleepy and lethargic during the day while on this diet. A normal regime of exercise is of course part of the package.

The diet follows several stages including induction into the diet for a couple of weeks followed by a regime for ongoing weight loss .The next phase is called pre-maintenance and is followed by life time maintenance. The Atkins center also has special nutrition products and recipes to help you get on with their weight loss program.

The diet has many detractors and physicians feel it is not a balanced diet and cause problems with the heart or kidneys in the long run.