It's been more than 35 years since the famed Dr. Robert Atkins broke onto the scene with his low-carb diet. It would take some time, but the Atkins Diet would take the diet world by storm. Whether you're a die-hard Atkins fan or one of the many critics, you're sure to have an opinion about this low-carb diet. Atkins spawned many believers, many haters and throngs of low-carb imitators like South Beach, Chef's Diet and the scandal-wrought Kimkins.

When this revolutionary diet was introduced in the early 1970s, it was pitched as a method to change the way you eat and your life. Those following the advice of The Atkins diet strictly limit the amount of carbs they eat. That's everything from the obvious like pasta, bread and potatoes, to fruits, vegetables and juice. Instead, you eat protein-rich foods. This eliminates all the extra sugars your body has to either break down or convert to fat.

The Atkins Diet is a four phase program in which you start by eliminating nearly all carbs and then reintroducing some, slowly as you make progress and your body learns how to process them again.

Atkins attracts many dieters because it's one diet that doesn't make you give up all those fatty foods you so love. Most diets limit fat and grease, but Atkins almost embraces it. Saying that sugar in carbs is in the enemy, The Atkins Diet allows and encourages red meat, bacon, eggs, cheese and butter. So in lieu of muffins, potato chips, apples and sandwich bread- you can have all the burgers you want.

Each of the four phases of The Atkins Diet is meant to progressively move you toward your goal.

Phase I: Induction
This is where that starting point for losing weight begins. As mentioned, you'll ditch every single carb that isn't absolutely necessary, that is nothing beyond 20g. You'll spend about two weeks in this first phase.

Phase II: Ongoing Weight Loss
You'll continue to lose weight and start reintroducing some carbs- an additional 5g is allowed.

Phase III: Pre-Maintenance
When your goal weight is in sight, five to ten pounds away, you'll start putting a plan in motion to ensure your success long-term. Just maintain weight loss and you can add another 10g of carbs.

Phase IV: Maintenance
Here you'll learn exactly what it's going to take you maintain that goal weight.

It's quite restrictive and critics scream that it doesn't have any shred of nutritional balance. On the other side of the coin, you have one of the longest running weight loss programs, thousands of satisfied customers and an entire genre of weight loss programs born of this idea.

One argument by Atkins dieters is that they actually stay satiated throughout the day- meaning their hunger doesn't return to quickly after a meal. It might seem a bit backward given all the red meat and bacon you're permitted to eat, but many Atkins dieters claim their cholesterol levels even decrease due in p

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art to this diet.