Does Atkins work?

The Atkins Diet has had a reputation for being a quick way to lose weight for over 40 years. Cardiologist Robert Atkins, the diet's founder, published his first book, "The Atkins Diet Revolution," in 1972. The success of this book led to others supporting the diet.

This diet consist of four different phases. The first phase, which his known as induction, is the strictest. The requirement in this phase is to not consume more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. Next are the balancing, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance phases. In each of these phases, carbohydrates are slowly re-introduced into the diet, usually in the form of vegetables, nuts and seeds.