low carb diets are misunderstood ~~ they are a life style; not just a diet

Low carb diets are often misunderstood

Many people ask about starting a low carb diet, or pick up the Atkins book and explain how they just can't follow a "no carb" diet. Several people inquire about specific details on this way of eating and how it can improve their quality of life. Below is a quick summary of the Atkins plan and how eating a reduced carb diet for the rest of your life can not only help you lose weight but become more healthy along the way.
Back during the early sixties, Dr. Robert Atkins was working on a still controversial approach to eating that he claimed would help you lose weight despite its seeming unorthodox methods. He proposed that reducing refined foods and focusing on fresh and healthy foods and protein would allow your body to burn fat instead of carbs.

The basis of the diet is broken into 4 stages;
induction,
ongoing weight loss (OWL),
pre-maintenance,
and lifetime maintenance.
These names are very much self explanatory but here is the summary of each stage. Your induction period would consist of mainly protein in the form of lean meats and eggs, some cheese, and leafy vegetables, but you are required to keep your carb count under 20g per day. Induction will basically be your withdrawal period from all the junk that you have previously been eating and it will jump start your metabolism and start the fat burning process. During the ongoing weight loss stage, you will add more vegetables and cheese as well as some berries and nuts into your diet. You will gradually increase your daily carb count as long as you are still losing weight. Once you get to within about 10 pounds of your goal/ideal weight then you will move into the pre-maintenance stage where you can add even MORE fruits and vegetables like potatoes, beans, bananas, apples, and even oatmeal.
Of course these will be smaller portions than you were used to eating before because your body has adapted to being smaller and does not crave the extra junk. The maintenance phase is the "home stretch" when you have reached your goal weight and are ready to maintain it for life. By now you have learned what your body can tolerate, and how many carbs you can consume in a day/week to maintain your current weight.