The Atkins Diet was designed to be lifestyle diet by Dr. Robert Atkins in the 1970s. Dr. Atkins is proponent of Dr. Atkins is a proponent of ketogenic fat burning, which is achieved by eating fewer than 40 grams of carbohydrate each day. He also recommends the use of dietary supplements to help balance nutrition and the bodies systems.

The Atkins Diet has 4 stages: the Induction Diet, the Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) Diet, the Pre-Maintenance Diet, and lastly the Lifetime Maintenance Diet.

The Induction Diet strictly limits carb intake. Only 20 grams of carbs are allowed daily, but to offset this there is a generous allowance of fat & protein. The suggested source of carbs during this stage is low starch vegetables. This stage lasts 14 days and is followed by the OWL diet.

The OWL Stage is less severe and more carbs are introduced, but intake is limited to 40 grams per day. Participants stay on the OWL diet until they reach their ideal weight. Once this goal is attained, dieters transition to the pre-maintenance diet phase. Here they experiment with the addition of carbs until their individual carb tolerance level is established (the total grams of carbs they can eat without gaining weight).

When dieters understand how much carb they can consume and they maintain their ideal weight, they will enter Lifetime Maintenance. Here they will continue to avoid sugar, processed foods, white flour and hydrogenated fat/oils.