Diet Plans That Restrict Carbs: An Introduction to the Most Popular Programs

Looking for low carb diet plans? Here is our (soon-to-be) comprehensive guide.

With so much conflicting information about nutrition out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. To make things easier for you, this site has synopsized many of the leading popular carb restriction plans:

• Anne Collins Diet
• Atkins Diet (Overview) (Phases)

• Dr. Bernstein’s Diet



• Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet
• Fat Flush Diet
• GO-Diet
• Hamptons Diet
• Life Without Bread
• Low Carb Dieting Secrets - Provides information for the beginner to low carb dieting
• Paleolithic Diet
• Protein Power
• Rosedale Diet
• Scarsdale Medical Diet
• Schwarzbein Principle
• Sonoma Diet
• South Beach Diet (Overview) (Phases)
• Stillman Diet



• Sugar Busters
• Zone Diet

From William Banting’s 1863 Letter On Corpulence to Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, low carb diet plans have gone in and out of vogue. These diets are all essentially predicated on the idea that simple sugars and carbohydrates should restricted to some degree and that this restriction should lead to weight loss and health benefits.

Low carb diets express tremendous variation, however, and debates among the plans touch on issues like:

• How many calories one may consume / whether counting calories “matters” at all.
• The recommended ratio of fats to proteins to carbs.
• Various phases of the diet / how long you should stay in each phase.
• Whether exercise is believed to be vital to weight loss.
• Whether saturated fat is allowed; and, if so, how much is allowed.
• Whether supplementation in the form of vitamins, fiber, etc is recommended.
• Whether to allow “good carbs” in moderation; and, if so, how much to allow.
• Whether to recommend that dieters enter ketosis to lose weight.
• What kinds of support systems are available.
• Whether weight gain is seen as a psychological issue, a physiological issue, or both.