Diets that promote weight loss can be divided into four categories: low-fat diets, low-carbohydrate diets, low-calorie diets, and extremely low-calorie diets.
A calorie is a unit of energy, so reducing the intake of fat and/or carbohydrates through the diet, in itself, represents a reduction in calorie intake. One of the first nutritionists was George Chain. He himself was extraordinarily obese and constantly consumed large quantities of rich food and drink.
He began a vegetarian diet, consuming only milk and vegetables, and soon regained his health. He began to publicly recommend this way of eating to all those who suffered from excessive obesity. In 1724, he published "An Essay of Health and Long Life", in which he recommended exercise and fresh air, as well as avoiding so-called luxurious foods.
Atkins diet is probably the most famous and popular diet that reduces the consumption of carbohydrates. The diet is primarily intended for weight loss and for many years was considered a very unhealthy diet while the pro-vegetarian and anti-red meat evidence piled up.
The diet was named after Robert Atkins, who invented it. The Atkins diet results in 0.1% to 2.9% greater body weight loss per year compared to the control group.
The Atkins diet focuses mainly on meat, including red meat, and a serious reduction in carbohydrates. Most of the carbohydrates in this diet come from vegetables, while fruit is very limited. This kind of diet has the effect that the body does not get energy from glucose and has to burn its own fat deposits to get energy. This process is called ketosis.
Atkins approves the consumption of milk and dairy products, and eggs, and does not allow pasta, starchy vegetables, sweets, caffeine, alcoholic beverages... Some types of fruit, mostly berries, can be returned to the diet when the body enters ketosis.