First, you really need to get the Atkins Book or at least go to the Atkins Website and read up on the diet plan.

Your first 2 weeks is called the Induction Period and this is the strictist period. There are foods you can eat...and you can't eat. 20 carbs per day is allowed. That's 20 NET carbs. Carbs minus fiber.

A good site to keep track of your foods is FITDAY.COM

Once you complete the 2 week Induction Phase, you go to OWL. This is when you introduce more alloweable foods - peanut butter, nuts, low-carb speciality foods but during this phase you must learn what your CCL level is. This CCL level is the level that you continue to lose weight at...once you go over your CCL than you stop losing weight. Everyone has a different CCL level (mine is 30).

WATER WATER WATER...must drink water...this should be your primary beverage during this time. 64 oz plus 8 oz for every 10 lbs you need to lose.

No alcohol during the induction period and when you go to OWL...occassional beer, dry wine or distilled liquors are OK but this can slow your weight-loss down considerably so it is adviseable to only drink on rare occassions.

Exercise...yes, you can lose weight without exercising but exercise speeds things up and gets you in the state of KETOSIS (fat burning mode) faster.