Counting calories is just so last week. Now, we're making like Jennifer Aniston, and totting up our net carbs with the Atkins Nutrition Approach (aka New Atkins).

Jen has ditched her trusted Zone Diet for this new improved version of the no-carb eating plan, which now allows a small amount of bread, pasta and fruit. But how can that work, we hear you ask. A carb-free diet that includes carbs?

Well, here's the science bit. On the old Atkins, all carbs were strictly limited as cutting them out encourages ketosis – a process where the body breaks down its own fat. Now scientists have discovered that carbohydrates from fruit and vegetables are not as fattening as they'd thought, so you can eat extra. This frees up your total carb quota and allows you to munch on small amounts of previously banned carbs like bread and pasta.

HOW IT WORKS

"The typical old-style Atkins was very meat-based, and doctors worried that it raised levels of cholesterol in the blood, increasing the risk of heart disease," says nutritionist Anita Bean. "Eating so few carbs also meant you lost out on fibre and vitamins B and C, which could leave you at risk of bowel disease.

"New Atkins allows more carbs, so you can get more of these essential fibres and vitamins."

So how do you work out what you're allowed? Well, the clever people at Atkins have come up with a way of calculating the carbohydrate content of food, by taking out the fibre factor and leaving us with a net carb amount. Visit Atkinsuk.com for more details.

Sounds fantastic, but does it work? We asked Nicola Duncan, a marketing and events manager from Manchester to try it for a month…

OUR TESTER

Nicola duncan, 34

"When I lived in London, I used to walk everywhere and life was so hectic that I never seemed to put on weight. But since I moved to Manchester two years ago, I drive everywhere and I've gone from 8st 9lb to a blobby 10st 6lb.

I tried the original Atkins plan a few years ago, but I really missed snacking on fruit and struggled to eat so much red meat. Plus I hate eggs, so breakfasts were impossible – and I gave up quite quickly.

After last time, I was sceptical about the new diet, but this time around there was much more variety. I could have vegetables and fruit, which was fantastic, and also the special snack bars were perfect for breakfast.

It never really felt like hard work either, as there were plenty of meal suggestions on the website if I needed any inspiration, and it was helpful to be able to check the net carb values.

I can't believe that I've lost my spare tyre in just a month. My thighs are much slimmer and my partner Rupert thinks I look amazing, too.

I'm definitely going to stick to it as I don't really feel like I'm on a diet. When I was fatter I didn't feel my usual friendly self, but now I'm so much more confident."

Nicola's Diet before

Breakfast Toast with butter and Marmite.

Lunch Chicken salad sandwich with mayo and an apple.

Dinner Lasagne or pizza.

Snacks Couple of Fun Size Mars bars, vegetable crisps.

Drinks Two glasses of white wine.

Nicola's Diet now

Breakfast Atkins Chocolate Chip Day Break bar.

Lunch Chicken salad.

Dinner Turkey burger and salad.

Snacks Cucumber strips, Atkins Advantage Hazelnut Crunch bar, fruit.

Drinks Gin and slimline tonic or vodka and Diet Coke.

THE DIET

Start with 25g of net carbs per day and then every week add an extra 5g to your daily allowance. Continue this for three months, as long as you're still losing weight.

You can simply mix and match the meal suggestions below for a day's plan, making sure your total net carb count is 25g or less. We've also got together with Atkins to create a special seven-day eating plan...

DAY 1

Breakfast - Atkins Strawberry Crisp Day Break Bar & 1 hard boiled egg (3.5g net carbs)
Snack – 1oz pistachios (1g net carb)
Lunch - Chef Salad: 2 slices of ham, turkey and roast beef. 1 hardboiled egg, half a cup cheddar cheese, 1 slice of bacon, mixed greens with 1tbsp vinaigrette (7.5g net carbs)
Snack – half an avocado (2g net carbs)
Dinner – 8oz grilled salmon fillet with peas, Chinese cabbage, drizzled with sesame oil. Mixed greens and vinaigrette. Dessert – 1oz walnuts with 6oz reduced carb French Vanilla yogurt (10.5 g net carbs)
TOTAL NET CARBS - 24.5g

DAY 2

Breakfast - 2 poached eggs with 1 grilled tomato (4g net carbs)
Snack – half an avocado and 1oz almonds (3g net carbs)
Lunch - 1 small bowl of chicken soup (1g net carbs)
Snack - Atkins Advantage Chocolate Decadence bar (2.1g net carbs)
Dinner - Two pork chops with sautéed kale, mixed greens, cucumber and 1tbsp vinaigrette. Dessert – small bowl of raspberries and strawberries (14g net carbs)
TOTAL NET CARBS - 24.1g

DAY 3

Breakfast – 1 slice rye bread with cream cheese and 2 slices of smoked salmon (4g net carbs)
Snack – Atkins Choc Chip Crisp Day Break Bar (2.1g net carbs)
Lunch – 8oz chicken breast, grilled with mixed greens, cucumber, 1oz chopped hazelnuts with vinaigrette (6g net carbs)
Snack – Celery sticks with ricotta cheese with 1oz macadamia nuts (4g net carbs)
Dinner – 8o halibut with mixed greens. Dessert – 1 small bowl of sugar free strawberry jelly with whipped cream (9g net carbs)
TOTAL NET CARBS - 25.1g

DAY 4

Breakfast – 2 hard boiled eggs and Atkins Cappuccino Day Break Bar (4.5g net carbs)
Snack – 1oz walnuts and 2oz Brie (3g net carbs)
Lunch – Egg salad, with celery sticks, mixed greens, 5–10 black olives and 1tsp mayonnaise (5g net carbs)
Snack - 2 celery stalks wrapped in 2 slices Prosciutto ham (2g net carbs)
Dinner – Two 4oz lamb chops with steamed broccoli and mixed greens, plus 1oz blue cheese crumbled on top. Dessert – small bowl of sugar free lemon jelly with whipped cream. (10g net carbs)
TOTAL NET CARBS - 24.5g

DAY 5

Breakfast – scrambled eggs with 2 slices of lean bacon (2g net carbs)
Snack – half an avocado and 1oz of almonds (3g net carbs)
Lunch – 8oz poached chicken with romaine lettuce and snow peas drizzled with sesame oil (5g net carbs)
Snack - Atkins Advantage Chocolate and Hazelnut crunch bar (2.8g net carbs)
Dinner – 8oz snapper fillet, 8 asparagus spears steamed with butter. Mixed greens, 1oz shaved parmesan cheese with Caesar dressing. Dessert – small bowl of honeydew melon balls (12.5g net carbs)
TOTAL NET CARBS - 25.3g

DAY 6

Breakfast – 2 hard boiled eggs (1g net carbs)
Snack – Atkins Almond Cranberry Day Break Bar (3.7g net carbs)
Lunch – salmon salad made from 8oz tinned salmon, mixed with 2tbsp mayonnaise with parsley and cucumber with mixed greens (4g net carbs)
Snack – 1 small bowl of raspberries with whole milk cottage cheese (6g net carbs)
Dinner – 8oz grilled Tuna with steamed artichoke hearts plus mixed greens and vinaigrette. Dessert – bowl of raspberries (9g net carbs)
TOTAL NET CARBS - 23.7g

DAY 7

Breakfast – 1 slice high-fibre wholegrain bread with cream cheese, 2 slices of beef tomato and capers (10g net carbs)
Snack – 1oz cheddar cheese (1g net carb)
Lunch – 1 bowl of chicken broth (1g net carbs)
Snack – Atkins Advantage Chocolate Brownie Bar (3.1g net carbs)
Dinner – 8oz ground beef sautéed with 5 chopped black olives in a tomato sauce and chopped spinach, plus creamy mashed cauliflower. Dessert – lemon sugar-free jelly with whipped cream (9.5g net carbs)
TOTAL NET CARBS - 24.6g

DRINKS

:: Limit alcoholic drinks and stick to occasional gin or vodka with diet soda or sugar free tonic.
:: One or two cups of regular coffee or tea per day, preferably decaffeinated.
:: Drink eight glasses of water a day.

A GUIDE TO NET CARBS

NUTS AND SEEDS
Almonds: 30 nuts = 5.2
Pistachios: 50 nuts = 5
Cashews: 9 nuts = 4.4
Brazil nuts: 10 nuts = 4
Pecans: 10 halves = 3

FRUITS
Banana: 1 small = 21.2
Peach: one = 8.9
Apples: half = 8.7
Kiwi: one = 8.7
Grapefruit: half = 7.9
Plum: one = 7.6
Grapes: quarter cup = 7.1
Mango: quarter = 6.3
Blueberries: 48g or 1.7oz = 5.1
Cherries: quarter cup = 4.2
Raspberries: 92g or 3.3oz = 3.6
Cantaloupe or honeydew melon: 44g or 1.6oz = 3.5
Strawberries: 125g or 4.4oz = 2.6

STARCHY VEGETABLES
Carrots: three quarters of a cup = 10.2
Potatoes: half cup = 10

GRAINS
Rice (brown): quarter of a cup = 10.3
Pasta (whole wheat): quarter of a cup = 8.3

JUICES
Lime juice: quarter of a cup = 5.6
Lemon juice: quarter of a cup = 5.2
Tomato juice: quarter of a cup = 4.9

Recipes and net carb counter can be found on Atkinsuk.com and in The All-New Atkins Advantage by Stuart L Trager and Colette Heimowitz.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: LANCTON, FAMOUS, PHOTOLIBRARY.COM HAIR AND MAKE-UP: RICHARD HARVEY AT NEMESIS NICOLA WEARS DRESS BY DIVACORSETS.COM STYLING: NANA ACHEAMPONG ANITA BEAN IS AUTHOR OF SLIM SECRETS (£10.99, VIRGIN BOOKS)