Keto vs Atkins - What's the Real Difference?

We want to know when it comes to Keto vs Atkins - What's the Real Difference?

It's a tight race to determine a winner regarding the keto vs. Atkins diet question. This post will look at both and see if we can define a winner in the Atkins vs. keto debate.

We're not only talking about limiting bad-for-you carbohydrates like doughnuts, cupcakes, and pastries; we're also talking about fruits and vegetables. A significant role that both diets play is reducing carbohydrates to the extent that the body enters ketosis. When glucose levels are low, the body turns to fat for fuel. Ketosis is present in each diet, but in various ways, which may impair the diet's long-term viability.

A Quick Overview of the Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet was first presented in 1972 by a cardiologist called Robert Atkins and has remained popular on and off since then. The original Atkins diet (now known as Atkins 20) comprises four stages. The first phase of the diet begins with the most stringent guidelines.

Carbohydrates on Atkins are reduced to between 20 and 25 grams (g) of net carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber) during the initial phase of the Atkins diet. Nuts, seeds, vegetables, and cheese provide those carbohydrates. By eating that limited amount of carbohydrates, your body will be ketosis. This phase will last until you've lost roughly 15 pounds (lb) from your target weight.

What Is the Difference Between Ketosis and Diabetic Ketoacidosis?

Phase two ups the carbohydrate intake to 25 to 50 grams per day and includes foods like blueberries, cottage cheese, and yogurt. You'll remain here until you're around 10 pounds short of your target weight.

In the third phase, you'll increase your carb intake to between 50 and 80 grams per day as you try to find the right balance - how many carbs can you eat before your weight loss plateaus? According to doctors, it's a trial and error type of scenario at that point where each body will react differently to the addition of carbs and weight gain.

After you've figured it out and kept it up for a month, you'll be ready to go on to step four: Lifetime Maintenance. This portion of the diet focuses on maintaining the behaviors established in phase three. Carbs (up to 100 g per day) are permitted as long as the weight loss remains.

A Quick Overview of the Ketogenic Diet

With Atkins and its four stages, there are a lot of moving elements. The ketogenic, or "keto," diet, on the other hand, advocates for a single style of eating throughout the diet. Carbohydrates will account for around 5% of your daily calories. Fat will account for 75% of your remaining calories, while protein will account for 20%. After a few days of eating this manner, you'll be in ketosis, which you may track using keto urine strips if you like.

The keto diet started in the 1920s as a strategy to treat youngsters with epilepsy. Since then, research has connected the keto diet to weight reduction. As a result, it explains why many individuals who have never had a seizure have jumped on board. Subjects who followed the keto diet for ten weeks experienced substantial declines in weight, body fat percentage, BMI, and HgA1c values.

The Ketogenic Diet and the Atkins Diet have certain similarities.

Will a low-carb diet like this help you lose weight? If you closely adhere to them, you will most likely succeed.

Because carbohydrates hold water, you'll likely lose mostly water weight at first. And, if you are not careful, you potentially could regain much weight once you resume regular eating habits. After one year, people who followed the Atkins diet lost a moderate weight (4.6 to 10.3 lb).

You don't have to track calories on the Atkins or keto diets. However, it would help to watch the number of carbohydrates you consume. You must also ensure that you get the proper amounts of fat and protein in your keto diet.

When it comes to which diet is more accessible to stick to, it all depends on the individual's eating habits before beginning the diet. On the other hand, low-carb diets may produce dizziness, nutritional shortages, and mental and physical tiredness.

The Differences Between Keto and Atkins Diets

The quantity of protein you're permitted to consume on the keto and Atkins diets differ significantly. Atkins has no calorie restriction; however, keto restricts protein to around 20% of daily calories.

Another significant distinction is that keto focuses on keeping the body in ketosis for the diet duration. In contrast, ketosis is only relevant during phase one and maybe phase two of the Atkins diet. Carbs are gradually reintroduced on Atkins, while they are actively restricted on keto.

As a result, Atkins could be more maintainable in the long term since it's less restrictive and doesn't need you to keep your body in ketosis. According to the Atkins website, you may ultimately reintroduce nutritional meals like quinoa, oats, and fruit.

According to dietitians, which low-carb diet is the safest?

Neither of these diets, according to Jaelin, is suitable for persons who have diabetes, heart disease, or renal illness. However, suppose you don't have any of those chronic diseases. In that case, the diets may be safe if followed for a short period. According to research published in American Family Physician, low-carb diets are more successful than low-fat diets for lowering triglycerides and A1C and raising "good" HDL cholesterol.

Low-carb diets are a bit risky in the long run due to the high incidence of dropout in trials, including low-carb diets. Dropout rates varied from 2% to 60% in ten low-carb trials, according to research published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care in February 2017.
 

Please consult your doctor or a physician before beginning any diet or weight loss program.