Atkins vs. Keto: The Best Low-Carb Approach To Quick And Sustainable Weight Loss

A modern take on low-carb eating, often seen as the peak of its predecessors like Atkins, is gaining popularity worldwide: the ketogenic diet.

This updated approach builds on the core ideas set by the Atkins diet, making them better for achieving weight loss quickly and safely.

Atkins burst onto the scene decades ago, shaking up the dieting world with its radical approach to cutting carbs to shed pounds. 

Fast forward to today, and we have Keto, the modernized, souped-up version of Atkins, taking the low-carb concept to new heights.

Atkins made waves for its unconventional stance on dietary fat, advocating for reducing carbs to trigger fat burning. Studies consistently showed its superiority over low-fat diets, proving its effectiveness in weight loss.

For example, studies have found that Atkins is 3.1 times more effective than low-fat diets for helping obese individuals slim down. Additionally, it’s been shown to ramp up fat burning compared to low-fat alternatives. 1

But despite its success, Atkins has its drawbacks. Many find it challenging to stick with due to its complicated meal planning, information overload, and restrictive nature.

Enter Keto, the revamped, refined version of Atkins, designed to address these issues while bringing its own unique advantages. Keto is proven to be more effective in weight loss and has been shown to have additional health benefits beyond shedding pounds.

In essence, Keto is Atkins on steroids, taking everything good about Atkins and making it even better.

Atkins In A Nutshell

The Atkins Diet was founded by Dr. Robert Atkins, a cardiologist who discovered the benefits of low-carb diets after his own weight loss journey. He challenged conventional dietary wisdom by advocating for a reduction in carbs intake while promoting foods high in fat and protein.

Typically, followers aim to derive about 70% of their daily calories from fat, 25% from protein, and keep their carbohydrate intake to a minimum.

By drastically cutting down on carbs, the body enters a state known as ketosis. This occurs after a few days of adhering to the high-fat, low-carb regimen, during which the body’s glucose levels are depleted. 

Without enough glucose for energy, the body turns to fat stores as its primary fuel source, leading to increased fat burning and weight loss.

One of the key benefits of the Atkins diet is its ability to promote rapid weight loss while allowing for the consumption of satisfying, flavorful foods.

The Rise of the Ketogenic Diet

Many of us have heard about the keto diet at least once, whether it’s from celebrities posting their favorite keto meals on Instagram… friends and family members ecstatic to share their latest keto recipes… or random news articles sharing incredible success stories of men and women who lost 50+ pounds thanks to keto…

While the Atkins diet laid the groundwork for low-carb eating, keto takes the concept to new heights with its emphasis on fat consumption and carb restriction.

Similar to Atkins, the ketogenic diet encourages followers to derive a significant portion of their daily calories from fat, with moderate protein intake and minimal carbohydrates. 

This typically translates to consuming 70% of calories from fat, 25% from protein, and restricting carbs to just 5% of total daily calories, as recommended by most nutritionists.

As with Atkins, the primary goal of the ketogenic diet is to induce a state of ketosis, where the body shifts from using glucose as its primary fuel source to burning fat for energy. 

This metabolic state is achieved after 3-4 days of adhering to the high-fat, low-carb diet, during which glucose levels are depleted.

In ketosis, fat becomes the body’s main energy source, leading to increased fat-burning and facilitating weight loss. This ability to rapidly shed excess pounds while still enjoying flavorful, satisfying foods is one of the main attractions of the ketogenic diet.

However, while both Atkins and keto share similarities in their approach to low-carb eating and fat burning, there are also key differences between the two. These distinctions will be explored in more detail in the following section, where we’ll delve into a comparison of the Atkins.

What Science Really Has To Say About Keto  

While some people remain skeptical about the benefits of the keto diet, multiple peer-reviewed scientific studies suggest that the keto diet could help lose weight faster compared to other diets.

For instance, a recent clinical study from the New England Journal of Medicine conducted on 132 obese individuals, found that the ketogenic diet led to more belly fat loss, and produced 3.1 times as much weight loss as a low-fat diet.²

Another major study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also found that high-fat diets led to a significantly higher weight loss than low-fat diets.⁴

In other words, the volunteers who followed a keto diet were able to lose more fat and weight than the other “low-fat” group, while eating large amounts of “greasy” food such as cheese, bacon, sausages, or BBQ wings.

Further, a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials that were published in the British Journal of Nutrition arrived at the same conclusion:

“Individuals assigned to a VLCKD [very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet] achieved a greater weight loss than those assigned to an LFD [low-fat diet] in the long term”.⁵ 

But that’s not all. One of the main reasons most diets fail is because at some point, people just can’t resist their cravings… and they jump on their favorite foods to get that immediate, liberating rush of pleasure (which they usually regret later)… 

Well, interestingly enough, researchers found that the keto diet could actually neutralize cravings entirely, by reducing feelings of hunger by as much as 62%:⁴

Finally, scientists also found that due to the fat-burning effect of “ketosis”, people following a keto diet were able to burn fat at a rate of 1.6 grams per minute – which is 228.6% faster than for people who follow a “low-fat” diet!³

Keto vs. Atkins: Which is Better? 

When it comes to comparing the keto and Atkins diets, there’s a lot to unpack. Let’s take a closer look at three important factors to consider:

• Weight Loss and Beyond

Both diets are effective for weight loss due to their low carb intake which shifts the body’s metabolism to burning fat. 

However, the keto diet often incorporates fasting and limits protein to avoid excessive insulin spikes, potentially enhancing fat loss for those with stubborn metabolism. This can be particularly effective for those with insulin resistance. 

Fasting also leads to higher ketone production, which is central to the keto approach, enhancing metabolic benefits such as improved brain function and longevity.

The Atkins diet recommends eating 3-5 meals a day and advises against skipping meals. Frequent eating can result in more consistent insulin production, which can lower the rate of weight loss. 

• Metabolic Impact 

Keto strictly limits carbs to about 5-10% of daily calories, often leading to a state of ketosis. This metabolic state is particularly effective in reducing insulin spikes and improving insulin sensitivity, which is crucial for managing diabetes and other metabolic syndromes. 

Atkins allows more carbs, especially in its later phases, which might not always maintain ketosis, thereby having a variable impact on insulin resistance.

• Additional Health Benefits 

Both diets can improve several markers of cardiovascular health, including lowering triglycerides, a type of fat found in your blood that in excess is bad for you. 

Studies suggest that low-carb diets like keto and Atkins can also increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. However, the keto diet’s higher fat intake could be more effective in these improvements over the long term compared to Atkins due to its strict fat intake.

When it comes to choosing between Keto and Atkins, many find that keto has a slight edge, particularly for those focused on overall health improvements alongside weight loss. 

Keto’s rigorous carb restriction helps maintain a steady state of ketosis, which not only helps in efficient fat burning but also stabilizes blood sugar levels. This is particularly beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

So, if you’re looking for a diet that supports both weight loss and significant health benefits through scientific principles, keto might just be your go-to.

Why This New “Enhanced” Keto Plan Could Make Other Low-Carb Diets Obsolete

To overcome the main hurdles of a low-carb diet, especially a restrictive one like keto, an innovative start-up called Keto Cycle has recently created a new “enhanced” form of keto diet program, which could make regular low-carb diets appear obsolete.

According to nutritionists, this “keto diet 2.0” could be up to twice as effective as a regular keto diet, while being 5 to 7 times easier to follow. 1  Our editorial team investigated this new keto plan to understand why…

So first, what is Keto Cycle? It’s an app that gives us a personalized keto diet plan based on our age, weight, health history, and food preferences. 

The difference with other keto diets is that the app uses a proprietary algorithm to track the calories and macros of the user 100% automatically, with medical-grade precision. In other words, users of Keto Cycle don’t have to do anything other than follow keto recipes that are automatically generated every day, and enjoy their meals without having to think about what goes inside their bodies…

This greatly improves the success rate of keto followers, because it spares them the pain of having to count and track everything they eat. That’s why studies estimate that this fully personalized, AI-assisted keto plan is up to two times more effective than regular keto diets.¹

Second, based on our research, this new keto program offers a diversity of meals that far exceeds any other forms of keto diets we’ve encountered so far. With 10,000+ special keto meals available, the diversity of choice is such that it’s nearly impossible to try them all. That means that people can follow a clinically proven keto diet while eating something different every day.

Third, this vast list of personalized keto recipes has been constructed by professional nutritionist Christine Ellis, in collaboration with world-class chefs and personal trainers. By using a “scientific approach” to crafting keto meals, KetoCycle can help people reach “ketosis” faster than regular keto diets.¹ 

Based on our research, these reasons explain why this new form of personalized keto plan is becoming so popular right now. As explained by a US-based nutritional doctor specialized in high-fat, low-carb diets:

“This personalized, automated keto plan removes the key hurdles of the classic keto diet while improving its efficiency”.

Finally, the app also offers a 24/7 nutritional support service, to answer any of our questions for complete peace of mind. 

KetoCycle has over 380,000 users and an average rating of 4.5/5 based on thousands of reviews.

Our Editorial Team Tried Keto Cycle, And The Results Surpassed Our Expectations

To put the Keto Cycle app to the test, we asked a few members of our editorial team to try it for a month. We then asked them to give their honest opinion on the diet plan

Here’s what they had to say:

Discover How Much Weight Can Be Lost Using Keto Cycle

Thousands of people have achieved truly life-changing transformations thanks to this personalized fat-burning keto plan from Keto Cycle. 

It is possible to get a personalized Keto Cycle meal plan by answering a 60-second quiz right now. 

Right after this quiz, Keto Cycle will generate a tailored plan with delicious keto meals.

Take the quiz while it lasts here: