Two low-carb diets, some do keto, some do Atkins—the debate is never-ending. Both keto and Atkins require you to heavily cut down on your carbohydrate intake and moderate your proteins: so, both work mostly in the same way. However, they also differ greatly in the core way they work.
Atkins works via phases, as in there are four phases that moderate your daily carb intake slowly and transition your body weight accordingly. It lets you increase your carbohydrate consumption the more weight you shed and conditions your body metabolism to stabilize at all times during those phases.
Atkins is a very popular diet worldwide, and people modify it however they want their weight loss to occur. Now let’s talk about Keto—why the comparison? True, Keto and Atkins are very similar low-carb diets, but keto stands out among them all to the point that when you open Zomato, you can actually type “keto foods,” and a whole bunch of options will show up!
Keto was first introduced as a way of treating epilepsy in kids, and from the 1960s-80s, word really spread, and the bodybuilding community started using keto. Fast forward to the 21st century, and you hear Kourtney Kardashian and Megan Fox being obsessed with keto!
So how exactly does keto work? Carb intake is limited to 20-30 grams per day throughout, and so are proteins. But fats are what you consume. Meats, olive oil, nuts, heavy cream—you name it. All fats as much as you want! The goal of keto is to make your body switch from burning sugar for energy to burning fats. It takes a week or two for the body to enter ketosis, but once it does, your water weight is the first to go. And after that, you really start to put in the dedication and restraint from carbs and gorge down fats, and lo and behold, you have started to progress toward your target weight with a far more restrained self than you ever imagined.
So why Keto over Atkins? Since most people get 50% of their calories from carbs, your carb consumption will be lower than most on both diets, but with keto, your body does not rely on sugar anymore. No, no, it now chooses to burn fats for energy, and all that previous sugar dependency goes away. You have successfully created within yourself a disciplined vessel that has very low chances of many sugar-based diseases (diabetes, high pressure) that are trending now globally. Keto is not just a diet; it is a lifestyle!