How a Keto Diet Works for Weight Loss | Atkins

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How a Keto Diet Works for Weight Loss

Colette-Heimowitz

Written by Colette Heimowitz, M.Sc. on July 21, 2022.

July 21, 2022

What is a Keto Diet?

What’s Happening in Ketosis and Why It is Important

What is the Difference Between Atkins and a Keto Diet?

Why Atkins May Be the Better Keto Diet

Your Guide to an Atkins-Style Keto Diet for Weight Loss

How to Start an Atkins-Style Keto Diet: 7 Tips for Beginners

5 Keto Diet Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

What Do You Eat on an Atkins-Style Keto Diet for Weight Loss?

List of Keto-Friendly Foods

7-Day Atkins-Style Keto Diet Meal Plan for Weight Loss

How a Keto Diet Works for Weight Loss

Cutting back on carbs with an Atkins-style Keto Diet may be a sustainable approach to weight loss.

If you are motivated to take your weight loss goals to the next level, here is a quick review on how a Keto Diet works for weight loss, how a Keto Diet compares to Atkins TM  for weight loss and how to get started on an Atkins-style Keto Diet for weight loss.

What is a Keto Diet?

A ketogenic diet is a very low carb, high fat, moderate protein diet that restricts carbs to fifty grams of total carbs or less daily (or forty net carbs daily), putting you into a state of ketosis, when your body starts to burn fat as fuel. When your body goes into ketosis, your liver produces ketones, which provide an alternate fuel source for the brain, have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and act as a mild appetite suppressant.

What’s Happening in Ketosis and Why It’s Important

What is the Difference Between Atkins and a Keto Diet?

While both Atkins and Keto activate your body’s fat-burning metabolism by restricting carbs, on a therapeutic keto diet, 75% to 90% of your daily calories come from fat, 5% to 20% come from protein and less than 5% come from carbs. The classic keto diet was developed to help treat patients with epilepsy. Unless you are trying to control seizures, this elevated level of fat consumption may not be necessary. 

Meanwhile, you can still achieve and maintain the fat-burning state of ketosis by consuming forty grams of Net Carbs or less a day, with about 65% of your daily calories coming from fat, as you do on Atkins 20TM or Atkins 40 TM, your Atkins-style Keto Diet:

  • Atkins 20: Fat: 60%-70%, Protein: 20% to 30%, Carbs: 5% to 10%
  • Atkins 40: Fat: 55% to 65%, Protein: 20% to 30%, Carbs: 10% to 15%

In addition, you may gain a variety of benefits from following an Atkins-style Keto Diet, including:

  • Losing more weight than on a traditional weight loss diet, while also experiencing a decrease in appetite and increase in metabolic rate
  • Preserve muscle and a decrease in fat storage
  • Improve markers for cardiovascular disease and Metabolic Syndrome

Why Atkins May Be the Better Keto Diet

Your Guide to an Atkins-Style Keto Diet for Weight Loss

It is easy to get started on an Atkins-Style Keto Diet and you may be pleasantly surprised when you begin to see results soon:

How to Start an Atkins-Style Keto Diet: 7 Tips for Beginners

5 Keto Diet Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

What Do You Eat on an Atkins-Style Keto Diet for Weight Loss?

Your Atkins-style Keto Diet for weight loss starts when your meals and snacks are made from satisfying foods like meat, fish, eggs, butter, nuts, healthy oils, avocados, and high-fiber vegetables naturally low in carbs.

List of Keto-Friendly Foods

7-Day Atkins-Style Keto Diet Meal Plan for Weight Loss

Colette-Heimowitz

Author

Colette Heimowitz, M.Sc.

Vice President of Nutrition & Education

Colette Heimowitz, M.Sc. is a former Director of Nutrition at The Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine in New York City. With 20+ years of experience as a nutrition expert, the NY Times best-selling author is the current Vice President of Nutrition & Education at Simply Good Foods Company.

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