Atkins
vs. Paleo vs. Ketogenic Lifestyle
Recently
I began doing research to find a new healthier lifestyle for my family that
would be easy and delicious. I wanted to
find a plan I can follow effortlessly that offered my kids all the needed food
groups and my husband and I the optimized healthy plan to maintain health and
weight. That already sounded complicated
to me! What I did is look at different plans and spoke to my doctor and a
nutritionist. Then I needed to make the commitment to make a change. This was
the hardest part of the whole process and took me a while to make that choice. I
am happy that I finally did and I would like to share with you the top 3 plans that
I debated over and then what I finally chose.
Atkins
The
Atkins plan is a low carb low fat diet that allows choice in foods as long as
it comes from the list provided. It has 3 phases that incorporate more carbs as
you progress but still keeping to the low carb plan. The initial phase only
allows for 20 carbs and has little choices for fruit and vegetables. The purpose of the 1st phase is to
lose the first 20 lbs quickly.
The
main con I found in this plan was that it is too restrictive for me and not
great for my kids who need more variety. It can also get expensive to buy more of the
foods on their plan with their brand. The pro for me was that they have a free
website that allows you to track carbs and all other food intake. It is an
important tool to have when initially starting to make sure you are on track.
Paleo
Paleo
is a plan created in order to help with various physical ailments such as diabetes.
It basically is eating anything that a
caveman would eat. This means no processed food and main things to avoid are
dairy, grains, processed food and sugar, legumes, starches and alcohol. Additionally
any fats consumed must be healthy fats from seeds, avocados, olive oil, fish
oil and grass fed meat.
Con’s
for this plan is the cost of getting specific foods and ruling out other foods
such as dairy. I love my cheese and beans so this cannot work for me. Pro’s for
this are the health benefits that can possibly be associated with this plan.
Ketogenic
Ketogenic is a
low carb, high protein and high fat type of plan. It was originally created for
children who have seizures. This plan allows for more options in foods and
includes vegetables to allow a better balance. There is a table that gives
patients a plan of how much fat, protein and carbs to consume based on age and height.
Like Atkins it initially starts you off with 20 carbs a day and gradually adds
as you get closer to weight desired if using this plan weight loss.
Con’s
for this plan is if you do not prefer meats and proteins you may not like this.
Initially it is difficult to track but there are app’s that can be used to
track progress or you can use the Atkins tracker as well. The pro’s are that it
is easy to follow and gives you variety that includes fruit and vegetables.
I
ended up starting the ketogenic diet and have been on it for 3 weeks. It has
been fairly easy to follow because I can do it without too much planning. I did
have to start doing some meal planning to ensure I do not fall into temptation.
This for me is difficult at times but overall it is working well. My husband is doing it to maintain weight and
he seems to like it and my kids still get all they need as far as nutrition is
concerned.
The
other thing I noticed with this new lifestyle change is my skin. It has cleared
up dramatically and it does not look oily as often as it used to. I have also
lost weight on it about 3-5 lbs a week. I have also found low carb desserts and
substitutes to help me stay on track. This is pretty low cost and is not too
much of a significant difference in my regular staple foods. I have also
noticed that my digestive issues have pretty much resolved. Many people on this
plan have complained about constipation, bad breath and a keto cold. I have not
experienced any of these things.
My advice to you is
to find a plan that works and make it your lifestyle. The first step is starting and having a reason
to start. I found that following others on Instagram and you tube that have
gone through or are going through the process made a huge difference for me. I was
very inspired by their progress and tips they gave were helpful. I will include below links to my most favorite
inspiration and in her words once you start trust the process. It took years to
get unhealthy so don’t expect to be healthy or lose weight overnight.
Good
luck to your friends! Be kind, be blessed!
References
Ketogenic chart
Keto Karma – You tube and Instagram
Paleo
Atkins
