Atkins Diet: The Ultimate Guide

The ketogenic diet may be the “it” low-carb diet for weight loss right now, but its predecessor, the Atkins diet, is the original version of this restrictive eating approach. “Atkins and keto are both low-carb diets that may benefit weight loss, diabetes management, and heart health,” says Vanessa Rissetto, RD, a nutritionist based in Hoboken, New Jersey.

In addition to keto being much higher in fat than Atkins, a main difference between Atkins and keto is that you gradually increase your carb intake on Atkins, Rissetto says. Meanwhile, she adds, carbs “remain very low on the keto diet, allowing your body to stay in ketosis and burn ketones for energy.”

Today, the diet, also called the Atkins Nutritional Approach, comes in three versions. (1)

Atkins 20 is for people who:

• Want to lose more than 40 pounds (lb)
• Have a waist circumference of over 35 inches (women) or 40 inches (men)
• Have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes

Atkins 40 is for people who:

• Want to lose fewer than 40 lb
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Require a diet with a wider variety of foods

Atkins 100 is for people who:

• Want to maintain their current weight
• Are pregnant
• Are breastfeeding and trying to maintain their weight

Before trying any version of the Atkins diet — and especially if you are pregnant and considering any Atkins plan — check with your healthcare team.

An Overview of the 3 Atkins Diet Plans

All forms of the Atkins diet are focused on restricting what are called net carbs (including those in veggies) and emphasize eating protein and healthy types of fat. Select carbs are added back to your diet as you start approaching your weight loss goal.

Atkins defines net carbs as grams of carbs minus grams of fiber and grams of sugar alcohols. (Note that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA] does not recognize “net carbs” as an accepted nutritional term.) (2)

Atkins 20 and Atkins 40 involve various phases, while Atkins 100 is considered a lifestyle approach and calls for consuming no more than 100 net carbs per day. In Atkins 20, your initial, “induction” phase limits you to 20 grams (g) of net carbohydrates, while in Atkins 40, your induction phase limits you to 40 g of net carbohydrates, which gives you a little more flexibility in the foods you can eat in the beginning (including, for example, select fruits). (1) In Atkins 20, you add net carbs back to your diet in 5 g increments (20, 25, 30, and so on), while in Atkins 40, you add net carbs back to your diet in 10 g increments, explains Lauren Popeck, RD, of Orlando Health in Florida.

Atkins 20 Foods

To help jump-start your weight loss on the Atkins 20, you might consume some of the following foods:

• Foundation veggies, such as broccoli, spinach, bok choy, and cucumbers
• Protein, like eggs, chicken, and beef
• All fish, including salmon, cod, flounder, and herring
• Butter and olive oil
• Some cheeses, such as cheddar, goat, Swiss, and Parmesan

You can find a full, comprehensive food list for phase one of the Atkins 20 on the Atkins website. (3)

Atkins 40 Foods

If you’re following the Atkins 40 plan, you can eat all of the above, as well as the following foods (so long as you keep net carbs under 40 g per day): (4)

• Nuts and seeds
• Legumes (beans)
• Fruit
• Starchy vegetables, like squash, potatoes, and beets
• Whole grains, like barley, whole-grain rice, and whole-wheat pasta

Atkins 100 Foods

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