Difference Between Atkins and Paleo

What is the difference between Atkins and Paleo diets? A friend asked me this recently when I was just restarting the Atkins diet. I’ve done both the Paleo and Atkins diets and the two diets are very different.

Before we get into the differences, I thought I would share my experience with the two diets. Between the two, I like Atkins the most. Atkins allows you more freedom to eat different foods while still being able to lose weight. Whereas Paleo has more limitations and I did not experience any weight-loss. To be fair, I didn’t last very long on the Paleo diet.  I like to eat out on weekends and I travel often. Although Paleo wasn’t right for me,  many people seem to thrive on Paleo and notice feeling lighter and overall healthier. No surprise since you really are eating healthier foods.

Let’s go over the differences.

Difference Between Atkins And Paleo Diet

One of the main differences between Atkins and Pale is that Atkins has four stages to the diet. Atkins phase 1 allows you to eat cheese, where Paleo diet avoids all dairy. On both diets, sugars, processed foods (like boxed or packaged foods), beans, and grains are off limits. During Atkins Phase 1, no fruit or starchy veggies are allowed but you can eat fruits and starchy veggies on the Paleo diet.

Overall, think of Paleo as one or minimal ingredient foods only. Paleo is often referred to as the caveman’s diet for this reason. Natural foods like the cavemen once ate.  When I was on Paleo I focused on shopping just the outer aisles of the grocery store. You can read more about how to start the Paleo diet on my post.

Weight Loss happens pretty quickly on Atkins when your body goes through ketosis, the process of using fat for energy rather than carbs. Eventually you’ll add more foods in Phase II of Atkins, like fruits. In Phase III, occasional carbs are added but still no bread or wheat products. You can find all the Atkins phases and food list in my step-by-step Atkins guide.

If you’re considering starting the Atkins or Paleo diet, think about what your long term goals are.  If weight-loss is your goal, consider Atkins for some immediate wins. Atkins was easier to do long-term and I continue to go back to Phase I when needed. I find myself happy in Phase II as a long-term healthy living diet.