Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Hello to all.

Just curious if anyone has gone from Paleo to Atkins? I have been following the Atkins diet now for 3 days and have noticed that the cravings for sweets are a lot more intense on Atkins as a pose to Paleo. I might add that on atkins the first phase is the induction phase, which does not allow more than 20 grams of carbs for the first 2weeks on the diet. I think i might go back to paleo, and just up my carbs a little.

Any feed back is very much appreciated, thanx in advance.

edited May 20 2012 at 10:17

asked May 20 2012 at 10:10

Nick
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These two are not mutually exclusive. – Kasra May 20 2012 at 13:08

isn't atkins just eating some set low amount carbs? It's a prescribed macro ratio thing, no? Isn't this here more about just eating shit that is semi- historically consumed and/or more-or-less not deleterious to our health? Then again, look at that silly description I've done about Paleo...it's nothing but WAP minus grains. – ben61820 May 20 2012 at 14:39

atkins is basically just paleo but without the emphasis on quality and more of a focus on macro ratios in the beginning at least. unfortunately this means atkins allows some grains/dodgy crap in products... I have to say you could have done a low-carb (and ramped up later) version of paleo and this will IMO be more beneficial for you. focus on quality, not macro-nutrient ratios – Paleo_BLaZeDRas May 20 2012 at 15:16

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Go to the Atkins forum and you'll find the majority of people there don't eat the products at all. They will discourage the n00bz from touching them. Even the Atkins official nutritionist says to severely limit them. Only the venture capitalists who run Atkins like the products. You'll see a lot of Paleo folks, the most severely overweight, will start a real-food Atkins because the strict structure can be helpful when you first start & have a history of compulsive eating. Lots of interplay between Atkins & Paleo folks, as Jimmy Moore attests. – Wowza May 20 2012 at 16:56

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Atkins also says if you are having trouble..up your carbs..it makes absolutely no sense to refer to your eating as or "go back to" one diet or another for the sake of a few carbs!!! To me that is complete Paleo nonsensical thinking. The point of any eating plan is to do something that works for you no matter "what" it is called. – jo60 May 20 2012 at 17:26

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Dave S. · Answer 1 · 2012-05-20 10:43:52Z UTC

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There is no reason why an Atkins diet can't be done in paleo style. Just avoid the crappy stuff that is allowed on Atkins (bars/shakes/low carb bread and tortillas).

Since macronutrients are wide open on paleo, there are quite a few people here who do low carb, very low carb or even zero carb. These are usually defined as <50 grams, <20 grams and, of course zero grams, respectively.

Reports are that cravings disappear after a time (could be months). Cravings are likely to be more intense at first. People with serious eating disorders should probably not go on very restricted diets as they may trigger bingeing.

PS. I think a lot of us came to paleo through Atkins or another low carb plan, perhaps that's why the low carb meme is popular here. Paleo is a much bigger tent than low carb, however.

answered May 20 2012 at 10:43

Dave S.
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Dave thanx for that mate. It definately makes a lot of sense. My carb intake at the moment is less than 20 grams a day. Just binged on 2 lemons though lol. – Nick May 20 2012 at 10:56

Yes me too. I'm a Bernstein influenced diabetic <20g low-carber. In the ven-diagram of life-styles there is significant intersection between "low-carb" and "paleo", so it's easy to find yourself flipping from one camp to the other. – borofergie May 20 2012 at 10:57

borofer gie i appreciate the comment. And i know what you mean by going from one camp to another. I think i upset peter by asking this question. But thats what paleohacks is for i suppose, its asking questions and helping each other out. – Nick May 20 2012 at 11:06

I came to paleo via a "clean" version of Atkins. I do <30g net carbs per day--and this past winter, when I went for weeks without eating any veg at all besides a bit of salsa now and again, it was a lot less than that. So I do sometimes have to remind myself that no, paleo is not necessarily LC. But you're absolutely right in that Atkins can be done "paleo-style." – More Butter Please May 20 2012 at 11:32

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@VB that's fine if you don't have a broken metabolism, some of us are not so lucky. If I ate lots of carbs I'd end up getting my toes amputated. I don't think having no toes is very paleo. – borofergie May 20 2012 at 15:11

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Don · Answer 2 · 2012-05-20 11:08:24Z UTC

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Atkins to Paleo seems much more common. Sloppy VLC Paleo with low carb bars and prepared treats is pretty much Atkins. So I think it's much more about "shades of grey" between these labels. Many Paleoites dislike the idea of Atkins, but I doubt Paleo would exist without the low carb movement coming first. Paloe is both a descendant of and rejection of Atkins protocols and ideas..

answered May 20 2012 at 11:08

Don
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The heavy reliance on bars and other processed "low carb" crapfood is a fairly recent development as far as Atkins goes. When I first tried Atkins almost a decade ago the bars and a baking mix existed, but they weren't as cheap or easy to find as they are now. After Atkins died, the company really started pushing various products, but way-back-when most people I met on Atkins ate pretty clean (despite still consuming industrial oils and tons of dairy). Giving up bread, pasta, and sweets was a given. Not any more, though. I can't believe the godawful junk people eat while on Atkins, nowadays. – More Butter Please May 20 2012 at 11:21

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I totally agree with that Don. Well said mate. – Nick May 20 2012 at 11:39

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I agree with More Butter Please. If you read the Atkins stuff written by the doctor himself, it wasn't about products, rather eating meat, eggs, fish, high fat dairy and low carbohydrate vegetables. The products didn't come on the scene until about 2001-2002, and really took off after his death. I think if he were still around he would have been recommending a low carbohydrate version of paleo. I don't think people stop eating Paleo to eat Atkins though. Once you've developed an interest in food quality, it's hard to forget it; besides, since you can do low carb Paleo, why stop the Paleo part? – Suzanna May 20 2012 at 13:03

peter · Answer 3 · 2012-05-20 10:34:50Z UTC

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How would we ever know? Anyone who had done this would now be answering questions on AtkinsHacks.com

answered May 20 2012 at 10:34

peter
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Thanx peta. Definately an upvote from me pal. – Nick May 20 2012 at 10:59

jo60 · Answer 4 · 2012-05-20 17:22:20Z UTC

I was eating Paleo Atkins style -low carb- before I knew Paleo existed. I was kind of surprised to see it was a new trend that is not really "so" new. It just got a new label. I still refer to my eating as Atkins style low carb in spite of all the offshoots/models. Overall Atkins based and low carbers are in my experience much more open/friendly and supportive and not so competitive. That aspect of Paleo is a turn off so I will never say I am Paleo for that reason alone.

More Butter Please · Answer 5 · 2012-05-20 11:12:32Z UTC

I started shifting into paleo after doing Atkins for several years (then falling off the wagon, then getting back on). I'm still doing VLC--less than 30 net grams of carbs a day--as it's the only way I can lose weight.

That said, most people do have heavy sugar cravings when they first start Atkins Induction. The cravings, however, almost always go away within the first week to ten days (depending on how carb-addicted you were when you started). So if you decided to stick it out a few more days, the cravings will very likely cease. Three days is not a long time at all; not when you're making a significant dietary change and trying to gauge the results.

And are you doing a strict 20g of carbs (including fiber in your carb count), or 20 net grams (subtracting fiber from the total carbs)? I ask only because a lot of people mistakenly go by the former when they should go by the latter. There's a big difference between the two, and going by net grams makes things a hell of a lot easier.

Christopher Gagnon · Answer 6 · 2012-05-20 16:00:24Z UTC

I think encouraging a paleo (or primal) "brand" of Atkins would have a positive impact. "Atkins" serves as a kind of shorthand for many, and getting those folks to consider quality and evolutionary appropriateness of foods would help a lot of people.

The processed garbage wing of Atkins is a corporation called Atkins Nutritionals. I wonder his much the Atkins Diet itself, as a branded, copyrighted thing, could promote paleo principles without running afoul of Atkins Nutritionals.

(As an aside, Atkins Nutritionals is owned by Roark Capital Group, and yes, that firm is named for the protagonist in Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead." Somehow that bit of trivia fascinates me.)

Art · Answer 7 · 2012-07-19 14:20:16Z UTC

My wife and I are doing Atkins right now. She eats the processed crap, I don't. We do it because we both need a little structure.. and I also want to figure out my carb set point, or whatever it's called. (how many carbs I can eat before gaining weight).

So far, so good, but it's only day 4 of induction for me. Breakfast this morning was 3 organic eggs cooked in duck fat, with bacon on the side. Lunch will probably be a big salad. Dinner, chicken filets with pesto, and another small salad.

I've done Paleo/Primal in the past, but have fallen off the wagon. I like the structure that Atkins gives... I'm sure I will follow a more Primal approach once my induction is over.

HuntingBears · Answer 8 · 2012-05-20 13:10:48Z UTC

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It's usually the other way around

answered May 20 2012 at 13:10

HuntingBears
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VB · Answer 9 · 2012-05-20 14:36:52Z UTC

I have done Atkins in the past ( a long, long time ago). I hated it.

But I know a girl who lost a ton of weight on it and still kept it off seven years later.

I hate Atkins, but I love Paleo. The main reason I hated Atkins was I have developed a very serious constipation problem and even had to take psyllium husks. I think Paleo makes SO MUCH MORE SENSE to me!

Has anyone gone from Paleo to Atkins?

9 Answers