In the late 1960's, Dr. Atkins stunned the world with the release of the Atkins Diet Revolution. This diet plan took every idea and proven fact about weight loss and tossed it out the door. The plan focused heavily on eating high amounts of fats, low amounts of vegetables and as much meat as one could enjoy. Suddenly the world was losing weight and scientists were trying their hardest to make the worst out of this new diet fad. Now nearly 50 years later, the Atkins Diet is still around and people are still losing weight eating meats and fats. But, a new kid is in town, the Good Carb Diet, and the battle has begun.

How Does the Atkins Diet Work?

At the heart of the Atkins Diet for weight loss is a switch from carbohydrate consumption to fat consumption. This switch is believed to create a fat burning machine that using only the fat stores of the body for the every day energies needed to perform the most basic of daily activities. When the body digests food, the carbohydrates are stored for use as quick energy. Carbohydrates are the bodies choice for fuel because it breaks down more quickly in the body than proteins and fats. On the Atkins Diet for weight loss, these carbohydrates are taken away and the body has no where else to turn for fuel than the fat stores. After 2 to 3 days on the Atkins Diet, the body has used up all the carbohydrate stores and instantly moves into fat burning mode.

What Makes the Good Carb Diet Different?

The Good Carb Diet for weight loss, on the other hand, takes the fat out of the Atkins Diet and replaces it with good carbs. These good carbs come from fresh foods and unprocessed grains. Wild rice, dark, leafy greens, whole wheat and fiber rich, dark vegetables are all sources of these good carbs. Unlike the Atkins Diet for weight loss, the Good Carb Diet counts total calories eaten as part of the daily weight loss regime.

Which One Is Best For Weight Loss?

There are advocates for both the Atkins Diet and the Good Carb Diet. The Atkins Diet has been shown to work very quickly for people who have addictions to carbohydrates and who maintain high levels of carbohydrates in their daily diets. The beginning stages of the Atkins Diet can be difficult to pass through with the Induction Flu being the number on complaint. After the first two weeks on the plan, the total carbohydrate levels in the diet are slowly increased in order to maintain a steady weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week. The total calories consumed are usually not tracked until well into the diet and the later phases.

The Good Carb Diet, on the other hand, works solely on the premise of eating better quality foods for the body in smaller portion sizes. Total calories consumed will need to be tracked from day one. The trouble with the Good Carb Diet is the lack of structure and control. On the Atkins diet, cheating on an ice cream sundae means another 2 weeks kicking the carbohydrate habit. On the Good Carb Diet there are no real side effects of cheating.

All-in-all the Atkins Diet Plan and the Good Carb Diet are both good plans to choose for weight loss. Depending on the person, one diet may be more appealing than the other and both have been scientifically tested and proven to be heart and body healthy.