Low Carb Diet Plans - Atkins vs South Beach Diet

While both Atkins and the South Beach diet can be considered low carb diet plans and have a few similarities to each other, it is the differences between them that will help you decide which of these low carb diets is for you.

Both plans start with a two week induction period that is more strict than the rest of the diet. This two week period is designed for a very motivating rapid weight loss, but it will also wean you off many of the bad carbohydrates that you've become used to eating. Many dieters may lose as much as 7 to 14 lbs during these two weeks. Weight loss will generally slow a bit after this, but you can still expect to lose between 2-5 lbs per week depending on your metabolism, how much weight you have to lose and how strictly you follow the plan that you choose.

Even during these initial two weeks though, Atkins and South Beach differ from each other quite a bit. Atkins virtually eliminates all complex carbohydrates, but does not restrict fat consumption at all. So you can eat butter, oils and fried foods such as bacon and eggs. South Beach, however, limits the majority of saturated fats, so you'll be skipping the butter and the dark meat of your turkey.

Counting grams of Carbs

Followers of Atkins count every single carbohydrate that goes into their mouth after discounting the number of fiber grams. South Beach dieters, on the other hand, don't have to count carbs and there are no limitations on non-starchy vegetables. Instead of counting carbs, you would just keep track of portions -- how many and how large. Also, it allows good complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and only disallowing white, refined starches. Atkins virtually eliminates any kind of starch.

Which diet is easier to follow?

For most people, I would say that the South Beach diet is going to be the easiest diet to stick too in the long run. Atkins might seem like a great plan since you can eat all kinds of meat and butter and fatty foods, but most dieters will ultimately find its complex carb restrictions awfully punitive. Also, this is certainly more heart friendly based upon what we know about saturated fats nowadays.

For a closer look at how the South Beach diet works, be sure to read the dietinspector.com/south-beach-diet-review South Beach Diet review and then get your free diet profile and 7 days worth of meal plans to try it out for yourself.

Still think Atkins might be the way to go? Check out the dietinspector.com/2008/atkins-diet-review Atkins Diet Review to get more information about how Atkins works. You can also check other popular dietinspector.com diet plan reviews if you still haven't found the right weight loss plan for you.