Q: What is the difference between this and Atkins?

A: This is probably our most asked question. Just because Atkins gets all the press, people are constantly comparing the two ;-) Below is what some of our members have to say about these two diets.

Atkins = barely any carbs, CALP allows for some...
(Kathe - sagit1212)

Atkins you are restricted to less than 20 grams of carbs a day and you are not allowed fruit and grains and that type of stuff in your first two weeks. You lose a lot of weight, but that's only if you can do it for that long. As a lover of fruit, I could never do it and always ended up binging after one week.

CALP/CAD you are very restrictive all througout the day and barely eat any carbs and then you are allowed one reward meal (RM). You have a balanced meal of 1/3 protein, 1/3 low-carb veggies, and 1/3 carbs along with a regular salad. The 1/3 carbs you are allowed to have anything you want. And you can go back for seconds as long as you continue eating in the balanced thirds and eat everything within an hour. So you can eat fruit, ice cream, or just plain rice or potatoes. It gives you the satisfaction everyday of eating something carby but you don't end up going overboard.

Both plans work as long as you can stick to them. So you have to find out what works best for you and go with it! I just started on Monday after failing over and over again at Atkins and already like CALP a lot!!!

With CAD/CALP you eat very low
(Cindy - cndtmomof6)

With CAD/CALP you eat very low carbs for 2 meals each day (lower than on Atkins), this gets your body used to not getting the carbs and little insulin is released. When you eat your reward meal, you surprise your body with carbs and as long as you keep the reward meal under 1 hour, the insulin released is much less than it would have been had you eaten carbs all day. This is how your cravings get reduced.

With Atkins you spread your carbs out throughout the day. On induction you eat 20 carbs each day, mostly from veggies and salad. After the first 2 weeks you begin to add 5 grams to each days total. Stay at that level for a week or 2 and if you are still loosing you continue to add the carbs. The carbs you should be adding are low carb fruits, and veggies or more salad, even a low carb, high fiber bread, but NO white flour or sugar. These have a very high glycemic affect and raises your blood sugar very dramatically.

This is a personal choice. Some feel very limited on Atkins, some don't. Some feel CAD/CALP gives them too much freedom to overdo the reward meal, some can handle the freedom and appreciate the chance to eat their favorite foods and still loose. Both "diets" operate on the same general principles...to limit excess insulin. Hope this helps.