Kim Kardashian losing weight on 2,000-calories-a-day diet

Kim Kardashian is setting the Internet on fire today and it has nothing to do with the paparazzi, or Kanye West, or their new baby girl, or Kris and Bruce Jenner calling it quits.

No, Kim Kardashian is setting the Internet on fire today because she is eating her vegetables. As in, broccoli and spinach. She’s also dining on lean proteins such as chicken and fish, getting in healthy fats from avocado and nuts, and even enjoying fruit!

Oh, and she’s reportedly lost about 25 pounds of baby weight, thanks to this new Atkins Diet plan.

A sleeker Kardashian has been out and about of late, and when asked how she was shedding baby weight, she tweeted to her 18 million followers: “I’ve actually been doing the Atkins diet & luv it”

In other words, it’s the kind of celebrity-driven word-of-mouth publicity that Atkins would have a hard time paying for, right?

So. Was she paid for it? A spokeswoman for Atkins declined to discuss it and directed questions to Kardashian’s reps.

Colette Heimowitz, vice president of nutrition for Atkins Nutritionals, who worked directly with Kardashian, described her as the ideal client. “Very bright. Very compliant... She was a real pleasure.” Kardashian was also highly motivated following her June birth, in no small part because of the cruel tabloid obsession with her weight gain during pregnancy. As Kardashian’s famous curves got more curvier, the paparazzi had a field day.

“It was part of her motivation to show people she’s capable of getting back to where she was [weight-wise],” Heimowitz told The Times. “She wanted to show the world she can do it, that was her motivation.”

Some details:

A typical breakfast for Kardashian would be an omelet, or Greek yogurt with berries and slivered almonds. Snacks were an ounce or two of nuts, or a guacamole dip scooped up with fresh veggies.

“Lunch and dinner were similar,” Heimowitz said. “Lots of vegetables, all sorts of color and varieties, because there’s fiber in there to fill you up. And an olive oil dressing.” There was also a serving of fish, poultry, a lean meat, or sometimes, even eggs.

“Our goal was to pace her weight loss,” Heimowitz said.

Kardashian has been eating 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day, and sometimes even 2,200 calories a day. She keeps her diet to 50 to 60 net grams of carbs each day (that is, grams of carbs minus grams of fiber.)

This is a way of eating that is not about deprivation, Heimowitz stressed. “It’s a balanced and effective way to lose weight.” (The Atkins Diet has come under attack from those who says it puts a dangerous emphasis on meat and fat, but Heimowitz said that is a debunked myth that discourages people from trying a solution that could help them lose the weight for good.)

Kardashian has been losing about a pound or two a week. But Heimowitz said she is encouraging Kardashian to focus on her overall health and wellness, not the scale.

“[Kim has lost a lot of inches, and she’s able to work out,” she said. “The scale weight isn’t generally what we focus on. That’s when people get discouraged.”

As a result, there is no goal weight, she said.

“It’s a lifestyle.... We don’t have a specific number,” Heimowitz said. “I like to say that when you look in the mirror, and you like what you see [you’re there]. Her body will take her where she wants to be.”

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