During OWL Phase, you have 2 jobs to do in addition to losing weight:
1. Find your CCLL
2. Learn how your body reacts to certain foods
What is the CCLL?
The CCLL is the
Critical
Carbohydrate
Losing
Level. In
Atkins for Life, it is called the Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium.
This is the number of carbohydrates your body can eat while losing weight. In other words, it is your body's carb tolerance level. Everyone has his own CCLL. It is based primarily on your degree of metabolic resistance to weight loss, which you found on Day 15 of your Induction.
Click here to learn more about how your degree of metabolic resistance helps to estimate your CCLL.
How do I find my CCLL?
During Induction you kept your carbohydrate intake to an artificially low number. Dr. Atkins picked the magic 20 net carb number because this was the level of carbs where almost everyone could achieve ketosis. However, for many people, they begin to produce ketones when their carb level is 100 grams or less. For the majority of us, we will be able to eat above 20 net carbs and still lose weight. It's only those who have a very high metabolic resistance to weight loss who will have to keep their carbs between 15-20 net grams in order to lose weight.
Before you begin your CCLL search, make sure you
1. Are keeping count of your carbs.
Induction is pretty mindless in that it was designed so as long as you followed the Rules and the Foods list, you would be eating between 15-20 net carbs daily. This part of OWL is different. You need to count those carbs and keep track of foods.
2. Are properly measuring foods.
During Induction, you probably "estimated" the amount of veggies you were eating. If you were doing the Extended Induction and added the 1 ounce of nuts, you probably were "estimating" that as well. Dust off the measuring cups and spoons. You will be adding foods in 5 net carb increments. For some of us, going over by 1 or 2 carbs will make a big difference.
3. Weigh AND Measure yourself.
This cannot be stressed more than it is. A weight loss plateau is defined as 4 consecutive weeks without loss of pounds or inches. So if the scale is stuck, but you've lost 3 inches, you are NOT in a "plateau".
4. Are familiar with
ketostix and
physical signs of ketosis.
This is where ketostix and knowing the physical signs of ketosis can become very useful because you can use them as a additional tool for helping you determine your CCLL. Generally, if you are out of ketosis, you are above your CCLL.
During your first week of OWL, you will add 5 net carbs of a food group to your Induction menu 3-4 times a week. On the weekend, you will re-evaluate your weight/measurements. If the weight still comes off, on OWL week 2 you will add 5 net carbs of those foods, everyday. Re-evaluate. Is the weight still coming off? If so, on OWL Week 3 you will add 5 more net carbs, repeating the process for Week 1 and 2.
Eventually, you will reach a carb level where your weight loss stops. Don't panic. The following week drop back by 5 net carbs and see what happens. If your weight loss resumes, congrats you found your CCLL. You will know that you cannot exceed that level if you want to continue losing weight.
To illustrate the above process, let's look at Carla Carber's CCLL journey.
Carla is a female. On Day 15 of her Induction, she determined she was of average metabolic resistance to weight loss. She averaged about 15 net carbs during her Induction.
Week 1 OWL
Monday: Induction carbs + 5 net carbs of cauliflower, daily net carb total =20
Tuesday: Induction carbs , daily net carb total = 15
Wednesday: Induction carbs + 5 net carbs of pumpkin, daily net carb total = 20
Thursday: Induction carbs, daily net carb total = 15
Friday: Induction carbs + 5 net carbs of jicama, daily net carb total = 20
Saturday: Induction carbs, daily net carb total = 15
Sunday: Carla lost 2 pounds, 1/2 inch off her waist.
Week 2 OWL
Monday-Saturday: Carla ate her Induction carbs + 5 net carbs of OWL Rung 1 for daily net carbs of 20.
Sunday: Carla lost 2.5 pounds and 1/2 inch off her thigh.
Week 3 OWL
Monday: Week 2 carbs + 5 net carbs of cottage cheese, daily total nets = 25
Tuesday: Week 2 carbs, daily total nets = 20
Wednesday:Week 2 carbs + 5 net carbs of low carb yogurt, daily total nets = 25
Thursday: Week 2 carbs, daily total nets = 20
Friday:Week 2 carbs + 5 net carbs of low carb milk, daily total nets = 25
Saturday:Week 2 carbs, daily total nets = 20
Sunday: Carla lost 2 pounds, 1/2 inch off her waist
Week 4 OWL:
Monday-Saturday: Carla ate her Week 2 carbs + 5 net carbs of OWL Rung 2 for daily net carbs of 25.
Sunday: Carla lost 2 pounds. Carla didn't lose any inches because TOM was coming up.
Carla continues to repeat this process until she reaches 45 net carbs, when she stops losing pounds and inches. Carla will then decrease her net carb intake to 40---the last level in which she was still losing. After her weekly re-evaluation, she loses a pound and an inch off her waist. Carla's CCLL is 40. If she goes over this number, she knows she will not lose weight.
Special Issues T(ime)
O(f)
M(onth)
As we saw in Carla Carber's example, she didn't lose any inches due to the approach of TOM. It's probably best to take a "break" in your CCLL quest during this time, particularly if you are known to retain water weight. Instead, maintain the carb level you are currently on. For Carla, she choose to hang around at 25 net carbs, eating those OWL foods, until TOM was over. Then she restarted her CCLL quest.
Slow Losers
What if you are a slow loser? How the heck do you do find your CCLL? It's very important for slow losers to weigh AND measure. Remember if you are losing inches, you are losing weight.
It will take longer to determine your CCLL because you are a slow loser. If you lose 1 or 2 pounds a month, you will need to stay around that carb level for that period of time. Eat the 5 net carbs every other day. If you lose, pounds or inches at the end of the month. Then the following month, add another 5 net carbs every other day. Let's look at Louie Loser's case
Louie determined he had average to low metabolic resistance to weight loss on Day 15 of Induction. He averaged 20 net carbs during Induction. He loses about 2-3 pounds per month on his extended Induction, but wants to move on because he's 20 pounds from goal.
OWL Month 1
Louie eats his Induction menu (20 net carbs) + 5 net carbs of Rung 1 every other day for the month. At the end of the month, Louie loses 3.5 pounds and 3 inches off his body.
OWL Month 2
Louie eat his Month 1 carbs (20 net carbs) + 5 net carbs from Rung 2 ever other day for the month. At the end of the month, Louie loses another 3.5 pounds and an 1 off his body.
Louie continues adding 5 net carbs of OWL foods, every other day for a month. When at 50 net carbs, Louie's weight loss stops. Louie resumes eating 45 net carbs the following month and his weight loss resumes. Louie's CCLL is 45.
Summary
1. The CCLL is the upper limit of carb grams your body can have and still lose weight.
2. The CCLL is based on a number of factors, including your metabolic resistance to weight loss.
3. The CCLL is a highly individual number.
4. Add only 5 net carbs at a time.
5. When your weight loss stops, decrease your carb level by 5: that is your CCLL.
6. If you want to continue losing weight, do not exceed your CCLL.
7. Weigh AND measure yourself
8. Slow losers might need to stay on a carb level longer due to their rate of loss.
9. During TOM, it might be better to stay on your current carb level and eat from your current foods list due to the propensity to retain water weight.
FAQs I found my CCLL. It's 30. Can I try out the higher rungs or am I stuck with berries?
Once you find your CCLL, you can try out foods from the higher rungs. Just remember, the higher the rung, the smaller the portion size because the foods on the upper rungs are higher in carbs. You will have to "exchange" 5 net carbs of a lower rung for 5 net carbs of a higher rung food.
Can I just hang around Rung 1 and find my CCLL or do I have to move up the Rungs while finding them?
Yes, you can stay on Rung 1 to find your CCLL, then move up the carb ladder afterwards. In fact, it might be the better thing to do. Rung 1 consists of 5 net carbs of the Induction veggies (from both veggie lists). Vegetables, on the whole, are low calorie and you've been eating them all through Induction so you know how they affect your body. If you add a new food and add 5 net carbs, you might have difficulty determining if it's the food or the additional carbs that caused your weight loss to stop.
I can't imagine eating 5 net carbs of more veggies. How can I get them in?
Many of the Induction veggies can be cooked and pureed into sauces, that will complement your meats and other vegetables. White sauces can be made from cauliflower---add cheese to it and you'll have a cheese sauce. Onions and celery added to a pot roast can be removed at the end of cooking time and pureed with the cooking juices for a flavorful gravy. Red sauces can be made from tomatoes or buy a jar of roasted red peppers, puree and serve.
You can also have multiple veggies on your plate: corned beef, cabbage and 5 net carbs of faux mashed potatoes, roast turkey with faux mashed potatoes and faux mashed sweet potatoes (pumpkin puree), cottage pies---meat stews with faux mashed potatoes on top, baked until golden brown and of course, stir-fries are a great way to get that additional 5 net carbs of veggies in as are vegetable soups.
Just remember to eat your higher carb foods with fat to help blunt the insulin response.
I found my CCLL. It's 70. Do I have to eat 70 net carbs daily?
No you do not have to eat 70 net carbs daily. But if you want to continue losing weight, you should not exceed your CCLL.
I've been exercising since Day 1 of Induction. I've been on OWL for 6 months. I found my CCLL during month 2: it's 35. Between then and now, I've lost body fat and I've gained lean muscle mass. Can I have more carbs?
You might be able to tolerate a higher carb level now, due to your lean muscle mass increase and your exercise. So if you want, you can experiment to see if you have a "new" CCLL. Just follow the same rules you did when you found it the first time.
I seem to stall out if I go over 20 net carbs. What's wrong with me?
Most likely nothing, especially if your losses during your 14 day Induction indicated you have a high metabolic resistance to weight loss.
If not, then review your foods, be sure you are counting your carbs and measuring your foods carefully, be sure you are exercising and drinking your water, be careful with sugar alcohols and other artificially sweetened products, be wary of the "low carb convenience foods".
I ate eggplant and I'm having cravings. Should I go back to Induction?
No, you should drop the eggplant from your diet and continue on. Remember the
Rules of OWL in regards to foods and the return of your blood sugar instability symptoms.
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May 6th, 2005, 09:19 AM
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