Introduction to OWL

[not2late]

You can stay on any Rung for as long as you want, testing different foods on that rung.

As for testing the foods, it depends what foods you want to eat during your Atkins. For example, if you anticipate being able to eat watermelon during your OWL, when you get the the Berry/Melon rung, you add watermelon. IF you don't want to add strawberries, skip them.

[chunk!]

i just want to verify because sometimes the concept of owl seems very vague to me...

i am currently eating around 10 net grams of carbs per day.
when i move to the veggie rung, i will add 5 net grams of veggie carbs per day (or is it only every few days? ).
when i move to the dairy rung, i will add 5 net grams of dairy carbs per day to the 5 net grams of veggie carbs and 10 net grams of induction carbs.

so basically when i am on level six, i will be ingesting 10 (induction carbs) + 30 (6 levels, 5g carbs each) = 40 grams of carbohydrates per day. yes?

i know it probably seems really obvious but i left my book at someone else's home and i need clarification so i don't mess all my hard work up.

thanks!

[Elizellen]

That seems about right, chunk!

On the veg rung if you are adding a veg on the list that you havent been eating while on induction then you only add it on alternate days the first week, and have 5 net carbs extra of one of the veg you have been eating all along on the other days.

Some people like to add more 5 net carb amounts of different foods on each rung to try and find out what their CCLL is earlier and therefore stay on each rung for longer.

[tulsanurse1]

SO after induction you just add 5 more carbs of veggies that you already eat?

[Elizellen]

Originally Posted by tulsanurse1

SO after induction you just add 5 more carbs of veggies that you already eat?

Yes -that's about it!

[KellyNew4Me2]

and I'm confused about "testing" new foods ~ do I need a week of testing every time I add a new veggie to my diet? For ex, I am on veggie rung now. Last week I added pumpkin. Won't it take forever if I need a week to "test" each new veggie? I'll be ancient before I ever get to the dairy rung! LOL

I hope this isn't seen as laziness, but every rung seems to require more and more math. I've got a lot to lose, so I'm not fretting about only being on Rung 1, after nearly 3 months. I'd grown accustomed to knowing precisely how much I could eat because it was simple. 3 cups of veggies plus, meats & 3 or 4 oz of cheese. Easy. I'm also a bit confused because in my induction carb counts, I averaged 20 net carbs total for each day. I never calculated how many came from induction veggies separate from what came from splenda, cheese, & eggs. Helpppppp Meeeeee!

[elizabethbuttercup]

i just enter everything i eat onto calorie counter (it's an 'about' web site- free) so it requires no math. easy!! and it keeps me honest with myself...
elizabeth

[redfoxglove]

Okay, I think I got it. There is OWL and there is Modified OWL. In Modified, you can skip a rung, but with the cautionaries described in the sticky above. For example, I happen to know that dairy is an addiction of mine, I could live on dairy alone pretty much. Have never tested whether it spikes my insulin, but do know that last year I was eating yogurt and cottage cheese without gaining, but when I added milk my blood sugar went up. Not sure I want to add dairy right now, I would rather add nuts and seeds. So I could do Modified OWL and add 5g of nuts and seeds carbs...like to my salad let's say, or to my stir fry, or even a snack of the luscious macadamia nuts?

[suzangirl]

Thanks for the detailed info.! I have been doing the induction for about three months now. In the beginning I was very strict. I lost about 20 lbs. in two, two and half months. Then I slowly added more veggies and almonds without really doing it the way it's suggested. I haven't checked my weight loss in a while. I'm wondering if it's important to do it exactly like in the book. Am I supposed to add 5 g. more of each rung each week? I make a point of keeping carbs. below 20 g. a day. Can I just stay like this and occasionally have nuts and extra veggies or is it important to do the rungs? Also I have noticed my hair slowly falling out-does this have anything to do with the diet? Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!!

[redfoxglove]

Originally Posted by suzangirl

Thanks for the detailed info.! I have been doing the induction for about three months now. In the beginning I was very strict. I lost about 20 lbs. in two, two and half months. Then I slowly added more veggies and almonds without really doing it the way it's suggested. I haven't checked my weight loss in a while. I'm wondering if it's important to do it exactly like in the book. Am I supposed to add 5 g. more of each rung each week? I make a point of keeping carbs. below 20 g. a day. Can I just stay like this and occasionally have nuts and extra veggies or is it important to do the rungs? Also I have noticed my hair slowly falling out-does this have anything to do with the diet? Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!!

Hey, Suzan, not sure if you're asking me but here's my 2cents. Based on my experience, it's best to move up into OWL. That is, if you are choosing this way of eating as a lifetime thing. The reasons are, most people want more variety in their menu than what 20g of carb affords. For example, I'd sure like to be able to eat some carb-controlled bread for a treat, like the zucchini bread in the back of the DANDR. Other reasons are pretty much related to the variety thing. I've noticed some people choosing not to go forward with the plan as outlined by the Dr. For me, after looking at it all and seriously choosing to do this as a "forever" plan, I made the choice to move up into OWL.

It's really simple to do once you get the idea into your head. Each of us is unique, our bodies react to foods differently. I might not get to eat the same things you do. So in OWL you pick a food you might want to eat more of, lets say green beans or brussels sprouts (I happen to love veggies)...on first week of OWL you eat 5g more of that food every other day. Still good results? Second week I might choose to add some dairy, ie cottage cheese. So 5g more of that food every other day in addition to what I did last week, still good results? Third week I might choose another dairy, I'm really missing my yogurt. After a week adding 5g yogurt every other day (plain yogurt w/artificial sweetener, not sugar-laden yogurt) I find, oh no, I'm not on my TOM or pre-TOM, but when I added the yogurt I didn't lose that week. Any other reasons, like I didn't drink my water or I ate a lot of pork rinds (salt makes me hold water)...? No? Then maybe it's the yogurt. Drop the yogurt, spend a week at the same level I was at on Week 2.

All I can say about anyone who thinks it's too much math...I don't know what to tell you. Everything worth having requires effort. I want the health, the energy, and the good looks that go with being slimmer. So I'll do the math.

Good luck to ya...

(Oh yeah, about the hair falling out...could be several things but what if it was something good like, you're finally getting enough protein in your diet and now your body is growing new hair?)