I started 2/9/03 and have stayed at induction levels the whole time. Induction just seems so easy because the rules are very specific. You KNOW if you're doing it right. OWL, on the other hand, is so subjective... it's a scary world out there! I'm afraid I'll mess something up and have to start all over!

So my question, for those of you doing OWL and still losing weight/inches, is how exactly did you make the transition and determine the magic number that works best for you? I'm figuring I'll go up to 25 carbs/day to begin with. How long should I stay there before deciding to go up again? At what point will I know I've gone too far and to reign it in a little? I weigh every day but, as you all know, the scale fluctuates so much that it's really not all that reliable in the short term. A weight gain one morning may not really be a weight gain at all. Do you stay at the next level for a week? Longer?

Tricia

I'm not exactly the ideal or textbook example to follow on the transition to OWL.

I know Dr. Atkins recommends--even insists--on adding carbs slowly and only in increments of 5 grams per week to find our CCL. During Induction, I found that 20 grams of carbs were far too few for my liking during cardio running. I sort of rationlized that even if I added more carbs, but as long as it allowed me enough energize to continue my running, then I'd lose weight faster by burning more fat.

In light of that reasoning, after Induction I simply decided to range in on the 40 - 50 net carb range. So far, it has worked for me. After Induction, I've lost about 2.5 lbs per week the two weeks henceforth after the change.

Good luck! I hope you find whatever net carb ration works for you.

Tricia, I know just how you feel. When I first started OWL, I was pretty intimidated and asked the exact same questions. It's all a matter of choices in OWL and finding what's more important (variety of foods, quick losses, etc.)

My losses did slow during OWL, as I didn't have much more to lose, so don't be too dissapointed if they do. I didn't lose for a couple weeks then about a pound or so a week. Now I'm not losing weight, but inches... which is FINE by me.

Anywho, my advice is to eat the 25 grams. Add more veggies first, like the good doctor suggests... plentiful veggies. Feel free to eat more dairy (if you do ok with it) and try nuts and berries. I would experiment with these good whole foods before getting into breadlike convenience foods.

I stayed at about 25g most days for awhile. I randomly jumped up to 30-35 on days when I added more veggies, half an apple, a large LC tortilla, things like that. It seems most people continue to lose gradually at any level under 40-50, depending on factors like exercise, metabolism, how much they have left to lose.

Unfortunately, it will probably be less drastic, but don't fret. I now eat anywhere from 25-40g a day and am a regular exerciser. I think you will find with practice that OWL is a regular way of eating with lots of options. Just continue to watch carbs to see how those levels effect you and you will do great!

Rootin for ya!

According to the book, you add five grams a day and stay there for a week. Then add another five grams and hold another week. And so forth. You're looking for the place where your weight loss stops. If you have wildly fluctuating weight, like I do, you might want to stay at each stage for a couple of weeks. Also, do you average your daily weights every week? This can give you a much clearer picture than trying to determine a trend from fluctuating daily totals. Often a graph that looks like the Alps will settle down into a nice, downward progression if you start looking at your weekly average.

--Ruth

Frederick...

Wow! 2.5lbs/week at 40-50 carbs? That's awesome! I am exercising but I'm not as active as you so I may not be able to go that high. Since I know how you feel about vegetables , what types of foods did you add back in to bring you up to the 40-50 range? I'm afraid I'll be tempted to go back to the old foods (in smaller portions) and that it will suck me back into my old WOE.

Tricia

Hi again, Blatla.

Forgive, I made a mistake and didn't articulate my sentences as clearly as I should have. Not 2.5 lbs/week (I wish!), but more precisely, the 2.5 - 3 weeks after Induction, I've continued to lose about 2.5 lbs in that time frame.

For me, it was quite rudimentary. I just added more veggies (anyone who is privy to eccentric views towards veggies will realize how great an effort that was for me) which didn't really bring my carbs up that high since there isn't any way I can muster enough will to eat that much more of them. Post-Induction, I really had a propensity to add more fruits. Yes, I know veggies are better on the sugar issue, the insulin issue, and lots of other issues; but, fruits do taste so much better than veggies--in my view, naturally. So, I added a serving of strawberries and about 1/4 canteloupe each day, along with an 8 ounce glass of low sodium V8.

Those are basically the types of foods I've added; along with various nuts and cream cheeses. I feel much better having added some fruits to balance out the veggies. I sort of play a juvenile game with myself. I think of eating veggies as paying a price to eat some fruits.

That has worked for me. Now, whether or not it will continue to work, I'm not sure. The further I'm along and as I continue to get closer towards my target weight, I might add a little more fruits. What I eat now I'm pretty happy with and the only thing I really wish to add now is more fruit variety. I'm all set on the veggies!

Good luck!

One more thing I forgot to mention.

All of my life, I've always been a little defensive and feel as if I have a need--for whatever reason--to explain why I've always eschewed veggies.

I appreciate all the arguments on how veggies are better than fruits for various reasons. I don't dispute any of that, and agree there are many salient reasons why eating veggies would be more beneficial than eating fruits with all things being equal. For instance, I don't know of any other single food which packs as many quality nutrients as spinach; but, having admitted that, all things are not always equal.

For instance, I like to do my running outdoors, never indoors. The sensation of running on a treadmill with my scenery never progressing is something I've never been able to get used to. So, during those outdoor runs, after a few miles one builds up a nice sweat losing some fluids. In that case, it is adivsed to replenish some of those fluids immediately after the running. Experts suggest potassium.

4 miles out from home and in the streets, what is most convenient and easiest for immediate consumption? A banana, or any fruits high in potassium; fruit juice, mostly orange; or, my favorite, low sodium V8 with 900mgs of potassium. All the above one can easily walk into any store and pick up and eat/drink immediately. In that scenario, a serving of spinach, broccoli, or other assorted veggies would be more than adequate for the task; but, one can't find them outside after a run, other than walking into a restaurant and ordering a side order of them.

So, in my view, I think fruits and juices have their place too.

HI Tricia

I noticed your stats were very similar to mine. I only need to lose 15 pounds and I wasn't sure if this plan would work for people in need of losing a small amount of weight.

Did u lose ten pounds in just the first month? How much did u lose during induction? What were you calories and fat percentages of the foods you ate like? I"m averaging about 1500 cals a day and 68% fat for my induction phase. Does this look right?I'm afraid to eat more cals, but its all part of that fat phobia I;m trying to get rid of. I actually read on some posts that uping fat and decreasing protein can help lose the fat. Any thoughts?

I also work out hard.

I love weight training and I really hope this way of eating doesn't interfere. I know I will eventuallu like Fredrick have to adjust and play around with the carbs.

If I were you would just add the carbs SLOWLY and gauge your measurements more than your Weight .

Beecher...

Here's how my losses have gone:

Week 1 - 6lbs
Week 2 - 1lb
Week 3 - 3lbs

I'm still in week 4 and have fluctuated throughout the week but it doesn't look like I will have lost much if any by the time of my weekly weigh-in that I'll write down on Sunday. That's okay, though, because I've been exercising quite a bit and I know I'm building muscle. I've lost about an inch and a half in my waist, an inch up north from there and nothing yet in my hips.

As far as my calories...I really haven't paid all that much attention to them. I've ranged from 1500 to 2000. I shoot for 65-70% fat and no more than 5% carbs.

My own little goal in my head is to be at 125 by the beginning of May. That's around 1.5 lbs/week. I'm not going to get too depressed if I don't make it but it sure would be nice! Hopefully, going to OWL won't slow me down too much.

Tricia

Tricia thats a great first month.. an inch off the waist is something to celebrate about

I hope to have the same results. i have been able to work out the last few days that I have started because I've felt really ill a combination of detoxing from the carbs and a bit of a cold. But I'll be in the gym by the weekend! I too would like to get to 125 lbs but I would even be content at reaching 130!!


lets stay in touch..

by the way my name is Piera... I felt complimented when u called me Beecher , but he is the author of my quote LOL

I was terrified to move onto OWL. I just did it really slowly. I did 25 g of carbs for two weeks and then 30 for two weeks..... until I quit losing at just above 40. I figured I needed to see a couple of weeks worth to figure out if something was not working.

I have been doing this for almost 6 months. Here is my recorded weight and waist measurement every week: Notice that my weight sometimes does not change, but my waist will or vice versa! The first three weeks I was in induction, so really look after that. First number is weight, second is waist size:


20-Sep 160 36.3
27-Sep 157 36.3
7-Oct 154.5 35.7
11-Oct 153 35.3
20-Oct 153 35
25-Oct 152 34.5
1-Nov 150 34.3
8-Nov 150 34
17-Nov 148 34
24-Nov 146 34
30-Nov 146 33.5
6-Dec 144 33.2
22-Dec 143 32.5
2-Jan 143 32
13-Jan 142 32
27-Jan 140 32
31-Jan 140.5 32
8-Feb 139.5 31.8
14-Feb 138.5 31.5
22-Feb 138 31.2
2-Mar 138.5 31

Today is, for me, day one of OWL.

First thing I did, of course, is overindulge in foods previously forbidden. I ate three LC tortillas today, just because I could.

Given how filling my meals have been at induction levels, I couldn't imagine trying to get up to 40 or 50! I plan to have fun with the increased flexibility of menu planning.

Ironically, I did hit my carb and calorie goals almost exactly today. Go figure.