Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

**atkinsgal08** · March 26, 2010, 11:13 AM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

>>My fat/protien/carb ratios are pretty much spot>>

Those are guidelines ... not "rules".

If you're not eating enough calories or enough net carbs, you can be defeating "the ratios".

Don't focus so much on the ratios as on getting enough food ... and net carbs.

**Georgiana** · March 26, 2010, 11:23 AM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

I lost a huge 12 lbs the first week on induction but gained 5 on the 2nd week. Then I lost 2. Then gained 2 and so on. My weight loss after 7 weeks is still 12 and while I think thats great I am pretty certain Atkins isn't supposed to be a rollercoaster. In fact, when I did this diet several years ago I lost steadily.

Just because you lost steadily several years ago it doesn't mean you'll lose steadily now... even if you were to eat exactly the same foods.

There can be months with no net loss of pounds.

Have you been losing inches?

I have tried to up my calories but I haven't been successful. Probably due to the fact that I have a lapband

Instead of eating a larger volume of food, you can make each bite more nutritious if you use fats wisely.

Did you check out Linda's website, for some recipe ideas?

And I agree with J... percentages are not carved in stone. You can't have them "spot on"... simply because there's no such thing. Besides, different percentages work differently for people. Some lose better eating at least 65% fat... while some lose just the same averaging only 60% fat.

**2big4mysize** · March 26, 2010, 12:13 PM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

eat nutrtionally dense foods since you have a lapband. OWl is a great place to work on weight loss too as the food choices make it much easier to meet our vit and mineral needs from our foods.

remember those AMR and BRM are not based on body comp and can be way too high for obese folk. feed your hunger and stop eating till you are hungry again or it has been 6 hrs.

What are you doing for your mandatory exercise part of your Atkins?

**JThompson** · March 26, 2010, 12:14 PM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

Thank you. My wording was probably not the best. When I said my ratio was spot on I meant on average I am around what is recommended (from the faqs on this website). Some days less, some days more. I don't worry about it and only know it from Fitday.

I do know Lindas website - I'm a huge fan.

What do you mean by more nutritious fats? I use olive oil, butter and mayo. Eat salmon and tuna.

I believe I've lost a couple of inches due to the feel of my jeans. I won't measure again for another week or so.

I was hoping to get advice about moving on to OWL. Not that I don't appreciate the other comments.

**2big4mysize** · March 26, 2010, 12:19 PM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

I think we posted at the same time.
congrats on those inches lost.

OWl is great for getting the vits and minerals we need that we have a hard time getting from the limited induction foods. adding 5 net more grams of those yummy induction veggies can help folk lose more weight iof they were lacking some vits and/or minerals from induction eating.

I don't know if you saw my comment about AMR and BMR being too high for obese folk cause they don't take body comp into consideration and you can be eating too many cals for your body by aiming for them. Do you know your lean body mass? if so then you can use the KartchMcAdle formula to better target your basal metabolic rate.

**atkinsgal08** · March 26, 2010, 12:32 PM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

>> I was hoping to get advice about moving on to OWL.>>

You add another 5 net carbs of Induction vegetables every day ... you add a new food only 3 times a week ...

Does that help?

**JThompson** · March 26, 2010, 12:57 PM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

Originally posted by 2big4mysize View Post

I think we posted at the same time.
congrats on those inches lost.

OWl is great for getting the vits and minerals we need that we have a hard time getting from the limited induction foods. adding 5 net more grams of those yummy induction veggies can help folk lose more weight iof they were lacking some vits and/or minerals from induction eating.

I don't know if you saw my comment about AMR and BMR being too high for obese folk cause they don't take body comp into consideration and you can be eating too many cals for your body by aiming for them. Do you know your lean body mass? if so then you can use the KartchMcAdle formula to better target your basal metabolic rate.

We probably did post at the same time. It takes me forever cause I try to get it just right.

Thanks but I am not for sure about the inches - just know my jeans are a little baggy now and I don't recall them being so before. I'm pretty happy about it. I'm actually overall happy with my efforts on Atkins even though it frustrates me. I feel good and I can't really express how proud of myself I am at sticking with it even when I gained 5 lbs on week 2.

So it sounds like you agree that OWL rung 1 would be a good idea. I am relieved that my thinking wasn't too far off but a little scared at the prospect of going into OWL. Last time I stayed on induction but that was probably self defeating in the end and I am in this for the long haul this time. I will reread the OWL portions of the book and check out more of the OWL faqs and then start rung 1 on Monday.

I had read something about the possibility of the BMR not being right for obese people and I'm kind of glad - 2055 is a lot of calories and if I can't get that in now I have doubts I ate that before when I wasn't dieting. I admit my understanding of that is limited - it took a few weeks of thinking about it for me to get the idea that the larger you are the more calories you need. How would I figure out my lean body mass?

I have been using the treadmill at home. I just started up again last week. That was bad, I know, but I commute to/from work and was getting home really late. The commute is the same but I changed my hours so I get home earlier now. I started out at 30 minutes but will increase by 5 or 10 next week. Then more the next.

**JThompson** · March 26, 2010, 01:01 PM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

Originally posted by atkinsgal08 View Post

>> I was hoping to get advice about moving on to OWL.>>

You add another 5 net carbs of Induction vegetables every day ... you add a new food only 3 times a week ...

Does that help?

It does, thank you. I am assuming that means a veggie that is new to you while doing the atkins diet (as opposed to one you ate when you weren't trying to lose weight)?

**Georgiana** · March 26, 2010, 01:05 PM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

Originally posted by JThompson View Post

I am assuming that means a veggie that is new to you while doing the atkins diet (as opposed to one you ate when you weren't trying to lose weight)?

No, that means a vegetable (and later on, any "new" food) that you didn't eat during Induction.

**2big4mysize** · March 26, 2010, 01:07 PM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

treadmill is great. if you are time limited increase your incline to get more intensity from your same 30 min at ther same speed.

OWL rung 1 is about trying those yummy veggies and if you have already added the food you can eat 5 more net grams of it, but if it is one you didn't eat in inductiion then you have it just 3 times the firstr week you try it. That goes for all the new to us foods in OWL 3 times a week the first time we incounter them.

enjoy your OLW and now would be a good time to measure neck chest waist hips things biceps calves and wrist sso you can see the inches of you being burned off as you morph your body working your atkins.

**JThompson** · March 29, 2010, 11:20 AM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

Thanks for all of the advice. I looked back over my food and weight journal and realized things weren't near as bad as I felt they were last week. In fact, once I did that I realized when I typed my initial post I entered incorrect information - I did not lose 12 lbs in my first week. I lost 8 lbs in the first week. I am sorry. I really don't know what was wrong with me other than that my mind is stuck on the fact that I occasionally gain this time around. I was being silly - I know Atkins works and even if it doesn't work as smoothly this time around (reading the 2nd time around forum really helped) it will still work.

**Elizellen** · March 29, 2010, 01:27 PM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

I am glad you have sorted things out in your mind

How are you doing on OWL?

**JThompson** · March 30, 2010, 09:51 AM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

Originally posted by Elizellen View Post

I am glad you have sorted things out in your mind

How are you doing on OWL?

Thank you. I have actually decided to hold off on going to OWL for another week. Mostly because I think I need another week to get better prepared for that next step. Also, after reviewing the last 8 weeks, I realized its not really so bad and I'm actually doing pretty good even with the occasional gain. I truly am okay losing a pound a week. Or an inch. I was trying to blame a bunch of different things when its most likely just due to the fact that weight goes slower the 2nd time around. Can't forget I've also added a few more years, too. And I haven't been near as good as I thought I was so I'm going to try to clean up my act a bit, too.

Need to clean up signature too -- my current weight really isn't 27.

**2big4mysize** · March 30, 2010, 12:55 PM

Re: Advice? Thinking About Moving to OWL

Since you are stayin induction be sure you are monitoring your intake of vits and minerals from your foods and supplements cause it is very hard to get all you need from the amount of veggies allowed in induction and being deficient in some of them can cause metabolic slow downs. Fitday.com has a reports section you can see for free your intake if you plug your vits and minerals supplements in as a custom food and eat one daily.

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