A cookbook made me confused about OWL

[Enchantedraisin]

So I thought I had it all figured out, but maybe I don't?

I dug out my mom's Atkins Complete Cookbook and it has kind of an overview section about this nutritional approach in the beginning. It listed all the things you could have in Induction, then OWL, then Pre-maint....

The book stated that you can only have half of the carbohydrate ladder in OWL:

-more salad and other vegetables on the acceptable foods list
-fresh cheeses (as well as more aged cheese)
-seeds and nuts
-berries

Then when you get to Pre-Maintenance:

-wine and other spirits low in carbs
-legumes
-fruits other than berries and melons
-starchy vegetables
-whole grains

And also peanuts and cashews should be placed under the Legumes rung because they are higher in carbs. I know cashews are but I don't consider peanuts high in carbs.. and I got into the nut rung and have been eating peanuts... I had no idea.


So MY impression was that during OWL you go through each and every one of the rungs (all the way to whole grains) as long as you have 5 net carbs of each of them every other day for the 1st week... then every day the next week as long as it doesn't cause cravings or stall your weight loss...and you stay at your CCLL.

THEN when you go into Pre-Maintenance I thought you have the same foods but you have 10 net carbs of each...and you stay at your CCLL...


Does anyone know what's up?

[as0l0]

Re: A cookbook made me confused about OWL

good question *thumbs up* thanks for asking it.

[not2late]

Re: A cookbook made me confused about OWL

1. Put down the cookbook.
2. Pick up your copy of DANDR 2002 or Atkins For Life and follow that instead.

The publications by Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. are confusing and contradictory. It's a wonder people manage to stick on this diet following those things, let alone figure them out.

[Enchantedraisin]

Re: A cookbook made me confused about OWL

So was I correct about being able to go through all the rungs on OWL?


I guess the cookbook idea does sound safer. I mean I would probably more easily lose the weight... but then again I wouldn't be learning which foods I can handle and can't handle until much later in pre-maintenance.

[lbrowne]

Re: A cookbook made me confused about OWL

It's been quite a while since I've read this part of DANDR, but from how I understood it the last half of the OWL rungs could be done during OWL or during Pre-Maintainance. Your choice, but it can be greatly influenced by how metabolically resistant you are.

To be successful on OWL, remember to:

1. keep protein and fat as the mainstays of your nutritional regimen

2. increase your daily carb intake by no more than 5 grams each week

3. add new foods in the order listed in the carbohydrate ladder

4. add one new food group at a time

5. eat a food group no more than three times per week to start, then eat it daily

6. stop new foods immediately if they provoke weight gain, the return of physical symptoms lost doing Induction or increased appetite or cravings

7. continue doing OWL until you have five to 10 pounds left to lose

~ Linda

[2big4mysize]

Re: A cookbook made me confused about OWL

actually rule 5 is a misprint. it should be a new to you food not food group 3 times the first week you have it.

Okay this is why and you will see in DANDR Dr Atkins says some folk can't handle the upper rungs in OWl either and need to wait for pre.

Many many folk have challenge metabolism and can't lose weight at an acceptable for them rate eating the higher rung food because their CCLL is less then the amount of carbs it takes to get there 5 per rung plus the 20 in induction, 65 net carbs for eating it all. MANY ADBBers modify OWL and add the other rungs by swapping out a few carbs from their lower rungs for the 5 net needed to explore the higher one once they discover their CCLL is below that 65 limit.

Some folk can't handle the higher GI values of those higher rung foods and can't control the blood sugar cravigns they get from them and their resulting actions regarding binging, so they have to weight further in their Atkins doing itcontrooled to allow their insulin resistance to heal up even more and then can handle them later on time wise wheather they are still in OWl or have moved to pre.