Considering the move to OWL

[Tired of Chub]

Ive been doing induction since 1/9/06. Lately.. Ive gotten a bit bored. And truth be told, Ive begun craving vegetables. Ive always been a huge veggie eater. Has anyone else craved veggies? Did that cause a problem moving up to Rung One?

I did my average carb count for the first 3 weeks. Per day I was averaging 17.9 carbs, 12.8 net carbs. Am I correct in that I add the 5 extra carbs for Rung One to those counts so that my alloted carbs would be 22.9 average?

I do understand about adding a 'new to me' food only 3 times per week and the rest is to be from vegetables that I have already enjoyed on Induction. My next question- that 'new to me' food... am I supposed to have the entire 5 extra carbs from it or can I split the difference between it and an "old" food?

Thanks so much for all your help!

[not2late]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

Ive been doing induction since 1/9/06. Lately.. Ive gotten a bit bored. And truth be told, Ive begun craving vegetables. Ive always been a huge veggie eater. Has anyone else craved veggies? Did that cause a problem moving up to Rung One?

I did my average carb count for the first 3 weeks. Per day I was averaging 17.9 carbs, 12.8 net carbs. Am I correct in that I add the 5 extra carbs for Rung One to those counts so that my alloted carbs would be 22.9 average?

I do understand about adding a 'new to me' food only 3 times per week and the rest is to be from vegetables that I have already enjoyed on Induction. My next question- that 'new to me' food... am I supposed to have the entire 5 extra carbs from it or can I split the difference between it and an "old" food?

Thanks so much for all your help!

I'm a veggie lover. If you are careful with the vegetables (ie: measuring them carefully, monitoring any blood sugar instability symptoms, and dropping them from your diet if any blood sugar instability symptoms occur), you'll do fine. If you don't know the blood sugar instability symptoms, then refer to DANDR 2002 Chapter 12. The table is too large to reproduce on ADBB.

As you know, on Atkins "net" carbs is what we count and what matters. So if you taking about 12.8 net carbs, for the first rung of OWL, you will add 5 net carbs, for a total of 17.8 net carbs. Second rung of OWL, you will add another 5 net carbs, for 22.8 and so forth, until you find your CCLL.

As for the "food new to you"....Let's say during your Induction, you never ate kale. You decide to add it into your OWL Rung 1 menu. That kale is a food new to you, so you add it no more than 3 times a week.

I wouldn't mix a new food with an old food initially, because
1. 5 net carbs of a food can be a rather small serving (3/4 cup or less depending on the food--especially on the high carb ladder rungs).
2. From my personal experience, combinations of foods might cause unstable blood sugar. I have a problem with any food that combines eggplant and tomatoes. However, if I eat these vegetables on their own, I don't have problems.

[Tired of Chub]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

Thanks Megs. I will be sure to review that table you mentioned from Chapter 12. I think once I get that read this weekend, I'll make the move up to the Veggies on Monday. Thanks so much!

(also glad you mentioned Kale. I heard a soup recipe for it the other day and Im going to try it!)

[not2late]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

That table is really helpful. I find it a more "immediate" way to see if a food adversely affects you than if you wait and weigh in at the end of the week. In fact, it might be a good idea to photocopy it, so you don't have to keep reaching for the book.

Don't make the mistake some OWLers do and not drop a food that causes the blood sugar instability problems. You can always try to reintroduce it later during Pre-Maintenance and Maintenance.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

yep but if you are going to pick a lowewr carb veggie like a varity of lettuce new to you 5 net carbs is going to be huge so you can try 2-3 net carbs of it its first day and add other old to you veggies as the other 3-2 net carbs. just don't mix new to you foods with new to you foods cause you don't know if you are having issues with food A or food B and the sooner you figure out an remove that food like Dr Atkins says to in DANDR CHAPTER 14 the sooner your Atkins is smooth sailing wand you are back in control.

Happy OLWing

[Elsie150]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

Good for you for moving on to OWL!

[Tired of Chub]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

Thanks so much ladies! I did read that table that was mentioned.... so far so good. Since this is my first week on OWL, Im going to read that chapter again tonight to make sure Im understanding it properly.

This weeks new veggie- Kale! (plan on having 1 cup-weighed using the amounts on the usda database- mixed in with some homemade chicken stock and 3 oz of chicken for lunchtime soups)

[2big4mysize]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

read the stickies you are supposed to have a new to you food only 3 times the first week you try it to help manage the reactions you have to it if you have any adverse ones. so you need other vegies for lunch on those other 4 days this week.

[Tired of Chub]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

read the stickies you are supposed to have a new to you food only 3 times the first week you try it to help manage the reactions you have to it if you have any adverse ones. so you need other vegies for lunch on those other 4 days this week.

Yup, know that, just didnt add it in the post is all. Kale soup is MWF lunch. T and TH will be salads with either chicken pieces or turkeyburger. (weekends are as they come). Thanks 2Big

[Tired of Chub]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

Uhhhhh I think I have a problem with Kale. I just finished my lunch 30 minutes ago. 15 minutes ago my belly got "grumbly" (anyone with IBS or Montazumas revenge will know the grumble). And made 2 trips tothe bathroom inthe last 15 minutes. I dont have my DANDR with me at work. Should I kick kale outof mylife now or do I continue to give it a shot for two more days? I feel fine except the quite unhappy stomach. Is it normal for this to happen when trying a "new" food? Im known to have a sensitive stomach at times. The rest of my food today was- 8 sausage balls (about Tablespoon size, just sausage, nothing else in them) and one hardboiled egg yolk for breakfast. Lunch was 1 cup (by gram weight) of Kale, 2 cups homemade chicken stock (just using the carcasses and discarded fat, then cooled and skimmed), and 3 oz of dark and white meat chicken in the mix. Nothing out of the normal that I havent eaten before except for the Kale.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

if you have a food intoleranc/allergy you kick out that food from your WOE even if it is Atkins legal.

Hope you feel better soon.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

how did you know 1 cup of Kale weight in grams?

[Elsie150]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

2big...so do you recommend that she never try Kale again of should she stop for this week and try it again another week to see if it is the Kale that is setting off the IBM?
From another IBMer. I won't say sufferer because I have not had any real flare up for quite a while now...but when I do I think of it as cleaning out...LOL!

[Tired of Chub]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

Elsie... I think of it as the same thing "a good cleaning". And I havent had one problem since starting Atkins. Butter and oil used to set me off... not now. I use them sparingly of course but a T of butter doesnt make me die anymore.

2Big, thank you. And for the gram weights of food, I use http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ which is what someone here had pointed out. I love it since I feel better about weighing foods then using volume measurements. (I weigh everything before it goes in my mouth, I feel more accountable to myself).

What should I do for the rest of the week? I would think that Id just eat the 5 extra carbs from foods I used on induction and then start anew next week with a hopefully friendlier food. (I start my weeks on Mondays)

Thank you!

[not2late]

Re: Considering the move to OWL

Initially, I was going to say it might be the fiber of the kale. If you haven't been eating the higher fiber veggies, then you suddenly add on a high fiber veg, your insides might not be used to it.

You can drop it as 2Big said or you can try it out again to make sure it isn't something else causing the problem.

From experience this weekend, I might have picked up a stomach virus because I spent most of Saturday in my bathroom.