Starting OWL and Rung 1 on Monday - Questions for you

[PeachyQ]

It's been said many times now me I have been in Induction for 4 weeks and that I should move on to OWL. I'm sure this is a very scary transition for many to make considering the words "rapid", "fast" and "ketosis" are the coolest words when doing induction. Yeppers, I'm one of those a wee bit nervous to move forward more so out of fear of going out of Ketosis.

1) My question about OWL is, eventually we'll move out of ketosis, and I would like to know when this happened to you? At what net carb count for you?

2) Do we not need to start reducing fats in our diet as replace with and move up the Rung latter?. ( I haven't found my answer in the book yet ). Or is the fat we eat on induction basically here to stay?

[not2late]

Re: Starting OWL and Rung 1 on Monday - Questions for you

It's been said many times now me I have been in Induction for 4 weeks and that I should move on to OWL. I'm sure this is a very scary transition for many to make considering the words "rapid", "fast" and "ketosis" are the coolest words when doing induction. Yeppers, I'm one of those a wee bit nervous to move forward more so out of fear of going out of Ketosis.

1) My question about OWL is, eventually we'll move out of ketosis, and I would like to know when this happened to you? At what net carb count for you?

2) Do we not need to start reducing fats in our diet as replace with and move up the Rung latter?. ( I haven't found my answer in the book yet ). Or is the fat we eat on induction basically here to stay?

A Ketogenic diet is a diet where the dieters produce ketones. By definition, any diet with a total carb intake of less than 100-130 grams is a ketogenic diet. Dr. Atkins wrote that some of us will stop registering on the ketostix when our carb intake reaches about 40-50 grams daily (so that tells you how accurate the ketostix are!) I'm on Pre-Maintenance and I take in about 55 carbs daily---I still have the physical signs of ketosis and I still register on those ketostix.

By the time we get to Maintenance Phase, fat should be about 40-50% of our daily calorie intake. So we do need to reduce our fat as we proceed through OWL and Pre-Maintenance. However even by dropping 1 tablespoon of added fat (mayo, oil-based salad dressings, etc.) or even a serving of a naturally high fat food (eggs, cheese, cream, nuts, etc.) that fat percentage will drop. During Rung 1, the only change you make to your Induction menu is the addition of 5 net carbs of any Induction veggie.

During the "fatty OWL rungs", like the Dairy Rung and the Nuts/Seed rungs, you may need to adjust your fat intake. Again, it's as simple as having 1 tablespoon of salad dressing instead of 2 or having 2 ounces of the Induction cheeses instead of 3. It becomes a balancing act because as you go up the Carb Ladder and add carbs, you also add calories. Granted, a 1/4 cup of blueberries isn't much more than 40 calories. But 2 teaspoons of heavy cream is roughly 40 calories too.

As we become smaller people, we typically need less food to keep our bodies running. For some folks, if they over-eat for their new, smaller body, their weight loss slows or stops---eventhough they are in ketosis and following the Rules. So it becomes a balancing act, which might seem like a big pain in the rear, but it really isn't: because during this process, you are learning how to eat properly for your body.

[Alexa]

Re: Starting OWL and Rung 1 on Monday - Questions for you

Hi PeachyQ,

Don't be nervous - no one is likely to stop using because of an extra helping of veg! As Megs said, at this stage, the important thing is to add 5 net carb grams of veg, don't worry about changing anything else.

I am in OWL and I seem to be able to eat 35-40g carbs and still show signs of ketosis (don't use sticks though). I agree with what MEgs said but with the proviso that get fat % down can be hard if you eat a lower level of carbs because it can be hard to get enough calories from elsewhere.

But really, don't sweat it - OWL is an interesting time.

[PeachyQ]

Re: Starting OWL and Rung 1 on Monday - Questions for you

I know everyone is different ,but when you started Rung 1 what was your average loss during the period of time you stayed with Rung 1?

[Evermind]

Re: Starting OWL and Rung 1 on Monday - Questions for you

Don't be afraid! You're only adding veggies right now!

I made it up to the legumes rung without ever going out of ketosis. I'm back down now because of a stall that is probably not related at all to what I'm eating - just my body taking it's time.

As for your fat percentage, don't even think about it for awhile yet. I didn't decrease my fats. I think that by the time you hit maintenence it will have happened somewhat naturally, by virtue of the fact that you are filling up on more carbs.

My advice? Do the rungs. Don't over-analyze. Don't think too far ahead. And for sure don't worry about going out of ketosis. It's a rarity.