Another confused OWL'er

[Sheena23]

Okay I have read a couple of posts and have heard different answers so now I'm all confused

I'm moving to rung 1. I know I get to add 5g of net carbs but this is where I am confused .... is it only three days a week that I get to add those 5g or is it one type of veggie for three days, then another type for three and another or one I've already had for that last one. I'm pretty sure it's the latter. Why then during induction do we not have to do that? Is it more important on the higher up rungs?

[julirama723]

Re: Another confused OWL'er

OK, let's say you were averaging 20g/day on induction. When you move up to Rung 1 of OWL, you add 5g to each day so that you are eating 25g carbs/day. If you only averaged 15g carbs/day on induction, adding 5g would give you 20g/day.

Everyday you will strive to eat your 25g (if you averaged 20g on induction) and these 5g will come from induction veggies.

The "3x week" thing is the new food rule. If you are eating a food that is NEW to you (one that you have not yet eaten on Atkins) you must only eat it 3x/week, every other day. Even if the new food is a veggie on the acceptable foods list, if it's "NEW" then you must follow this rule. This is to see if the new food causes any food allergy or blood sugar symptoms on page 150-151 of DANDR. The new food rule will be followed as you travel up all of the rungs of OWL--eat a new food no more than 3x the first week, and if it causes no symptoms, you may eat that food daily thereafter.

If on Rung 1 you want to eat a different type of veggie everyday, you may, as long as it's a veggie you've already eaten on induction. Here's a sample menu:

Breakfast:
3 eggs scrambled in butter with 1 oz. cheese

Lunch:
2 cups salad with bacon, 1 oz. cheese, 10 green olives, 1 tbsp vinagrette dressing

Snack:
1 cup of red bell pepper strips, 1 oz. cheese

Dinner:
chicken wings with hot sauce, 2/3 cup of summer squash


In the plan above, you've eaten your induction menu (20g carbs coming from your cheese servings, special category foods, 3 cups veggies, eggs), and in BOLD type is your extra 5g serving of induction veggies. The tricky part is that in OWL, you're no longer going by cup sizes, your servings are now in 5g increments.

[Sheena23]

Re: Another confused OWL'er

Thanks okay I get it. I thought it was new foods just reading other posts I got confused.