Can someone please explain the "rung."

[Grammie2rylee]

Hi all!
I am not familiar with "rung?" My husband did Atkin's about 10 years ago and I don't remember the rungs being mentioned. Is it in the new book? I haven't found the 2002 book yet...I may have to order it online but then I will have to wait a week to get it. Anyway, I was just wondering if what rung you are on is explained in the book?
Thanks..Hugs!
Marcia

[Sherri]

Re: Can someone please explain the "rung."

Hi Grammie,
Here's a Couple of Stickies to help you get started untill you get your book.
Yes, DANDR 2002 will explain the rungs to you. Induction is the first two weeks of the Atkins Plan and then if you wish, Extended Induction. Then you move up the rungs.
Sincerely, Sherri

Before you begin:

1. Read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, 2002 edition.
At the very least, read chapters 10 through 14. These chapters tell you how to do the diet, what to expect, and why the first 14 days are so important.

ADBB uses DANDR 2002 as its reference. Granted there are other publications by Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. but we like to do the diet as it was written by Dr. Robert C. Atkins because in our collective experience Dr. Atkins' diet is more effective than Atkins Nutritionals, Inc's version.

2. See your physician.
Dr. Atkins recommended this himself. See your physician for a complete physical exam, including blood tests before beginning this or any other diet and exercise program.

Also take the Blood Sugar Symptom Test found in the book.

3. Make a commitment.
Commit yourself to giving the 14 day Induction a fair shot. If you can't commit yourself to 14 days of following rules and eating the foods listed in the acceptable foods list, this diet might not be for you.

4. Prepare your kitchen
If it's not on the list, remove it from your home. If you live with people who aren't on a low carb diet, then put your food(s) in areas separate from theirs. Also make sure you have low carb snacks available to you at all times, in case you get hungry.

5. Recruit your family and friends.
You are about to embark on a completely new lifestyle. Getting the support of your family and friends will help you through this. Be frank with them and tell them your intentions and that this is very important to you. If they have any doubts about this diet, ask them to read the book because knowledge is power.

6. Keep the Induction Rules and Foods List handy.
Make two copies of these documents: keep one on your refrigerator at home and keep the other one on your person at all times. This will save you a lot of guesswork and worry when eating out or grocery shopping.

The Rules of Induction can be found here:
What are the Rules of Induction?

The Induction Acceptable Foods List can be found here:
What foods can be eaten on Induction?

7. Read the entire label, including the ingredients.
Some foods have little carbs, but contain things like hydrogenated oils (trans fats) and sugar, which makes them unacceptable for Induction.

8. Keep a food diary
It is of utmost importance to keep track of your daily carbohydrate intake to make sure you are not exceeding 20 net carbohydrates daily.

Some people keep a notebook journal. Others like to track their progress online.

Here are some resources:
An Atkins spreadsheet:
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ead.php?t=4570

http://www.fitday.com ---This is a free online service (registration required) that allows you to input your foods, track your exercise, etc.

Carbohydrate Counters:
http://www.atkins.com ---The Atkins site has a downloadable Carb Counter.
http://www.calorieking.com ---This site has nutritional information for most foods and beverages.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ ---This is the United States Department of Agriculture Nutrition Database.

9. Exercise
According to Dr. Atkins "exercise is non-negotiable"! So get moving. Begin according to your level of fitness. Visit the Exercise Forum.

10. Vitamin Supplements
These are also recommended by Dr. Atkins because many of us have poor nutrition and we need extra nutrients. Visit the Vita-Nutrient Forum.

11. Weigh AND Measure Yourself on Day 1

Make sure you weigh and measure yourself before you begin this diet. Contrary to what we are lead to believe, the scale isn't the best tool for measuring weight loss (fat loss). It doesn't tell you how much muscle you gained. It doesn't tell you how much water weight you gained or lost. It doesn't tell you that you will fit into that pair of jeans.

Tips for weighing:
a. Weigh yourself at the same time of day under the same conditions. You can weigh "more" after a meal or after you drink water or you can weigh "less" after you exercise or have a bowel movement. So pick a time and stick to it. Likewise, clothing can also add on "pounds". So if you choose to weigh yourself wearing clothes, make sure you are wearing the same clothing or nearly the same clothing.

b. Use the same scale. Scales differ slightly. So the scale in your doctor's office or at the gym might have you weighing more or less than the scale in your bathroom.

Tips for measuring:
a. You can measure whatever body areas you want: chest, waist, hips, thighs, upper arm, wrists and ankles. To make the measuring easier, you body landmarks like your belly button or a mole or scar, to guide your tape measure placement. For chest measurement, women can either measure under their armpits and/or under their breasts.

b. Don't "pull" on the measuring tape because that will give you a false reading (and stretch the tape). The tape should be snug, but not tight.

c. Don't suck in to make yourself smaller. Again, that will give you a false measurement.

Measuring tapes can be purchased at craft stores (the sewing section) for under $5.00. If you can't find one, you can use a piece of string. Just mark that string with a marker pen to indicate your "start" points". Or if you have an old belt, you can use that too.

Another good "measuring tool" is your clothing. Non-stretchy clothing like a dress shirt, jeans, or dress is the best thing to use. Stretchy fabric (like t-shirts or anything with spandex) will conform to your body as you shrink so you might not see the results. Try on this article of clothing periodically to see how you are losing inches.

Good luck to you on your 14 day Induction journey.

The OWL Carbohydrate Ladder

As you move from one rung to the next, add carbohydrate foods back into your diet in the order that follows. Adhering to this order tends to minimize blood-sugar surges that could reactivate cravings. You will find that while fat and protein will continue to be the mainstays of your diet, you will eat less of them as you add carbohydrates.

As you choose foods from each rung on the ladder, you should choose most often from foods with a low Atkins Glycemic Ranking, or AGR. Foods with a low AGR will have the least impact on your blood sugar for each rung. The foods listed in each rung of the ladder below are examples of low AGR foods for their rung.

As you hit each rung, you can add up to 5 net carbohydrates from that rung. For each food group you add, you should eat from it no more than three times the first week and monitor your body for changes. You need to give it the entire week as a couple of days may not be enough to know how a food is affecting you. You can eat from daily same food group the second week, and continue to monitor your progress.

You should only skip a rung if you do not plan on eating from it. For example, someone may have dairy allergies, so they may skip the dairy rung #2.

If you do skip a rung, at Atkins Diet Bulletin Board we have found that it is best if you spend the time you normally would have spent for that rung before moving to the next one. This helps to give your body enough time to adjust before giving it the higher AGR foods. For example, if you normally spend three weeks on each rung, and you want to skip alcohol rung#5, then you should spend six weeks at berries rung #4 before proceeding to legumes rung #6. In the same example, if you normally spend two weeks on each rung, then you would only spend four weeks at the berries rung #4 before proceeding to the legumes rung #6.

Your ability to add all the food groups back depends upon your Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium, or ACE. For example, someone that does not exercise and has a low ACE would probably not be able to add legumes back during OWL, while someone who is young, works out regularly, and has a high ACE might have no problems climbing to the top.

Once you begin consuming alcohol on rung #5, be sure to count the carbohydrates and monitor your weight loss. Spirits have no carbohydrates, while white wine and red wine have 0.9 and 2.0 carbohydrates respectively. Alcohol will suspend weight loss as you do not burn fat while your body has alcohol to burn. If you find that you are stalled, discontinue your alcohol consumption.

When you get to the last three rungs of the ladder, you are eating foods with the highest AGR. Make sure you do not eat those foods alone. Eat them with foods high in fat and fiber to help minimize their impact on your blood sugar.

With fruits and vegetables, the more color they have, the more nutrition they have. If you have a choice between red grapes and white grapes, choose red. Also, be careful of dried fruit as it concentrates the natural sugar and could potentially make a small piece have as many carbohydrates as the entire fruit.


The OWL Carbohydrate Ladder




RUNGS-

1. Vegetables
   More salad and other vegetables on the acceptable foods list
2. Dairy
   Fresh cheeses:
   Cottage cheese
   Farmer’s cheese
   Ricotta cheese
   Pot cheese
   
   Keep portions small for:
   Hard aged cheese
   Cream, heavy and light
   Half and half
   Sour cream
   Low-carb ice cream, yogurt, and milk
   
   
3. Seeds and Nuts
   Macadamias
   Almonds
   Peanuts/Natural Peanut Butter
   Coconut
   Sunflower seeds
   Sesame seeds
   Walnuts
   Pistachios
   
   
4. Berries
   Eat frequently from:
   Strawberries
   Blueberries
   Blackberries
   Raspberries
   
   Eat moderately from higher AGR melons:
   Watermelon
   Honeydew
   Cantaloupe
   
   
5. Wine and other spirits low in carbs
   Spirits
   White Wine
   Red Wine
   Low-carbohydrate Beer
   
   
6. Legumes
   Lentils
   Kidney Beans
   Pinto Beans
   Black Beans
   Hummus
   Chickpeas
   Tofu
   Soybeans
   Soy milk, unsweetened
   
   
7. Fruits other than Berries and Melons
   Plums
   Kiwis
   Peaches
   Apples
   Grapefruit
   Tangerines
   
   
8. Starchy Vegetables
   Keep all portions small
   Carrots
   Green Peas
   Acorn squash
   Butternut squash
   
   Eat rarely:
   Corn
   Potatoes
   Sweet potatoes
   
   
9. Whole Grains
   Keep all portions small and focus on whole, unprocessed grains:
   Old fashioned Oatmeal
   Oat Bran
   Wheat Bran
   Low carb (soy) bread and muffins
   All-bran
   Barley, cooked

[jimmie 48]

Re: Can someone please explain the "rung."

good information by sherri. i'd like to add this graphic.

[Elizellen]

Re: Can someone please explain the "rung."

Great info given by sherri and Jimmie Jo, but I just wanted to add this comment.

Dr Atkins never actually used the word 'rung' to describe the different groups of foods to add, he called them 'levels'

Each week, you'll incrementally increase the quantity of carbohydrate you eat beyond the salad and one cup serving of vegetables allowed during Induction. These increments should measure roughly five grams of daily carbohydrates, representing what I call one "level."

But as he then went on to say

Most people find it best to add back foods in a certain order what I call the Carbohydrate Ladder

so as ladders dont have 'levels' but steps or rungs, we call those levels 'rungs' here on ADBB.

[Grammie2rylee]

Re: Can someone please explain the "rung."

Well my gosh! Thank you so much for the information! You are so very kind! I have to go to another computer and find this post so I can print it...my printer is acting up on me! You look wonderful and I bet your aches and pains are minimal if at all now! I have lots of aches and pains from my weight and can't wait to address it!! Thanks a billion!!
Many hugs!
Marcia-I hope to go to the books a million store after work today and get the book.

[Grammie2rylee]

Re: Can someone please explain the "rung."

Great info given by sherri and Jimmie Jo, but I just wanted to add this comment.

Dr Atkins never actually used the word 'rung' to describe the different groups of foods to add, he called them 'levels'
But as he then went on to sayso as ladders dont have 'levels' but steps or rungs, we call those levels 'rungs' here on ADBB.

Hi Elizellen!
Thanks so much for the info! I tried two more store this afternoon and didn't find the Atkin's book. I think I am going to have to order it online. That may take a week. But, I think I know enough from reading this forum to start Monday anyway. Thanks so much! You look fantastic!
Many hugs!
Marcia

[Grammie2rylee]

Re: Can someone please explain the "rung."

Thanks Jimmie! I appreciate that...I am going to print it now!

Many hugs!
Marcia-My son's name is Jimmie! ;-)

[redfoxglove]

Re: Can someone please explain the "rung."

Another question that I have not been able to answer, about rungs...how long to stay at each one? Individual choice?

[jimmie 48]

Re: Can someone please explain the "rung."

Another question that I have not been able to answer, about rungs...how long to stay at each one? Individual choice?

it's an individual thing, rfg, because we are all different.

if you read on page 170 of the book you will see....

Each week, you'll incrementally increase the quantity of carbohydrate you eat beyond the salad and one cup serving of vegetables allwed during Induction. These increments should measure roughtly five grams of daily carbohdrates, represeing what I call one 'level'. {was use the word rung but it means the same thing. jc]
During the first week on OWL, increase your daily carb intake from the 20 grams a day on Induction to 25 grams a day- going up one level.

As long as your weight loss continues steadily, you can go up another level-to 30 grams daily-the following week

[redfoxglove]

Re: Can someone please explain the "rung."

Thanks, I take it that you are doing individual experiments to see what your body does with the extra carbs. I have a couple other questions I posted in these OWL threads, I'm trying to decide whether to start OWL or stay on Induction. I'm doing really well.

p. 160, the 4 questions

1. No, I'm not bored with Induction, I'm still learning a lot
2. I have about 45-50 more pounds to lose
3. I am not very metabolically resistant, between average and low, more toward low than average
4. At this point I am not interested in slowing down the weight loss, I want to get into a size 14W or 16 misses jeans by Christmas (now an 18W)

The only thing I really, truly wish for is some nuts, like on my salad or as a snack...but I think it's really a craving for salt. My thing is salt, not sugar.

[jimmie 48]

Re: Can someone please explain the "rung."

Thanks, I take it that you are doing individual experiments to see what your body does with the extra carbs.

actually i'm at goal but yes, i still experiment [as many do] and had to drop back to basically rung 1 for a couple week. long health story that i won't repeat in this post.

I have a couple other questions I posted in these OWL threads, I'm trying to decide whether to start OWL or stay on Induction. I'm doing really well.

p. 160, the 4 questions

1. No, I'm not bored with Induction, I'm still learning a lot
2. I have about 45-50 more pounds to lose
3. I am not very metabolically resistant, between average and low, more toward low than average
4. At this point I am not interested in slowing down the weight loss, I want to get into a size 14W or 16 misses jeans by Christmas (now an 18W)

The only thing I really, truly wish for is some nuts, like on my salad or as a snack...but I think it's really a craving for salt. My thing is salt, not sugar.

it sounds fine to me that you can stick with induction for a bit longer if you wish. i would not stay on induction for a long time though as you need to find you ccll, if possible, and moving up will allow you to do this.
iif your weigh loss slows or stops, i would tell you to move from induction.
also, the first rung you will add is more veggies and in my honest opinon, you can't go wrong adding 5 more carb grams of veggies.

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Can someone please explain the "rung."

Hi Elizellen!
Thanks so much for the info! I tried two more store this afternoon and didn't find the Atkin's book. I think I am going to have to order it online. That may take a week. But, I think I know enough from reading this forum to start Monday anyway. Thanks so much! You look fantastic!
Many hugs!
Marcia

I got three of them last year for just a few cents at my library during a Friends of the Library book sale. They had another sale today and they had several of the 2002, plus some older ones, but I didn't buy any. On the last day of the sale, you get as many books as you can stuff in a big grocery sack for $3. I can get a bunch of books packed in that bag, so they are just pennies.