Atkins Diet Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) Carbohydrate Ladder
The Atkins low-carb diet consists of four phases: Induction, Ongoing Weight Loss, Pre-Maintenance, and Maintenance. This article focuses on phase II of the Atkins diet, ongoing weight loss, or OWL.
The OWL phase of the Atkins diet begins immediately after the two-week induction phase. This is the fun part of the diet where you get to experiment with new foods and determine how they affect you.
As you move from one rung to the next, you add carbohydrate foods back into your diet in the order prescribed by the OWL carbohydrate ladder. Adhering to this order tends to minimize blood-sugar surges that could reactivate food cravings. 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. The concept of AGR was followed in the 2002 edition of [i]Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution[/i], but it was formally introduced in [i]Atkins for Life[/i]. Foods with a low AGR will have the least impact on your blood sugar for each rung of the OWL ladder. The foods listed in each rung of the ladder below are examples of low AGR foods for their rung.
As you hit each Atkins OWL 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, using foods from induction and lower rungs to increase your carbohydrates on the off days. 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 daily from same food group the second week as you continue to monitor your progress.
I personally recommend spending a minimum of two weeks on each rung of the ladder, and preferably a month. This allows you time to adjust your diet and learn how different foods affect you. For example, one brand of cheese may cause you problems while another brand is just fine.
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 Atkins OWL dairy rung #2.
If you do skip a rung, I 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 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. The term ACE was introduced in Atkins for Life, and it replaces the old term CCLL, which meant Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing. 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.
When looking at low carbohydrate pre-packaged foods, check the ingredients against the ladder below. The highest rung for the ingredients is the rung you must be on to eat it.
The OWL Carbohydrate Ladder
The foods listed in each rung of the ladder below are examples of low AGR foods for their rung, unless noted to eat in moderation. This is intended to be an example of some of the foods you can eat, not an exhaustive list of all the foods you can eat.
Vegetables
More salad and other vegetables on the acceptable foods list
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
Seeds and Nuts
Macadamias
Almonds
Peanuts/Natural Peanut Butter
Coconut
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Walnuts
Pistachios
Berries
Eat frequently from:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Eat moderately from higher AGR melons:
Watermelon
Honeydew
Cantaloupe
Wine and other spirits low in carbs
Spirits
White Wine
Red Wine
Low-carbohydrate Beer
Legumes
Lentils
Kidney Beans
Pinto Beans
Black Beans
Hummus
Chickpeas
Tofu
Soybeans
Soy milk, unsweetened
Fruits other than Berries and Melons
Plums
Kiwis
Peaches
Apples
Grapefruit
Tangerines
Starchy Vegetables
Keep all portions small
Carrots
Green Peas
Acorn squash
Butternut squash
Eat rarely:
Corn
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Whole Grains
Keep all portions small and focus on whole, unprocessed grains:
Old fashioned Oatmeal (Steel cut oats
Oat Bran
Wheat Bran
Low-carb (soy) bread and muffins
All-bran
Barley, cooked
Elleth Faewen began the Atkins diet in October of 2003 and provides support for those interested in low-carb dieting at .lowcarbbulletinboard.com She also provides support for women at .babytalkzone.com, an Internet company dedicated to helping women who are trying to conceive, pregnant, or adopting.
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Weight Loss: Secrets To Losing Weight Without Much Efforts
Are you overweight?
Most people are afraid to admit they are.
It may not be a crime to be overweight, but it can be harmful to your health and life, if you fail to take action to reduce your weight.
Nobody wants to be overweight and ugly.
If you’re overweight, are you interested in learning about the positive approach to taking action to deal with it?
Here are some weight loss insights to help you lose weight effortlessly.
It has been reported that one out of every seven Americans may be overweight.
So, being overweight is a problem facing millions of Americans today.
If you are overweight, you can begin today to do something about it.
Once you have made up your mind to lose weight, you should make that commitment and go into it with a positive attitude.
We all know that losing weight can be quite a challenge. In fact, for some, it can be downright tough.
It takes time, practice and support to change lifetime habits.
This is why having the right attitude is of paramount importance.
One well known actress, Kirstie Alley who became overweight has just created a TV show labeled Fat Actress show!
Instead of being at home and feeling sorry for herself for becoming overweight, she decide to create a show about it!
It is an example of having a positive attitude towards a problem and turning a misfortune into a good fortune that will yield millions of dollars.
The discipline required to modify and control your eating habits and to lose weight is a process you must learn in order to succeed.
You and you alone are the one who has the power to lose unwanted pounds.
Think like a winner, and not a loser – – remember that emotions are like muscles and the ones you use most grow the strongest.
If you always look at the negative side of things, you’ll become a downbeat, pessimistic person. You’ll fail.
Even slightly negative thoughts have a greater impact on you and last longer than powerful positive thoughts.
Negative thinking doesn’t do you any good, it just holds you back from accomplishing the things you want to do.
When a negative thought creeps into your mind, replace it reminding yourself that you’re somebody, you have self-worth and you possess unique strengths and talents.
Contemplate what lies ahead of you. Losing weight is not just about diets. It’s about a whole new you and the possibility of creating a new life for yourself.
Investigate the weight loss programs that appeal to you and that you feel will teach you the behavioral skills you need to stick with throughout the weight-loss process.
First you should look for support among family and friends. It can be an enormous help to discuss obstacles and share skills and tactics with others on the same path.
You might look for this support from others you know who are in weight loss programs and you can seek guidance from someone you know who has lost weight and kept it off.
There are success stories across the country today. On television and in newspapers, magazines and tabloids about people who have miraculously lost untold pounds and kept it off.
In all instances they say their mental attitude as well as their outlook on life has totally changed.
Diets and weight loss programs are more flexible now than they once were and there are many prepared foods already portioned out.
They are made attractive and can be prepared in a matter of minutes.
Low-fat and low-calorie foods are on shelves everywhere.
You will probably need to learn new, wiser eating skills. You will want a weight loss regimen that gives you some control, rather than imposing one rigid system.
Look for one that offers a variety of different eating plans, so you can choose the one that’s best for you.
Keep in mind, too, that your weight loss program will most likely include some physical exercises.
Look at the exercising aspect of your program as fun and recreation and not as a form of grueling and sweaty work.
The fact is that physical fitness is linked inseparable to all personal effectiveness in every field.
Anyone willing to take the few simple steps that lie between them and fitness will shortly begin to feel better, and the improvement will reflect itself in every facet of their existence.
Doctors now say that walking is one of the best exercises. It helps the total circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health.
There are things such as aerobics, jogging, swimming and many other exercises which will benefit a weight loss program.
Discuss the options with your doctor and take his advice in planning your exercise and weight loss program.
Warmly,
I-key Benney, CEO
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