[readyfreddy]

im a little nervous about the transition out of induction...

do you really just add 5 carbs a week? im kind of scared that i wont be able to do it... and will add to many?

im kind of wondering if i should start calorie watching while staying low carb and then slowly transition out of watching carbs? ... but still try to eat healthy which means to me lots of lean protein and fruit and veggies and good fat.

thoughts?

[JerseyGyrl]

Originally Posted by readyfreddy

but still try to eat healthy which means to me lots of lean protein and fruit and veggies and good fat.

When done correctlyyou have just perfectly described Atkins. Contrary to popular belief, lean protein, fruit, veggies & good fat are all most definitely permitted on Atkins. Its not all about lbs. of red meat, bacon & butter. My experience with people who say "I'm doing Atkins" is...they never get out of Induction. They never progress to OWL (On Going Weight Loss) & proceed up the carb ladder to find their CCLL (Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing). If you do the plan the way Dr. Atkins instructed by slowly adding 5 additional carbs per week, you will effectively establish your level to lose or maintain (whichever the case may be). From here you advance to Pre-Maintenance and lastly, to Maintenance. Atkins is a plan, that again, and I stress, when done correctlyis for life

[JerseyGyrl]

In my opinion, the key to progressing successfully to OWL (as well as all the phases of the Atkins lifestyle) is to follow Dr. Atkins instructions precisely.

Dr. Atkins designed OWL, On Going Weight Loss, to be exactly that...a continuation of weight loss at the optimal carb level (CCLL, Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing) for you personally. He stresses again & again the weight loss will be slower than it was while doing Induction. OWL allows you more food choices. This means determining a personalized way of eating based on the rules & the foods Dr. Atkins outlines in the book.

It is important to adhere & progress according to the carb ladder:
The OWL Carbohydrate Ladder
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 (Atkins Glycemic Ranking) 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
Oat Bran
Wheat Bran
Low carb (soy) bread and muffins
All-bran
Barley, cooked

Each rung means adding 5 additional carbs, 3 times for the first week & monitoring yourself for any changes. You really need to give it an entire week as a few days may not be enough to determine correctly how a certain food may affect you.

Skip a rung only if you plan on not eating from that particular food group. For example, if you have dairy allergies, you may want to skip that rung entirely.

For fruits & vegetables, the more color, the more nutrition. In other words, red grapes have more nutrition than white. Be careful of dried fruits as they concentrate the natural sugar and could essentially cause a small piece to have as many carbs as the entire fruit.

Basically...OWL is trial & error.

[readyfreddy]

thanks jersey!

im going to refer to this a lot

[readyfreddy]

ok i have renewed faith that I can do this! im going shopping tomorrow and i made some sample meal plans for next week. I am aiming for 25 net carbs next week. If you have any thoughts i'd like to hear them.

meal plan 1-

1 egg (1), espresso with half and half (2), .5 cup frozen unsweetened blue berries (10)

snack - cheese (1), 20 almonds (3)

lunch - tuna with mayo (0), jello (1)

snack - cheese (1)

dinner - chicken breast and 2 cups spinach salad (2) w/ ranch (2), 1 tablespoon bacon (2)

total - 25

Meal plan 2

bfast - sausage, espresso with half and half (2), .5 cup blue berries (10)

snack - cheese (1), 20 almonds (3)

lunch - 1 cup spinach salad (1), with ranch (2), and chopped turkey breast (1) and cheese (1)

snack - jello (1)

dinner - chicken breast and broccoli (3)

total 25

meal plan 3

bfast - 2 eggs (2), espresso with half and half (2)

snack - cheese (1), 20 almonds (3)

lunch - turkey meat (1), cheese (1) and mayo wrapped in a lettuce leaf (sandwich), jello (1)

snack - .5 cup blue berries (10)

dinner - chicken breast and broccoli (3)

total 24

meal plan 4

bfast - Atkins Morning Apple crisp Bar (3 carbs), espresso with half and half (2)

snack - cheese (1)

lunch - 1 cup spinach salad (1), with ranch (2), and chopped turkey breast (1)

snack -.5 c blueberries (10)

dinner - scallops (2), asparagus (3)

total 25

meal plan 5

b fast - 1 egg (1), espresso and half and half (2), .5 c blueberries (10)

snack - cheese (1)

lunch - sausage, salad with ranch (4)

snack - jello (1), string cheese (1)

dinner - scallops (2) spinach (3)

total 25


plan 6

bfast - sausage coffee (2)

snack - 20 almonds (3)

lunch - tuna with mayo, string cheese (1)

snack -Atkins chocolate hazelnut bar (3 carbs)

dinner - .5 cup blueberries (10), chicken breast, asperagus (3)

total 22


any thoughts? i am varying it a bit but trying to see how i do with the almonds and blueberries

next week for the additional 5 i am going to try to add low carb tortillas

[JerseyGyrl]

If next week is your 1st week at 25 carbs,,,you should only be adding 5 more carbs worth of veggies & salad from the acceptable foods list for 1 week to see how you do.

Blueberries shouldn't be added until the 4th rung of the carb ladder & almonds are on the 3rd rung. A low carb tortilla wouldn't be added until the last rung at the end.

It is important to adhere & progress according to the carb ladder.

[readyfreddy]

ahh i get it - im going to save that for week 4 then


ok so here is one sample for this week... good thing i asked huh?


bfast - 1 egg (1), 2 sausage (1), coffee with cream and 1/2 splenda packet (2)

snack - half a cucumber sliced and salted (2.5) string cheese (1)

lunch - 1 whole red bell sliced (6), 2 cups spinach (2), ranch (2) and sliced turkey

snack - cream cheese/turkey roll up (1)

dinner - chicken breast with .5 c ricotta spinach mix inside (6.5)

25

[JerseyGyrl]

Everything looks good except for the ricotta cheese, which shouldn't be added until the 2nd week of OWL.