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Atkins
OWL Phase
The second
phase of the Atkins diet is called Ongoing Weight Loss or OWL. After
the rapid weight loss of the 2-week Induction phase, you’ll be slowing
your weight loss down just a bit. You’ll add in specific carbohydrates
that will make your diet a little easier and your weight loss just a
bit slower. However, you will continue to lose weight at a steady even
pace with ease.
During the OWL phase you will boost your body’s ability to burn fats.
Although you’ll be adding carbohydrates slowly, you’ll still remain in
the state of ketosis. You will continue to use your excess fat as fuel
for your body, and the pounds and inches will continue to come off.
The OWL phase will also teach you to make better carbohydrate choices.
The recipes and guidelines for OWL will increase your knowledge about
nutritious food. You’ll replace the poor carbohydrate choices that you
relied on in the past with new and better choices.
You’ll also learn how many carbohydrates you can consume and still lose
weight. The process of the OWL phase is an experiment in what your
specific body does with carbs. During the OWL phase, you’ll gradually
increase your daily carb intake from the 20-gram level that you used in
induction. Each week you’ll try adding another 5 grams of carbs and
then take note of what happens. When weight loss slows too much, you’ll
know that you’ve exceeded your personal carb limit.
OWL also prepares you for your permanent weight management program
(called maintenance). The habits and practices that you develop during
OWL will go a long way toward your long-term success. Treat this period
of your diet as training for the real “test” – your post diet life.
During the OWL phase, you’ll still be getting most of your
carbohydrates from vegetables (just as you do during Induction). It’s
important to continue to eat a wide variety of vegetables, as they are
good for your overall health and good for maintaining intestinal health
during the Atkins diet. You will be able to add more portions of
vegetables, and then gradually be able to add nuts, seeds and even
berries. However, the main focus of the diet will still be protein.
In a way, the Induction phase is easier than any of the other phases of
Atkins. The strict plan always works and always produces weight loss.
As you enter the OWL phases, you’ll need to be more mindful of your
carbohydrate count and keep better track of your weight. You’ll have
more choice and that may lead to more temptations, which could result
in a stalling of your weight loss or even weight gain.
Counting carbohydrate grams is critical in your OWL success. If you
don’t count, you will end up consuming more carbohydrates than you
should. However, there are many tools available that can help you with
counting. There are several handy, portable books that will tell you
the number of grams of carbohydrates in certain foods. Over time,
you’ll know the “carb count” for your favorite foods instantly.
Counting carbs is also essential during the OWL phase because you are
playing detective. You are investigating to find your personal carb
count, the amount of carbohydrate grams that you can eat daily and
still lose weight. During the first week of OWL, you’ll move from 20
carbohydrate grams to 25. It is recommended that you add this in the
form of more vegetables, like asparagus or cauliflower. You’ll continue
at the 25-gram level for a week, and then move up to 30 grams a day.
As you increase your carbohydrate gram level, watch your weight
closely. If you experience too much of a slowdown, you know you’ve gone
too high. You’ll find your maximum carbohydrate gram level when you
stop losing weight at all. When this happens, you’ll know you’ve
reached your limit. Once you discover your personal carb count, drop
down below that number if you want to continue losing weight.
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This
information is
not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and
informational purposes only
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