| The Atkins low-carb diet consists of four phases: | | | | careful of dried fruit as it concentrates the natural |
| Induction, Ongoing Weight Loss, Pre-Maintenance, | | | | sugar and could potentially make a small piece |
| and Maintenance. This article focuses on phase II | | | | have as many carbohydrates as the entire |
| of the Atkins diet, ongoing weight loss, or | | | | fruit.When looking at low carbohydrate |
| OWL.The OWL phase of the Atkins diet begins | | | | pre-packaged foods, check the ingredients against |
| immediately after the two-week induction phase. | | | | the ladder below. The highest rung for the |
| This is the fun part of the diet where you get to | | | | ingredients is the rung you must be on to eat |
| experiment with new foods and determine how | | | | it.The OWL Carbohydrate LadderThe foods listed |
| they affect you.As you move from one rung to | | | | in each rung of the ladder below are examples of |
| the next, you add carbohydrate foods back into | | | | low AGR foods for their rung, unless noted to eat |
| your diet in the order prescribed by the OWL | | | | in moderation. This is intended to be an example |
| carbohydrate ladder. Adhering to this order tends | | | | of some of the foods you can eat, not an |
| to minimize blood-sugar surges that could | | | | exhaustive list of all the foods you can |
| reactivate food cravings. While fat and protein will | | | | eat.Vegetables |
| continue to be the mainstays of your diet, you will | | | | More salad and other vegetables on the |
| eat less of them as you add carbohydrates.As | | | | acceptable foods listDairy |
| you choose foods from each rung on the ladder, | | | | Fresh cheeses: |
| you should choose most often from foods with a | | | | Cottage cheese |
| low Atkins Glycemic Ranking, or AGR. The | | | | Farmer's cheese |
| concept of AGR was followed in the 2002 edition | | | | Ricotta cheese |
| of [i]Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution[/i], but it was | | | | Pot cheeseKeep portions small for |
| formally introduced in [i]Atkins for Life[/i]. Foods | | | | Hard aged cheese |
| with a low AGR will have the least impact on your | | | | Cream, heavy and light |
| blood sugar for each rung of the OWL ladder. The | | | | Half and half |
| foods listed in each rung of the ladder below are | | | | Sour cream |
| examples of low AGR foods for their rung.As you | | | | Low-carb ice cream, yogurt, and milkSeeds and |
| hit each Atkins OWL rung, you can add up to 5 | | | | Nuts |
| net carbohydrates from that rung. For each food | | | | Macadamias |
| group you add, you should eat from it no more | | | | Almonds |
| than three times the first week and monitor your | | | | Peanuts/Natural Peanut Butter |
| body for changes, using foods from induction and | | | | Coconut |
| lower rungs to increase your carbohydrates on | | | | Sunflower seeds |
| the off days. You need to give it the entire week | | | | Sesame seeds |
| as a couple of days may not be enough to know | | | | Walnuts |
| how a food is affecting you. You can eat daily | | | | PistachiosBerries |
| from same food group the second week as you | | | | Eat frequently from: |
| continue to monitor your progress.I personally | | | | Strawberries |
| recommend spending a minimum of two weeks | | | | Blueberries |
| on each rung of the ladder, and preferably a | | | | Blackberries |
| month. This allows you time to adjust your diet | | | | RaspberriesEat moderately from higher AGR |
| and learn how different foods affect you. For | | | | melons: |
| example, one brand of cheese may cause you | | | | Watermelon |
| problems while another brand is just fine.You | | | | Honeydew |
| should only skip a rung if you do not plan on | | | | CantaloupeWine and other spirits low in carbs |
| eating from it. For example, someone may have | | | | Spirits |
| dairy allergies, so they may skip the Atkins OWL | | | | White Wine |
| dairy rung #2.If you do skip a rung, I have found | | | | Red Wine |
| that it is best if you spend the time you normally | | | | Low-carbohydrate BeerLegumes |
| would have spent for that rung before moving to | | | | Lentils |
| the next one. This helps to give your body | | | | Kidney Beans |
| enough time to adjust before giving it the higher | | | | Pinto Beans |
| AGR foods. For example, if you normally spend | | | | Black Beans |
| three weeks on each rung, and you want to skip | | | | Hummus |
| alcohol rung#5, then you should spend six weeks | | | | Chickpeas |
| at berries rung #4 before proceeding to legumes | | | | Tofu |
| rung #6. In the same example, if you normally | | | | Soybeans |
| spend two weeks on each rung, then you would | | | | Soy milk, unsweetenedFruits other than Berries |
| spend four weeks at the berries rung #4 before | | | | and Melons |
| proceeding to the legumes rung #6.Your ability to | | | | Plums |
| add all the food groups back depends upon your | | | | Kiwis |
| Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium, or ACE. The | | | | Peaches |
| term ACE was introduced in Atkins for Life, and it | | | | Apples |
| replaces the old term CCLL, which meant Critical | | | | Grapefruit |
| Carbohydrate Level for Losing. For example, | | | | TangerinesStarchy Vegetables |
| someone that does not exercise and has a low | | | | Keep all portions small |
| ACE would probably not be able to add legumes | | | | Carrots |
| back during OWL, while someone who is young, | | | | Green Peas |
| works out regularly, and has a high ACE might | | | | Acorn squash |
| have no problems climbing to the top.Once you | | | | Butternut squashEat rarely: |
| begin consuming alcohol on rung #5, be sure to | | | | Corn |
| count the carbohydrates and monitor your weight | | | | Potatoes |
| loss. Spirits have no carbohydrates, while white | | | | Sweet potatoesWhole Grains |
| wine and red wine have 0.9 and 2.0 | | | | Keep all portions small and focus on whole, |
| carbohydrates respectively. Alcohol will suspend | | | | unprocessed grains: |
| weight loss as you do not burn fat while your | | | | Old fashioned Oatmeal (Steel cut oats |
| body has alcohol to burn. If you find that you are | | | | Oat Bran |
| stalled, discontinue your alcohol consumption.When | | | | Wheat Bran |
| you get to the last three rungs of the ladder, you | | | | Low-carb (soy) bread and muffins |
| are eating foods with the highest AGR. Make sure | | | | All-bran |
| you do not eat those foods alone. Eat them with | | | | Barley, cookedElleth Faewen began the Atkins |
| foods high in fat and fiber to help minimize their | | | | diet in October of 2003 and provides support for |
| impact on your blood sugar.With fruits and | | | | those interested in low-carb dieting at She also |
| vegetables, the more color they have, the more | | | | provides support for women at an Internet |
| nutrition they have. If you have a choice between | | | | company dedicated to helping women who are |
| red grapes and white grapes, choose red. Also, be | | | | trying to conceive, pregnant, or adopting. |