OWL Question
I got my post induction blood work back: My cholesterol is really
good, but my “good chol.” is really low. It also looks like I’m
anemic (which kinda surprised me given the amount of beef I’m
eating). Anyway, my question is: If my CCLL is less than 15g./day,
should I consider myself in OWL phase, or still induction phase?
I started the coconut oil. Thanks for the tip. I’ll be getting blood
work done again in June, and am really looking forward to seeing
what my levels are then.
S=)
April 28th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Hi Sandi!
The issue of OWL versus Induction is this :
During Induction, you just follow the list and don’t need to count your
carbs, as they won’t go over 20 (usually not even close) IF you are
following the guidelines (no more than 4 oz cheese, or 1/2 an avocado, etc.)
Once you start counting carbs and experimenting with amounts, that moves
you into OWL. So, you can be in OWL even if you only do 15 carbs a day.
Dr. Atkins wants us to slow down our weight loss more and more as we get
closer to our goal — he firmly believes that, if we don’t, we do not have
the developed habits needed to maintain that loss. He wants us to lose our
last 5-10 pounds over a period of 3 months (which, personally, I think is
great, as I have had weeks in my life where I have GAINED almost that much
in 1 WEEK!! In fact, one of my greatest victories to date was to STABILIZE
my weight for a year and 1/2 — NEVER could do that eating any other way
….) BTW, as I tried to figure this all out a few years ago, a wise person
on my list pointed out to me that it doesn’t really matter what we call it.
We can call it modified induction, or OWL, but what counts is that we are in
active control and paying attention to our bodies and our foods.
The coconut oil is supposed to have the property of raising your ‘good’
cholesterol, so I will be very curious to see how it works for you. I have
done a bit of research, and I think the main point with the oil is to go
slowly, and gradually increase amounts (instead of, say 5T a day from
nothing). Keep us posted!! There is a school of thought out there that
there are really 4 types of cholesterol (a good and bad type of both HDL and
LDL), and that, since the level of cholesterol is just a marker of body
self-repair (it transports proteins that ‘fix’ damage being done to your
vessels), we are focusing too much on the symptoms and not the problems
itself. The more I study, the more this is logically intuitive. So a low
level means that your body is suffering minimal damage — good news all
around! Congrats on your news!
Hugs, Kristina!!
April 29th, 2007 at 1:28 am
Good Morning!
After reading messages this morning, I feel compelled to set the record
straight:
According to DANDR, broccoli IS allowed on induction!!! You can eat up to
cup of it a day, as with all allowed veggies, if you eat no more than 2
additional cups of salad a day.
Not only is it low carb (under 2 carbs per cup), over half of its’ total
carbs come from fiber (2.64 fiber of 4.61 total carbs). In addition, one
cup provides 135% DV of vitamin C, 27% DV of Vitamin A, and 16% DV of
Folate. It has often been called a ’super-food’, and I would HATE to see
people avoid eating it, ESPECIALLY when low-carbing!!
FYI, Broccoli rabe has even MORE fiber (3 total carbs, 3 fiber = 0 net
carbs(?), double the Vitamin A, but much less Vitamin C (around 35% DV).
Both have their strengths, nutritionally, and NEITHER should be avoided.
(OK, if you are not used to the fiber in your diet, broccoli can, er, cause
some ‘bowel disturbances’ … but I suspect the rabe would too. The
temporary ‘bloating’ you may feel when you first start to eat it goes away
after your system adjusts).
I have not checked the Atkins website, but if they have changed it, it has
been done since the passing of Dr. Atkins … and I am much more suspect of
changes since his death.
Hope this gives you more information so that you can make an informed
choice!
Hugs, Kristina