Atkins Diet 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 slow down your weight loss just a little bit. You add specific carbohydrates that make your diet a little easier and your weight loss just a little slower. However, you will easily continue to lose weight at a steady and even pace.

During the OWL phase you will increase your body's ability to burn fats. Although you add carbohydrates slowly, you still remain in the state of ketosis. You will continue to use your excess fat as fuel for your body and the pounds and centimeters 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 foods. You will replace the bad carbohydrate choices you relied on in the past with new and better ones.

You will 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 carbohydrates. During the OWL phase, you gradually increase your daily carbohydrate intake from the level of 20 grams you used in induction. Each week, try to add another 5 grams of carbohydrate and watch what happens. When the weight loss slows down too much, you know that you have exceeded your personal carbohydrate limit.

OWL also prepares you for your permanent weight control program (called maintenance). The habits and practices you develop during OWL will greatly contribute to your long-term success. Treat this period of your diet as a training for the real test of your post-diet life.

During the OWL phase, you will still get most of your carbohydrates from vegetables (just like during Induction). It is important to continue eating a wide variety of vegetables because they are good for your overall health and help maintain intestinal health during the Atkins diet. You will be able to add more portions of vegetables and then gradually 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 all the other phases of Atkins. The strict plan always works and always causes weight loss. As you enter the OWL phases, you need to take more account of your carbohydrates and monitor your weight better. You'll have more choice and that can lead to more temptations, which can result in a delay of your weight loss or even weight gain.

Counting the carbohydrates in grams is crucial for 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 count. There are several handy, portable books that will tell you the grams of carbohydrates in certain foods. Over time, you will know the number of carbs for your favorite foods right away.

Carbohydrate counting is also essential during the OWL phase as you play detective. In order to find your personal carbohydrate count, examine the amount of carbohydrate grams you can eat daily and still lose weight. During the first week of OWL you will go from 20 to 25 grams of carbohydrates. It is advisable to add this in the form of more vegetables, such as asparagus or cauliflower. You will continue at the level of 25 grams for a week and then go up to 30 grams per day. 

If you increase your carbohydrate level, pay close attention to your weight. If you experience too much delay, you know that you have gone too high. You will find your maximum carbohydrate level when you stop losing weight at all. If this happens, you know that you have reached your limit. As soon as you discover your personal carbohydrate level, you will drop below that level if you want to keep losing weight.