Climbing the ladder as OWL or Pre-Maintenance
 

I’m not sure if this should be in pre-maintenance as I have 15 lbs to go, and it’s really an Atkins-specific discussion.

I’ve lost 25lbs over 22 months...lots of times where I’ve been “maintaining” ... times I’ve experimented with the different rungs of the ladder and increments of increased carbs... but not in a focussed a way to gain specific knowledge the way Dr A describes in DANDR (2002). But I am curious because I have noticed: cherries don’t make me gain, nor crave. Strawberries...pretty crave-y. Pork streaks, I almost always lose.

Any Atkins-ers near goal, at goal or successfully in OWL and still losing...who have experience in climbing the ladder systematically?
How did you do it? Did you have to have little check lists to remind yourself (5 carbs of raspberries on Monday, Wednesday, Friday for example)? Did you use a week to try one category of food, or do one week each for different foods in the same category (ie: yogurt one week, cream cheese then next?)
What did you learn? Any surprises?
Any advice?

(I have climbed the ladder to rung 6 -alcohol — and flirted with legumes and root veg, I’ve raised carbs to 50-60 mostly. But I do notice then I’m eating more, I’m hungrier and carbs are creeping up although I’m continuing to “maintain” at this level. I figure it’s not a stall if I know why I’m staying here, :lol:. I’m going to do a brief induction reset and then test some foods I’m concerned about) I may be over thinking this but it’s what I need to do just now. Partly it’s busy-making while I stick to plan over the next few months...?

Some threads from the last few years that discuss this (not from pre-maintenance although there are many there as well.) posted here just in case anyone else is lurking and worrying away at the question of OWL, the ladder, and the like.

https://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=472886
https://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=472760
https://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=466943
https://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=462558

I read DANDR 2002, jumped right into OWL and lost 30 lb in about six months. I've been maintaining for over a year now. When it came time to climb the ladder or enter Phase 3 or 4, it became very confusing to me. I felt like I was faltering, like I didn't have a rung to stand on (I just needed to get that one in there! :lol: ). Anyway, ladder climbing was an epic fail for me. I did try out different foods while in OWL in no particular order and discovered a spectrum of foods that I could eat all the time, that I could have a little bit of once in a while, and ones that I should never have because they made me feel awful or compulsively hungry for more. Just a few weeks ago, I started using the Atkins 40 template and tracker on their website for maintenance. Not counting or tracking anything wasn't working for me anymore, nor was trying to find my place among the ladder rungs and phases.

I remember Dr. Atkins saying in his original 1972 book that once you enter level 2 eating, if selecting a food from no matter which rung helps you stay the course and make Atkins a lifetime WOE, then by all means go ahead and do that.

I've also discovered that climbing the ladder could be simply increasing the portions of the foods that you're already eating instead of introducing new ones. For example, I like frozen mixed vegetables. Instead of having the suggested serving size of 2/3 cup, I can have a full cup. Instead of having a six-ounce glass of V8 or tomato juice, I can have an 8-ounce glass. Instead of having 10 Brussels sprouts, I can have 15. Like that.

Thanks Barb!
I like what what you’ve described—both what works for you (adding more of the veggies) and DrA (adding a food from other rungs to the basic rung 2 meal). Those two things are what I’ve been doing...but also allowing the total carbs to climb up until I stall/maintain to find that annoying CCLL and CCLM.



:lol: ^^^^^ This^^^^^

Good one! And so true! I’m compulsively reading old OWL threads because even though I think this should be straightforward, somehow it is not. You described it perfectly. Emotionally, I’m faltering, questioning, unsure, unstable.

The reality is... I guess I’ve done it. I know the basic answers to my questions and I just need to keep going. But like the first few months on this woe, my mind is kind of spinning around “what to do” and “what’s allowed” and “what works for me”. A kind of pre-maintenance tizzy, looking ahead. But looking ahead 15 pounds is probably looking ahead 6 months to a year for me so....relax...breathe....eat more veg and stay the course.

Thank you for your thoughts. It helps.

Glad you found it helpful! And ah, yes, those pesky CCLLs and CCLMs ... :roll:

These pages don't load for me

When I click them even in your “quote box” they still load...
Did you figure it out?