Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL)

Your daily threshold of carbohydrate consumption is your Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing (CCLL). Stay below this number and you will experience ongoing weight loss. Go above it and your weight loss stalls. Here's how you'll determine your CCLL: Each week, you'll incrementally increase the quantity of carbohydrate you eat beyond the salad and one cup serving of vegetables allowed during Induction. These increments should measure roughly 5 grams of daily carbohydrates, representing one "level."

Remember: Atkins 72 is based on TOTAL CARBS not net. Read your labels!

During the first week (0r 2) on OWL, increase your daily carb intake from the 20 grams a day on Induction to 25 grams a day—going up one level. He recommends you add either another salad, half an avocado, a cup of cauliflower or six to eight stalks of asparagus or another vegetable. Continue to eat this way for the rest of the week. As long as your weight loss continues steadily, you can go up another level—to 30 grams daily—the following week. If you are a veggie lover, you may be happy continuing to add more salad greens and other vegetables. Or you may choose to add a half cup of cottage cheese, an ounce of sunflower seeds or a dozen macadamia nuts. If you've been feeling fruit deprived, now is the time to add berries, the fruits lowest on the glycemic index.


The Ongoing Weight Loss phase is all about choice. The choices you make should focus on healthy and pleasurable additions, with a strong emphasis on foods that contribute to both. As you add carb foods in roughly 5 gram increments, you can probably move beyond vegetables to other foods, such as nuts, berries and possibly grains. Remember the mantra: Read the label!

Here is Atkins List of How to add back in foods according to carb content:

The Power of Five
These portions contain roughly 5 grams of Carbs. Food groups are arranged in the general order in which they should be added.

Vegetables
1/2 cup cooked spinach
1/2 cup red bell peppers
1 medium tomato
1/2 cup cooked broccoli
6 medium asparagus
1/2 cup cauliflower
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/3 California avocado
1/2 cup summer squash

Dairy
5 ounces farmer’s cheese or pot cheese
5 ounces mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream

Nuts and Seeds
1 ounce of:
macadamias (approximately 10 to 12 nuts)
walnuts (approximately 14 halves)
almonds (approximately 10 nuts)
pecans (approximately 14 halves)
hulled sunflower seeds (3 tablespoons)
roasted shelled peanuts (approximately 26 nuts)
1/2 ounce of cashews (approximately 9 nuts)

Fruits
1/4 cup blueberries (fresh)
1/2cup raspberries (fresh)
1/2 cup strawberries (fresh)
1/4 cup cantaloupe or honeydew

Juices
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup tomato juice


So it might look like this:

Weeks one and two: Induction
Level One OWL: Add in 1/2 cup spinach OR 1/2 cup cooked broccoli
OR 1/3 avocado each day.

Monitor what happens when you add in the above and see if you are still losing weight. This would take you to 25 grams of carbs per day. You can do this for more than one week if you have alot of weight to lose, or you can proceed to level 2 OWL
and add in 5 grams more (per day, 30 grams each day total) and see what happens.

Atkins generally suggests adding in foods according to his list above with veggies, dairy, and nuts coming before fruit.

Level 2 (30 grams total per day) would add in more veggies, or some dairy
Level 3 (35 grams total per day) would add in nuts, dairy.
Level 4 (40 grams total per day) would add in fruit.

There are folks who cant eat more than 40-45 grams per day and still lose,
so once you get to level 4 and 5 watch very carefully! If you stop losing, the key is to BACK UP ONE LEVEL to where you were when you were losing!!!

Happy Low Carbing!!

* please note here: Atkins says you can stay on induction for up to 6 months IF you have a significant amount of weight to lose. But it is generally recommended that you stay on it a shorter amount of time and proceed up the carb ladder as indicated above. You can stay at each level for more than one week also.