Once you calculate your CCLL, you ' ll be able to say to another Atkins follower, " My Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing is 45 grams. What ' s yours?" Or it might be higher-say 50, or as low as 25. To get an idea of the range that is possible, see the " Carbohydrate Gram Levels and Metabolic Resistance for Losing " table opposite. As I ' ve mentioned before, metabolic resistance is influenced by age, gender, activity level, hormone issues, level of physical activity, prescription medications and other factors, so the range in CCLLs can be great.
If you eat beyond your CCLL, your scale and measuring tape will herald that you ' ve crossed a line and you ' ll make adjustments accordingly. Most people simply drop back down to the prior level of carb consumption.
Lipolysis testing strips can also help you ascertain your CCLL in many cases. They generally stop turning color at a point a little bit below your CCLL. When that happens, your CCLL will be only a few carbohydrate grams higher. However, you should be aware that once you are consuming 50 or more grams of carbohydrates a day, the LTS will no longer register a change in color. So long as you continue to lose pounds and inches and experience no recurrence of your pre-Atkins levels of hunger, cravings and other symptoms, rest assured that all is well. You are still functioning on a primarily fat-burning metabolism even though you may not be producing enough ketones to show up in your urine.
You should be aware that everybody hits plateaus-periods during which no weight comes off. We will discuss this occurrence in depth in the next chapter.
Carbohydrate Gram Levels and Metabolic Resistance for Losing
Metabolic Resistance High Average Low Regular exerciser *
Approximate CCLL Range < 15 grams of carbs per day 15-40 grams of carbs per day 40-60 grams of carbs per day 60-90 grams of carbs per day
* In this context, a regular exerciser is someone who does vigorous exercise five days a week for at least forty five minutes.
Your CCLL is an even more precise way to determine your level of metabolic resistance than the amount of weight you lost during Induction. As you continue to do Atkins, you will, by glancing at this table, have a more accurate idea of your degree of metabolic resistance.
The Wise OWL Mind Set
The OWL phase is all about choice. The choices you make should focus on healthy and pleasurable additions, with a strong emphasis on foods that contribute both. As you add foods in roughly 5 gram carb increments, you can probably move beyond vegetables to other foods, such as nuts, berries and possibly grains. Although you will be eating primarily natural, unprocessed foods, you will find an increasing number of convenience foods created for people seeking to follow a controlled carbohydrate nutritional approach. Remember the mantra: Read the Label!( See " How to Read a Label " on page 241-245.)
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