Darkest shade on ketostix?

[fortune_cookie]

My hubby and I started Exante TS four days ago. For him this is the first time doing a VLCD, today he complained he's hungry and weak, so I suggested that probably he's not in ketosis yet - however when he checked with a stick, it was the darkest color, I did not even know that is possible to go that far on the color scale!! He repeated to make sure is not something wrong with the stick.. For me, from the same box of sticks it turns the 2nd or 3rd pink.

Anybody seen/heard of this?

 

[FB1]

Is he drinking enough?

 

[Biggie]

The darkest colour means he is dehydrated. He doesn't drink enough water. The very minimum is 2L plus teas, coffees and so on.
I had exactly the same problem when started. I couldn't drink that much. And also ended up with a massive constipation. It was so painful in the toilet I cried while...
I did tried to improve my water intake. Now I drink min 2 liters every day plus any other drinks like black coffee, green tea and so on.
Please, make sure he drinks much more.
Good luck and all the best!!
Biggie

 

[fortune_cookie]

Hi thanks.. he drinks exactly 2 litres, sometimes more.. on the other hand I barely make it to 1.5l and I am in the lightest pink.

Well, I suppose we are all different in the end..

 

[Paragee]

Also, just because his body's making ketones doesn't mean that all of the areas of the body that need them for energy have managed to fully switch to using them as an energy source. The brain can sometimes take up to 5 days to make the change, so he'd still be feeling headachey and hungry because his brain is thinking it's not getting enough energy yet as it's still making the transition.

He may well benefit from making sure he drinks at least 2.5l of water a day though, just to be on the safe side...

 

[fortune_cookie]

Guess what.. 5 days later I reached the same incredibly dark sticks.. Drinking all my liquids religiously. I think that last time when I was on Exante I got bored after the first few days, and didn't check the ketosticks again. Anyway, I stopped being worried, I am posting just in case someone else has this and wonders, like I did.