The Ketostix debate

[bigmark66]

Are ou getting sick of me yet? Like a young playful puppy I'm eager to get into everything so expect a few more days like this until I've exhausted my questions for the time being.

Here goes.

Bought some Ketostix yesterday. The instructions say that one of the two strips is for Ketones and the sign of "pink or purple for people trying to lose weight indicates success". So I guess these ones can be used? Good news I got "nil" on the blood sugar inducator. Anyway.......


Yesterdays carb consumption was about 14 g. Induction phase. Satisfied, no need to stuff more in!
Last night hardly made a change of colour. Clear. Had been drinking only water all day and no soda's as the americans call it.
This morning went pink
After lunch darker pink, three large black decafs no sweetners and no plain water previously that morning.
Two hours after a can of diet 7 Up, clear.
An hour later, no water in the meantime, swimming instead, and clear.

Is it that I'm just hydrated now and the stix aren't sensitive enough or did my diet zero caffine zero carb soda bust my ketosis?

Back on the water again until someone rells me uet 7Up is ok.

Try again in the morning, I want to see Purple.

Cheers

Mark

 

[Kat1e]

Sticks dont tell you when you are inketosis (really) - they just tell you when you are excreting ketones. Now i admit that that is usually effected by being in ketosis but that is why hydration makes a difference and also sometimes the body just uses all your ketones - so you dont excrete them. Recommend other signs more useful - flourescent stinky wee better and cheaper than sticks in my view

 

[Kat1e]

Ps having said which recommend you stick to water and avoid sf drinks

 

[bigmark66]

Stinky flourescent wee in my experience (post atkins) is excess Vitamin B that happens with some but not all suppliments, especially the types that give you a smelly burpy breath. My GP recommended the brand Centrum which are well known for not having any yucky side effects (and she's a Diabetic and Inulin Intolerence specialist - not that I chose her for that but handy to have for an overweight bloke rather than having a GP who is a Gynaecologist).

MJ

 

[southwestgirl]

I read in Rose Elliott's Vegetarian Low Carb book that there are two sorts of ketones, one of which the test strips react to. But not all of us produce much of this sort of ketone, we tend to produce more of the other sort - she said she was like this - so it is really rare for some of us to show any colour on the sticks.

Have not seen this anywhere else, but there it is for what it's worth.

 

[boggins]

Thirst usually lets me know if I'm in ketosis. That and not being hungry. Never used ketostix or really bothered worrying about whether I was in or out of ketosis. Long as the weight's coming off, it's all good.

 

[bigmark66]

Thirst usually lets me know if I'm in ketosis. That and not being hungry. Never used ketostix or really bothered worrying about whether I was in or out of ketosis. Long as the weight's coming off, it's all good.

I've perfmormed a big wee experiment overnight.

Went to bed early after drinking a pint of water, took another with me which I've drunk overnight.

First test clear @ 10pm
Second clear @ 2am
Third dark pink @ 3.30 am
Fourth dark pink @ 5am.

As you can see due to my water intake I'm waking up to pee often. My conclusion is that these Stix work best with high concentrations of Ketones especially if you're getting dehydrated. After all they are designed for the extreme diabetic in mind so normal ketones are probably not triggering any change.

I know we're not supposed to weigh in too often but I've lost 3lb overnight, no doubt most of that is water but it means right now that the scales are below 19 stone for the first time in ten years.

Mark 6'4". Was 21 stone, is 19 now, two month goal is 17 stone. BMI says 13 stone but that's just daft.

 

[moonlights]

It's different for everyone mark. I've had times where I've tested several times a day - if I'm in ketosis I show dark pink all the time. I've never once had a clear stick other than on the first 2-3 days of doing this diet any of the times I've done it. And I always keep hydrated but I don't show a different colour first thing in the morning vs after a day on the water.

Some people lose fine but never show pink at all.

Don't worry about it. Your body can't just pop in and out of ketosis like magic, as long as you're losing you're doing fine.

 

[stilldieting]

hi guys were did u's buy these sticks?

 

[bigmark66]

A chemist but I had to go to three before I found them which is remarkable as Dubai has dibetes as an epidemic among the locals and that is what these stix are primarily for.

sig:--- Mark 6'4". Was 21 stone, is <19 now, two month goal is 17 stone. BMI says 13 stone but that's just daft.

 

[moonlights]

If you're in the uk, amazon has them