can't get in ketosis - help?!

[CAK320]

have been on induction for over 3 weeks & cannot get into ketosis mode; this is the 2nd time I've tried Atkins, 1st time in order to get into ketosis had to eat 2 containers of cream cheese - then began losing weight; do have hypo-thyroid issues; what should I do?

[Grant]

Re: can't get in ketosis - help?!

I'm curious, how do you know you are not in ketosis?

[CAK320]

Re: can't get in ketosis - help?!

because I'm not losing weight and the ketostix don't say so . . . I've been reading and everyone says not to pay attn to ketostix, but that was the only way I knew I was in ketosis before. Once the stix got past 'trace' and closer to 'small', I began losing weight. The stix has only shown 'trace' once about 4 days ago. The stix rages are: none, trace, small, moderate, large, & much more. Last time (about 2 years ago) I obtained 'moderate' status & then quit testing since I was losing weight every week.

[Grant]

Re: can't get in ketosis - help?!

Is it possible you are eating something that, unbeknownst to you, is keeping you from entering ketosis?

[VGrace]

Re: can't get in ketosis - help?!

Maybe if you post what you have been eating we can try and spot something for you.

[higgies]

Re: can't get in ketosis - help?!

Hi CAK, As Grant said, maybe you can try posting some menus in the "Review My Menu" forum.

Please don't pay attention to those darn stix. I wish they were never invented. I used them once or twice at the beginning, but all they tell you is if your body is processing fat. The fact you ate a tub of cream cheese and then it showed up...well, ya...that would do it, but it has nothing to do with whether or not your body is BURNING fat.

Take it easy, let us check your menu, and keep working on it...it'll happen!

[not2late]

Re: can't get in ketosis - help?!

The ketostix only measure the EXCESS ketones your body is producing. Our bodies can use ketones as an energy source. So if you are producing 20 ketones, but your body is using those 20 ketones for energy, those stix will register 0.

Furthermore the ketostix only measures one kind of ketones. Our bodies produce 3 types of ketones. The one the ketostix measures only comprises about 20% of the ketones we produce.

As for eating 2 containers of cream cheese.....that's overkill and completely unnecessary if you are doing Atkins properly.

[purplecat]

Re: can't get in ketosis - help?!

I do believe Dr. Atkins said some people don't go into ketosis when they are deficient in L-Carnitine. I could be wrong but I am quite sure I did read that. I'll have to go back and look at my book and tell you in which chapter it's in (although I think it's the chapter where he discusses supplements to use). I hope this helps.

[Elizellen]

Re: can't get in ketosis - help?!

That's right, Catrenia, he does mention this in the section called When Insulin Is Out of Whack in Chapter 20 of DANDR