Ketostix

[KellyFrehley]

Okay...I'm sure this quesiton has been asked before but I couldn't find a thread for it so I'm asking again. My Ketostix is always in either Trace (most often), or Small. Occassionally it will fade to negative. I've been on the diet for 4 weeks now. Lost 10lbs but in the last few days no weight loss. Do most of you experience light Ketostixs and still lose a grip of weight or does light Ketostix mean slow weight loss? I'm obsessive about checking....I check like 4 to 8 times a day. I know...I just want to keep my finger on the pulse of this thing. I don't eat many carbs...just a little cream in my decaff coffee and some whipping cream on my jello..Oh..and a little cheese here and there.

[Georgiana]

Re: Ketostix

Ugh... I hope you just FORGOT to mention the veggies. You MUST have 3 cups per day in induction to make 12-15 carbs out of them. Atkins is not a 'no carb' diet.

Plus, if you're in the 4th week and don't have a lot to lose, you should probably move to OWL. Staying longer than you have to in induction might explain why you're not losing anymore, although 'a few days' mean nothing (a stall = 4 weeks with no inches/weight loss).

About the ketostix, it has been repeated a lot on the board... You're either in ketosis or you're not, the color depends on what you have eaten, how much water you've had, etc. Just like being pregnant... you can't be 'more' or 'less' pregnant. You either are or not.

4-8 times a day??? That's like every freaking time you go to the bathroom! Damn, I admire your perseverance! Seriously, give those sticks a break. Maybe they got bored of you peeing on them and now they protest by fooling you with their color. (k/d)

Just make sure you drink at least 64 oz of water + 8 oz for every 25 lbs you have to lose, EAT YOUR VEGGIES!!!, exercise, take supplements. And to check for changes it's best if you use a measuring tape. That's what you want to see... changes in the way you look, not in your weight or in the color of your ketostix.

[moniegail]

Re: Ketostix

i used the keto sticks before about 4 yrs ago the first time i was on atkins, but personally i feel like they are a waste of money. elbisivni is right the sticks are like a pregnancy test you either are or you aren't. if you get any color at all on the sticks you are in ketosis. the goal is not to make them turn the deepest color on the bottle. in fact it's believed that darkest purple is a sign of dehydration. there are other ways to tell if you are in ketosis this thread will explain all you need to know about ketosis.

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-low-carb-dieting-faqs/6725-questions-about-ketostix-color.html

4 to 8 times a day is obsessive, one of the things about this diet is to develop healthy habits, not creating new unhealthy habits. besides the obsession, you'll be going broke just driving back and forth to the store to buy more strips. the best time to use the sticks are in the morning the first time you use the bathroom.

as i said earlier, i think they are really a waste of money. i'd rather use that money towards a big juicy steak.

best wishes,
monie

Edited to say congrats on the 10 lbs lost

[KellyFrehley]

Re: Ketostix

• Thanks for that AWESOME post. Very thorough. Okay...let me give you a run down of a typical day for me. Breakfast, 2 cups of decaff coffee with a total of 3 splendas, (1.5 packs per cup), a splash of half and half in each cup. Then...either a handful of chicken (cooked and placed in a bag), or a hamburger wrapped in lettuce with mustard and a slice of cheese and a pickle slice. Maybe a 6 sausages instead of the hamburger or chicken. Lunch, hamburger again....and maybe some pig skins. Dinner, hamburger again or chicken and some more skins, (maybe), and then sugar free jello with whipped cream for desert. Somtimes two of those. The lettuce is the extent of my veggie eating. I have about 60 or 70lbs I want to lose. I'm 5'8 and would like to weigh 160/170 but currently weigh 230. I drink AT LEAST 100oz's of water a day...usually much more. I did good for the first couple of weeks, (getting down to 228.5 from 240 in about 3 weeks), then Aunt Flo came to visit, (period), the weight went up...then after that was over and the smoked cleared I'm now at 230. It's frustrating cause I've been testing at trace or small for this whole month I've been on...and YES I do check almost everytime I pee. It is an obession...beacause it's what keeps me motivated. I am measuring now...but I just wondered if everyone mostly tests in Trace to Small...and still loses alot or do those big weight losers always test in Moderate to Large??? Okay..so one more question. What if I don't want to eat more veggies?? I would rather spend my carbs on a diet coke then broccoli...but I do like broccoli. I have found that it does not take many carbs to knock me out of Ketosis. I think 25 may be my threshold. I take supplements too. I forgot to mention that.
  

[moniegail]

Re: Ketostix

first off, diet coke is a no no.....the aspertame is not healthy, and caffeine in not recommeded on this plan as it causes blood sugar spikes.

sounds like you're going way over on your sweetners as you are getting your whole days allowance in just the morning coffee. not to mention the diet coke, jello, and whipped cream. if you are using store bought whipped cream that is also a big no no. you can make your own using heavy whipping cream and a little bit of splenda.(oh and a blender unless you want your arm to fall off from blending w/ a whisk)

you might want to cut back on the pork rind(skins) too. they are loaded with sodium something we need to avoid for so many reasons. they are ok for a snack now and then, but not as a staple in the diet.

now onto the important topic VEGGIES..........they are a must!!!!! without them, you are not going to be successful in this woe. without them you will only be doing a high fat/high protein diet, not atkins. veggies are full of the nutrients your body needs, not to mention fiber. we are supposed to comsume most of our daily carbs on induction with veggies, not replacing them with diet coke which has no nutrient properties at all.

i kinda doubt that it's the amount of carbs that could be kicking you out of ketosis, but rather the type of carbs that you are consuming that are kicking you out of ketosis. try losing the jello, diet coke, whipped cream, and all those excess sweetners you are eating and add some more veggies and see if that helps.

i hope this post didn't sound too arrogant, as it is only meant to be supportive and informative. you have reached out to us for help, and i am only trying to reach back.

monie

[KellyFrehley]

Re: Ketostix

No...it didn't sound arrogant at all. I need all the help I can get. Okay...I can cut back the sweetners in the coffee to maybe one splenda per cup....I'll cut back the diet coke to a couple a week, (any suggestions on what else I can drink beside WATER)? And...what veggies are the lowest in carbs and the best? Broccoli? I like that. How much should I eat? I can cut back the jello also to a couple times a week, (it's my only sweet). And I can kick the whipping cream to the curb no problem. I just need something else to drink other than water occassionally and what to eat veggie wise and how much. Thanks everyone. The scale actually did move this morning..which was nice.

[Elsie150]

Re: Ketostix

Hi Kelly...

Monie has given you some great advice.
I recommend that you buy and read Dr Atkins 2002 edition. A very small investment for a lifetime plan...use the ketosis stick money...you will lose weight without them if you follow the plan as written. That is the version we follow here and so that will be what we base our answers on. Atkins is not about eating a bunch of meat. Actually the goal during induction is 30%protein/5%carbs/65%fat.

In the meantime before you get your book read the stickies in the main forum and in the induction forum. They will help you immensely and answer some of your veggie questions. And what is limited during induction.

Way to go on 10 pounds down and getting your water in. Try a slice of cucumber in your water for a different taste. Not as weird tasting as you might think.

[KellyFrehley]

Re: Ketostix

You guys are so supportive, patient and awesome. Thank you so much. My goal it to join the Sheriff's academy but I've got to drop at least 30 to 40lbs to be a good weight to get in. I know once in the academy...the workout regimine will finish me off, (in weight loss...not in exhaustion...ha ha..I hope).

[flpooh19701]

Re: Ketostix

You've received some great advice here. I wanted to add that you can drink decaf tea .. NO SUGAR.. Also, keep in mind you should only be having 3 servings of artificial sweeteners a day. My bet is if you drink your water 8 glasses of water a day, cut way back on the pork skins, eat your veggies and cut back on your sweeteners you will start losing at a faster rate. Cut back on the test strips too! After the first morning test let it go. I use them to motivate me or to gauge an "uh oh, maybe I shouldn'ta done that". But I would say any more than once a day is a waste of money.

[moniegail]

Re: Ketostix

glad you are heading the advice we have been giving you. as far as soft drinks go, diet right soda is made with splenda and would be a much better choice than the diet coke. they even have fruit flavored ones too. also, if you buy unflavored gelatin(usually located where the powdered jello boxes are) you can use the fruit flavored diet rite to make you own jello. just follow the directions on the box and use the diet rite in place of water.

[momtomany1]

Re: Ketostix

Broccoli is a great choice, spinach, turnips, radishes.. good fiber and low carbs. Broccoli is a 'whooshie' food for many.. they eat it and the next day the scale moved.

This was already mentioned, but you are spending like 1.50 a day on pee sticks. Use that for good quality oils and butter and steaks and olives and avocados and stuff!

[ELIZABETHWPR]

Re: Ketostix

How about tea w no sweetners? Is this good or bad? I am on my 15th day and have lost 11 lbs...someone told me to take fish oil capsules? Is this good to take? I tried to add a ticker onto my information but I couldnt figure it out? Any suggestions?