Anyone use ketostix?

[babymama]

Has anyone used ketostix to make sure they are loosing fat? I see them on the internet but I want to buy them in person and haven't been able to find any in stores. They are supposed to be the most accurate method to make sure you are loosing fat and not just water.

[Georgiana]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

Supposed to... maybe. But you can be in ketosis without turning the color of the ketostix, since they only measure the concentration of excess ketones in the urine. For some people they are a usefull tool, however you do not need them to do Atkins properly.

I'm not in the US (I guess you are), but I'm sure someone can tell you where to get them from.

[chagan]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

I check once a day. You can be in Ketosis without turning color however, you don't have any idea where you are as you start to add carbs back to you diet. Essentially you'll have to stay in the induction phase. Check Walgreens they have both Bayer and their brand. I've also seen them online for about 1/2 the price.

[babymama]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

Are you both saying they are most likely useless? I'd rather not spend the money if they aren't going to benefit me.

[widget246k]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

I think you can successfully do Atkins without them. I have never used them. I go by other signs of ketosis that happen naturally (bad breath, smell to urine) rather than spend money on something that may or may not even tell me what I want to know. I think you'll be fine without them. Just pay attention to the signs your body is giving you.

[Georgiana]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

Are you both saying they are most likely useless? I'd rather not spend the money if they aren't going to benefit me.

No, they are not completely useless. But you can do without. I don't use them and I do just fine. I know many members who have been very successful without ever using ketostix. It's a personal preference I guess.

Changing the color on the ketostix does not necessarily mean you are in ketosis, nor does it mean you are losing weight.

Here is something you might want to read before buying them:

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

If you want to use them, you can save some money by cutting each strip in two, lengthwise.

[chagan]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

I believe they are useful. They serve as a benchmark as you add carbs back to your diet.

[liv]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

I never used them. I did not need to pee on sticks to know it was working the scale told that story. But some people like them.

[babymama]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

I think you can successfully do Atkins without them. I have never used them. I go by other signs of ketosis that happen naturally (bad breath, smell to urine) rather than spend money on something that may or may not even tell me what I want to know. I think you'll be fine without them. Just pay attention to the signs your body is giving you.

Bad breath is a sign of loosing fat? I thought it was because my bowels are getting backed up! Thanks for that bit of information, I never knew that. I must be in ketosis and don't need the test strips.

[Georgiana]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

Bad breath is a sign of loosing fat? I thought it was because my bowels are getting backed up! Thanks for that bit of information, I never knew that. I must be in ketosis and don't need the test strips.

Here's a sticky thread that explains the physical signs of ketosis:

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/atkins-low-carb-dieting-faqs/6762-what-physical-signs-being-ketosis.html

[Diver Down]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

Bad breath is a sign of loosing fat? I thought it was because my bowels are getting backed up!

That is the most disgusting thought a person could have...I wish I hadn't read that just before lunch

[imagood1]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

Walmart sells the sticks in the same area as the diabetic supplies - usually at the end of the aisle. Dark coloring of the stick suggests dehydration so just because you are dark purple doesn't mean you are loosing more fat -- it means you need more water. I drink 150 ounces of water (or more) a day and I rarely see any change in color - but I use them more as an aid for my diabetes than for losing weight.

Sorry to gross you out Diver -- but the question was ask and answered.

[Diver Down]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

Sorry to gross you out Diver

Huh? It wasn't anything you said.

It's just horrifying to think of bowel odor exiting through the mouth.

No amount of weight loss would be worth that.

[rajenki]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

I like them, personally...I like the visual feedback that I'm burning my own fat for fuel. It makes me smile. LOL... And while bad breath is a sign of ketosis, I notice that either the breath goes away after a while, or I get used to it...because I stop noticing it a few weeks in. But man alive...first few weeks, ugh! Gross!

I almost always get a dark color (though I've never ever seen the "almost black" some claim), and I drink 100+ oz of water a day. Friday night when I slipped (knowingly) and ate 50 extra grams of carbs, my sticks tended to be much lighter in the following days. I like being able to see it...but I understand others not needing them and still others that say they never change color for them. Everyone is different. I personally get similar colors regardless of hydration levels.

In my state, they are sold behind the pharmacy counter. I've not seen them out on the shelf...at Walgreens, they are next to diabetic supplies but behind the counter where you have to ask for them. Not sure why...not like you can OD on ketostrips....hahaha.

[ProFaction]

Re: Anyone use ketostix?

got them at walmart for 5 bucks in diabetic supply aisle.