New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

[Julie in CA]

Yesterday was day 2, and when I tested with a strip, it was fully purple (Yay!)

At dinner I ate some rotisserie chicken, and my salad which was 2 cups of greens, 1 ounce of cheddar, and 1/2 of a small avo.

This morning the test strip is no longer purple.

Does this mean that I'm no longer in ketosis? Was it the salad? I think I read that some people cannot have avocado even though it's (I think) listed as acceptable in small amounts.

I feel like I wasted my efforts, and like I'm no longer 3 days in, but starting over. Is that over-dramatic, or accurate?

[liv]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

Maybe the chicken. They often are coated with a spice rub that includes sugars and honey. Did you read the ingredient label?

But keep going. It is a long road and you are off to a good start. We all have some small trip ups on induction I think. It is a learning process.

[Julie in CA]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

Maybe the chicken. They often are coated with a spice rub that includes sugars and honey. Did you read the ingredient label?

I didn't read the ingredient label, which is unusual for me. Shame on me for assuming it would be ok. You are right, it does contain sugar. Argh!!

I really, really need the reinforcement of a good first week. I love my dh, but he's not incredibly supportive of any dietary changes in our household. He's away for a week, so it's my chance to give it a really good try while he's gone, without the distraction of trying to prepare foods that he wants while resisting the temptation to eat the same.

Hopefully this little setback won't completely erase a smaller number on the scale at the end of the week!

Thanks,
Julie

[RitaCeleste]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

Yeah, its hard to buy things out and be able to eat them. You don't have to start all over. Its great that they turned purple so quick. I stayed on induction too long. Really, get to OWL and add in as much stuff as you can! A few little extras here and there do wonders for me and how I feel about being on this diet. I'm starting to think of frozen shrimp as fast food, about two mins in the microwave. Get yourself some foods that are allowed but you would normally think of as treats. Have these ready for when other people are eating foods you can't but are tempted by.

[Julie in CA]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

Get yourself some foods that are allowed but you would normally think of as treats. Have these ready for when other people are eating foods you can't but are tempted by.

This is great advice, thank you! My dh is a "meat and potatoes" guy, so incorporating meat will be easy for me. I won't miss the potatoes, but my problem will be *gravy*. It will be hard to resist. I also tend to over-eat on veggies, so that'll be difficult too. The good news is that I get to have meat! Really, the cheeseburgers I've been avoiding for years are a treat all by themselves.

Thanks so much for your advice. I'm inspired by looking at the before/afters, and the tickers of everyone here!

[phil h]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

Glad you are starting Julie.If you are diligent to closly watching those carbs, it will work for you.That chicken with the skin which has the seasonings stripped off, and made into home made chicken salad by you, is good and safe.I do that with Costco's on occasion.

[Julie in CA]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

Glad you are starting Julie.If you are diligent to closly watching those carbs, it will work for you.That chicken with the skin which has the seasonings stripped off, and made into home made chicken salad by you, is good and safe.I do that with Costco's on occasion.

It was Costco (or Costly-Co, as my kids call it, 'cause we spend so much there!). I ate some of the skin too.

I guess my conclusion here is to keep the salad, leave off the avocado for now, and stay away from the chicken skin (which I should've known anyway...).

Thanks a bunch, Phil!

[JulieB]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

Gravy is nice...but putting butter on my veggies again after SO many years for avoiding it like the plague...now that's a treat!!!

[krispysky]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

Make sure and check your salad dressing for sugar, and don't use pre-shredded cheese--they add potato starch to keep it from sticking together.

I ruined my weekend because I grabbed the wrong dressing!

[Julie in CA]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

Make sure and check your salad dressing for sugar, and don't use pre-shredded cheese--they add potato starch to keep it from sticking together.

I ruined my weekend because I grabbed the wrong dressing!

Thankfully, I don't like salad dressing. I've always loved a sprinkle of cheddar cheese on my salad instead. Good tip about the pre-shredded cheese. I didn't use it last night, but I do buy it occasionally. I'll stick with the block and shred it myself.

Thanks!

[msanjelpie]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

Don't skip the Avocado... ketostix change colors from day to day and hour to hour... just keep on your low carb journey and you will be successful.

[not2late]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

The rotissiere chickens at my local Costco contain tapioca starch. So I avoid them, eventhough the price is good.

[Aways2Go]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

I have been staying around moderate levels of ketosis per the sticks basically every single day. But I will say, often it is the very lightest color of the day first thing in the morning. Within an hour or two of getting up and stirring around, it gets a little darker. My thought is maybe I wasn't burning much up overnight while all I was doing was sleeping and dreaming of being thin, LOL! But it does change shades from light to moderate throughout the day based on when I ate most recently, what I ate, if I exercised in the last hour or two, how much water I've had, etc etc. I try not to obsess about it as long as it turns any color at all, because I have seen for myself how easily it changes throughout the day.

Once I feel completely confident that I know this diet and am not doing it incorrectly, I will give up some of my ketostick obsession, LOL! (I was using them so frequently at first that I took scissors and cut them in halves so I could check twice as often and not run out, LOL!)

Good luck!

[ziggy]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

if it changes any colour at all thats good doesnt matter if its dark or light dark can mean dehydration or light can just mean you drank lots of water so the ketones are much less concentrated so in other words any colour is good

and Julie in CA you said you tend to over eat on some vegetables? i had the same problem xD i ended up haveing to eat only the lowest carb vegetables like broccoli that way i could eat as much as i wanted

[Julie in CA]

Re: New here...I have a question regarding ketosis...

Once I feel completely confident that I know this diet and am not doing it incorrectly, I will give up some of my ketostick obsession, LOL! (I was using them so frequently at first that I took scissors and cut them in halves so I could check twice as often and not run out, LOL!)

Good luck!

Lol, about the Ketosticks! Yes, it's a bit of an obsession right now. I figure that for around $10, it's pretty inexpensive encouragement for the beginning of my journey. The reinforcement of seeing it get darker is really motivational, even though I know it's not the best/only indicator of how I'm doing.