Hi. When I first started Atkins last May I went into Ketosis fairly rapidly. My sticks were never any darker than pink or lavender. I lost steadily. So, don't give up. The sticks do not have to be dark purple. Some people lose when the sticks are lighter (as in pink) and others lose when the sticks don't change colors at all. If you stick with the plan you will eventually lose. Some people are metabolically resistant and lose very very slowly. Perhaps that is your problem. You should post a sample menu so everyone can evaluate it to see if it needs some tweaking.