Here's why I was asking the question - it has to do with expectations, and setting ourselves up for disappointment.

Many people come into this way of life expecting the pounds to just melt away if they get into ketosis. The passionate pursuit of "getting purple" has become as much an obsession as the numbers on the scale for some folks. Is this realistic?

We all should know that when we follow any kind of a weight loss program, the weight will not steadily fall off. There are periods of body rest. There are periods of gain. Expecting anything else is not realistic. Expecting anything else is setting ourselves up for disappointment, and an increase in the number of posts that start out "help, I'm gaining" or "help, I'm not losing" or "help, I'm not purple" and follow with "I'm so depressed"

So , my thinking is, if ketosis is NOT a steady state even under the best of circumstances, then the obsession to get pink or lavendar or purple is nothing but an exercise in frustration. If we naturally fluctuate in and out of ketosis, even under perfect conditions, then using the goal of being in ketosis as a measure of success or failure is about as realistic as peeing on the scale and expecting the numbers to turn purple. The sticks certainly aren't anything to fixate on.

If that concept holds true, then it follows that people need to understand that their bodies are complicated "machines". We would like to think we take control of our bodies by following this WOL. We are only setting ourselves up for disappointment by expecting that we actually ARE in control.

I strongly believe that a more reasonable expectation is that the best we can do is gently nudge our body in the right direction. Our body will eventually react in a positive manner, but in it's own time, in it's own way, when it is ready, and NOT because we want it to. None of us does this perfectly, no matter how hard we try. So none of us should expect perfect results.

Any thoughts?