Hello - I will do my best but I am sure that more experts will turn up to help.

First, the ketostix are very inaccurate. They only pick up about 20% of the actual ketones that are present in urine. More ketones leave the body in the breath and via the intestines than in the urine. So don't rely too much on them.

Ketones can come from the fat you eat as well as the what is coming out of your stored fat. But you ARE burning fat instead of putting more fat into storage.

Now as to why you are not losing pounds. If you have been on many diets previous to LCing, your diet may have been protein deficient for a long while. Now that you are eating a good supply of protein, your body is grabbing all it can to make needed repairs to all the muscles (including the heart) and organs. So you could be putting ON muscle weight while burning fat. That means that the scale may not move but you ARE succeeding. this is especially true if you have begun to exercise (even walking) along with LCing.

It has often been said that the scales are frequently NOT the best measure of how you are doing. (Neither are the Stix.) Instead, you should have taken measurements of every body part you could reach and written them down. Not just bust/waist/hips but neck, thighs, calves, wrist, biceps, upper abdomen, above bust, chest below bust - well, you get the idea. Or have a piece of clothing that is too tight (pants, dress, skirt) This is called the "Pant-o-meter". You try it on every week and see if it has gotten looser. Who cares how much you weigh if you can SEE that you are getting smaller.

Drinking the water every day - at least 2 liters or over 2 quarts, although many people drink more - is crucial. The water helps your kidneys process all the by-products of the burnt fat. If there is not enough water coming in, the liver will have to take over some of the work the kidneys should be doing. And since the liver is the chief fat-burning organ, it won't be able to dedicate itself to converting fat to energy. So drink your water.

I hope the nasty scales will start to cooperate soon. Starting a journal is a good idea. And drop around to visit other journals. Ask for people to come and check up on your menus and use fitday.com to figure out what carbs, protein and fat you are eating.

All the best.