I'm on my second tour of the Atkins induction phase. I lost approximately 18 pounds in 3 months and then stalled out. Couldn't figure out what it was, but I'm getting a clue and am eliminating alcohol and low-carb candies with maltitol from my diet for the next two weeks.

I completely agree with an earlier post in that, for me, it wasn't the carbs in the alcohol that made it so dangerous, but the reduced ability to make good decisions about what I was eating. Can you say, "A few chips won't hurt me!" (haha) When I can keep my food choices in line, a glass of wine simply slows my weight loss, but doesn't reverse it.

About the ketostix, I think it matters how many carbs you're eating for the day. When I go over 50 carbs for the day, I don't get much of a color change. Also, I get a darker color when I test 2-3 hours after dinner rather than right after dinner. Not sure why, but there you have it.

Have a great time at the party!