The goal is fat, of course. Here's my question. This weekend, at dinner, I had one glass of whiskey with my husband. The next day, the ketostix were way down..just above a trace. Then yesterday, I had a Michelob Ultra, (low carb beer). Today, I'm in light-light pink, (down from my usual purple).

Here's the question. Every day, I go to the gym and do major aerobics for 45 minutes. THEN, I do the weight machines for half an hour.


If I'm not burning fat, and I have only had THAT sugar, (tiny bit), what the heck am I burning? I just can't believe there's that much sugar in what I drank!!!

Easy answer: ALCOHOL! Alcohol is a fuel as well, and is chosen first above anything else in your system to metabolize. I believe that's why we get drunk as well, while the liver and system uses up the alcohol. There is more of a discussion of this in Atkins' book, I know.

Hope that helps.

Well, that would be the obvious answer....but ALL that exercise, and I'm still fueling off of ONE shot of whiskey and ONE low carb beer? How can that be? I've diverted from the plan NO WHERE else!!!


PS: thank you SO MUCH for your input. This is really bugging me!

Well, my other answer is that ketostix are notoriously unreliable. A lot of factors can lighten the color indicator. Exercise is actually one of them, since you are using up the ketones as fuel. Not sure why your readings changed so suddenly, but it could be so many things that it's probably not worth worrying about. My guess is that you're still burning fat, it's just not showing up as strongly. In my eyes, a trace is enought to prove the existence of ketones, thus the process is in effect.

Forget the dumb sticks. And keep up the good work, that's quite an exercise regimen. Make sure you get some good sleep in there as well.

I have been on atkins since last April. I heard people say the keto stix were needed to see if I was in ketosis. I started out at 245 and am down to 195 and have only been on ketosis ONCE. And on top of that it wasn't even deep into it, it was only light pink, but I have continuted to lose weight. So, you can't put too much credence into ketosis. As the exercise program, keep it up. When I started, I excercised way more and even I wondered what I was burning. A complex question, but hey, I am just glad that I am losing weight. Hope you figure it out. Have a good day!
Belle

THANK YOU sooooo much for your help. This has been a real mystery to me! I feel better after reading that. I've always been careful to use the ketostix once a day, and the same time, in the same routine. The only variation I can see anywhere is this bit of alcohol, which sent me careening from 70 to 15. Strange.

Thanks again for your help!!!

Alcohol is metabolized before Fat. But, it is not stored in your body for later use, unlike carbs. This means that as soon as you burn off all the alcohol (completely sober up,) your body should immediately go back into Ketosis. I don't see that 1 drink would effect you the next day.

Most likely, there is something else causing the strips to not change as much. Drinking more water, getting more exercise, and many other factors can cause the strips to turn less. But, as long as they turn you are in Ketosis.