just completed my first week, 14 pounds lighter, and now i'm getting real serious after finding this forum, so thank you in advance for that guys, makes me feel i'm not alone..

1. bought so ketostix today, did the test, and it was purple... the scale goes from 0 - 16 (16 being the largest concentration of ketones), and my test was just a couple of shades lighter then this, so does this mean i am doing things right this time?

2. found an absolutely delicious low carb curry sauce, BUT altho it only has 4g ECC, 3g of this is sugar, is this a danger to my progress on induction, and should i wait until i finish induction to have it again (only had it once)?

3. decaf coffee is adviced, and tonight i had 1/2 small bottle of diet coke, then a friend told me it had caffeine in it, so i stopped drinking it, is this a problem?

4. to combat the not so nice breath (which i havent really noticed to be honest) i am having no sugar chewing gum and mints, but these contain polyols, is this acceptable as it also acts as an appetitesuppressant for me personally (not that i'm really feeling hungry, coz i'm not)?

5. I can sense in my heart that this place is going to be an absolute godsend, and by way of a "thank you" i would like to make a donation of a few £'s, how can i do this?

sorry for so many questions, but i feel that this is my time now, 40 in 14 months, 2 young boys who run (well amble really) me ragged, and i wanna be able to keep up with them...

hope someone can help, altho i'm 100% certain someone WILL be able to.. lol..

all the best..

Tony

Great loss for the first week!

Hope this helps:
1. I don't use the sticks often, but did in the beginning. I've always shown ketosis, whether loosing or not. The way I understand it, tho is if you're in ketosis, you're in ketosis. Lighter color may just mean that you're well hydrated (hopefully). If you want to use the sticks, fine....but don't be discouraged by the color, either.

2. I agree with Freckles. I look at induction as a time to get rid of your cravings for carbs, and sweet. I also think you should eat as many natural foods as possible, avoiding processed foods as much as possible.

3. I don't agree with the caffeine is bad theorey. At least not if taken in moderation. If you live on coffee, tea, colas, etc that's not good for you. Certain medical conditions can also make it dangerous for you to have caffeine.

4. I agree about avoiding the gum too. I take my water with me every place I go. I sip on it continuously....and think it helps with the "muck mouth" of LCing. Frequent brushing helps to.

No need to appologize for asking questions! That's what we're here for.

I just hit 50 and realized how bad things were. My two are almost grown. My daughter is 21 and a college student living on her own, and my son is 19 and still living here, working full time and trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life. I miss them being little.

Welcome to the forum!

I couldn't see much to add, except welcome to the forum Great start on the weight loss. Be sure to checkout all of the sections. A lot of great info and support.