Hi everyone

I started my ketogenic diet on 23rd Sept 2002. My goals are probably somewhat strange in that I do not need or wish to lose weight. What I want is to reduce body fat, particularly around my stomach.

Since starting my new food plan I have reduced my available carbs down to around or below 20 grams per day.

I drink plenty of water and exercise regularly.

I have recently received some Ketostiks and have tested first thing in the morning and just before my evening meal for the last few days and no sign of any ketones.

Now my question....

If I consume too may grams of protein and in particular FAT will ketones not show unless they are consuming stored body fat or do they show anyway. If the answer is the former then I must deduce from that, that I am consuming too much FAT in my daily food intake.

I should add that my weight has remained constant while on this programme which is my first goal but the reduction of excess body fat will only occur if ketones appear I presume.

Sorry if this has been asked a thousand times already.

Thanx for your time.

Let me first say that no diet burns specific fatty areas on the body. The body will burn fat randomly. Which means that the fat on your tummy area could be the last to go. If you know of a diet that targets specific areas please let us all in on it

Ketostix register ketones in the urine, from dietary fat and body fat. You can not tell the difference.

You didn't say if you were exercising or not. Ever try stomach crunches and sit ups to help tone that tummy area? If not you may want to give that a try to help shape that area.

Hi Agonycat

Thanx for the quick response. I did in fact state that I exercise in my original posting.

For the record I weight train 3-4 times per week and have done so for 18 months and along with the change in my eating habits is the reason I am now the weight that I am. Originally I weighed 238 lbs from eating enough to feed a pig. I was not following a LC diet simply a reduced calorie low fat diet.

To follow up on what you said that Ketostiks should register both dietary fat and existing stored body fat, any idea why I am getting a negative reading if my carbs are restricted to <20 grams per day?

Could be a bad bottle of strips.

Many things effect those:

1) Water vapor from showers
2) Age
3) Exercise does burn ketones to which there is none to spill over into the urine

So it could be you are burning all the ketones by your workouts. We do have an exercise forum here both BFL and CKD/Body Opus you may want to drop in there and give TrainerDan a shout out and see if he has any ideas