Hi all,

Just for kicks, I asked my heavy-carb-eating, just-went-out-drinking-last-night BF to use a Ketostick this morning.

It turned pink!! Meanwhile.........

I'm on day 12 of induction and was happy to lose 4 lbs the first few days. Now I'm thinking it was just water weight, because since then, I haven't lost anything and have been really working hard at this! I bought ketostix and have not hit ketosis yet My carbs are under 20g, and I exercise 6 days a week (I've been doing that for 4 years now, in fact I'm studying to be a personal trainer.)

I know it takes some people longer than others to get into ketosis, and I'm not about to give up. I'm trying to get on fitday to tell y'all what I've been eating, but it's been down all day, poo.

My real question is, why the heck is my BF in ketosis? By no means is he even close to eating low carb. He loves beer, pasta, bread, you name it. Only works out about 3x a month. Not overweight by any means, but not thin either (6 foot, 180)

Could it be he just naturally has a high metabolism?

Kind of bummed out and needing a little support.......I want my sticks to turn pink!!

I've had wierd ketosis results after binge drinking. I think it's due to like flushing out your system or dehydration. Have him use them again 2morrow for kicks.

thanks girl! i know i shouldn't be a slave to the scale.......i feel better that i at least lost 4 lbs, but i still know i have some fat to lose.

i don't think i'm gaining muscle right now, because my weight routine has been fairly light, although i do lift 4x a week. I'm a mesomorph, so I do gain muscle pretty quickly. But i think that by keeping my weights light and doing high reps, I've been maintaining the muscle I have instead of gaining (which is my goal - i have enough muscle right now)

the day i start ketosis, boy, i'm going to be a happy one! i just CAN'T believe my BF is!!! it's completely weird.......i never thought in a million years that would happen!

thanks, sox, maybe i will. it's totally bizarre.

this morning i was all pissed driving to work, like "maybe i should eat a huge pasta dinner and go out drinking!"

The liver makes ketones out of alcohol. In fact it's a less complex process to do so than to make ketones from fat, so the liver will use the alcohol in preference. It has little to do with metabolism. That's why you'll read where some folks caution low-carbers to go easy with alcohol, because your fat-burning gets put on hold until all the alcohol is used up first.

As for why your own sticks aren't turnin' purple .. have a read through this post ... http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...934#post1083934 .. you'll feel a lot better


Doreen

hugs, doreen. thanks so much for that link! i felt like such a failure this morning! and the fact that he drank last night AND was dehydrated this morning explains his pink reading.

i am NOT about to give up this WOE that easily.

lol luna, you're funny. i don't go to the gym for 4 hours - now just for an hour. (i used to go for 2, and you know what? i never got below 135!! that's how i knew it was my DIET that needed changing and not my exercise.)

i hate the stix now, because of what they did to me earlier LOL. but i bought the pack so i think i'll use them up...don't like to waste money. and man, what a rip off at Walgreen's! 25 for $15!!!

Holy Moly!!!

What a rip off is right. I have an unhappy hunch that the stores may be jacking up the price of those sticks, now that low-carbing and Atkins' programs are popular. It wasn't that many years ago that ketostix were only used by diabetics, who need to be on guard for ketones when their blood sugars get super high and out of control (different condition, not the same thing as being on a low-carb diet). I haven't used them in a long time, but I did save the package insert for reference

For what it's worth to you and other readers ... there are other very-low-carb programs out there that don't require you to pee on a stick in order to be successful. Protein Power is one, and Thin for Good is another. When they "work", the sticks are a great source of motivation and reinforcement to stick to the program. But when they don't "work", it can be so frustrating. Don't let it get to you, they're just a guide, not the be-all and end-all.

Looser clothes, and smaller numbers on the measuring tape are better indicators of your success. You did take measurements. right??


Doreen

yes, thank goodness i took measurements at the beginning. i'll measure again tonight........

i think your hunch is right on about the stix becoming more expensive - i thought the same thing!!

thanks again for the kind words. i'm going to relax and go with the flow...and make sure to not let the stix get to me!

whoa, i got my keto sticks 100 for $10
you got ripped off!!

Keto Stick; What a keto-pop comes on!

My version of binge-drinking is to kick back in my recliner with a couple quarts of cold water and drink until I am dizzy!

Best to all;
Feelin-funny Jake

When I first started doing Atkins, I too had "problems" with them darn sticks. Some days they were pink, some days not. I took the advise of the folks here and stopped worrying about it.
However.........

I was at the pharmacy about a week after posting here, and casually asked the pharmacist about those sticks and the reading and she asked if I was taking any multi-vitamins or herbs. She was familiar with Atkins and had been asked this question a few times. She told me she bet it was either the vitamins or one of the herbs I was taking that was causing the odd results. So, I stopped taking any supplements for 2 days and then tested several different times over several days. And whala....she was right.

According to her, the issue had nothing to do with carbs in the vitamins, it's just that some part of the herbs and vitamins that are not absorbed by the body are excreted and depending on the levels excreted, they can cause the "reaction" on the end of the strip to be out of wack.(<-----Talk about your run on sentences...lol).

Obviously, I'm back to taking my vitamins and different herbs. It just goes to show the wisdom of the folks on this board that told me "If your following the Atkins plan, you WILL be in Ketosis."

Just a little insight from my experience. Happy low-carbing.

WOW!!!
That is just what I needed to hear!! I was having the hardest time with the ketostix and I know I was following this diet to the tee, but I was NEVER in the pink. Then for some strange reason, probably forgetfulness, I stopped taking my vitiams and herbs and guess what I'm in the pink!!! You answered my BIGGEST question!!! Thanks you, thank you, thank you. It makes so much sense now!!

Have a great LCing weekend!
Kathy

PS. All through this I have has the worst Ketosis breath!!!

Kathy,

I too was " ticked-off" at them darn things. Was no biggy, but for 10 bucks I expected pink dang it.

P.S. I also had some...ummmm...ummm...BAD breath. I use the following and it works like a charm:
Bought some tic-tacs and emptied the container, then filled it full with some powered Sugar Free Kool-Aid (Cherry, Strawberry, or any STRONG smelling flavor). When the bad breath hits, I just reach in my pocket, grab the tic-tac container and put a little dab of the powder on my toung. Works like a charm for an hour or so. It aint glamorous........but it does the trick.

Happy LCing