Do you really need ketosis testing strips? i have been doing this WOE for 4 months now and have not used them but now my loss is stalling. should i buy some?
I also found some on Ebay for $4 a bottle would you trust them?

I wouldn't trust ones on ebay unless it's a sealed bottle and still within it's expiration date. Otherwise they'll give you false readings.

The ketosis stix won't help unless you're eating below about 40-50 gm of carb because you won't be low enough to register ketosis.

I found them motivational during induction but I'm not using them much now. Maybe the stall is just a plateau you're at and the weight loss will start again soon.

Squid

Total waste of money, IMO.
I mean, what's the point? If you're "stalling" (how long have you been stuck, btw?) you won't feel better just because a darn test strip tells you you're in ketosis (or not.)

I personally never used the sticks. Another reason to be wary of the sticks from eBay is that you don't know how they were stored. Too hot or too cold storage conditions can damage the sticks so they give inaccurate readings, or none at all.

I get a psychological boost from seeing that I'm in ketosis. That said, just because the stick doesn't turn pink or purple doesn't mean that you're not burning fat. I found that before I started drinking lots of water, I was regularly getting a dark purple shade and feeling very virtuous. Then, when I upped my water intake to 64+ oz per day, I noticed that the test sticks were much lighter in color, and sometimes did not turn color at all. Why? Because the more dilute your urine is, the less ketones will be present in that particular pee sample. Just because your stick reads a very faint shade of pink does not mean that you are any less in ketosis than if you register dark purple. The analogy would be a pregnancy test -- you are not "just a little pregnant" -- you either are or you aren't. In fact, if the stick regularly shows a dark purple, and esp. if you do not drink at least 64 oz of water a day, chances are you are dehydrated.

What I do now is I test every other day or so. I test first thing in the morning when my urine is at its strongest concentration. Even so, with all the water I've been drinking, I never get beyond a Mild to Moderate ketosis reading. If I drink water throughout the day and test later on, the strips barely register, if at all.

So, I don't think they are necessary, but if you are a person who likes concrete types of reassurance, the ketosis strips can give it to you provided you don't let the results make or break your day.

P.S. I don't think the strips are a waste of money. You can find them pretty cheap at any drugstore and they come about 100 to a bottle, enough to last you several months.

Thing is, you can be in ketosis and not lose a thing.

And you can get a blank reading on the stix because your body already burned the ketones for fuel (and you think you're not in ketosis).

Etc.

Therefore I do regard them as a total waste of money. Not only that, they are an immense source of frustration for people who turtle or have stalled.

I tried them too, during first weeks of induction, got mauve to purple readings and felt like a good Atkineer. But when that first package was used up, I didn't see the point in buying a new one just for the fun of weeing on my hand every day.

Losing weight and having dragon breath was enough evidence of ketosis for me.

I use them as a boost too - not everyday though.

I had a package from Walmart pharmacy and then bought a package at half the price off of Ebay (this included Shipping). I made sure the person had a good feedback rating and that the strips said NEW and had a long expiration date.
When I received them, I used both the Walmart and Ebay purchases strips and my Ebay strips worked GREAT and I am still using them.

I bought a bottle when I started and used them during induction but now they are just sitting on a shelf. The only time I ever use them now is if I think I've eaten too many carbs or if I've done a little cheat, but even then they don't prove anything.

I use them once a week just to make sure I'm on track. And they are definately a real morale booster.

I wouldnt buy them on ebay b/c you dont know if they are opened. I've bought them on vitaglo.com really cheap, they also have other low carb products and free shipping too.

My friend gave me a few of hers to use. I have never registered positive for ketosis, but my breath tells me otherwise !!!!!!!
pati