Alright...so when your body is in ketosis, it's using fat as energy (not those ugly carbs), so are the ketones the biproducts of that (a biproducts that is bad to leave in out body)????
Or are the ketones our energy? B/c that info that said ketonestix don't show up for some people b/c they don't have excess? Since mine are showing up, I have excess? Now you'll see how really confused I am...Do I have excess b/c maybe that means my body is using the carbs instead? Alright I'm confused...somebody straighten me out.
Also, I only need a trace to show up on the stix for ketosis, well mine said moderate (40 mg and I'm drinking 5 liters of H20.day). Is that perfect? Can I get more in ketosis? And what's this I read about how a consentration of them in the blood stream is bad (i.e. dark purple stix)...is that only (bad) b/c it means your dehydrated, could you have that many 160 ketones and not be dehydrated?

If anyone can answers these Q's for me, I will love them to death...lol

See...I've been using my nasty breath to tell that I'm in ketosis, but I thought I would use something more scientific and gradituding (is that a word?), but instead I'm confused with pink stix, that I know are good, but don't know why...

Thanks everyone for straightening me out

There is a fantastic article on the subject by Doreen under Low Carb Tips at the top of the page, in the orange bar, called 'Ketosis & Ketone Test Strips'. While your there, check out the rest of the articles too. They're all great!

Karen

that's what got me more confused...I read those and did a search. I'm just really confused on what the ketones are and if they're good, can I get more of them (or is a trace enough)? Does that make sense?

Erin

In other words, when your body has no glucose/sugar for fuel, it uses stored fat. When fat is used as fuel, it leaves what could be figuratively described as "ashes" which are ketones. They are excreted in urine, sweat etc.

If you want to see more evidence of ketosis in action, drink only one glass of water for a day. Water dilutes the concentration of ketones, so generally people who drink a lot of water may only have the stix show as trace.

You've done great without them so far...

Karen

I posted a thread about this too, and I still don't really understand. I know what ketones are. I just wonder what it means that I am testing between moderate and large or just plain old large ALL the time. I am testing before meals, so it is not from the fat I am eating. I drink so much water, always have, so it is no biggy for me to down 3 or 4 litres a day. More often then not I test dark purple. anyone??????

I tested them again today and they were moderate, but again...not weight change????????? If i"m ketosis, what is up?

My main questions (I rethought out it, a littler clearer this morning) were:

1. Are ketones a biproduct or is that what our uses for energy? - Karen, you answered that...Thanks much

and 2. are more good or bad - or rephased, is more the merry concerning weight loss? Do I want many of them in my blood b/c that means my body is burning tons of fat? or when there's a huge build up, your not flushing them out? DOes that make sense?

Anyway, I just to see another number besides 159...I had some bread this week so although I"m in ketosis, could that still stop me up?

Thanks E

What I've gathered, Erin, is that if you have a lot of ketone bodies floating around in your system it may signal your body that "Hey we've got lots of them, stop burning fat we don't need anymore". Ketone body production is not constant; you can test and have "trace" and then 2 hours later have "Medium", your body burns fat as it needs fuel. If you keep the concentration of ketone bodies diluted and flushed out of your system with water and if you burn more fuel because you're active then you're going to need to produce more, which would mean you need to burn more fat. Make sense?

Nat

Sooo...you're saying if they are showing up in my blood, that altough they are "ashes" from fat burning, this is an indication that I may have too much fat and should start becoming more active (i.e. exercise). If I'm off the mark, just shoot me...

Bang!

Not quite. They're in your blood because that is where they are being used as fuel. The ashes are what's left over after the burning, they spill over into your lungs and urine as you get rid of them. Drinking water dilutes the concentration and keeps you hydrated and your cells happy and it makes you pee. This is how you get rid of them. Exercise burns them up too. Ever notice that with a really hot fire there are fewer ashes left behind? Less to clean up in the fireplace? Exercise requires fuel, more ketone bodies are used and used more completely, there are less floating around in your system to spill over. After exercising I barely register "trace" if I test, regardless of the time of day.

So if you've used up most of your fuel exercising or being active and you've diluted the concentration of what is left in your system, then your body needs to make more from the fat you've got stored away.

This of course is simplified I'm sure I can find a much more detailed explanation if you're intested
Nat

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I'm not kidding, I understand Alright, so I guess I start working out I knew the day would come some time.

Thanks for your patience. I'm not kidding, I'm going to start drinking like 7 l of water to get rid of them..lol

*lol* You're welcome.

Check out the AM Cardio on an empty stomach post in Exercise by Fern for some tips on the workout thing.

Nat

Nat...I almost didn't recognize you, great picture...

I hear the BANG...BANG...lol

Alright...so today for no aparent reason (tom is on the way...so I snacked all day), I upped my fats (alot) and my stix color has lowered - to trace and small (from moderate)...I checked a couple of times today (they're fun). Anyway, my question is: From this site, I've read numerous people that said "it takes fat to lose fat"...can your body have too much..I mean soo much that ketosis has problems? I know the levels can change (from hour to hour), but since mine were consistant all day and lowered today(even with all that H2O - 5 liters), what does that mean? Is my body using this fat or not?

Here's the sort of things I had...macadamia nuts (3 servings), 1 serving of pepperoni slices, 2 mozarella peels, 1 mock mcmuffin, 2 mock danishes and one chocolate bar and 5 liters of H2O. I KNOW HOW BAD THIS LOOKS, but I NORMALLY NEVER EAT LIKE THIS...I always have eggs and bacon for bk...and salad with steak for dinner (and for those three days I had my 8 carb toast, but those days are over)...I really not lying this was the first crazy day

I'm not worried about my WOL, I'm just curious what's going on with my ketones. I was rereading my Dr.Atkins (I think I'm going to get a better book...most of time he saying why others think what he's is doing is wrong and then being defensive about it, and not adding a lot of real info), and he said that basically more ketones is better, but I want more than that...Protein Power gives a good scientific analysis right?