(Sorry if some of you have seen this question on the Atkins board; I didn't get any responses there, so am trying again!)

Hmm, either I have a bad batch of Ketostix, or I'm swinging in and out of ketosis.

I had my first and only big-carb day on Saturday (my birthday), and went straight back on induction Sunday. Since then, the stix have shown "trace" ketones about half the time and "none" the other half; I can be in ketosis at night and out of it in the morning!

Before my big-carb day, for six weeks I was *always* in the "small" or "moderate" amount range.

I'm not cheating at all, my carbs are always 20g or below, no caffeine, no alcohol, no frankenfoods of any kind.

I don't understand how it would be possible to go into ketosis and then out (over and over for several days) unless carbs were introduced back into the system, which they have not been.

Has this happened to anyone else?

The stix don't directly measure ketosis, just ketones in your urine. You are probably never leaving ketosis, you are probably just not excreting any for the stix to read.

It is one of the common misconceptions. You don't have to turn your ketostix purple at all, either to be in ketosis or to lose weight.