I really want to make certain that I am not going to be gaining weight by eating all of this fat. I don't want my weight to be static either. I'm sacrificing too much yummy food for that. What does it mean when the ketostix come out purple? Does it mean that you definitely will be losing body fat, or can you still be in ketosis when your weight loss is halted?

I don't yet have conclusive proof that Atkins is working for me. I appear to have lost a few pounds, but for some reason I feel that my pants are tighter, not looser. I try to exercise everyday. It was raining today and I couldn't go outside. I don't know any good exercises to do inside.

So if someone could put my mind at ease that as long as my body is in ketosis I will be getting thinner I would be very grateful.

Thanks,
csf

If you're in ketosis (and you're not diabetic with blood sugar out of control) then you're burning fat for energy. Further, you're not storing the fat you're eating -- you need insulin present to do that.

Be patient, keep doing what you're doing. It's the right thing.

-M.

Thanks, Mark. I love your hamster.

I have been eating more fat in the last 16 days than I have ever been aware of and my weight has dropped 14 pounds

Maybe its all the water we drink that is making your pants 'seem' tighter at this stage.

Deep purple stix normally means you are dehydrated. Being dehydrated will make you retain weight. You may want to up your water intake. And since you say you are working out on a daily basis makes me think you are really dehydrating, considering exercise burns most of the ketones out of ones system. If you are indeed exercising every day, and drinking the required water, then your strips should be around a mild pink.

Now on to the other issue. What yummy foods are you sacrificing? It doesn't sound like you have made a life long commitment to changing your way of eating. Sounds more like you are going to lose the weight and once you do, go back to the way you were eating that made you gain weight to begin with.

It is possible to be in ketosis and not lose a single pound. I did that for 8 months or so. It happens.

Thanks for your reply, agonycat. It looks like you have made great progress, so I won't be concerned if, like you, I am slow to lose weight at first.

I may have said some things in such a way that it caused you to draw some false inferences, so sorry about that. First of all, I didn't mean literal purple on the ketostix. I simply meant to say that they do change color (never past the shade on the bottle that indicates "small amount of ketones"). So apparently I am in ketosis. I just wasn't sure exactly how that translates into shedding fat. I drink upwards of one gallon of water a day. I am more hydrated than I have ever been in my life, and my pee is crystal clear by the end of each day. So I don't think that dehydration is a problem I am facing right now. I don't even work out that hard. I ride my bike outside for 10 or 15 minutes, and I try to do a lot of walking. Last night I did a couple of sets of crunches.

Secondly, I guess I should clear up what I meant about the food. I do plan to continue a low carb lifestyle permanently if this does prove to be a good thing for me. The Atkins book and the Atkins website say a lot of things, some of which I believe and some of which seem a little fishy, but the ultimate proof would be in whether or not my body changes. I have been feeling pretty good lately, so that's a good sign. Hopefully I will continue to slim down. What I meant by that remark was that I do miss sweet, starchy foods (like lemon merengue pie ), and if this diet isn't working and I'm going to stay fat no matter what, I would rather be eating those foods.

Anyway, hope you are well. Take care.

-csf