Well, day five and still can't get this ketosis thing going. I've given up the salads today. I've slowly cut the coffee to 3/4 of one cup and will try to cut further tomorrow (headaches get intense!). I was drinking a diet soda with my dinner but I guess I'll have to give that up as well. I don't know - is it worth it? I don't mind the 'diet' as I don't feel hungry. But it seems that as I'm not a red meat eater, my choices are now so severely limited that I'll lose the will to eat altogether! I bought some protein power with no carbohydrates, but I can't think what to mix it with, as I think just water would be pretty grim - are there any ideas out there? Has anyone else gone through this? I know it's silly but I just did that ketosis test, no colour, and just sat down and cried! HELP!!!

hey Peewoddin, if you're burning up the ketones as fast as you're making them, which is entirely possible, none spill out into the urine and get registered on the sticks.
Stick with the diet and forget those sticks. Some people never register any ketones and still lose weight nicely.
Its so hard to start with we all want some signal that something is happening.
It is - but it may not show!

Cutting caffeine down is not a bad plan, but not all plans insist on it entirely - go slowly and gently on yourself.
Some folk stall with artificial sweeteners and some have dodgy health effects so cutting those on a regular basis might not be a bad plan - the odd one isn't going to hurt.
I put double (heavy) cream and the odd mashed strawberry into my protein shakes. yummm
I hear you about the red meat, my DH doesn't eat a lot either, but chicken, all fish, ham, cheese, sausages, bacon, eggs.

Hope you start finding it easier, don't cry my friend, it does get better. In several months and umpteen pounds lighter, you'll wonder what it was all about. I've been doing this for 3 months, so can remember induction vividly but its got much better since.
Take care, Jay

Hello peewoddin,

Sometimes it can take several days for ketosis to kick in, so don't give up just yet. I personally find those ketone strips to be as addictive and frustrating as the scale, so I have to just do without them. The more I focus on either of those as the goal, the worse I do at my actual eating.

I would say to just keep your carb count under 20, but don't try to go to zero just to get results on the test strips. As jaykay pointed out, you may very well see results without ever registering on the test strips.

It will get better! Once you get past induction, you get a few more food choices and that makes it a little easier.

Best of luck!


Kari

p.s. On the caffiene issue... I reduced my coffee intake, but I never gave it up completely. I couldn't take the headaches!

Dear Jaykay and Catgirl - thanks for your kind replies. I didn't know you COULD lose weight if the sticks weren't showing ketones. If that's possible, then I'll just carry on and hope for the best. I've always been such a lone wolf about my problems, it's really sort of overwhelming to write something on a computer one evening when I'm feeling blue and then wake up to realise that a couple of people I don't even know had the kindness to reach out while I was feeling down. Gives me hope about so much more than a silly diet...and maybe that's the point?
Love and blessings to us all!