Hello Bytor & welcome to you and your wife. I hope things are going well for you both. I'll try to answer your questions.
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But I was wondering how good these sticks are. My wife and I have been on introduction now for 7 days. We tested using sticks and our levels where at Dark Purple which is 2nd from the top?
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If you and your wife are following Atkins Induction, and are getting a dark purple reading, then you are in ketosis. Any reading on the stix (or sticks) is good - even the Trace or pale pink. The sticks are NOT all that accurate. And they cannot tell if the ketones are coming from your body's burning of stored fat or the fat you are eating. But which one is not important. It just shows that you are burning fat. A person also gets rid of ketones through the breath (which is measured by a machine at the Atkins Center in NYC) or through the waste material of the intestines. So urine is only one of 3 possible exits for the ketones.
Some people feel that such a strong reading on the Ketostix might indicate a person is somewhat dehydrated, so I hope you are both drinking several quarts of water through the day.
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It is my understanding that we are now in the fat burning mode correct? Also if we use these to verify we are in a low carb state and buring fat!
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Yes, you are burning fat for energy, rather than storing excess calories as fat on the hips, thighs, etc. A person is "in a low carb state" if they are eating few carbs. However, you can also get a positive reading from the fat you are eating. The best advice is to just follow Induction and eat only what is on the list.
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Also anyone have a Idea for Cereal & milk something without Pork Rinds
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Well, not in the 2 weeks of Induction, because it isn't on the list.
However, there are a couple of 'low carb cereal products' on some sites. I think that the site at the top of the forum has a "keto-cereal". And I also think that Atkins site (
www.atkinscenter.com) may have one.
It may be that you are in the habit of having cereal for breakfast. But that is just another habit you may want to change. Why limit yourselves to 'breakfast foods' for breakfast? Try eating other things like leftovers from dinner, or check out the recipes in our "breakfast section". there are lots of good ideas.
In general, it is a good idea to avoid seeking out 'substitutes' for the high carb stuff we used to eat. After all, this is a change in your WOE (way of eating) for the rest of your life.
I hope that you have read the book thoroughly (at least as far as how to do Induction). If not, please do borrow it from the library or buy a paperback if possible. There are great suggestions there and you will get answers to so many questions.