Hi,

I started on the Adkins diet 10 days ago. I've
been testing my urine with Ketone test strips I
purchased at GNC. The manufacturer is
LW Scientific from Tucker, Georgia, USA. For ten
days I've kept my daily carb intake below 20
grams. Each night I've tested my urine and each
night its come out negative. Two days I had
zero carbs because I was getting frustrated. I
also exercise 60 minutes on a NordicTrak each day.

Tonight, I went to Walgreens and bought Ketone
test strips manufactured by Bayer. These are used by diabetics to test for Ketones. It showed I
had a "Large" amount of Ketones! Registered 80!
At the same time I dipped the GNC test strips in
the same Urine. Came up negative again.

I don't know if I just got a bad batch or this
brand is generically defective. They have an
expiration date of Feb, 2002, so they should be
good.

Anyway, if you aren't registering any Ketones
in your urine and you think you've followed the
rules, go to a drug store and ask the pharmacist
for the Ketone test strips. Walgreens keeps them
behind the counter.

Mark

Hi Mark. Welcome to the forum and wtg on those 20+ lbs You must feel wonderful!

Good advice about the test strips, I'd just like to add that if you're registering "heavy" it would be a good idea to drink more water. Darker on those things usually means dehydrated which is not good. Optimal fat burning happens when you're properly hydrated Also, remember that if you're not showing it could that you've used up all the ketone bodies produced as fuel (I hardly ever get above trace as I drink lots of water and use the nordictrack as well, for about 45 minutes every morning - arent they wonderful machines?)

Best of luck to you in your LC Journey
Nat

Yes, welcome, and thanks for the tip.

Other possible reasons for the strips giving negative results (when they "should" be positive) are discussed in the article Ketosis and Ketone Test Strips, from Low Carb Tips on the orange menu bar at the top of every page.

I'd also like to remind folks of the importance of TIMING when reading the strips. Read the label, and follow the directions exactly. If it says to take the reading at 15 seconds, then that is when you take the reading. Not at 30 seconds, not at 2 minutes. The chemical in the little pad on the end of the stick will continue to darken after the peak ketone reading, but this is due to the decompostion of other non-ketone products in the urine. Some folks who think they're testing "dark" all the time are actually waiting for the strips to turn as dark as possible before taking the reading. Don't.

There is yet another reason for faulty readings ... some folks have found they get more accurate results if they collect the urine in a small container, and then dip the test strip to take the reading. It seems that holding the strip directly in the urine flow may cause the chemical reagent to be washed out of the little pad ...

Just a few more reasons to NOT get hung up on those strips....

Doreen

Nat,

Thanks for the advice on hydration. I've never
been much of a water drinker. Mostly diet Coke.
Since starting a low carb diet I've been thirsty.
Now I'm driking 2 liter bottles of water, 2 or 3
16 ounce glasses of lemonade ( fresh squeezed
lemon juice, Splenda, and bottled water ), and
one or two cans of Dietrite ( decaf and Splenda ).
That's a total of 128 ounces of liquid a day.
Is that enough?

Also, back to the test strips. Last night, to
test the strips, I held one of each in my hand
and dipped them in the urine at the same time.
One ( the Bayer from Walgreens ) registered 80,
the other one from GNC was negative. I think the
test strips from GNC are defective. Its shocking
to me, because diebetics rely on the feedback
from these to keep alive! I'm just trying to
loose a little weight.

Thanks,

Mark

Looks good, Mark. 64 oz of water is the minimum your body needs to function; anything over and above is what's going to help with weight loss. Water with lemon is great, and if the splenda doesnt cause you to crave the real thing (sugar) then it shouldnt be a problem. A good rule of thumb for adequate water intake is to half your body weight and drink that many ounces a day. Looks like you're right on track.

Nat