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How to get into Ketosis?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
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Anonymous

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I have now got my ketone sticks, and the best I am getting is the second colour up in the positives. How can I get that lovely purple colour? Also, other than the body burning fat, are there any other benefits in being in a state of ketosis? I am still loosing between one and two pounds a week, and frankly, I expected more :thumbdown: I do however, have very good BG control for someone diagnosed 4 weeks ago :thumbup:

Should I be drinking larger amounts than the 8 glasses of water we are told to down a day? I know fluids can help to flush the fat out even more. Maybe I need more.

Thanks for any advance fellow low carbers x
 

Ketostix are fun, and getting some nice purple colours is certainly encouraging, but ketones in your urine are at best a rough estimate of ketones in your blood*. Even if you can't change the colour of your ketostix at all, it doesn't mean that you aren't in ketosis. In fact, when you are completely keto adapted, you can potentially burn all of the ketones for energy and not waste them in your urine.

Hydration is a factor but the more you drink, the more you'll dilute the ketones in your urine. I drink way too much Coke Zero, so mine are often diluted. Sometimes my ketostix are negative or if I've been running they are often deep purple. It varies every day and during every day. I think the fact that you get any at all is a very positive and encouraging sign.

I was thinking about a "show us your purple ketostix" thread, but the T1 diabetics might get upset with me.

You're doing brilliantly.

Stephen

*I have a blood ketone meter waiting for me in America when I visit in a month. The strips are very expensive though...
 
Thanks Steven. I think a show us your sticks thread sounds good if it is just for type 2`s, and low carbing ones at that.

There is one thing I can guarantee you, I`m not running anywhere. I am far too unfit. I get a good sweat up mopping the floors

Not more test strips. You will have to take out a mortgage at this rate, but that meter sounds very tempting!

Jeanne
 
I've been cutting carbs for years and never managed to get colour on ketostix. Since I'm also not losing weight I do wonder if I'm peculiar. People who know me would say I am.
I struggle to keep my weight from going up. MY TSH is over the level where most countries would treat me for thyroid insufficiency, but the NHS sets the level lower. I've asked the doctors and they say my thyroid is OK, when I know it's not. thus I just have to keep eating less.
Hana
 
I have a 'Optium Xceed' meter that tests for blood Ketones but as you say,I fear the strips will be more expensive than the Regular Glucose ones sadly.What model meter are you getting from the states stephen?
 

What is your thyroid reading Hana? It is disgraceful how they are leaving you untreated!
 

It's one of these:
http://www.abbottdiabetescare.com/preci ... ystem.html

It was only about $30 on Amazon USA (when sent to my US office). I think that the strips are about $2 each, which is very expensive, but I'm a former engineer so I'm obsessed with data. And I'm a sucker for a new diabetes gadget...
 
If you are hydrating properly (very important for weight loss) then you may only show a pink on the ketostix. That is perfectly acceptable. Well done!
 
sweetLea said:
If you are hydrating properly (very important for weight loss) then you may only show a pink on the ketostix. That is perfectly acceptable. Well done!
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Awwww. Thank you
 

I am going in for all the diabetes supplements at the moment, anything I see that helps diabetics is either here, or winging it's way here. After I have tried all of those, no doubt my attention will turn to gadgets. Although not obsessed with statistics, anything that will tell me what my body is up to, will become a 'must have'.

Jeannemum, like you I only get the second step up, but I know I have lost weight, and quite a lot too. In my case a lot of it was water, as I did suffer from dreadful swelling which has now gone (almost). Jewelery is looser, and my daughters mentioned the other day, they could see a change even though they live with me all the time. Clothing is now certainly a bit looser as well. So the Ketostix are not always 100% accurate. I do very much agree with Borofergie that the amount we drink does dilute the urine and so give an untrue reading. Try testing with the first urine of the day, or after doing something like gardening or a good bout of floor mopping.
 
I got to the third colour today. I also had a sudden drop in weight, 2 and a half pounds since Friday. I am very happy
 
Jeannemum said:
I got to the third colour today. I also had a sudden drop in weight, 1 and a half pounds since Friday. I am very happy
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You are the diabetes diet buster, well done you. Who will be falling down a grate soon? :lol:
 
Not very soon,and you beat me, it was 2 and a half!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Jeannemum said:
Not very soon,and you beat me, it was 2 and a half!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Piffle :lol: You are doing much better that me, because your weight is coming off slowly and steadily, mine is falling far, far to rapidly, and in an unsustainable pace. Well done you.

PS I have only ever managed a trace with ketostix.
 
I've now lost 3 stone -though not lost any weight for a while (sigh) even though I've over 2 stone still to lose. I keep my carbs down to between 50 and 70 grams per day and have never managed to change the colour on a ketostick. I do drink a lot of water/tea and coffee though. And sleep a good 13-14 hours a day.
 
My ketone's according to my stick are now one from deep purple. I know I am well into ketosis and also by my weight loss. I'm not sure how much I have lost, but would hazard a guess at around a stone in six weeks.
 
Defren said:
My ketone's according to my stick are now one from deep purple. I know I am well into ketosis and also by my weight loss. I'm not sure how much I have lost, but would hazard a guess at around a stone in six weeks.
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I would say more than that.
 
Hi there,

Am I missing something here. I dont understand why you would want dark colours on a ketostick? Surely ketoacidosis is dangerous. I had a purple one once simply because it was the 1st time I was ill after diagnosis. I had food poisoning, couldnt keep water down so stopped taking my daytime insulin as could'nt eat for throwing back up and was scared of taking insulin, having a major hypo and not waking up! ( thought my background insulin would cover me, obviously not. ) My GP explained what to do when sick which was a great help! And yes I am a T1 :?
 

Ketosis is a state that means you are using fat to fuel your body. Ketoacidosis is different and yes, it is dangerous.
 
shop said:
Am I missing something here. I dont understand why you would want dark colours on a ketostick? Surely ketoacidosis is dangerous.
Click to expand...

Yes, dietry ketosis is a natural (and some say beneficial) metabolic state that you enter into when heavily you restrict your carbohydrate intake. Ketoacidosis is a type of runaway ketosis that sometimes occurs in Type 1 Diabetics whose insulin levels are too low. Unlike dietry ketosis, ketoacidosis is a very serious condition which requires immediate medical attention.

If you eat a so called "balanced" diet (ie one with a relatively high carbohydrate content) then your brain is almost entirely fuelled by glucose - using about 100g of carbohydrate a day to meet it's energy requirement. If you restrict the carbohydrate in your diet to less than 100g of carb a day, then your metabolism enters a state of mild ketosis, where it begins to break down fatty acids (from either body fat or ingested fat) to fuel itself. The most important product of this are ketones, which are basically an alternative energy source for your brain (instead of carbohydrate generated glucose).

In a state of deep ketosis (say where you carbohydrate intake is less than <<30g a day) your brain gets around 75% of it's fuel from ketones, and the remained 25% from glucose, all of which can be manufactured in your liver from fatty acids and protein (a process called gluconeogenesis). The means that (in principal) your net requirement for carbohydrate is zero, although this is difficult, impractical and altogether uncessary in practice.

Some of us (T2 diabetics), try and keep ourselves in permanently in ketosis by eating less than 30g of carbohydrate a day. It's pretty hardcore, and certainly not for everyone, but we most of us manage to keep our blood glucose under complete control (as close as possible to non-diabetic levels), and sometimes experience other metabolic benefits, such as weight loss, increased lucidity and, in my case, improved athletic performance. We use Ketostix to reassure ourselves that we are in a state of controlled ketosis (usually 0-40 mg/dl with low BG)

T1 diabetics use Ketostix to make sure that they aren't suffering from ketoacidosis (>40mg/dl with high BG). There are T1 diabetics that use the ultra-low-carb approach (in fact it was originally proposed by Dr Richard Bernstein), but I can appreciate that it's much more difficult if you are worried about ketoacidosis.
 
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