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Ketosis ketostix

alliebee

Well-Known Member
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Rothwell N' ants
The sheer joy at the stix going quite dark pink has been offset by being told that this could be due to the fact I'm not drinking enough. 2 and a half litres of plain water a day though. Is the dark colour because I've only in the last few days gone into ketosis. Been lchf for a week and a half.. feel great mind you
 
I must admit mine have never gone anything but the palest pink, but then I'm not too carb, or particularly trying for ketosis. Sorry, I don't know any of the finer points.
 
2.5 litres of water is plenty, unless you live in a jungle or a desert. You are in ketosis.
 
But don't worry if the colour gets lighter over time!

It won't mean you are going to have to reduce carbs to keep inside some moveable target keto-zone.

What actually happens is that, over time, the body adjusts to ketosis, and starts metabolising ketones more efficiently, and can eliminate ketones through the lungs (keto breath, which smells of pear drops) and (I think) the skin. So smaller amounts of ketones pass through the kidneys and out through your widdle. And the ketostix get paler.

In time, you will know from the way your body feels when you enter and leave ketosis.
 
And it starts retaining the type of ketone bodies that ketostix can detect and mostly eliminating the kind ketostix can't detect. Which is why Inuit who lived on seal blubber for 6 months didn't show ketosis on ketostix.
 
Thankyou both. Its fascinating learning all this. Very kind of you to take the time to answer. Such lovely people on this forum. So supportive of each other
 
alliebee said:
Just amazing ok so 1 slice of burgen bread is not enough to spike me much...but it kicked me out of ketosis. Learning every day
Click to expand...

But you'll drop back into it much more quickly now,

I can't get on with Burgen either, but I'm much better with Livlife (though it's pricey), and Sukrin bread is brill - though even more expensive.
 
Another question please. I'm bouncing in and out of ketosis. This is my third week lchf and 2 squares of 85% chocolate seems to have knocked me out I'm using my fitness pal and it told me im averaging 35 carbs a day. I'm eating pretty much the same things as I'm adding things slowly and I'm learning what keeps me in low bgs....anyone know why this is happening?
 
As noted above you might not really be going in and out, it could be due to deficiencies of ketostix. You might want to get a beta-ketone blood meter if you can afford one, or that non invasive ketone breathalyser that @ElyDave has.

How much protein does MFP say you are eating? If you are down to 35gCH a day it could be the protein that's kicking you out. That is likely to be an in/out process because once you come out of ketosis you stop converting protein to glucose, so you can go back into to ketosis, at which point protein conversion restarts... etc etc. This is why Bernstein and Atkins didn't work for me, because there is too much protein and too little fat.
 
I don't have a breath meter, but I do have the Glucomen LX which does both ketones and BG
 
I think you are right @Spiker. My protein is more than I thought with eggs cheese and meat. I watched that video you posted last night too. Understsanding now good fats and percentages more...could you tell me roughly how much these meters are please?
 
The Glucomen LX is the one so have a check online - T1s get them free usually so I don't know price I am afraid. If self funding the LX beta ketone blood strips are about a pound a pop. If T1 it should all be free on prescription. However - docs are expecting you to use blood ketone testing during serious illness, not for every day checks of nutritional ketosis. Using lots of NHS funded blood ketone strips might invite scrutiny from your GP.
 
I'm still a bit of a newbie myself @Tracieo. So I would advise google. Simplified its when you restrict carbohydrates to a very low level mainly from veggies so the body has to turn to healthy fats for energy
 
@ alliebee

I use these, FreeStyle Optium®Blood glucoseFreeStyle Optium®50-strip pack = £15.501.1–27.8AbbottBlood ketonesFreeStyle Optium® β-ketone10-strip pack = £20.860–8.0Abbott .

The products are excellent ,but the price for the ketone strips is highway robbery. I get my brother to send me supplies from another country where they are far cheaper.
 
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