Readings in Ketosis

[MandyLupton]

Help folks,

What does LLC consider a normal keytone reading on LL because I have the sticks at home and they can read from the light pink+ to burgundy+++.
I've found it depends on how much water I drink and what time of the day it is.

[laststraw]

I think a medium colour is apparently the best.

According to junior LLC, everyone will naturally have a different level and though that medium colour is good, she also monitors changes for example if it is very dark, it can be because we are dehydrated which obviously isn't a good thing. The colour will change naturally throughout the day as you say depending on when you had your last pack, how much water you've done etc.

[MandyLupton]

LS thanks again, so any reading is ok but LLC prefers a mid range reading.
Just have to make sure I can go to the loo, cause when you have to go I often can't lol!!

[laststraw]

Just stole this from a CDC post. It's a bit diff to what I was told so the moral of the story is don't get too hung up on the colour however if it is very dark you may need to drink more water.

http://www.minimins.com/very-low-cal...-ketostix.html (Ketosis / Reading Ketostix)

Originally Posted by Lesly Cambridge

Just a thought: the sticks are very sensitive. If you've spent the money on them, make sure you read the leaflet properly, wash and thoroughly dry your hands every time, shake one out, tightly close the pot, time it carefully, etc, etc.

If you get any positive colours, you're in ketosis. The first 2 or 3 shades are the most desirable, and deep purple means you are passing many spare ketones, even if you are drinking 4 litres or more.

But having said all that, some people never get an accurate reading, and the silliest thing I heard was the suggestion to save money by cutting the sticks in half along the length.....which will ruin them.

Simply put, if you're having all three (or four) portions of Cambridge Diet, 2.25 to 4 litres of water, and nothing else each day, if you're not hungry and you feel great - no matter what colour the stick shows, you're in ketosis.

And just to emphasise: ketosis is what makes CD safe as it protects your lean tissue. That's why it's important.

Clever, innit?

[MandyLupton]

LS what would I do without you!
Thanks that was very informative and means I'm doing ok.

[laststraw]

Originally Posted by nictastic

Originally Posted by nictastic

A Quick primer on the Ketone Test Strips...

Questions about ketones, ketosis, KetoStix, and its implications and misconceptions have always been one of the most common querries at Low Carb Luxury. We'll try and clear up some of those mysteries here.

So... what are they?

You'll hear them referred to as KetoStix (the original brand name), Urine Test Strips, Reagent Strips, Ketone Testing Strips, and Lipolysis Test Strips.

Depending on the plan you follow and whether you are new to this way of life, or an old timer from the 70's, you'll be referring to them as one name or another if your plan calls for being in Ketosis.

Please note, we're not here to debate the merits of Ketogenic vs non-Ketogenic diets here, so don't send me mail of disagreement. For me personally, being in Ketosis is my ideal state and keeps my body's systems at their best. The Ketosis we're talking about here is what Dr. Atkins refers to as "Benign Dietary Ketosis" (or BDK), and should never be confused with Acidosis — a dangerous state for diabetics and those in advanced starvation where acetone builds in the blood and tissues. People will sometimes tell you that producing ketones is dangerous for the body. This is simply misinformation. They're confusing ketosis (the state from a Ketogenic diet) with ketoacidosis (or acidosis) which occurs in uncontrolled diabetes and/or starvation.

Ketones?
Ketones are incompletely burned carbon fragments. The very fact that they are less efficient as fuel is what makes them give you that 'metabolic advantage.' Some of the calories burned are not used to their full capacity... hence the person can eat more calories when in ketosis than when not, and still lose the same amount of weight.

Ketoacids are short (four carbons long.) It's important because in that way they are able to penetrate cells to feed them when there is no glucose present. The fat stores accumulate fat as very long fatty acids. They're ordinarily difficult to break down because they're so long.

When the body must use its fat stores for energy (our goal to lose weight), these fat cells begin to release the long fatty acids into the blood.

To be used as fuel, particularly by the brain, the fatty acids go to the liver where they are literally cut into two carbon fragments (ketoacids.)

They are then utilized (burned) by many tissues, including the brain. The brain operates just as well on a diet of ketoacids as it does on glucose. What's left (the incompletely burned fragments) are called ketones, and they are what spill into the urine to be swept from the body.

So in a nutshell...
When the body is in the fat burning state — where it has no carbohydrate to burn and is breaking down body fat for fuel, the body is in a state of ketosis-lipolysis (ketosis for short.) This is the only metabolic pathway for fat breakdown (lipolysis.) Therefore, there is no lipolysis without ketosis, no ketosis without lipolysis. The two terms are biologically linked and, therefore, it is appropriate that they be linguistically linked.

So being in ketosis simply means that you're burning your fat stores and using them as the source of fuel they were meant to be.

This is where the test strips come in...
While they are in no way necessary to the diet, most of us feel more secure with a way to test to know if we are in ketosis at any given time and at what level. The test strips provide a quick and private way to determine that. Simply dip the reagent end of the strip into a urine specimen (collected in a clean cup) and remove immediately. Or alternatively, (the method most of us prefer)
— wet reagent area of the strip by passing through the urine stream. Tap edge of strip to remove excess liquid and check color within 10-15 seconds against the color chart provided on all test strip brands' bottles.

A beige or cream color indicates NO KETOSIS detected. Any shade of pink/purple indicates some level of ketones in the urine. Some people get very hung up on the fact that their friend's/husband's/daughter's etc strip shows a darker color all the time, etc. We are all different. Some of us lose better (and feel better) at lighter or darker levels. You'll soon learn what feels right for you.



What if your sticks don't "turn"?
A negative result does not always mean you're not in ketosis. If you're keeping your carbs below a certain level (different for different people, but the 20 to 40 carbs per day range is a safe bet), you're probably in ketosis. Some people use their ketones more efficiently, and indeed make fewer of them, hence their lack of "spill" into the urine.

Keep in mind, though, that it's possible to keep your actual carb count low (say at around 30 grams), and still side-step ketosis. The culprits? Most often it's from eating foods that contain even a small amount of "High Fructose Corn Syrup" (HFCS), which can cause a strong insulin spike and halt fat burning. HFCS is far more destructive to your health and your weight loss than regular sugar.

You might also be a person who reacts to aspartame intake with an insulin release. The Atkins Center reports up to 25% of people have such a reaction to aspartame (NutraSweet.)

An appreciable amount of trans fats in the diet can also halt weight loss and fat breakdown. Why? Because trans fats are artificial fats that the body fails to recognize as "real", and attempts simply to store them, taking an "I'll deal with it some other time" approach.

Are they right for me?
In my personal opinion, if you become obsessive about your levels at every hour of the day and in comparison with others' or where you think you should be, then don't bother with the sticks. If you can use them sensibly — once a day or when you want to detect your level because of dietary changes etc, then they can be great tools. I probably use them 3 to 4 times per week.

Which ones and where?
There are a number of brands to chose from. The original — Ketostix by Bayer — is the most common and the easiest to find in most pharmacies. If you don't see them, ask. Also, it can't hurt to price-shop. I've seen them anywhere from $9.99 ato $24.99 in different stores. Many of the online low-carb and health/drug stores carry test strips as well. Some of these are "off-brands" and private label. There's Uriscan and Atkins label. It doesn't matter which you use, but I've found it's best to pick a brand and stick with it because they color slightly different and it can get confusing if you're brand-switching. Also remember, these are marketed ostensibly for diabetics to check for ketones where there should be none, so please ignore the paper inserts in the box if you're using the sticks for detecting ketosis from within a low carbohydrate (ketogenic) diet.

Even better!

[laststraw]

I should add mine was just about always the the very darkest colour. I drank about 5 litres of water a day!

Junior LLC was convinced at first I wasn't drinking enough but she got used to it my reading. The danger if dehyrdated is that we don't burn as much fat.

Junior LLC said that it was more important to compare changes in colour which can mean dehydration compared to previous week, or perhaps if stick went from dark one week to none the next, that someone had eaten something etc.

I think there's an important quote in that second post:

Some of us lose better (and feel better) at lighter or darker levels. You'll soon learn what feels right for you

Ps. You are very welcome Mandy x

[MandyLupton]

That was easy to understand and explains everything. LS can you get that on the top sticky bit for newbies, it might cover a lot of questions for up and coming LLers.

[lite at end of tunnel]

nobodies done my ketosis can i buy the stix myself, if so were from

[laststraw]

lite: Your LLC should do them every week. If not, buy the sticks from a pharamacy.

*casts magic spell for sticking threads, does a twist, claps hands three times and a rabbit appears* Oh well that's not going to make this stick is it? Goes off to find a friendly admin person.

[DQ]

Sticky as requested

[laststraw]

Thank you speedy one! Never seen a pig move that fast

[DQ]

PMSL

[RainbowCookie]

This is very good info. I had some background knowledge from my atkins days but ive not seen it put so clearly before.
The ketostix if anyone is still after them can be bought over the counter at any pharmacy as they are commonly used by people with diabetes, where ketones are considered a red flag that they have a problem. I used to get mine from sainsburys pharmacy.
They are probably much cheaper if you buy them yourself rather than from you VLCD counsellor.. W8 are selling these for 6.95 a pot.. I cant remember how much I paid for mine, but im sure it was quite a bit less!!

xx

[skinnyminnycow]

Going to be buying myself some Ketostix then!!