Hi,
SS & SS+ are VLCD ranging between, 440 and 640kcal a day so on those steps you will go into ketosis, or active fat burning mode, if you like. I would say don't get to concerned about ketosis and don't waste you're money on ketostix, if you are following the plan you will be in ketosis

, you don't need to pee on a stix to tell you. The other thing is a ketostix can be pink one time but not another that doesn't mean you've come out of ketosis probably just that the pee is very dilute, like I say don't waste you're money on ketostix, if you are following the plan you will be in ketosis.
Step 2 is a low calorie diet so most people won't go into Ketosis, that said anything less than 800kcals is technically last a VLCD so your only just over the treshold, so a very few people may go into a very mind form of ketosis, either way you can get good losses on step 2.
dfzb <3 I'm presuming your not on SS or SS+ for a reason, so to me that means you shouldn't be doing a VLCD so should be having you full 810kcals like I say ketosis isn't the be all and end all, Marshflower is right in that is the carbs or rather lack of them that helps you go into ketosis, CWP is a low carb diet but you need carbs and there is a certain about in the products.
Basically what happens when we eat, the body stores that energy for future use, this energy is you like is in two forms quick access energy, (Glycogens) and slow access energy (Fat) and as Marshflower says the body will us up or the glycogens first before it start burning up the fat.
When you reduce your calorie intake (less energy in that energy going out) in time you will use up the glycogens and so your body has to start using up the fat. Now glycogens are a water bound molecule so when you use them up you also lose water hence the importance of drinking plenty, the peeing all the time (especially at the beginning when you're using up the glycogens), and also the high weight lost first week, (due to fluid loss), this applies to any diet.
It is the liver that coverts the calories we eat into glycogens (mostly from the carbs but not only carbs, protein, fats etc also provide us with energy or calories) in time any excess is converted to fat and we gain weight.
What is different about a low carb diet like CWP is that it is mostly the carbs that are converted by the liver, so without them fewer glycogens are made so your body has to burn your fat for energy, and so you lose weight.
But it is important to have enough calories and nutrients, (you get all your body need in 3 products, nutritionally balanced) If you are able to do a VLCD then you body will go into ketosis (active fat burning) after a few days when you have used up most if not all of your glycogens. However if you are on a high plan e.g. 810 were you are still having no extra carb (other than what is in the 3 products) you will use up some glycogens but not all, so although you aren't in ketosis you will still burn fat, but it is not your only energy source.
Is you aren't in ketosis (when you body knows it must burn fat as your main source of energy) but aren't eating enough calories, effectively your body gets confused, it knows it is getting some calories to make a few glycogens for energy but not too few to go into ketosis and so goes into starvation mode and so to protect you, burns as little energy as possible and hangs on to what energy stores you have. So no weight loss, but also no really energy, so you feel weak, dizzy, faint, basically crap, and your body starts screaming at you feed me so to top it all off you feel hungry.
So in short if your doing a low calories diet as apposed to a VLCD you must be having over 800kcals, so don't think you might help you weight loss by having less, it can have the opposite effect. And one last thing never be tempted to skip a product, you must have 3, to get all the nutrients your body needs, until you start stepping up the program, and so increase your normal food intake. Even if you've had a cheat still have the 3.
I've probably gone a bit bad, and over the top haven't I

sorry that's just me all this technical stuff interests me.
Hope it makes sense, I know what I want to say it just doesn't aways come out that way. Sorry if it sounds a bit like finger wagging, that is not my intention
