Is it really bad to be on the darkest colour

polishrose

Gold Member
on the ketostix? I can't seem to even force myself to drink water.
 
Pretty sure it is, as your kidneys are having to work to hard cos of you being dehydrated. Sure someone will be about with official word soon. Keep on going honey, your having all this horrid stuff to deal with at the moment but you will come through it all stronger and slimmer! Sarahxx.
 
when its a dark colour it usually means that you are not drinking enough water.

If you can't bring yourself to drink water try having some pepermint tea for the time being.

Sorry hun, not sure what else you can try.

Davica
 
Thanks but I don't seem to want to drink anything,not water or tea..I'm maybe drinking a litre a day at the moment.
 
You can and will be stronger honey, I promise you!! Know its not a cd acceptable thing but maybe a bit of alcohols called for?? Sarahxx.
 
wooah!!! Sarah!!! alcohol????? no no no. very very bad. Not a good idea at all.

Polish, why are you having a hard time drinking the water? Is it that you don't feel thirsty or that you don't like the taste?

If you are having a hard time getting the liquid down you could try getting some of the water flavourings, I also find that having a litre of half hot/half cold water with water flavouring goes down so much easier.

It is SO important to drink the water and 1 litre really isn't anything like enough. The ketones aren't getting flushed away and your poor body can't cope with it very well. Get drinking, if you were one of mine I'd be wanting 4 litres!!

I know things aren't so great for you just now but this is one thing you have control of. You CAN drink the water, just get it down you lass!!
 
Thought this might help with any queries regarding colour for ketostix
Its a really informative site, ive pasted a section on here for a quick read or just click on link for full infor.

Low Carb Diet Tips & Basics - Ketosis & Ketone Test Strips

I'm following Induction strictly; why won't my strips turn purple?

Ketones will spill into the urine ONLY when there is more in the blood than is being used as fuel by the body at that particular moment.

You may have exercised or worked a few hours previously, so your muscles would have used up the ketones as fuel, thus there will be no excess. You may have had a lot of liquids to drink, so the urine is more diluted. Perhaps the strips are not fresh, or the lid was not on tight and some moisture from the atmosphere got in.

Some low carbers NEVER show above trace or negative even ... yet they burn fat and lose weight just fine. If you're losing weight, and your clothes are getting looser, you're feeling well and not hungry all the time .. then you are successfully in ketosis. Don't get hung up on the strips; they're just a guide, nothing more.


Will I lose weight faster if the strips show dark purple all the time?

No. Testing in the darkest purple range all the time is usually a sign of dehydration -- the urine is too concentrated. You need to drink more water to dilute it, and keep the kidneys flushed.

The liver will make ketones from body fat, the fat you EAT, and from alcohol --- the ketone strips have no way of distinguishing the source of the ketones. So, if you test every day after dinner, and dinner usually contains a lot of fat, then you may very well test for large amounts of ketones all the time. However this does not indicate that any BODY fat was burned.

The strips only indicate what's happening in the urine. Ketosis happens in the blood and body tissues. If you're showing even a small amount, then you are in ketosis, and fat-burning is taking place. Don't get hung up on the ketone sticks.
 
Thats weird - as far as I knew ketones were a toxic by-product of ketosis. Didn't realise they were a fuel?


Think yoou are thinking of Ketoacidosis!!!

Found this on Wikipidia:

Ketosis should not be confused with ketoacidosis, which is severe ketosis causing the pH of the blood to drop below 7.2. Ketoacidosis is a medical condition usually caused by diabetes and accompanied by dehydration, hyperglycemia, ketonuria and increased levels of glucagon. The high glucagon, low insulin serum levels signals the body to produce more glucose via gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis and ketogenesis. High levels of glucose causes the failure of tubular reabsorption in the kidneys, causing water to leak into the tubules in a process called osmotic diuresis, causing dehydration and further exacerbating the acidosis.

 
Wikipedia's definition of Ketosis process:



If the diet is changed from a highly glycemic diet to a diet that does not substantially contribute to blood glucose, the body goes through a set of stages to enter ketosis. During the initial stages of this process the adult brain does not burn ketones, however the newborn brain makes immediate use of this important substrate for lipid synthesis in the brain. After about 48 hours of this process, the adult brain starts burning ketones in order to more directly utilize the energy from the fat stores that are being depended upon, and to reserve the glucose only for its absolute needs, thus avoiding the depletion of the body's protein store in the muscles.
An individual can be checked for ketosis with special urine test strips or observation of a distinctive "fruity" acetone odor on the breath.


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This is an area for sure that always gets a lot of discussion going :D:D
 
Thanks all-it's more that I just can't be bothered to drink as I don't feel thirsty.I used to have 5 litres a day no problem, now I can't manage more than one :(
 
Ok, so the first link was about Ketoacidosis since that mentions glucose which is a fuel? is this correct? - ketones in diatry ketosis are not a fuel as far as I know, your body is running on fat molecules and not glucose. Ketones are by-product of burning fat and they are toxic in very large doses.....I'm sure of it.
 
This is what I understand:

How are Ketones Removed?

When we burn a larger amount of fat than is immediately needed for energy, the excess ketones are discarded in the urine. Volatile ketones (like, acetone) can be expelled through the lungs. Diabetics are sometimes mistaken for being drunk by the odor on their breath.




To me, that means that fat is being burned, I think that other link is a bit wrong saying that ketones are used a fuel.


 
In which way to you drink your water, ie I fill up a litre bottle with water & then take to work, drink this in morning, when I get home I refill again so I drink 2 litres altogether but thats not including the odd cup of peppermint tea or Coke Zero (max 1 pint per day).

The Cambridge books says you can include plain water/tea/coffee & Zero calorie diet drinks in this total. I would just say though be beware of anything containing Citric Acid as this can kick some people out of ketosis.

Maybe try using a pint glass!!.

Is it that your feel sick consuming so much??

I really wasnt a drinker until I started this diet, ie I would have maybe a max of 3 mug's of tea's a day, so this has been a huge jump for me, still sick to the back of my teeth with getting up every 5 mins for the loo though:eek:.

1 litre is better than nothing at all, maybe take it in steps add an extra glass every couple of days. Before you know it youll be upto the recommended 2 1/2 litres a day.
 
Thanks I will try-I think it's just a case of not feeling like having anything at all.I've only managed to force one pack down me so far today :(
 
Hello Polishrose .. remember me?! ;)

C'mon lady - you can do it. You'll make yourself ill if you a) don't drink AT LEAST 4/5 litres of water a day, and b) if you don't have all your packs.

I know only too well how hard it is, but honestly hun, if you don't hydrate yourself and take onboard your nutrition (packs), you'll feel even worse.

It's imperative you do this, and you KNOW you should! Sorry, don't want to sound harsh, but I'd hate for you to get ill. And ill you will get if you carry on like you have been.

Pep the water up with flavourings or drink herbal teas. Even black coffee (pref. decaff) is better than nothing, but seriously, it's the water you need.

Go back to basics .. remember your water wheel. To keep the wheel turning you need a constant stream of water flowing over it. If you don't want to think of the wheel, think of your kidneys!

Good luck hun .. you can do it :D

Mandana x
 
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