Pee sticks
- Thread starter saraian24
- Start date
GTPeach
The Nerdy Singer
I told my chemist why I needed then when he asked if I was diabetic and I said no. He was furious. Said I didn't want to be in ketosis b/c that was very bad, and have I tried diet and exercise instead of being lazy and fat? I said, not that it was any of his business, but yes I have and they just lost me 1 lb in 3 months and that wasn't good enough for me. He responded that I am unhealthy, and I said, "Funny, my doctor, who has an. M.D., says my blood levels are healthier than any of her other patients. Just give he the sticks."
Next time, if they ask if you're diabetic, just say, "No - I'm picking them up for my sister." or "Yes."
Next time, if they ask if you're diabetic, just say, "No - I'm picking them up for my sister." or "Yes."
Starlit_Cazza
Restart 3/9/2013
In diabeties it is actually ketoacidosis - slightly different to ketosis (no I couldnt list the differences lol). All I know is ketoacidosis is a dangerous place to be if you are diabetic, ketosis on the other hand is perfectly fine, as long as you drink enough water (as advised by cambridge).
Diabetic ketoacidosis: High blood glucose with the presence of ketones in the urine and bloodstream, often caused by taking too little insulin or during illness
Ketosis: By restricting carbohydrates drastically to a mere fraction of that found in the typical American diet, the body goes into a different metabolic state called ketosis, whereby it burns its own fat for fuel. Normally the body burns carbohydrates for fuel -- this is the main source of fuel for your brain, heart and many other organs. A person in ketosis is getting energy from ketones, little carbon fragments that are the fuel created by the breakdown of fat stores. When the body is in ketosis, you tend to feel less hungry, and thus you're likely to eat less than you might otherwise.
Does that help at all???
Diabetic ketoacidosis: High blood glucose with the presence of ketones in the urine and bloodstream, often caused by taking too little insulin or during illness
Ketosis: By restricting carbohydrates drastically to a mere fraction of that found in the typical American diet, the body goes into a different metabolic state called ketosis, whereby it burns its own fat for fuel. Normally the body burns carbohydrates for fuel -- this is the main source of fuel for your brain, heart and many other organs. A person in ketosis is getting energy from ketones, little carbon fragments that are the fuel created by the breakdown of fat stores. When the body is in ketosis, you tend to feel less hungry, and thus you're likely to eat less than you might otherwise.
Does that help at all???
GTPeach
The Nerdy Singer
Uhoh. My ketostix say that I'm high in ketosis, but is it testing for ketoacidosis? I told him it was for a diet and he got rather rude with me, but I don't think he'd have sold me the wrong ones?
And I know I'm on ketosis either way b/c my breath smells so awful, even after I brush, and a few other signs (oh like rapid weight loss, metalic/salty taste....)
And I know I'm on ketosis either way b/c my breath smells so awful, even after I brush, and a few other signs (oh like rapid weight loss, metalic/salty taste....)
I just got mine after running to a few different pharmacists. I guess they are not into self monitoring here so one place told me to go to the lab for bloodwork or find a lab/store. I found it at a bigger pharmacist and was surprised how cheap they are compared to ebay. Took my first strip and it said 2 ++ and the highest is 3 +++. I wonder if we are supposed to be at the highest or is the middle okay.
saraian24
Gold Member
Monrin ladies - wow never knew we could talk about pee sticks lol! I did do my pee on it this morning and it showed up as 1.5 so just gnig into ketosis but it was first wotm - my cdc did tell me to use 2nd one???
Have lost more weight - yay but the rate im gonig im guna lose a bloomin stone - pleased though al the suffering has paid off!
Have lost more weight - yay but the rate im gonig im guna lose a bloomin stone - pleased though al the suffering has paid off!
Starlit_Cazza
Restart 3/9/2013
You will find that if you havent had enough to drink the strip will be really really dark pink. Similarly if you have drunk several litres of water you may think you are out of ketosis as the pink will be very very pale, due to your wee being so diluted! Bit like a pregnancy test really, but as opposed to a line is a line, pink is pink! If it is pink you are in ketosis, producing ketones, and losing weight! Try not to trivialise over the exact shade of pink
Surfhunny
Laugh in the face of food
It should be a definite pink when you're in ketosis. Hope this helps. I use the Multistix (I get them from work) and they have a scale on the side of the container. The more ketones there are in your urine the darker pink it turns. I don't know about the ketostix tho.
MsJMC
Strong women stay slim
[FONT=arial, helvetica][FONT=arial, helvetica]So in a nutshell...[/FONT] [FONT=arial, helvetica]
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. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial, helvetica]This is where the test strips come in...[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, helvetica]
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.
[/FONT]
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, helvetica]What if your sticks don't "turn"?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, helvetica]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. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial, helvetica]Are they right for me?[/FONT] [FONT=arial, helvetica]
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. [/FONT]
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. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial, helvetica]This is where the test strips come in...[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, helvetica]
— 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.
[/FONT]
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, helvetica]What if your sticks don't "turn"?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, helvetica]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. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial, helvetica]Are they right for me?[/FONT] [FONT=arial, helvetica]
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. [/FONT]
