Keto Sticks
 

Anyone use these? I bought some, don't change color but I am losing...day 4 down 5 lbs. ?????

I've used them. They are an interesting too. You are likely loosing water weight if you have switched recently from a high carb diet. No problem with that and good on you, keep going!

Over the course of the next week if you keep your carb or net carb count low (around or under 20 - how ever you wish to count) you might notice some color coming into them.

If you are curious take a look at some of my tracking with these from none color to deep purple - Also note the carb intake and activity levels. I seem to have a day or two "whiplash" effect, esp. with the breath ketones.

FWIW...

http://downhaul.com/lowcarb/daily.txt

look around April last year 0401 would be april first. the KP means "Ketones in my Pee" I look at the color and guess the number on the side of the bottle if it's in between shades.

I've stopped using strips an only do breath now as a matter of curiosity.

Have fun but don't put to much faith in your urine if you catch my drift ;) !

As with a lot you will find many opinions on this board about this. I'll offer mine. but it is opinion though based on research and my own long term experience.

I use the strips in a boolean manner. That is to say they turn or they do not. That simple. If they do not change I reflect to see the reason. If they do change I move forward. If they get dark it usually is because I just ate high fat or I am low on fluid intake. My goal is a slight pink as I know I am burning fat and I am fairly certain I am hydrated.

Thanks for the info...will look up that link.

Sounds like a good tool rather than one of success or no success. Thanks.

I'd agree with Tim. They're an interesting tool, but the color level per se doesn't convey a lot of information. I've been pretty much getting readings for the whole 7 weeks I've been on induction. Sometimes they barely turn color, but they do change slightly, and occasionally they read out a moderate change, but rarely darker than moderate. I've virtually NEVER had deep purple reading. I think your hydrations levels influence how much the ketones are diluted or not and that in turn reflects on the color change on the stix. They are mildly interesting...not much more. Just one tool out of many. I enjoy using them, but don't take it all that seriously.

I get pretty consistently between moderate and deep purple if I keep protein under 80 grams and carbs under 20. With higher protein, I hardly ever see much colour. But I sort of have ketosis as a primary goal, I don't have much weight left to lose, but it helps me with social anxiety and energy levels, as well as having very obvious effects on binges/cravings.

Once again, I'm learning they are a guideline tool, not a "bible" of my success. Thanks all.

I noticed last night I wasn't craving a snack soon after dinner...but did wake up very hungry this morning. LC Rocks!

I've noticed my hunger levels vary from day to day. One day I can wake up and have very little hunger, so I don't even eat breakfast. Then I might have "breakfast" (i.e. bacon and eggs) at what is more like lunch, and then a dinner, or I might not even have lunch at all and just not eat until dinner. Other days, I feel more hunger...so I eat more that day!

One thing I like about LC is that you learn to identify "true" hunger as opposed to the blood sugar driven "false hunger" that you get when eating lots of carbs. Our bodies don't really operate on a "clock", so I think that's why my periods of hunger or no hunger tend to vary.

Do these things go "stale"? I could swear I'm in ketosis, and in the past my sticks always turn.....but I had a few left in an old bottle (stored in the bathroom) and they won't do anything for me. Any chance they've been corrupted by heat and humidity.

Yes. There is both a bottle expiration date and an Open date for you to note. Expires six months after open.

There is a long thread about their usefulness...or lack thereof...here:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=463436

Recently I paid slight attention to them during a fast, but normally, don't use them.

ah, so it seems! I didn't look at the date before I threw the bottle out, but I grabbed a new bottle today, and sure enough - dark purple.

Yay dark purple!!
Keep on the right track, whatever works right??