Active Low-Carber Forums
Atkins diet and low carb discussion provided free for information only, not as medical advice.
Home Plans Tips Recipes Tools Stories Studies Products
Active Low-Carber Forums
A sugar-free zone


Welcome to the Active Low-Carber Forums.
Support for Atkins diet, Protein Power, Neanderthin (Paleo Diet), CAD/CALP, Dr. Bernstein Diabetes Solution and any other healthy low-carb diet or plan, all are welcome in our lowcarb community. Forget starvation and fad diets -- join the healthy eating crowd! You may register by clicking here, it's free!

Go Back   Active Low-Carber Forums > Main Low-Carb Diets Forums & Support > New Members & Low-Carbers > Newbies' Questions
User Name
Password
FAQ Members Calendar Mark Forums Read Search Gallery My P.L.A.N. Survey


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   ^
Old Thu, Dec-22-16, 22:40
EileenJoy EileenJoy is offline
New Member
Posts: 8
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 155/153/135 Female 5'1"
BF:
Progress:
Angry Living by the stick

I use the stick several times a day just for motivation. For more than a week now, my stick has been varying shades of dark purple But, with my stick always purple, I haven't lost any weight. So if your stick stays purple, can you eat anything as long as your stick remains purple? And if you are not losing weight with a purple stick every day, is it that the purple stick doesn't really mean anything? Am I just fooling myself? I thought the purple meant ketosis, which meant that fat is definitely burning.
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #2   ^
Old Fri, Dec-23-16, 06:23
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is offline
Posts: 13,370
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
Default

Welcome Eileen,
There is a thread here with great answers to all those questions.
"Oh noes, my strips aren't purple"

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=460202

And my favorite from Amy Berger of Tuit Nutrition:
http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2016/0...-a-ketard1.html

Quote:
YOU CAN BE IN KETOSIS AND NOT LOSE BODY FAT, AND YOU CAN LOSE BODY FAT WITHOUT BEING IN KETOSIS.

Here is an exhaustive, comprehensive list of everything urine ketone test strips tell you: There is acetoacetate in your urine. That’s it. Nothing more. Nada más. Game over. Finito. The fat lady has sung, and Elvis has left the building.

Here is what they do not indicate:
Your worth as a human being
The efficacy of your low-carb or ketogenic diet
What your level of ketosis was an hour ago
What your level of ketosis will be three hours from now
Whether a specific food you ate “kicked you out of ketosis” (or, rather, caused there to be less acetoacetate in your urine)
Whether you are fat-adapted
Whether you are losing body fat


Hang around this forum if you have other questions. Introduce yourself and check out the various sub-forums. All the best,
Reply With Quote
  #3   ^
Old Sat, Jan-07-17, 19:48
wbahn's Avatar
wbahn wbahn is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 8,651
 
Plan: Atkins-ish, post-WLS
Stats: 408.0/288.0/168.0 Male 72 inches
BF:
Progress: 50%
Location: Southern Colorado, USA
Default

Even Dr. Atkins so much as admitted in his books that the use of Keto Stix was nothing more than a mental gimmick aimed at giving people a touchy-feely warm fuzzy during the early parts of their low-carb journey when they generally need all the positive indicators they can get to help them stay the course at a time when their morale is likely pretty low and their ability to resist the temptations to abandon the path are strong.
Reply With Quote
  #4   ^
Old Sun, Jan-08-17, 14:40
EileenJoy EileenJoy is offline
New Member
Posts: 8
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 155/153/135 Female 5'1"
BF:
Progress:
Default Ketostix

So let's say I eat tuna with gobs of mayo several times a day, and a big hunk of cheese, four eggs, and lots of other stuff, can I assume I will be losing weight? I read the book years ago and it said you can eat as many eggs, as much meyo, as much meat, etc. as you wanted and you would lose weight. And, yes, my stick turns purple doing this. But am I just fooling myself about losing weight?
Reply With Quote
  #5   ^
Old Sun, Jan-08-17, 14:57
thud123's Avatar
thud123 thud123 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 7,422
 
Plan: P:E=>1 (Q3-22)
Stats: 168/100/82 Male 182cm
BF:
Progress: 79%
Default

define "gobs" and "big hunk" - also eggs have .5 carbs each or so, at least that's how I count them. Another thing is that it's easy to make strips turn color - It indicates that you are definitely converting fat into energy I think. However, that fat can come 2 sources; what you put in your mouth and that which is in the body already.

are you hungry often during the day or evening?
Reply With Quote
  #6   ^
Old Sun, Jan-08-17, 15:10
wbahn's Avatar
wbahn wbahn is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 8,651
 
Plan: Atkins-ish, post-WLS
Stats: 408.0/288.0/168.0 Male 72 inches
BF:
Progress: 50%
Location: Southern Colorado, USA
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by EileenJoy
So let's say I eat tuna with gobs of mayo several times a day, and a big hunk of cheese, four eggs, and lots of other stuff, can I assume I will be losing weight? I read the book years ago and it said you can eat as many eggs, as much meyo, as much meat, etc. as you wanted and you would lose weight. And, yes, my stick turns purple doing this. But am I just fooling myself about losing weight?


I don't have his book handy, but I definitely recall him pointing out that you cannot eat an unlimited amount of even "good" food and expect to lose weight. The point is that you don't need to count calories because fat causes a sense of satiation well before you overeat (for most people).

Also keep in mind that at several points in his book he makes it very clear that if you aren't exercising, you aren't doing Atkins.
Reply With Quote
  #7   ^
Old Sun, Jan-08-17, 15:23
EileenJoy EileenJoy is offline
New Member
Posts: 8
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 155/153/135 Female 5'1"
BF:
Progress:
Default

Thanks, everyone, so much!
Reply With Quote
  #8   ^
Old Mon, Jan-09-17, 13:43
EileenJoy EileenJoy is offline
New Member
Posts: 8
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 155/153/135 Female 5'1"
BF:
Progress:
Default

Well, I put about three tablespoon of mayo on salads, and on tuna, and as dressing for meat. I read the label on the jar and it said "0." I also snack on "0" cheese during the day. I will have four eggs during the day. I continually snack! Mind you, it sounds like I'm quite heavy but I am kind of petite, actually, and was just trying to lose ten lbs. I guess I just have a big appetite! However, instead of losing, I gained. I started Atkins in my 30s and it worked very well for me. Now it isn't working, but, mind you, I am now retirement age.
Reply With Quote
  #9   ^
Old Mon, Jan-09-17, 14:05
thud123's Avatar
thud123 thud123 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 7,422
 
Plan: P:E=>1 (Q3-22)
Stats: 168/100/82 Male 182cm
BF:
Progress: 79%
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by EileenJoy
..I continually snack!

This might be worth looking into. Are you continually hungry?

If you are/were anything like me, snacking is a highly practiced habit. It took me quite a while to figure that out. Also eating cheese was very difficult for me to stop doing as I could "snack" on just a little piece now and then and think I was keeping it under 3-4oz per day.

Do you open the refrigerator almost every time you are in the kitchen to just "look". Weird, I did. This was the habit I worked on modifying. This habit set the thoughts of hunger in motion even though I might not have been hungry. I didn't necessarily need to act on it but it was not a useful habit to continue.

What I did to start was commit to myself that when I opened the door the first thing I would do was pause, observe my mind, and ask myself, "Are you really hungry?" After doing that I could eat or shut the door or whatever. After doing that for a period of time and answering the question, "No, I'm not really hungry." I found it better not to open the door at all and ask myself the question before I opened the door.

It still happens once and a while but it happens a lot less.

Good Luck!
Reply With Quote
  #10   ^
Old Tue, Jan-10-17, 12:32
EileenJoy EileenJoy is offline
New Member
Posts: 8
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 155/153/135 Female 5'1"
BF:
Progress:
Default

Many thanks. Very good advice. My sister keeps telling me to do Weight Watchers, though, because - when it first came out - Atkins intimated you could eat as much as you wanted, as long as you followed the food chart. Now that it's changed so that you're allowed only small portions, I am wondering what is its advantage over Weight Watchers? The advantage of Atkins is now lost on me.
Reply With Quote
  #11   ^
Old Tue, Jan-10-17, 13:06
thud123's Avatar
thud123 thud123 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 7,422
 
Plan: P:E=>1 (Q3-22)
Stats: 168/100/82 Male 182cm
BF:
Progress: 79%
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by EileenJoy
when it first came out - Atkins intimated you could eat as much as you wanted, as long as you followed the food chart.

I'm not a historian or Atkins expert but my guess is that's what the press intimated or others that read the press intimated. I think he said that you are suppose to stop eating when you were full.

I suppose if you never got "full" or couldn't tell that you were getting "full" you could continue to eat as much as you wanted. My personal experience has been that eating a high fat percentage leads to me feeling not hungry for long periods. To me the feeling of "not being hungry" IS feeling "full".

If I eat for pure pleasure I can eat WAY past full and do it quickly. If I do that with high fat, I bounce off the walls with energy and might go a day until I eat again. When I did that with Bread, Pasta, Pineapple, Rice, Potato Chips, Cake, Ice Cream, Corn on the Cob, Cookies, Oranges, Rice Noodles, Smoothies, Yams, Dates, Frosted Flakes, Snickers Bars, Mountain Dew, Pizza, Bran Muffins and, ah... Plums I would want to fall asleep in about an hour, then sleep, wake up and want to do it all over again.

To my body this is the biggest difference between a Carb based diet and a Fat based diet. I feel better for longer periods of time eating primarily fat.

Try WW for a while, I hear it's pretty structured and you'll have support from others. it might work for you, it might work for me but I have not tried it.
Reply With Quote
  #12   ^
Old Tue, Jan-10-17, 14:55
bkloots's Avatar
bkloots bkloots is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 10,147
 
Plan: LC--Atkins
Stats: 195/162/150 Female 62in
BF:
Progress: 73%
Location: Kansas City, MO
Default

My knowledge of Weight Watchers is skimpy at this point, although I still have my "lifetime member" pin from the 70s. Needless to say, it's way different now.

You can lose weight on any diet. ANY diet. The question is, will you be able to continue that "diet" as a lifestyle for the rest of your life so you will never, never regain that weight you don't want. If you practice Weight Watchers conscientiously, or Low-carbohydrate, or any number of other diets that cause you to lose weight, and then stay with it, you're good to go. It's a matter of personal choice.

I like low-carb because:
--I don't have to count anything. My basic rule: No sugar. No starch. Real food.
--I don't have to pay for anything except the food I choose.
--When I reach a comfortable, healthy weight, I'm already eating the way I enjoy eating, and I'll be able to maintain it.
--Low-carb eating diminishes or eliminates hunger, especially in the early days. This eliminates the desire to snack, overeat, and constantly think about food. If you have food "addictions" (sugar especially) they will go away.
--Low-carb eating includes healthy fats like butter, bacon, olive oil, and full-fat dairy (cheese, yogurt, etc.) without "penalty" points.

With Weight Watchers, the less you weigh, the fewer points you can eat. This seems like the opposite of a reward for good behavior. With low-carb, you are eating to a level of comfort, not calories, every step of the way.

Weight Watchers is all about paying someone else for advice and choices you can figure out for yourself. For some people, that's motivating. For me, that's EXPENSIVE.

Check out dietdoctor.com for a different (free) approach to healthy eating.

You choose!

Best wishes.
Reply With Quote
  #13   ^
Old Fri, Jan-13-17, 10:36
YosemiteB YosemiteB is offline
New Member
Posts: 22
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 207/176.0/150 Female 5'4"
BF:38.8%/34.4%/25%
Progress: 54%
Location: California
Default ketone amount

I use the ketone sticks as well. check what your bottle says, there should be amounts noted with each color change.
white=neg or 0
pale pink=trace or 0.5 mmol/l
light pink= small or 1.5
dark pink=moderate or 4.0
light purple=large or 8.0
dark purple=16

if you are finding yourself in the dark purple region you are spilling too much ketones, and your body may be thinking its in starvation mode s is holding onto calories and if you are diabetic this isn't safe. They say a safe fat burning zone is 1.5-4.0 mmol/l. All this information is in the ketone strip insert.
Reply With Quote
  #14   ^
Old Sat, Jan-14-17, 23:33
EileenJoy EileenJoy is offline
New Member
Posts: 8
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 155/153/135 Female 5'1"
BF:
Progress:
Default

Thanks, YosemiteB - this is news to me. I thought the darkest was best. I guess I am remembering the first Atkins book. Now everything is changed,it seems.
Reply With Quote
  #15   ^
Old Sun, Jan-15-17, 06:33
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is offline
Posts: 13,370
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
Default

You can turn the stick dark purple just by being dehydrated, it does not indicate "starvation mode". The Tuit Nutrition article linked above for you in Post #2 is in three parts, read all three for a good explanation of ketosis, the second part includes info on the 50 shades of purple of a Ketostix. http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2016/0...-a-ketard2.html

Last edited by JEY100 : Sun, Jan-15-17 at 07:25.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 18:31.


Copyright © 2000-2024 Active Low-Carber Forums @ forum.lowcarber.org
Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.