Jux,
I never had much luck with those and decided not to torture myself.
No matter what I did they measured low.
I have heard a lot of good and bad things about them. They seem to work for some people and not for others.
If they are working for you that's great! It help to know you're definitely in ketosis i bet!
maggie
Lol, Misti. They test for Ketones in your urine. The darker color indicates that you are in Ketosis which is a goal for people using Atkins. It is when you are most likely to be losing weight well with Atkins.
Ketosis is the presence in the blood of abnormally high levels of acidic substances called ketones. Ketones (also called "ketone bodies") are chemicals with a carbonyl unit (a carbon doubly bonded to an oxygen) that has two alkyl or aromatic (hydrocarbon) substituents bonded to the carbon atom. They include acetoacetic acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, and acetone.
What Causes Ketosis?
Ketosis is caused when the body metabolizes body fat for energy purposes, instead of the usual glucose-from-carbohydrates. The ketones are actually produced by the liver from fatty acids, Gluconeogenesis, which result from the breakdown of body fat. As stated, the body doesn't usually metabolize fat for energy: it usually burns glucose which it obtains from carbohydrates. But if there isn’t enough glucose in the bloodstream, (or, in the case of diabetics, if the glucose can't be utilized), the body draws on its alternate energy system, fat stores, for fuel, which causes the appearance of ketones in the blood.
How to Test for Ketosis
Ketone urine-testing strips, also known as Ketostix or "ketone sticks" are strips with a small absorptive pad. This pad contains a chemical reagent that changes color (usually within 15-20 seconds) in the presence of ketones in the urine. The keytone-strips change to varying shades of pink and purple. The ketone-strips' container has a scale on the label, with illustrative blocks of color to help you identify the shade of your ketone-testing strip.
Hi, I have used the strips, but now I can just feel when I am in ketosis, so I don't bother. I have heard that you can cut the strips in half (making a much thinner strip) to stretch them, as I recall they are a bit pricey. best wishes for your LC success! Sara
Hi! I also use the ketostix. I really love them. They recently helped me determine that the sugar free candies I love knock me out of ketosis. It really helps give me a kick when the scale does not move, but the stick does!
As for the cost, when I first bought them I bought something called thinsticks. They were in the diet section and marketed to dieters. They were like $20 for 25 sticks- or so I can not remember exactly. I also bought a 100 pack for $35 online. Then a friend reccomended looking in the diabetic section and I bought ketostix for $8 for 50. I got the same results for a very different price.
This is my second (and permanent) time on Atkins. I'm only on my fourth day of Induction, and the Ketostick was darker than it ever was at any point during my previous efforts.
I know it's not that I'm not getting enough water, too. MAN am I getting enough water, haha.
Whoo hooo... I'm a stripper!
Keep up the great work!
