3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community - Where do you get these strips? Called? Cost? Canada?

Here's an excellent article on the test sticks and how they should and should not be used. Also a great explanation on why darker isn't necessarily better.

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Looking For Purple - A Guide to Ketosis Testing

For some low-carb plans, ketosis is a part of the metabolic process to lose weight. If you're following Atkins', you're familiar already with the concept of ketosis, but may still have questions about testing yourself for ketosis. Below is a guide to help you better understand just what the test strips are for and what they measure:

Ketosis Testing Strips - What are They?

KetoStix, Urine Test Strips, Reagent Strips, Ketone Testing Strips, and Lipolysis Test Strips are all correct names for the test sticks you can buy to test yourself for ketosis. Depending on the plan you follow and whether you are new to this way of life, you'll be referring to them as one name or another if your plan calls for being in Ketosis.

People will sometimes tell you that producing ketones is dangerous for the body. This is simply a myth and you may want to read The Myths & Realities of Ketosis when you've finished this article.

To test if you're in ketosis, you'll use these strips to test your urine for the presence of ketones. The higher the concentration of ketones in your system, the darker your reading on the test strip.

Ketones - Just What Are They?

According to Dr. Atkins, "Ketones are one of the two fuel delivery substances in our bodies -- the other is glucose. Whenever your body sees fit to utilize your alternative metabolic fuel, your stored fat, the biochemical agents it uses are ketones."

When your body is burning fat, it is in a state of ketosis and creating ketones as a part of this metabolic process. Your body will be using both the dietary fat you're eating and body fat you have available as part of this process, so while the ketosis testing strips will indicate you are burning fat by changing color, they will not tell you what fat you're burning. Any change in color, even "trace", indicates you are in ketosis.

What Happens When You're In Ketosis?

Being in ketosis means that you're burning fat and using it as the source of energy rather than primarily using glucose for energy. When your body is releasing ketones - which are excreted in your breath, sweat and your urine - that registers on the testing strips and is proof you are in ketosis. Again, though, these strips do not discriminate between dietary fat used for energy and body fat used for energy.

It is very important while you are in ketosis and registering on the testing strips to insure you are getting adequate amounts of water each day. The ketones need to be flushed from your system and dehydration can lead to higher ketone readings on your ketosis testing strips. Not only are the ketosis testing strips proof-positive you're in ketosis, they can also help you adjust water intake if you're registering in the dark range on the test strips. A good rule of thumb for water intake while in ketosis is eight 8oz glasses of water each day plus an additional 8oz for each 25 pounds of weight you need to lose. Adequate water intake will insure you're flushing the ketones from your system with regularity!

How to Use the Test Strips

While they are not necessary to use in low-carb eating, many feel secure with a way to test to know if they are in ketosis at any given time and at what level when they're following low-carb to a level that achieves ketosis. The test strips provide a quick and private way to determine this.

To use, you simply dip the reagent end of the strip into a urine specimen, wait a few seconds and look at the results.

A beige or cream color indicates that no ketones were detected. Any shade of pink/purple indicates some level of ketones in the urine. Some people get very upset when they do not see darker shades of purple. Believe it or not, you don't necessarily want to be in the dark purples, since that may indicate you're dehydrated and need more water to flush the ketones from your system.

Also note, a negative does not always mean you're not in ketosis. It can mean that you've consumed sufficient water to dilute it past a noticeable result, or it can mean there's simply not a high enough level to excrete ketones in your urine.

Are you Burning Body Fat?

Odds are, yes! However, a positive reading on the ketosis testing strips does not guarantee you're burning body fat - you may be burning dietary fat and not actually burning body fat while in ketosis.

If you are in ketosis, and not losing weight on the scale, or inches (based on the measurements you took when you started!), begin to look at how much fat you're eating and adjust slightly so that you will burn both dietary fat and body fat. This is a delicate balance to achieve since the body needs the fat in your diet to stimulate and maintain ketosis, but too much fat can defeat the purpose by providing exactly the amount of fat you need for energy from dietary fat sources alone!

Where to Get Test Strips

There are a number of brands to chose from. The original - Ketostix by Bayer - are the most common and the easiest to find in most pharmacies. If you don't see them, ask.

Also, don't forget to price-shop, prices can range from $9.99 to $24.99 in different stores. Many of the online low-carb and health/drug stores carry test strips as well. It doesn't matter which brand of testing strips you use, but helpful pick a brand and stick with it because they color slightly different and it can get confusing if you're brand-switching.

Also keep in mind, these are marketed for diabetics to check for ketones where there should be none, so you can ignore the paper inserts in the box if you're using the sticks for detecting ketosis from within a low-carb diet. If you are diabetic, please consult with your doctor about using the ketosis testing strips and how to read these with diabetes.