I've been following the IP diet for 3 weeks and so far have lost 12 lbs, very happy about that but I'm still not in ketosis, I check in the morning when I get up and I've even checked in the afternoons when I get home from work..... and that little stick still hasn't changed colors...........

My daily food intake is:

Breakfast: 1 IP oatmeal or 1 IP cereal
Lunch: 2 cups of cuccumbers with 1 IP ready made pudding or 2 cups of mixed raw veg with 1 IP ready made pudding
Supper: 6oz of meat (mostly chicken, sometimes beef or pork) and twice a week I have fish + large salad + 1 or 2 cups of vegs
Snack: 1 IP shake

Spread out during the day I take the supplements, I don't take the omega's or the enzymes. Would that make a difference?

With only eating this should I not have gone into ketosis....

Any suggestions, thanks everyone.

If you are drinking lots of water it's possible that the ketones are being diluted, or if you are active and sweating you can lose ketones that way. From what you say you are eating there is pretty much no way you are not in ketosis. It's possibly the sticks you're using are past their expiry date as well.

Debbie, your weight loss results are spectacular!! 12 lbs in 3 weeks is worthy.

Why are you concerned about ketosis?

Just checked and the sticks are past due.... didn't think that would make a difference and only by 3 months.... As far as water I drink 8 glasses and haven't been exercising.

Oh I know and I'm very pleased with the 12lbs, but I just thought you had to be in and stay in ketosis for the diet to work..... I just don't want the weight loss to stop. I already feel so much better than I did before starting this.

The sticks can be wrong! if you've lost weight like you have, it's possible you ARE in ketosis. Do you have any of the other symptoms?

Sounds as if you may have your answer. Yeah Bretley!

You don't really need to worry about monitoring the state of your ketones. If you're following the program **and** you're losing weight and fat, you're in ketosis. It would be very difficult not to be in ketosis with the number of carbohydrate grams we eat in Phase 1 or Phase 2. I consider the ketosticks a fun frill or a problem-solving tool. If you're not having fun with them or don't have a problem, save your money!

Gee whiz, you're results are fantastic. I wonder what they'd be if you were drinking enough water? Unless you weigh 128 lbs. right now you're not getting enough. Try 1/2 oz per pound of body weight + 10 oz. Sorry to be such a wet blanket. You really are doing well.

I got the strips too, and mine only tells me that I have faint or trace amounts of ketones. I have a feeling they are being dilluted due to the large amounts of water that I drink. But, I am still losing and you are too, so I think we're both there!

Trace is right where you want to be, no worries.

Congrats on your loss. Like you I am not in ketosis as well. I am a nurse, so know the signs. I am on day 10, still hungry and craving sugar. WI on day 7 was a loss of only 2.4 lbs. I follow the diet to a tee. I take the supplements, and drink in excess of 100 oz. of H20 a day. My usual day is shake or pudding for breakfast and black tea with stevia - 1/2 bar around 0930 - (breakfast is 0600 hours so am hungry by 0930 - lunch is usually soup with 2 cups of veggies and supper is chicken, pork or lean red meat with stir fry veggies and some lettuce. I don't like lettuce so am struggling to eat 2 cups with my meals. My start out weight was 139.1 and goal weight is 120. Any advice would be appreciated.

Not knowing how tall you are makes it impossible to say anything with near certainty; but it's also true that the less you have to lose the longer it takes. Also, have you been at your present weight for a long time? Do you have any health issues, like hypothyroidism, that could be factors?

I am 62 inches, and had no health issues - unless you consider menopause an issue. I had always floated around 115-120 until last January, when the weight started creeping on.

Well, menopause, with its hormone issues and slowing metabolism are/can be an issue. Are you on your feet all day? Have you ever clocked how many steps you take in a day? I know one nurse on here clocked over 12,000 during work -- six miles. That's the equivalent of 2 hours of aerobic exercise at a moderately gentle 3 mph. (I'm taking stabs in the dark here, so bear with me, OK?)

I would definitely have the other half of the bar an hour before bed or have another shake at 9:30 as well as one before bed. By shake I mean the RTD or preferably a pudding made into a shake with 16 ounces of water. Filling and an easy way to get your water in.

And there is a world of differences among lettuces. If you're eating iceberg, forget it. No nutritional value or staying power, and the taste is negligible. Try a crisp organic baby Romaine, or a regular Romaine with 2 t EVOO and 30 or more g of cider vinegar. Filling and has loads of potassium. Hope this helps.

I just started the IP diet 3 days ago... what exactly are the signs to know you are in ketosis without using the strips or whatever? I have horrible headaches and pressure in my ears and I know I'm not getting in enough water.

A couple clues:

-bad breath or fuzzy teeth
-good amount of energy
-not craving carbs
-change in sleep patterns

For me I know when I am NOT in ketosis because I have 3 days of stomach aches and nausea. I also have bad breath once I am in ketosis. Those are my only clues. I (unfortunately) have been in and out of ketosis numerous times so I've learnt how my body feels at different stages.