happening.. I wrote something similar last Thursdsay, then my phone line went down... so it's been another 4 days and nothing... if I'm in ketosis, why isn't anything happening. I'm working so hard and I just don't understand. If I'm in ketosis, doesn't it mean that I'm doing something right? I started on 12/30/03, with a cheat on new years eve so I guess I'll start with 1/1/04 I'm 5'3 and started at 182 and now flunctuate between 181 and 180....
maybe I'm wasting my time..

bcelisa
1/1/04
182/?

[This message was edited by bcelisa on 01-11-04 at 05:15 AM.]

Don't give upk!!! I was feeling upset because my ketosis sticks were not getting that high. However, I read in one of the forums that if you drink a lot it will dilute the results. i am drinking 96 ounces of water plus other beverages each day, so I decided not to worry about the strips. I am just staying under 20 carbs. If you are following the diet, drinking your water...you will loose. The only way it won't work is if you quit. So flush the strips and go for it! http://www.lowcarbeating.com/smilies/roll.gif

Good luck all!!
Seesko

starting weight 242 1/5/04
goal weight 135

Smile...it makes people wonder what you are up to!

bcelisa, first calm down. This diet is famous for its "whoosh" effect. Meaning nothing is happening and then all at once whoosh you lose 5 or 6 pounds. Don't get discouraged. If you are in ketosis, then it is working, just look at it as its working behind the scene's right now. Don't forget the old saying "A watched pot never boils." Lighten up and follow the plan and it will work. Just don't give up.

Hi, Lisa. http://www.lowcarbeating.com/icon_smile.gif

I remember you posted a couple of days worth of food the other day. There were some iffy items for induction, not enough food and definitely not enough vegetables. You got a lot of good suggestions! But even if you put them into effect, it's only been two days, and then you had a subway sandwich which is probably fine for OWL, but not a good choice for induction, where you're supposed to be detoxing.

Try this, try a few days of induction eating ONLY from the list of acceptable foods and keeping your water intake good. That means a MINIMUM of 64 oz, but aim for this: take your weight in pounds and divide it in half. Have that many ounces of water over the course of the day.

See what that does for you. http://www.lowcarbeating.com/icon_smile.gif

Maggie
5'1" ~~ Atkins since '98 (160+)
Maintaining nicely (110 +/-)
~~ Redhead until further notice!

http://www.lowcarbeating.com/lcesupporter.gif

Thank you.. I know there were a few iffy things, and I am trying to eat more... i guess the whole time I have had some show on my ketostix so I figured what I had done thus far was ok... I definetly drink the water... That's all I drink.. so I'll try and be patient...
thank you.

Lisa, have you given the beginner's guide a read? Here it is: Beginner's Guide

It is packed with lots of useful informations. http://www.lowcarbeating.com/icon_smile_big.gif

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!
www.iwsgroupinc.com - website design and development
http://www.lowcarbeating.com/valchal.gif

Atkins-3/14/03
174/144/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER
http://www.lowcarbeating.com/lcesupporter.gif

Lisa,

I think your **big mistake** is in relying on the ketostix to tell you if you are "doing ok."
That's not what they are for. http://www.lowcarbeating.com/icon_smile_shock.gif
They are a fun way to tell if one is in ketosis, but they can show ketones in the urine even when one is not losing fat/losing weight. They are NOT an indication of weight loss; they are only an indication of fat waste being expelled in the urine... I still don't *fully* understand the whole process, but I have heard some people say that you can get a *positive* ketone reading just by eating a LOT of fat or by not drinking enough water... That's putting it rather simplistically, but what I'm trying to tell you is that you can not use them to guage your success.

The whole point of induction is not just to *jumpstart* ketosis in your body, but to reduce sugar and carb cravings. If you cheat (even a *little* bit) on induction, it can seriously hamper your weight loss and *confuse* your body to the point where you will lose more slowly.
Honestly, two weeks is not that long. If I were you, I would eat ONLY the "induction-allowed foods" during that time and make sure you are drinking adequate water (at least half your body weight in ounces). Maybe don't step on the scale again until you have done a full 2 weeks without rationalizing anything you are eating?
I'm sure you will see results then. http://www.lowcarbeating.com/icon_smile.gif
Hang in there and don't give up on this woe (way of eating). When done correctly, it's very effective! http://www.lowcarbeating.com/icon_smile_wink.gif

Summer
http://www.herstorygirl.com/Me_Septe...02_resized.jpg
http://www.herstorygirl.com/pregnant.gif
www.herstorygirl.com

I agree...it is only 2 weeks, and I am a better safe than sorry kindof girlhttp://www.lowcarbeating.com/icon_smile.gif You will be adding the things you are missing back soon enough. I know you can do it. Just buckle down and be firm with yourself. If you do, it WILL workhttp://www.lowcarbeating.com/icon_smile.gif

400/335/200

I just picked up on this thread and I was interested in buying the ketostix myself. O.K., so I'm understanding that one should not soly rely on these as an indication of weight loss, but is it a good idea to do this occasionally? Or are they really no help at all?

LoveViolets - some people love them, some hate them. What really matters in the end (ours!!) is wearing a smaller size, seeing lower numbers on the scale and feeling better.

It really is a YMMV issue. Many here have lost tons of weight without ever getting those sticks to change color (til them dipped them in pink paint!! http://www.lowcarbeating.com/smilies/roll.gif )

LOL April Rose http://www.lowcarbeating.com/smilies/roll.gif

Yep, it's a YMMV thing. I used them in the beginning just to see if I turned them pink. I did not turn them pink, but PURPLE!! That was very encouraging. But I later found out that they were that color because I was not drinking enough water. Now I only use them occasionally if I have stalled and then changed (more induction level) what I eat. I use it to guage where I'm at, once a month or so. You could go broke buying them. You don't HAVE to use them. Measuring, weighing and seeing your clothes get loser are all good tools to use to watch your weight loss. And THEN, when the compliments begin, well.......that's all it takes to resolve to remain on this WOL forever!!!!! http://www.lowcarbeating.com/icon_smile_big.gif

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!
www.iwsgroupinc.com - website design and development
http://www.lowcarbeating.com/valchal.gif

Atkins-3/14/03
174/144/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER
http://www.lowcarbeating.com/lcesupporter.gif

If your ketostix are showing moderate, and you haven't lost as much weight as you wanted to, then it's just a matter of waiting for that whoosh.

I disagree with Lawbooks. I use Ketostix every day to make sure I'm "doing the diet okay." As long as I'm in ketosis, whether or not I lose weight THIS week, I know I'm still in ketosis and that I'm not eating too many carbs. And that's the essence of low-carbing right there.

You'll hear a lot of people on forums arguing about whether or not it's okay to eat this food or that food. There's one final arbiter of that. If you can eat it and stay regularly in ketosis, it's okay.

About the dietary fat thing causing ketones... That seems to get repeated a lot, usually by people who don't test themselves regularly. I do, and I don't notice darker colors on high-fat days than I do on low-fat days. Bigger predictors of dark colors have been:

(1)The activity level for the day (hard exercise, long day shopping, etc.).

(2)Sickness (like right now, I have the flu and I'm WAY purple, eating just eggs and soup. Not very high-fat.)

Drinking insufficient water will make your colors darker, too, but that's not a good idea. The darkness of the colors isn't what's important. It's knowing if you're in or not in ketosis.

Why is it important to KNOW if you're in ketosis? It's the whole basis of low-carbing. People come on here and say, "Why am I not losing weight?" and start listing their foods. Well, if you test positive for ketones, I don't care that much what you ate for the day. The only reason I'd want to know what you eat is if I were worried you were eating too many carbs.

So if you're in ketosis, relax, and wait for the magic to work. Either it will, or it won't. There's not a lot more to this diet than that. There are little things you can do to try to lose weight faster, like exercise, etc., but being in ketosis, that's numero uno on the priority list.

**************
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."
http://www.lowcarbeating.com/lcesupporter.gif

Some other things that I thought of that will make strips darker....

Caffeine. I don't consume caffeine, but on those times when I've got a jolt of it, e.g., by consuming large quantities of decaf, I've noticed darker colors that evening. For a while, I thought it was maybe a fluke. But repeated observations make think there's a real trend to this. Perhaps it increases glucagon production which raises ketone levels for people in ketosis.

Mental stimulation. I've noticed that when I'm really excited about something that captures my interest, I get darker colors. For instance, last month, I got GTA Vice City and lost many hours of my life stealing little computer cars and shooting little computer gang-bangers. I was less physically active than usual, and yet my ketostix colors became much darker.

Back during the war, at the height of the bombing, I had very dark colors. I wasn't doing anything at the time but watching bombs drop on TV and surfing internet blogs.

**************
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."
http://www.lowcarbeating.com/lcesupporter.gif

Thanks for taking the time to respond to me... I admit that when I get a change of color on the stix that it gives me a mental boost and encouragement that I must be doing something right... and guess what ?? I don't know if you'll read this but I'm down another two pounds so total 4.... Thas was a real encouragment boost.... Thanks for your input.. I usually use the stix in the morning when I wake up, cause I figure it won't be diluted with water and should be pretty accurate, what do you think?
Thanks again.
Feeling a bit more positive today.

bcelisa
182/180/178

Lisa,

That is awesome!! http://www.lowcarbeating.com/smilies/jumpgreen.gif
See?
I *knew* you could do it! http://www.lowcarbeating.com/icon_smile_wink.gif

You are gonna do just great with this woe (way of eating).

BTW, according to Dr. A, you will get your highest ketone reading in the evening. It doesn't make sense to me, either. Like you, I assumed that the morning would be best (less diluted, etc. -- like a pregnancy test), but I have to admit the good doctor was right. The ONLY time I got the color to change at all was at night -- right before bed! http://www.lowcarbeating.com/icon_smile_shock.gif
Hope this helps...
And keep up the great work!

Summer http://www.lowcarbeating.com/icon_smile.gif