Question about Ketostix

My husband and I have done week 1...

my ketostix is purple...
my husbands is completely clear.

i lost 5.5lbs this week
he lost 9.5lbs...

what does this mean??

It means you should throw them in the bin and ignore the blooming things. They are notoriously unreliable and people get way too stressed over them. Bottom line is if youre sticking to the diet youll be in ketosis.

Oh and technically speaking those readings mean youre dehydrated (which Id put money on you not being though when I used them, before I saw sense, I showed purple no matter how much I drank) and your hubby is not in ketosis, which after this time, he will be !

All I know is that purple usually means not enough water, thats what I was told. Not sure about it being clear. I think if you drink TOO much water you can pee out your ketones? I think I read that somewhere.

Sorry it that didn't help much lol

Strong purple means you need to drink more, your hubby's is clear as he has watered the ketones down by drinking. He will be in ketosis as he's not eating carbs and enough calories. I have tested in the past before and after exercise and after it was always stronger purple as I had lost water training.

Some folks never have evidence of ketones in their urine. Only surplus ketones show up in your wee. If your body is using ketones efficiently then you'll never get a pink stick, despite most definitely being in ketosis. Similarly some people don't wee out their ketones - instead they sweat them out (quite likely in this warm weather) or excrete them on their breath (over ripe apples, anyone? ).

If you're doing SS by the book, you'll be in ketosis. You don't need ketostix. They weren't designed to do the job you're trying to make them do - they're designed for diabetics as a rather rough and ready tool to determine whether diabetics have ketones in their urine, not for healthy people on a low carb diet. So don't worry!

Oh, and annoyingly, men always lose weight more quickly than women. That's the only reason - it has nothing to do with 'depth of ketosis' or anything like that. Cos ketosis, as I think Starlight might have said before now, is a rather black and white thing. You can't be a little bit in ketosis, any more than you can be a little bit pregnant. You're either in ketosis (and it sounds like you both are) or you aren't. How pink a stick turns has no relation to how fast you lose weight.

Hang in there, hun. You're doing fine.

thanks for the advice people. i have upped my water intake... so later this week i'll check again...

thing is i remember when i was doing lipotrim it showed purple no matter how much i drank so i dont know if its necessarily coz im dehydrated. but i will drink more and see how i get on.

x

MrsFatBum said:

thanks for the advice people. i have upped my water intake... so later this week i'll check again...

thing is i remember when i was doing lipotrim it showed purple no matter how much i drank so i dont know if its necessarily coz im dehydrated. but i will drink more and see how i get on.

x

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I agree with Lily as always. And I don't really understand why you'd be bothered?? You're losing weight, and if you stick to the diet, you'll carry on losing weight without any problem, guaranteed!

I genuinely don't understand the obsession VLCD'ers have with Ketostix. What does it matter what they say? Genuine question, as I don't believe in them and never use them. I lose weight if I stick to it, and lose still if I give in to the call of the wine, etc, but more slowly. Being in ketosis or not is of no interest to me, as long as I'm losing weight, and not feeling starving hungry.

your right. i wont really bother with the ketostix coz as u say we are losing weight regardless of what the stick shows. interestingly since i started drinking moooore water the ketostix show a pink rather than a purple... well its nice to know im not dehydrated

x