ketosis sticks....

[mommytoethan 1]

does anyone use them?

i've thought about getting them and using them to make sure i'm in ketosis during my stall(s).... but not sure where to get them or the price of them.

[stcyt 15]

You can get them at Walmart or walgreens. They are in the pharmacy with the stuff to manage diabetes. They are really easy to use and I think under ten dollars. They are helpful for ensuring your still loosing... even if the scale is stalled, but you have to be careful. There are things that can affect the level of ketones in your urin. If you drink a lot of Water your urin may be a little dilute and your reading will be low... also if you measure right after exercise ketones may not register because your body used them up temporarily. There's probably other stuff. Thats just what I know about.

good luck

stacey

[Dansha 16]

does anyone use them?

i've thought about getting them and using them to make sure i'm in ketosis during my stall(s).... but not sure where to get them or the price of them.

You read my mind. LOL. I was just at Walgreens looking for the sticks. I'm on my pre-op diet and losing weight like crazy, so I was wondering if I was in Ketosis. That's were I have bought them before when I was on Slim 4 Life. At my Walgreens they didn't have them, but there's a Walgreens on every street corner here so it shouldn't be hard to find someone who has them. Good luck.

Deb

[stcyt 15]

I got mine at Walmart

[MlkPas 5]

I get mine from Amazon. I don't shop at Walmart and these off-brand ones are much, much cheaper than the name-brand Ketostix available at the pharmacies around here: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000537YG/ref=oss_product]Amazon.com: URS Urinalysis Strips For Ketone - 100 ea: Health & Personal Care[/ame]

Edited to add I find them amazingly motivating!

[mommytoethan 1]

while i was out, i stopped and picked some up from CVS -

my question is when is the best time of day to use them? should i just test once a day?

[christina@MIA 12]

My Dr had me test once a day in the morning.

[therealme 0]

hey everyone, just a few questions......

does being in ketosis indicate that your body is burning fat not muscle? how does the body get into a state of ketosis? by consuming <40 grams carb daily? the only time i ever monitored my ketones is when i had gestational diabetes and it was extremely bad to have ketones then so this is a different way of thinking for me now!

[zephra 5]

Just went out and bought a bottle from CVS and according to the directions I have a high concentration of Keytones so I guess that is good.

[mommytoethan 1]

my levels are really high too..... this is the first time i've used them and i think they are going to be motivation for me!

[ouroborous 519]

Um.

You guys know that severe ketosis can ruin your kidneys, right?

I worry about this sort of advice. A lot.

Seriously, focus on limiting your calories to the target range (600-800/day, adjusted by exercise), keep carbs in a "reasonable" range, drink lots of Water, take your Vitamins, and exercise. That's ALL you need to do. Honest! That and a little patience and the pounds will just melt off.

From the AAKP (American Association of Kidney Patients) website:

When following a low-carbohydrate diet, people are encouraged to substitute low glycemic index foods for the high glycemic foods they might typically eat. Some examples of foods with a high glycemic index include sugar, syrups, honey, breads and pastas made with white flour, white rice, carrots, white potatoes, many fruits and fruit juices and many ready-to-eat Breakfast cereals.

Foods defined as low-glycemic include meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, most non-starchy vegetables, cheese and fats such as oils, butter and shortening. For a complete list of foods and their glycemic index, please visit www.glycemicindex.com.

Promoters of the low-carbohydrate approach to weight loss believe that by decreasing carbohydrate intake, particularly carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, decreases the presence of glucose in the bloodstream. As a result, the body releases less insulin, a hormone that helps transport glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. The decreased insulin response leads to fewer excess calories converted to fat stores. The safety, efficiency and long-term effects of this diet approach are unknown and continue to be debated by health professionals.

In the article Weight-loss and Nutrition Myths, published by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), many myths about nutrition, weight loss and exercise are discussed. Concerning weight loss, NIDDK discusses the importance of a balanced diet, including foods from all food groups. Following a low-carbohydrate, high Protein diet is not considered balanced and may lead to a decreased intake of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, which can cause Constipation from low Fiber intake. These foods are also good sources of many Vitamins and minerals needed by the body. Decreasing intake of these foods may lead to Vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Another main concern with this diet approach is a condition known as ketosis. Ketosis is a buildup of partially broken-down fats (ketones) in the bloodstream and may occur if less than 130 grams of carbohydrates are consumed each day. As a result of ketone build-up in the blood, the body may produce high levels of uric acid, which is a risk factor for developing gout and kidney stones. For pregnant women and people with diabetes or kidney disease, ketosis is especially dangerous.

Edited August 13, 2010 by ouroborous

[Lisalu 89]

The ketosis that occurs with a low carb diet is different than the ketosis that occurs with diabetes. The dangerous one is ketoacidosis (I hope I spelled that right) which occurs when the body cannot produce or use isulin (i.e. diabetes types I and II).

Certain native groups (Inuits and Aleuts, for example) existed on very low levels of carbs with no apparent ill health effects. Hunter-gathers in general eat a smaller percentage of their calories from carbs and they do fine too. I'm not sure what the "ideal" diet is, but I've had problems with my blood sugar in the past, so I keep my carbs low.