Boots (or mine at least) don’t sell ketostix but the pharmacy in our morrisons does. £5.07 for 50 strips

Ok, so I’ve just wee’d on a stick (I know,TMI) and it says I’m not in ketosis. Which is fair enough given the inordinate amount of carbs I ate yesterday (and loved eating every one of them). But that gives me a good base line to know that what I do over the next 24 to 48 hours will determine whether I achieve ketosis or not.

My doctor has always given me them, and I always end up throwing the tub away before I’ve used them all, because they are about 3/4 years out of date!!! Only ever used them when I’ve been poorly and had really high bs readings cos of illness. I never thought of using them … I must do it!! Thanks for bringing them to my attention!! 🙂
I nearly said something about your TMI comment … but think yourself lucky, I refrained!!! 🙂 x

I’ve ordered some from the internet
Postage was almost as much as the product but I do want to see if these blood sugar issues have anything to do with ketosis or whether it is even happening for me.

Kimgall, were you going to take the proverbial?

Bill, yes it was your post which stirred me into action. I have also ordered some from amazon which I use a lot and I very rarely pay postage on anything. They were £4.55 on amazon.

Who, me??? As if!!! 🙂 It may have been something about aim … you know … aiming high like we do on this ere healthy eating stuff!!! ROFLOL … as Bill would say!!! 🙂

If you 2 don’t mind I’ll step out of this one as I have the feeling that there is female humour going on that I don’t understand.
I fear these ketostix have to be stood on a window sill and aimed at !!!
It’s my eyes you know 😉

Lol lol lol!

Story so far;
I had a very high carb day on Sunday (which I refuse to feel any repentance for) so I thought that Monday would be an ideal time to start measuring my fat burning capabilities using the ketostix to see how long it took to get into ketosis. I had two meals yesterday which came to no more than 500 calories and still was not in ketosis this morning. I have just done a twelve thousand step walk (which I haven’t done in years). I haven’t yet eaten but I have had a latte for 109 calories (that’s where I walked to, the coffee shop!) and still nowhere near ketosis.

So I don’t know when or if it is going to happen but I’m happy to continue with the experiment.

Hi Janet
mine should arrive today so it will be interesting to compare notes.
We are all losing weight from somewhere, it seems strange that there is no sign of ketosis going on.
Maybe if others are using this or a similar product they could let us know if it’s working for them

Yes, I think it will be helpful to compare notes Bill. More out of curiosity really, I’m just keen to know after all these years what’s really going on inside my body.

Morning folk
well, did the Ketostix test this morning and had a positive if not startling result.
the colour chart was showing a result halfway between 1.5 and 4 so definitely ketosis going on here.
Anything more from you yet Janet ?

Morning Bill,
Yes, I finally have ketosis! Just0.5 which, according to my chart is a trace so I hope to see that improve with time and some tweaks to my diet. Your reading is medium on my chart which is about right for the number of carbs you are eating. The higher numbers come from a diet of 20grams of carbs or less.

😀
You see my aim wasn’t too bad
Not too shabby for a 62 year old 🙂

I guess not!

I found a website yesterday called Diet Doctor, he’s a Swedish feller. It talks about ketosis and about the low carb high fat diet. He’s from the same school of thought as Saint Dr Mosley and his discussion of exercise made me smile!

Hey Janet
the more health professionals that get on board the better and ASAP too please.
We need to get the message out and those are the best people to do it.

Yep, I quite agree. I like the way he summed up what to eat and what not to eat. I’ll be keeping an eye on him (he’s quite easy on the eye, I don’t suppose you noticed)

Not my type hun 😉

Bill, I read your post on your thread that you are still in ketosis which is great news. I have today moved into the second category of showing 1.5 – its a nice shade of rose pink on on my chart so I’m very happy with that. I am actively watching my carb count now to keep it around 50 carbs. I have swapped my cow’s milk latte for soya latte which was lovely and so creamy that I didn’t need to add any sweeteners – double bonus. And I continued to observe the inclusion of more fat in the form of butter and avocado. I can also report no stomach pain last night. I have lost the two pounds I put back on last week so I think I might just be starting to get my head around this!

That’s great to hear Janet, it all seems to be coming together for you now. May try the soya milk but my fave coffee is cappucino ! (no chocolate though)
My ketosis test showed the same as yesterday so I can’t understand why the sugar readings if I’m in fat burning mode.
Oh well, nothing ever gets discovered without trials and tribulations.

Hi guys joining the chat late…so do i gather that it is good to use the ketostix once daily and you should be in ketosis every day? Im not diabetic just no weight loss day 5 strict 800 !!!

Sort of Mosleyfan, it gives you an idea of whats going on
I read somewhere the other day that 30 – 50 grams of carb a day will put you in to ketosis.

Hi Mosleyfan
As I understand it, you can test any time of day but you are more likely to find the ketones in your urine first thing in the morning. I have been aiming for 50 ish grams of carbs with a good dollop of fat and have had ketosis yesterday and today.

Good luck for today Bill, I know you won’t get your daughters results for a while though.

I am still in ketosis, today a dark pink 4 so climbing every day. I have lost 3lbs since Monday which is not like me at all and is very encouraging. I had your coconut flatbreads yesterday which were yummie though mine were more like coconut macaroons as I didn’t flatten them down and thought they might do that in the heat of the oven. They were still lovely and very filling. I did some reading about coconut oil/flour on the coconut mama website you mentioned and I need to make sure to eat more of it as I think it could really help.

I think perhaps the relationship between ketosis and blood sugar is a complicated one but as long as you are in ketosis you are losing fat and by the end of your 8 weeks your bs average will be much lower.

While you are at the hospital, ask the coffee shop if they can make you a soya cappuccino.

Take care.

Morning Janet thanks for the good wishes
Weird results today, blood sugar down but no ketosis – very interesting, could this be a one or the other effect. That would explain a lot of strange readings.

How very odd indeed! Just when we think we’re getting a handle on it….

I am still in ketosis at 4, but I have put on half a pound from yesterday. Surely that means it has to be water retention? I didn’t stray from my 50 carbs yesterday. Its quite normal for me to do this, to lose some then gain a bit so I am relatively happy that as I am still in ketosis, its nothing to worry about or anything I can even control.

Ketosis is remaining steady at a dark pink 4. I’m chuffed about that. I suspect I could push it up to 8 or 12 if I went really low carb, ie 20g a day, but I don’t feel too inclined to do that at the moment. So I am nearly 4 and half weeks in to the bsd and have lost 7 and a half pounds. Week three was the worst where I gained two pounds back, partly self induced partly not. Like the half pound I gained yesterday but is gone again today.

I have had to abandon some dearly loved things like soya and sweeteners (the carbs were much easier to let go of!) but I am now drinking full fat latte with no sweeteners – I never thought I’d see the day for either of those! I have spent the week reading about soy and ifs effects on people with thyroid problems and have reluctantly concluded that it probably isn’t good for me. So I’ve had my last soya latte.

On the plus side I have discovered coconut oil. I’m not sure if I believe everything it is claimed to fix but this week I think it has helped keep me in ketosis and lose three pound in 5 days so I am going to continue to experiment with that. I can only wonder if everything in my life has to have a coconut aroma in the background from now on. Its lovely but I prefer my savoury things to be savoury. Maybe I’ll get used to it or plan b is just to eat it neat from the jar. Oh how decadent!

Week five here we come!

Hi Janet,

I have used ketostix in the past and you reminded me….good to see that I am ‘in the pink’ too! Have read somewhere that if you are showing even a low level then it is ok, no need to push it into the darker colours so looks like you are doing it just right!
I do still sometimes indulge in a soya latte but it is always the unsweetened variety, find it takes the place of a meal and so is worth the carbs.
On the coconut oil front I am kind of on the fence, tried it in cooking and like you am not too keen taste wise…have you tried it from the jar yet and if so what is your opinion?

Great going into week 5 😀

Hi Col

I agree with you about the ketostix, any level of bat burning is fine by me, especially if I don’t feel like I have had to work that hard to get it. I definitely think I can eat the coconut oil straight from the jar, probably in teaspoons rather than tablespoons though. And also today, I have tried it in decaff tea and also fruit teas which are both fine. So I think that will be the way to go, to have it with my tea and no milk. That means I can go back to cooking with butter and olive oil/linseed oil.

Unsweetened soya milk has long been a favourite of mine but I have read some disturbing articles about how it affects the function of the thyroid, particularly in those who already have a weakened thyroid (that’s me) but for those who don’t, there are less carbs than cow’s milk so its a good alternative.

All the best for this week Col.

I had a few more carbs than I planned for yesterday – nothing naughty just too much gram flour in my courgette bajis but they were very nice and I will be making them again with less gram flour next time.

So ketosis was 1.5 this morning but back up to 4 this afternoon. I can now confirm that eating the coconut oil neat from the jar is doable. Its a bit like ramming 10 bounty bars in your mouth at once but I’d describe it as different but not unpleasant. I am putting it in my mouth and slowly swallowing it a bit at a time and even drinking at the same time. I know it sounds a bit weird but its ok!

Ugh I couldn’t do that Janet
Weird result for me this am, in fact I did the test twice to confirm.
There was no change at all in the colour of the test strip, even paler than the “0” result. I don’t know what’s happening there.

Yeah, I won’t pretend it feels normal but I don’t really like using it for cooking so I’ll persevere this way.

As for your result, I think all sorts of things could kick you out of ketosis – not enough water, just enough carbs, stress probably. I’m sure your ketosis mojo will be back soon enough.

Thanks for your help earlier. All the best.

Once again I had an abnormally high fasting sugar reading today (9.9) but my ketosis reading is 4
I’ve fairly well convinced myself that it’s stored sugar and fat being released that is causing this so I’ll just go with it in the hope that my liver and pancreas will be fat and sugar free well ahead of me.

Sometimes I find myself asking the bigger questions in life. For instance, when exactly does weight loss occur? Not how but when? Is it when I am asleep? Do fairies get drafted in when a special bell rings because I have been truly good and can have a pound removed? Or is it happening all the time? If so, I’d never know as I am always heavier in the evening than the morning? The reason for such a strange line of questioning is that I’m wondering whether there is also a time lag between my actions and the results. I was quite naughty on Monday evening, for only the third time in five weeks which is very good for me. Of course, I didn’t dare face the scales on Wednesday morning but yesterday morning I still lost half a pound. However, my ketosis has been negligible to non existent since Tuesday even though I was straight back on the plan. I’m not disheartened in any way, just curious.

Similarly Bill, I have no idea how to explain your readings. My dad had T1 most of his adult life but T2 has thankfully not touched my family yet. However your ketosis is good and encouraging so keep doing what you are doing👼

It’s very strange Janet, I mean how can you do the same thing for a week, lose no weight, and then lose 3 pounds overnight
I’m not even going to try to understand it.

Janet and Bill – Just wanted to say that I love all your questions (lots of them are mine too! and by the way, I have don’t have any answers!)

Hi M, thanks for joining in anyway! Life would be boring if we had all the answers. A few would be nice though!

Latest update on the ketosis – I have been bobbing around 0.5 to 1.5 all week but still losing around half a pound a day so I’m not complaining.

Happy birthday Bill, have a great celebration!

May we swap? – I am around 4 each day (a nice deep rose pink) and losing absolutely nothing!

*chuckles* you see, that brings me to another question. I actually think my weight loss does a little bit better when I am only in a little bit of ketosis. But of course, that’s not scientifically tested. If its any consolation, M, I am one of life’s slow losers, even on this programme. I lost three and a half pounds, and the will to live, with WW before I got here. Then week 1 – 3 1/2 off, week 2 – 1 1/2 off, week 3 – nothing, week 4 – 2 off, week 5 – 1 off. This is still the best thing I have ever done for myself (and I don’t exercise either). Week 4 was when I got my ketostix.

I know its hard when you know you are doing everything right but it really does seem to be true that there are plateaus even on this programme. The thing I like about the ketostix is you know you are doing everything right, you are not just guessing, and the results will come, I promise.

Hi all
I have been reading all these posts so thought I would get some. They came last week, first few times nothing not even a trace so I stopped doing them. Did it this morning and it showing 4, so ecstatic I can see that my body is burning fat. I love this BSD I have tried them all, none have worked like this. My husband isn’t very over weight but he is doing it with me, not strict like me and he has lost 10lb in 4 weeks.

Hi Sharon. I just hate that. People who don’t really try yet lose shed loads of weight! That never happens to me. No really, I am pleased for your hubby but jealous too! Well done for achieving the rosy pink stage (if your ketostix look like mine), its a very reassuring feeling to know you are burning fat. I can report another pound list this morning since Saturday and I have only been at 1.5 for most days. I am at 13.5 pounds now in 6.5 weeks – a true miracle for me. When I reach my stone you won’t need me to post, you will hear me cheering! All the best, keep posting, I find it all fascinating.

Hi Janet I know what you mean, it never happened to me either. I am loving this BSD I have only felt hungry a few time, but I have found I have so much more energy after 4 weeks on this eating plan. I lost 16lb in the first 3 weeks but nothing last week, I have lost 1lb since Saturday, which I’m very pleased with. Good luck on reaching your stone.

Hey Janet
that should be at around 4 this afternoon then ?
I’ll keep my ears open 😀

Sharon, how many diets have you tried ? How many have you loved ?

Hi Bill
I have tried SW, WW, slimfast, cabbage diet the soup diet you name it and I bet I have tried it! SW I lost 3 stone but that all crept back on. This is the only one that has worked and that is really sustainable. So happy I found the BSD book on Amazon. My husband thought it would just be yet another diet book gathering dust, but he loves it too he has even stopped having sugar in his tea.

It is a little contagious isn’t it ? My OH isn’t doing it but she has completely cut out the sweets, chocolate, biscuits etc because it isn’t fair to me.
She’s trying hard not to admit it, but she has also cut right back on bread, rice, and pasta so even though she isn’t doing it, she is in a way.

Yes it is, that is just what my OH is doing not counting calories but has cut out all the bad carbs. He’s is amazed at how much he has lost.

Aw Bill, you crack me up! I’ve just come out of a job interview so I will have lost that half pound in perspiration alone. But I’m having a second latte to celebrate. I’m assuming I passed the interview since they took my £44 for the dbs check!
Sharon – I guess your husband is eating his words now but that’s ok as there are no calories in words!

Hi Just thought I would check in and also give an update. Hope everyone still doing ok.
Janet – did you get the job? Bill – hoped you had a good birthday Sharon – hope you and OH are still both losing.

Having got thoroughly stalled for two weeks, I have reduced carbs (keeping them around 40g a day) and in the last 8 days have lost 7lb!! (have now lost 16lb in last 5 weeks and a total of 31lb since January 1st ) to everyone who hits the plateau know it does happen, just stick with it – good luck all.

Hi M
Well done, that’s an amazing weight loss. I bet you’re chuffed to bits with that!

Yes, I did get the job but I don’t think I want it. We have seriously got our priorities wrong in this country. The pay is poor, I have to do a five day induction course without pay, there is no mileage or travel time paid between clients but they say its ok because they expect me to steal back time by doing shorter visits to make up for the mileage they aren’t paying me. I think not!

One of the interview questions was when was the last time I spoke out about something that was wrong. The irony was just too much.

Anyway, onwards and upwards M. I am having a day off the plan today but I’ll be back in the game tomorrow. Keep up the good work, there’ll be no stopping you now!