Question:
Does any one use ketone testing strips?

Hi everyone :) Does anyone have any experience with the ketone testing strips? I picked some up the other day at the Vitamin Shop and am wondering what is the best way to use them. I know that they can be used to find out how many carbs you can eat while still allowing yourself to be in ketosis, but how exactly do you use them to figure this out? Oh, and are they really accurate and do they tell you anything other than that you should be losing fat? Many thanks for any and all info!    — CarolineAnnMartin (posted on July 5, 2003)

July 4, 2003
Hi. I am still pre-op, but I have used the testing strips in the past during one of my many diets. They seem to work, but I don't know how accurate they really are. On the days when I really worked out hard, it seemed like it would show less results than on the days when I "cheated." So, I don't know. They were kind of confusing, and to be honest, they really hindered my mood. When I didn't see a dark pink urine pad (indicating high ketone in the urine), I was upset and felt like a failure. Good luck!
   — kristynush

July 5, 2003
I'm five months out from a lap RNY and had a four-week plateu that nearly drove me insane. (I was losing inches but not pounds) I decided to cut my carbs down to under 30 g a day and used the ketostix to check my progress...there definitely seemed to be a correlation between achieving a high level of ketosis and losing weight--the plateau broke after about three days of extra protein/low carbs and I lost four pounds in two days. I plan to keep using the ketistix periodically as a spot check and then whenever I am trying to break a plateau. I tested first thing in the mornings, on the advice of someone on AMOS who pointed out that morning urine is the most concentrated. For me, the ketostix are a useful tool, but be aware...you can lose weight and not be on the "dark end" of the test strips and conversely you can be showing high ketones and take a while to show pounds lost...also, apparently everyone's ability to achieve ketosis varies, and some folks can eat more carbs and stay in ketosis than others can. And of course, there will always be those times when you are losing inches and the scale doesn't budge. -Lisa lap RNY 23-Jan-2003 246/174
   — gamboge