Ketone Test Strips
Panda_Poptarts
Posts: 971 Member
Hi Guys! Still new at this 
I bought some Ketone test strips. The results indicated that I am between 15 - 40 (Moderate +). I imagine that we want that strip as dark as possible? Is that something that will happen on its own, or are more dietary adjustments needed?
I'm at day 8, so still pretty early on.
I bought some Ketone test strips. The results indicated that I am between 15 - 40 (Moderate +). I imagine that we want that strip as dark as possible? Is that something that will happen on its own, or are more dietary adjustments needed?
I'm at day 8, so still pretty early on.
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Congratulations of testing positive.
The depth of the positive is not important at all. You are either in Ketosis or out of Ketosis. If it is too deep it may mean you are dehydrated which will bring you more probs like Keto flu. Your level is perfect. Very healthy and exciting for you. Some people cannot use the stick as they just don't show a result. I love the stix giving me a confirmation that I'm doing well.0 -
SuesNewImage wrote: »Congratulations of testing positive.
The depth of the positive is not important at all. You are either in Ketosis or out of Ketosis. If it is too deep it may mean you are dehydrated which will bring you more probs like Keto flu. Your level is perfect. Very healthy and exciting for you. Some people cannot use the stick as they just don't show a result. I love the stix giving me a confirmation that I'm doing well.
Thank you!!! I wasn't sure if I was "adjusted" yet or not, so figured I'd pee on something (ha!). I feel seriously amazing. Loads of energy over here, no more 2pm crash! Yay for ketosis!0 -
I would like to pick up some Keto test strips. Could anyone please let me know where they are usually located in a drug store? I couldn't find them at Rite-Aid the other day. Maybe they just didn't carry them. Thanks!0
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ShootingStar72 wrote: »I would like to pick up some Keto test strips. Could anyone please let me know where they are usually located in a drug store? I couldn't find them at Rite-Aid the other day. Maybe they just didn't carry them. Thanks!
You will either find them by the diabetes testing supplies or you may have to ask the pharmacist.
A few different things can affect your result on the test strip. Your level of hydration. If you're very hydrated, you're effectively watering down your test result. If you're dehydrated, you will be likely to show a more concentrated ketone result.
Assuming you're right in the middle, testing at the lower end would suggest that you're not burning so much fat that you have much leftover acetoacetate to get rid of. Testing higher would suggest you're burning so much fat that you have way more acetoacetate than you can use so the excess is getting flushed out. You could expect to test higher after exercise, but possibly an hour or more later as its a delayed result. It basically shows where ketones were about 2 hours ago.
They also say that as time goes on you become more efficient and therefore have less acetoacetate wasted. Meaning you could expect to show lower levels the more adapted you become. I have never found that to be even remotely true for myself. I've done lots of testing as I'm very curious about it.
Some things I've noticed in myself... I'm always lower in the morning and eating vegetables at dinner will always lower it too. Having just one or two glasses of wine (about 10g carbs) doesn't seem to effect my results either that night or the next morning.
I've been tracking again this week, as I do every now and then. I have the time of day, how many carbs I had up to that point and my macro and calorie intake charts from MFP.
The following 4 days are more complete. I'm finishing that one up tonight.0 -
Thanks for the detailed information! It was a crazy busy day when I was looking for them, so I did not ask for help. I'll check at the diabetic supplies on my next trip!0
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ShootingStar72 wrote: »I would like to pick up some Keto test strips. Could anyone please let me know where they are usually located in a drug store? I couldn't find them at Rite-Aid the other day. Maybe they just didn't carry them. Thanks!
Walgreens carries them just about everywhere it looks like. I found them with the diabetic testing supplies.0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
A few different things can affect your result on the test strip. Your level of hydration. If you're very hydrated, you're effectively watering down your test result. If you're dehydrated, you will be likely to show a more concentrated ketone result.
Thank you for sharing this! This was really great, and definitely very interesting.
I tested mid-day, and I drink a ridiculous amount of water, so it is possible that I'd be towards the darker end by tomorrow morning I suppose. Out of curiosity, I'll test again tomorrow. Regarding your carb count, is that net carbs or total? I have been doing total carbs, but my average sits a little higher at around 30g.0 -
jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
A few different things can affect your result on the test strip. Your level of hydration. If you're very hydrated, you're effectively watering down your test result. If you're dehydrated, you will be likely to show a more concentrated ketone result.
Thank you for sharing this! This was really great, and definitely very interesting.
I tested mid-day, and I drink a ridiculous amount of water, so it is possible that I'd be towards the darker end by tomorrow morning I suppose. Out of curiosity, I'll test again tomorrow. Regarding your carb count, is that net carbs or total? I have been doing total carbs, but my average sits a little higher at around 30g.
That's total. I don't fuss with net.0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
A few different things can affect your result on the test strip. Your level of hydration. If you're very hydrated, you're effectively watering down your test result. If you're dehydrated, you will be likely to show a more concentrated ketone result.
Thank you for sharing this! This was really great, and definitely very interesting.
I tested mid-day, and I drink a ridiculous amount of water, so it is possible that I'd be towards the darker end by tomorrow morning I suppose. Out of curiosity, I'll test again tomorrow. Regarding your carb count, is that net carbs or total? I have been doing total carbs, but my average sits a little higher at around 30g.
That's total. I don't fuss with net.
Net seems like more effort than it's worth
Thanks for sharing! If I don't darken up a little bit within a few days, I'll knock the carbs back by 10g.0 -
jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
A few different things can affect your result on the test strip. Your level of hydration. If you're very hydrated, you're effectively watering down your test result. If you're dehydrated, you will be likely to show a more concentrated ketone result.
Thank you for sharing this! This was really great, and definitely very interesting.
I tested mid-day, and I drink a ridiculous amount of water, so it is possible that I'd be towards the darker end by tomorrow morning I suppose. Out of curiosity, I'll test again tomorrow. Regarding your carb count, is that net carbs or total? I have been doing total carbs, but my average sits a little higher at around 30g.
That's total. I don't fuss with net.
Net seems like more effort than it's worth
Thanks for sharing! If I don't darken up a little bit within a few days, I'll knock the carbs back by 10g.
I don't drink a whole lot of water. I'm well hydrated, I just don't purposely drink water for the sake of just drinking water like its my job! lol
I see people challenging each other to drink obscene amounts of water and I just don't understand it. Being overly hydrated isn't any better than being dehydrated. I just drink when I want to. Not like it's a mission. So I suspect your test would be a bit darker if you didn't drink as much water. Now, that doesn't mean you need to cut down on water. If you drink what you want to drink and not out of some idea that you absolutely must force down a minimum amount everyday, then keep drinking what you want. It doesn't mean anything with how much fat you're burning. Just know your test is probably slightly diluted.
If you want to be at a higher ketone production, you can either cut carbs back a bit or add in some exercise to create more fat burn.
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jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »
Walgreens carries them just about everywhere it looks like. I found them with the diabetic testing supplies.
I have Walgreens in town and will check there, thanks!
Congratulations on your success!0 -
You guys are so lucky. Here you HAVE to be a diabetic and get a script from your doctor to get the Test strips. Ordering on line seems to be the only other way..0
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Christine_72 wrote: »You guys are so lucky. Here you HAVE to be a diabetic and get a script from your doctor to get the Test strips. Ordering on line seems to be the only other way..
Amazon!0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »jessicaesqueda0409 wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »
A few different things can affect your result on the test strip. Your level of hydration. If you're very hydrated, you're effectively watering down your test result. If you're dehydrated, you will be likely to show a more concentrated ketone result.
Thank you for sharing this! This was really great, and definitely very interesting.
I tested mid-day, and I drink a ridiculous amount of water, so it is possible that I'd be towards the darker end by tomorrow morning I suppose. Out of curiosity, I'll test again tomorrow. Regarding your carb count, is that net carbs or total? I have been doing total carbs, but my average sits a little higher at around 30g.
That's total. I don't fuss with net.
Net seems like more effort than it's worth
Thanks for sharing! If I don't darken up a little bit within a few days, I'll knock the carbs back by 10g.
I don't drink a whole lot of water. I'm well hydrated, I just don't purposely drink water for the sake of just drinking water like its my job! lol
I see people challenging each other to drink obscene amounts of water and I just don't understand it. Being overly hydrated isn't any better than being dehydrated. I just drink when I want to. Not like it's a mission. So I suspect your test would be a bit darker if you didn't drink as much water. Now, that doesn't mean you need to cut down on water. If you drink what you want to drink and not out of some idea that you absolutely must force down a minimum amount everyday, then keep drinking what you want. It doesn't mean anything with how much fat you're burning. Just know your test is probably slightly diluted.
If you want to be at a higher ketone production, you can either cut carbs back a bit or add in some exercise to create more fat burn.
I don't measure my water intake, or try to hit a certain goal. I'm just one of those people that is thirsty all the time - particularly since the removal of an ovary. Yay hormones!
Some exercise would help. This week has suuuucked. I head over to Gold's to sign my personal training contract after work though!0 -
I worry about the water thing sometimes. Some days I'll drink 3+ Litres of water, other days it'll be 1L plus like 10 cups of tea! I have read that all fluid counts, not just plain water.0
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Christine_72 wrote: »I worry about the water thing sometimes. Some days I'll drink 3+ Litres of water, other days it'll be 1L plus like 10 cups of tea! I have read that all fluid counts, not just plain water.
I'm a tea drinker, myself. Enough that I have an electric kettle on my desk - LOL. Unsweetened, I figure it's just flavored water anyway.0 -
@Sunny_Bunny_ Wow. I have never had a test strip that dark. I have hit moderate a couple of times in the past 7 months but not many . I almost always show trace ketones, or small if my calories or carbs are very low. Funny how it can vary between people like that.
@jessicaesqueda0409 I wouldn't worry about getting your ketostix darker if you are at moderate and apply with your carb levels. You are in ketosis already. no need to restrict carbs further unless you want to. 0 -
Here's the last 4 days of my tracking. Some things just raise more questions than give answers when I do this. Like, I wonder why I had small ketones yesterday morning even after a very low carb day and having large ketones at bed time that night.
I think I had 2 cups of coffee in the later part of the day that would've been more "water" than I get most days since I don't usually drink it past the morning. Sometimes it just sounds good. So I guess I did take in more fluids but, I would think it would've affected that evenings test too.
Who knows. Sometimes I just don't have any idea. Other times I get exactly the result I would expect.
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I bought my test strips at CVS for about $11.00 for about a two-pack. My strip shows moderate ketone excretion. Yay!0
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Calories 1400
Carbohydrates 18 g 5 %
Fat 101 g 65 %
Protein 105 g 30 %
These are my current macros, can anyone tell me if I am where I should be? I am in ketosis but do not seem to be losing...... I "feel" like things are changing inside, but the scale is NOT moving.. ugh.
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