Ketostix and weight loss

suzqtme

This question has been probably discussed ad nauseum, but I'm relatively new and so will blunder in. My Ketostix have finally hit the highest color. This took 5 day fat fast and diligence after with twice a week IF.

So, does weight loss relate in anyway to how dark the Ketostix gets? I'm really hoping for a big, resounding "yes" here since my weight loss has been fairly slow. It's taken me since April to lose about 28 pounds (though I didn't start out doing keto or even Atkins). So can hope for a bump up in the rate of weight loss?

anglyn1

Sorry I can't really give you the big yes. Mine are almost always super dark purple and I've basically been in maintenance for a couple of months. I think it has a lot to do with levels of hydration. Also for a lot of people once they become adapted their body becomes more efficient at using ketones and doesn't waste nearly so many in urine. So I guess they can be a tool to use more so in the beginning. Most people are ketosis under 50 carbs a day. Some need to go lower but nearly everyone will be in ketosis at 20 or less. The strips may or may not turn purple.

http://ketopia.com/why-you-need-to-stop-worrying-about-the-color-of-your-ketostix/

Sunny_Bunny_

I'm very sorry to say that it does not mean anything as far as weight loss goes.
It just measures acetoacetate which comes from metabolizing fat. Either body fat or consumed fat.
It does mean that you are in ketosis, which has a multitude of significant benefits and that you're definitely running on ketones instead of glucose predominantly.
So, when you test at a lighter color at some point, it doesn't mean you're burning less fat either. And burning fat in general doesn't mean you're burning body fat. If you're eating too many calories, even from fat, you can be making lots and lots of ketones, but still not be losing body fat. You can even gain weight while running high on ketones.
Of course hydration and frequency of urination, affects the strips too. You could be making tons of ketones but peeing often because of excessive fluid intake or coffees diuretic effect and will probably test lower simply because of dilution.
I just ran a personal experiment on this but haven't organized my data, but my color goes way down when I go every hour while I'm drinking coffee in the morning. When the diuretic effect wears off and I go 4-5 hours between peeing, I get dark colors again. If I restrict fluids, I get dark colors. If I drink lots and lots of fluids, I get lighter colors. But even when I am not taking in as much actual fluid, but going often, it gets lighter. Like when I'm drinking coffee, or if I go before I actually feel the need to go.

kpk54

suzqtme wrote: »

This question has been probably discussed ad nauseum, but I'm relatively new and so will blunder in. My Ketostix have finally hit the highest color. This took 5 day fat fast and diligence after with twice a week IF.

So, does weight loss relate in anyway to how dark the Ketostix gets? I'm really hoping for a big, resounding "yes" here since my weight loss has been fairly slow. It's taken me since April to lose about 28 pounds (though I didn't start out doing keto or even Atkins). So can hope for a bump up in the rate of weight loss?

I hope you mean April of 2015 in regards to slow. Otherwise it is over a 5 pound loss per month and that is awesome! Can't add any info on the sticks. Never used them.

Sunny_Bunny_

kpk54 wrote: »

suzqtme wrote: »

This question has been probably discussed ad nauseum, but I'm relatively new and so will blunder in. My Ketostix have finally hit the highest color. This took 5 day fat fast and diligence after with twice a week IF.

So, does weight loss relate in anyway to how dark the Ketostix gets? I'm really hoping for a big, resounding "yes" here since my weight loss has been fairly slow. It's taken me since April to lose about 28 pounds (though I didn't start out doing keto or even Atkins). So can hope for a bump up in the rate of weight loss?

I hope you mean April of 2015 in regards to slow. Otherwise it is over a 5 pound loss per month and that is awesome! Can't add any info on the sticks. Never used them.

I didn't even catch that!
That's amazing loss!
I've been Keto since 2015 and have lost about 28 pounds. Can't seem to lose my last 10.
But I'm in it for the long haul

bametels

suzqtme wrote: »

It's taken me since April to lose about 28 pounds

This is a FANTASTIC weight loss. Congrats!

silverfiend

don't focus on color, it's meaningless in regards to weight loss. The biggest problem with ketostix (and all similar urine test strips) is that they only measure one ketone. After a few months on being in ketosis, your body will adapt and stop producing significant amounts of acetoacetate. This means that your strips will register nothing or trace at the most.

When this happens, just make sure you are staying in your carb counts each day and stop using the strips.

Congrats on the weight loss so far!