Test strips vs blood meter
RATSMITH69
Posts: 127 Member
Ok, new to this whole thing and wondered if some of the more experienced could weigh in on the question....
Urine test strips or blood meter?
I learned the hard way that the test strips show large numbers if you overdo the protein so I wasted three weeks thinking I was in Keto when I was just overdoing the protein massively!!
Urine test strips or blood meter?
I learned the hard way that the test strips show large numbers if you overdo the protein so I wasted three weeks thinking I was in Keto when I was just overdoing the protein massively!!
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Replies
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Urine strips are useless if you are particular about keto. They can be dark pink but your blood ketone levels can be well below 0.5 milli molars, which is the real definition of ketosis. Atkins used it in 70's because thats the best he had. None of the Dr's or experts in LCHF diets recommend urine strips.0
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Yes, the ketostix are not the most accurate way. Aside from protein, the color will also vary based on how hydrated you are. They also only measure one of two kinds of ketones - as you get deeper into ketosis, the kind it measures becomes less prevalent, and the kind it doesn't measure becomes more prevalent. So, it seems like it's getting harder to be in ketosis over time, but really it's just not measuring all the ketones.0
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I concur that the urine strips are not accurate, Especially long term.
I got the Precision Xtra meter that tests glucose and ketones. Can you believe I got the meter for FREE?! It came with all sorts of goodies. I have the test strips on the way too and I still need to get control solution but I should find that at CVS or something pretty easily (i least i hope so!). It took the meter a week to get here.
I'm getting the strips from here: http://www.universaldrugstore.com
Its the cheapest I've found at $2 per strip plus $7 shipping in North America. I've heard on another forum that they require a prescription but that makes no sense. The meters and strips are not controlled like medications. My order shipped out a few days ago without a prescription.
When I start testing I could report back if anyone is interested. I'm fairly certain I am in ketosis because my carbs have been really low and fats about 77-81% at about 1,200-1,700 calories. Several mornings now I've woken up to a pound loss overnight. I don't think its simply water weight since I've been transitioning into LC/keto for about a month now and my weight has yet to fluctuate up at any point (hope this will remain true during 'shark' week soon).
If you can afford the extra expense, i say go for the meter! I'm on a strict budget for car buying reasons so I don't plan to use the meter every day. Probably just every few days and to experiment with my personal reaction to carb intake and ketone level. This should keep the cost down.
Good luck!!0 -
When I start testing I could report back if anyone is interested.
Please do - I'd be interested!0 -
Will do! Perhaps I'll create a new topic to follow when I get everything and get started. I'll probably even log it in excel/google doc because I just am THAT nerdy. :P0
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small update: For the precision xtra meter you can get the control solution from the manufacturer for free. Not sure why it wasn't included in the kit with the meter considering they included everything else with it! Oh well, I won't complain about free.0
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When I start testing I could report back if anyone is interested.
Please do - I'd be interested!
Same! In fact, it would be great to have a thread showing some pertinent info over time from people who use the meter. I went ahead and ordered mine. If it's not too much trouble I'll copy-paste my macros for the day along with my results when I test... Hmm, guess I should start tracking my water intake.0 -
Cool! Glad i wont be alone!
I'm starting a google doc, only accessible with the link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArBRbUS66J3HdHZ3WmE0S19IN2EyT3hzeXpvLTAwU3c&usp=sharing
Haven't started testing my glucose but I'd like to check in on it every one in a while and I'm thinking do physical measurements every two weeks or so. When I got my scale it came with a neat gadget to make it easier to measure yourself and be more consistent ($25!) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8SLH8I/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm realllly hoping I see it in the mail this evening! (You guys are getting me more excited. haha)
I'll start a thread once I start testing, hopefully any day now. Skoster1 have you ordered the strips yet?0 -
Cool! Glad i wont be alone!
I'm starting a google doc, only accessible with the link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArBRbUS66J3HdHZ3WmE0S19IN2EyT3hzeXpvLTAwU3c&usp=sharing
Haven't started testing my glucose but I'd like to check in on it every one in a while and I'm thinking do physical measurements every two weeks or so. When I got my scale it came with a neat gadget to make it easier to measure yourself and be more consistent ($25!) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8SLH8I/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm realllly hoping I see it in the mail this evening! (You guys are getting me more excited. haha)
I'll start a thread once I start testing, hopefully any day now. Skoster1 have you ordered the strips yet?
Those measuring things are great! I wish I had seen that one before I ordered my scale.
I'll either build a spreadsheet like yours or just put extra fields in MFP measurements to track glucose and ketones.
I don't currently do supplements, but I could just add those as things to track in foods and create a custom food for supplements so I don't have to do a separate spreadsheet.
Hmm... Spreadsheet gives more options but is more work, I'll have to decide.
I ordered the meter with strips, but I have to have them sent to a US address and then have someone send them to me at my APO address over here, so it'll be a bit before I get them
Looking forward to it all, though! :-)0 -
just wanted to update that I am still waiting for my ketone test strips. Getting a little Concerned.
UDS emailed me to confirmation that they shipped Friday, March 21st and said to wait 7-10 business days for delivery. Not sure if they consider Saturday as a business day but it better be here by Friday!0 -
Does anyone know where you can get a free meter in Canada?0
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Ok disregard the last post. I went out & found a meter & strips today. Now i have another question. I got a reading of 0.8 mmol (I'm in Canada so I don't know if its different here or not). what is the optimal reading for ketosis? When I use the urine strips they always show me in Ketosis but now I"m wondering if I am.0
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Ok disregard the last post. I went out & found a meter & strips today. Now i have another question. I got a reading of 0.8 mmol (I'm in Canada so I don't know if its different here or not). what is the optimal reading for ketosis? When I use the urine strips they always show me in Ketosis but now I"m wondering if I am.
more than 0.5 mmol if you go by easier standard.
more than 1.0 mmil if you go by stringent standard.
You should go easy with 0.5mmol as ketosis cutoff. Remember, this value can change depending on the time of the day, workouts, meals, sleep etc. Looks like you are in ketosis.0 -
Really??!! Awesome!!! Now to figure out why I'm not losing any weight for the last two weeks.
Thanks!!Ok disregard the last post. I went out & found a meter & strips today. Now i have another question. I got a reading of 0.8 mmol (I'm in Canada so I don't know if its different here or not). what is the optimal reading for ketosis? When I use the urine strips they always show me in Ketosis but now I"m wondering if I am.
more than 0.5 mmol if you go by easier standard.
more than 1.0 mmil if you go by stringent standard.
You should go easy with 0.5mmol as ketosis cutoff. Remember, this value can change depending on the time of the day, workouts, meals, sleep etc. Looks like you are in ketosis.0 -
Really??!! Awesome!!! Now to figure out why I'm not losing any weight for the last two weeks.
Thanks!!
The scale is a poor measuring stick. Best bet is to log what the scale says but only for reference over time and rely on body fat estimates, looking in the mirror, and measuring your various body parts to get a good idea of body changes.
Sometimes I think that if we could just shift the thought process from losing weight to changing body composition we would have a lot more happy, successful dieters in this world.
Check out the pictures on this page:
http://paleozonenutrition.com/2012/04/25/what-does-your-body-look-like-on-the-inside-more-reasons-to-lift-weights/
Hopefully it illustrates how little relevance weight has to our actual goals. Frankly, if I'm 250 lbs and have a great body and am super healthy I'm happier than being 150 lbs flabby and in poor health.
I can't lie, the scale impacts me emotionally, but I think my new plan of not *only* using the scale, but also taking weekly measurements of my body will allow me to have a healthier picture of my body change journey.
I work with disabled kids, and what I always do is offer them as many opportunities to be successful and show their skills as I can. If the scale isn't showing my success I need to focus on the mirror or the measuring tape, or whatever it is which gives the best indication of the changes I'm making.
EDIT: My meter hit my US address and should be sent out by my forwarding service (read: mom and brother *wink*) to my APO. I'll be logging the results as a measurement in MFP.0 -
Oooo I never thought of logging my meter reading. good call!!
I'm kicking myself for not doing before measurements. I do notice a huge difference in how my clothes are fitting, especially around the middle.
I think I'd do some measuring tomorrow
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Got my test strips!
I took my first reading 2 hrs after my dinner (9:15pm) and I got........ 3.9! I'm deep in ketosis!
Background: these last few days haven't been perfect by any means. I had 2 days with too little fat and too much protein. I also had a Cobb salad from chick fil a today so it was more carbs than usual for me lately. Even so, I'm still in ketosis. Good to know that a few bumps in the road won't throw me completely off.
I'll probably measure again in a 2-3 days depending how well I'm doing food wise. It will be good to know my limits.0 -
Oooo I never thought of logging my meter reading. good call!!
I'm kicking myself for not doing before measurements. I do notice a huge difference in how my clothes are fitting, especially around the middle.
I think I'd do some measuring tomorrow
Me too! I have 1 picture from around my highest weight, but I hated pictures so I don't have any others and I don't have any measurements.
Feeling your clothes fit differently is a great non-scale victory! Sunday is my new official measure day, and if I can break my compulsion to weigh myself every morning I want to make it my official weigh day.
I kind of think of the measurements area as a catch all, I'm considering putting in measurements for 'How I felt about how I looked in the mirror this morning' and other things I can just use a rating scale on. Clothing sizes would be good there, any medical data you get from doctors. I just hate having six different places to go to keep track of things.
The only problem is exporting and analyzing the data.Got my test strips!
I took my first reading 2 hrs after my dinner (9:15pm) and I got........ 3.9! I'm deep in ketosis!
Background: these last few days haven't been perfect by any means. I had 2 days with too little fat and too much protein. I also had a Cobb salad from chick fil a today so it was more carbs than usual for me lately. Even so, I'm still in ketosis. Good to know that a few bumps in the road won't throw me completely off.
I'll probably measure again in a 2-3 days depending how well I'm doing food wise. It will be good to know my limits.
Awesome!! And I see you updated your spreadsheet! I might just make one and just use MFP for logging. If so I'll publish my spreadsheet so others can see it.0 -
Ok so I'm bit obsessive compulsive. I just did another test & only got 0.2 :ohwell: down from 0.8
My macros are right on today so I'm not sure what happened. Does it matter what time of day you do it? or before or after meals??0 -
Krista - I started reading Jimmy Moore's logs of his ketosis experiment and he noticed he was lower in the morning. My reading was 2 hours after dinner (9pm). The higher you can get your score, the harder it will be to throw you out of ketosis. There's going to be fluctuation throughout the day too. How long have you been LCHF/keto? I hear that the longer you're on it and committed, the better the score. I started late Feb but really got comitted early March so it hasn't been incredibly long time for me but my macros have been pretty good.
I'm gonna test again before i break my fast which is usually around 11am-noon central time since I'm curious if my personal fluctuation will match. Perhaps I'll move my intermittent fasting schedule to see if it changes my results.
Also, despite my good ketone score last night, I'm still seeing my weight bounce around. Its hard to tell whats water and whats not. April 1st: 219.2 2nd: 218.6 3rd: 219.2 4th:218.6
I'm gonna keep on, keepin on for a while and be patient. At least the ketone meter tells me I'm on the right track.0 -
Update!
Curious to see how my ketones fluctuated so i tested again.
This time towards the end of my daily fast. I stopped eating at 7pm last night and i tested at 11am. I'll probably stop to eat around 11:40-noon.
So this is my ketone score 16hrs into my fast: 2.5
Translation: I'm still deep in ketosis.0 -
Also, despite my good ketone score last night, I'm still seeing my weight bounce around. Its hard to tell whats water and whats not. April 1st: 219.2 2nd: 218.6 3rd: 219.2 4th:218.6
I've been in the exact same boat for 2 weeks now. down 0.4 up 0.6 down .6 up 0.2 down0.6,,,sooo frustrating!! But I know I"m losing inches because my clothes all feel a lot better so that keeps me going.
UPdate on my ketone test (had it for 1 day now used 3 strips, lol) First test 0.8 (in ketosis), last night (whiie working all night) after eating it dropped to 0.2 even though I thought my macros were super good yesterday. Today, after sleeping 7 hours I tested when I got up & its back to 0.5 (just on the edge of being in ketosis)
Does drinking a lot of water effect the blood ketone test like it does the urine test?? I'm thinking no but I was drinking a lot at work last night.0 -
Krista - I don't think the water has an effect on the blood strip test but it does in urine strips. Thats part of why the blood tests are more accurate. I've been getting a gallon a day lately.
I'm wondering why your scores are so low. My carbs were up last night (24 net carbs - most from dinner) so I may be able to handle more than i thought. What's your macros look like? Perhaps you just need to stick to keto for a while longer.
I'm just gonna keep watching my macros and see what happens on the scale. I will take my measurements again this weekend, probably sunday. And I'm also noticing that clothes are fitting better. Today is jean day and the jeans i'm wearing used to fit PERFECTLY. and were very flattering. Now they are getting a little loose on me and shirt is hanging differently as well. Nothing dramatic yet but all good signs!0 -
My macros are spot on lately, 5% carbs, rarely over 15g net carbs, usually closer to 10 to be honest, protein is at 20% but thats been just below that lately, usually around 50-50 g so fat is the bulk of it.
I read somewhere earlier that cheese & heavy cream blocks some peoples progress due to casien (spelling) and I have been eating both, but can' t imagine doing this without them. ALso I've been chewing a lot of sugarfree gum, due to my dead donkey breath so maybe thats an issue.
I'll keep plugging away of course and pray for the big Whoosh everyone talks about.
Have a look at my diary if you get a chance and see if anything stands out. 0 -
Tested again yesterday - 6 hrs after lunch (before sitting down for dinner) and I was at 2.5 again.
I'm pretty impressed considering I had a carb heavy stir fry for lunch. Mostly the carbs were veggies, soy sauce, and sriracha.
Krista, have you tested your ketones since then?0 -
I've been testing daily. I haven't gone below 0.5 but 0.8 is my highest.0
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In preparation for the meter, and inspired by AMPitpup, here's my Google spreadsheet of data I'm maintaining. Clicking the additional sheets (at the bottom of the page) will show the charting of changes in the data.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsV1nMfy0NQqdFlyVG1EbEtfRmk3UjIycHI2NXJ2bWc&usp=sharing0 -
Oooooo! I like your spreadsheet better!!!
I'm consistently getting high ketone readings. This morning I got a 3.7. This was about 1.5 hours after waking and before food.
I'm noticing the biggest difference in my hips which is definitely a good thing as i've always carried my extra weight there even at a healthy weight. But the scale varies a bit so its nice to have other things confirm I'm on the right track.0 -
Are you seeing any correlation between readings and specific foods?0
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I can't get mine over 0.7 ..i measure in the morning and every day its 0.5-0.7 . I don't know how you guys are getting it up over 2. I'm a tad jealous. lol0
