Keto Strips - No Ketones!

newbies
(Molly Stevens) #1

I’m 31 days in and decided to buy some of these at Walgreens http://fw.to/YqxKTWV because I was curious if I am in ketosis and I have some flex-spending $$ to use up (the strips are an eligible purchase). I had eaten maybe 3-5 net carbs today and plenty of fat, worked out this morning, and had gone from dinner until lunchtime without eating. So, was totally surprised that the urine strip color this evening (about 3 hours since I last ate) indicated zero ketones.

Any thoughts on why? I’m more curious than anything else.

(Cash Foley) #2

The strips aren’t accurate once you are fat adapted. When you pee them out, those are excess ketones you aren’t burning. When your body gets good at it, it doesn’t generate excess. This is actually well known.

Blood is more accurate but costs a bit. The Ketonix breath analyzer is pricey but is reusable for free.

It doesn’t really seem like you need it to know you are doing well. These things are good at fine tuning to find out what you can get away with or for more detailed health needs.

(Jim Russell) #3

There is also a thread about using a cheap alcohol breathalyzer for testing ketones.
https://www.ketogenicforums.com/t/test-breath-ketones-without-a-ketonix-using-a-cheap-breathalyzer/9450

I bought one and it’s been working well.

(Andrew Anderson) #4

Test strips are ridiculous and just cause stress! I showed negative the last 2 and a half days of a fast. This morning I pissed purple.
I try to apply logic. Maybe during a fast I had no extra ketones to leak out? I am so over those things! :laughing:

(Allan Misner) #5

I’ve had a tendency to cycle in and out of ketosis.

So, I use the urine strips for about the first week. Then I switch to weekly blood testing and supplement that will the Ketonix if I have any doubts about the food I ate (restaurant).

(Shane Kelly Green Depew) #6

You mentioned what you ate that day, but what about previous days? I have limited carbs and increased fats since Thanksgiving. My first Keto test results were in the moderate to high range.

(Consensus is Politics) #7

by Testing several times a day, basically every time I urinated, i discovered this for myself. That in the morning I would have really high ketones, maxed out the Test strip. Later in the day, it would Test about 20-30 percent lower. Each test would show less and less ketones. One morning I tested right before I got on my stationary bike. It was maxed out. Did a one hour ride. The next test, maybe 2 hours later was measuring only trace amounts.

I took this to mean that exercise burns up the ketones. So blood test would be the most accurate, to see what actually being produced, which I believe should remain rather stable, as you either use the ketones as fuel, or they get filtered out. How’s that for way better than sugar? With sugar for energy either it’s used or it gets stored as fat. Ketones for the win!

[edit: curious, my iPhone Continually capitalizes the word “Test” even after I go back and edit it. Test Test Test :roll_eyes:

(Mike W.) #8

Throw them in the garbage. You’re likely just showing you’re dehydrated. If you really want to know you have to test blood.