Keto test strips and colors

(Donna) #1

Hi everyone! I am new here and have a question. Has anyone who was in their second week of Keto, used the urine test strips and received the darkest color on the chart right away? When I started my second week of Keto, I used my first strip and it was at the darkest color and remained that way for the next three days after. I tested agan on the 5th day and it was a tad lighter, but more in between the darkest and the one before it. I have lost 11 lbs so far. My carbs are less then 15 a day. Could I be in Ketosis, with such a dark color for several days? My mom also tested when I did, to compare and hers was neg. She’s not trying to lose weight. Thanks for any and all opinions!

#2

Yes, within a couple of days of carbs under 20, cold turkey quitting all sugar/sweeteners, my strips were always at the darkest end. I had my non-keto older family members test strips too, for quality control, and their results were negative. I continued to show very dark on the sticks for months, 6 mo in now, I show moderate color (middle dark) and believe I am fat adapted.

(Donna) #3

That is great to know. I was kind of shocked, when I first saw how dark it was and so instant. I guess it can happen faster, then I thought. I went cold turkey too. Never done Keto before.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

Welcome to the forums!

It’s not uncommon for people in the early stages of a ketogenic diet to waste ketones in their breath and urine. In the case of the urine, this usually fades over time, and for two reasons: (1) the kidneys get better at scavenging ketones and putting them back in the bloodstream and (2) the liver gets better at matching supply to demand. But there is a lot of individual variation in ketone excretion. Some people never stop excreting ketones, whereas others often stop registering ketones on the strips.

BTW, the ketone that the test strips measure is acetoacetate. The ketone commonly measured in the breath is acetone. And the ketone body measured in the blood is called β-hydroxybutyrate (which is not technically a ketone, but it is manufactured along with acetoacetate in the liver, so we call it a ketone body). All three ketone bodies are found to some extent in all three places, but these are the way they are commonly measured. Acetone is a breakdown product of acetoacetate, but it gets used as fuel along with the other two, particularly in the brain.

I remember reading a review of a particular study, in which the main measurement was the level of β-hydroxybutyrate in the subjects’ urine. It was odd enough for the reviewer of the study to comment on it. Being curious about this, I actually tracked down the full text of the study, but the authors never explained why they chose to measure β-hydroxybutyrate in the urine, rather than in the blood.

(Donna) #5

Interesting. Thanks for the great info! I guess I am in that phase, “Am I burning fat yet or my sugar stores?” I’m still learning and have lots of anticipation built up.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #6

Our sugar stores are largely depleted within 24 hours or so of lowering carbohydrate intake. Thus we enter ketosis almost immediately. The production of ketone bodies counts as fat-burning, but the real fat burning starts 6-8 weeks later, when the muscles finish regaining their ability to metabolise fatty acids and switch over from ketones. This is called “keto-adaptation” or “fat-adaptation.”

(Donna) #7

Paul, Thanks again! I am understanding more now, about the fat burning process.