Newbie needing help with keto strips

newbies

#1

Hi everyone! I am on my 7th day of keto and have lost 5 pounds. I was wondering, in using the strips with 11 panels, I noticed small amount of protein in my urine…moderate ketos, negative glucose. This was all done after fasting through the night, up to 1pm. Just water. This may be a silly question, but I keep reading that diabetics have high ketones which may become dangerous. I am not a diabetic but last year the doctor did tell me my glucose was a little high at that time. I am wondering how to read these to know if it is good keto vs. bad keto if that makes sense.


(Charlotte) #2

Strips are awful. They don’t tell you what you actually want to know… it only tells you an approximation of how much ketones your dumping which is not helpful. If your under 20g a day of carbs, your producing ketones. If you not diabetic then don’t worry about the glucose or ketoacidosis. Glucose won’t matter until you have all the previous junk out of your system and even then blood checks are better when you want to calculate the quality of your keto. Even then only blood glucose is helpful. You’re only 1 week in. Keep things simple… the crazier you get in the beginning the harder it will get. I know its not what you asked, I’m sorry. You don’t really want to jump into fasting 1 week in. Eat when your hungry and eat to feel satiated. Fasting (whether EF or IF) is so much harder and not super helpful until after you fat adapted in a couple months. I don’t quite understand good keto vs bad keto… As long as your avoiding carbs, sugar, processed foods, seed oils, and starch you’re doing fine. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too much information and try to incorporate all that information all at once… people tend to make the beginning of keto so much harder than it actually is. Keep it simple and keep your stress low. Stress = bad for progress.


#3

Thanks so much! And yes, I am making myself crazy with all of the info out here. I was just trying to figure out what the urine test result meant. Thanks a bunch!


(Charlotte) #4

Blood tests are the most accurate, urine tests are not. I don’t recommend people get a blood monitor like a precision or keto mojo until they know they will stick with keto for the long haul because the unit and strips add up. But blood is best indicator.


#5

Got it! Thanks again!


(Scott) #6

Keep carbs low, fasting will get easier when fat adapted in one to three months and throw away the test strips.


#7

Ok thanks so much!


#8

Strips are useful for confirming ketosis but only for that, if u want accurate readings ull need a ketone meter. Meter is around 70-100$ and strips 5$ for 50 test strips.

People who praise that strips are completely useless often dont realize the value they have for beginners cause they arent beginners anymore themselves. The positive psychological effect alone of having something confirm you ur doing things right plays a big role when someone is giving a chance for something new they dont know much about.


#9

Makes sense. Thanks for your insight!


(Jane- Old Inky Crone) #10

I think what you’re concerned about when you say “bad ketosis” is a condition called ketoacidosis and unless you are severely diabetic you don’t have to worry about that. If the strips are showing ketones it means that you’re on the right track and you’re keeping your carbs low. The type of ketones that the urine strips detect tend to stop showing up after you’ve been in ketosis for a few months, but not for everyone. I would suggest you read the newbie forums here on the site, there are a lot of people with a lot of experience with this way of eating who can advise you. Also, welcome! :sunglasses:


#11

Yes, that is what I am doing…reading some of the other posts as well. I appreciate you!


(Empress of the Unexpected) #12

I’m just over one year. I decided to cut out even more carbs, and was feeling cheap and bought the urine strips. Had not tested blood in five months. Urine strips - dark pink for a few days with the elimination of carbs. Tested today with urine strips, negative. Five minutes later did the blood ketone test and was at 1.1. Go figure. From what I have experienced blood tests will always show more ketones than urine strips.


#13

Ok, thanks. I am seeing how unreliable the strips can be…