Ketosis Question

[mamaizie]

If you are in Ketosis (4+ weeks), where the strips are consistently showing "Moderate to Large" amounts shouldn't you be loosing fat? If so, then why would that loss not be reflected in measurements and/or the scales?

[WakefieldWendy]

Ketosis isn't really something that is a focus in protein power. Let me explain why:

1. Those strips tell you that you are burning fat (and I think they tell you that you have been burning fat in the absense of carbs). They don't tell you whether the fat you are burning is dietary (i.e. what you are eating) or stored body fat. So, for example, if you eat 3000 calories per day of fat, and minimal carbs, you will make all kinds of pretty coloured strips, but you won't be losing weight.

2. The strips measure the concentration of ketones in urinary output. A higher quantity of water will dilute the concentration (and therefore colour) without reducing the overall number of ketones. In the opposite direction, you can get better colours by reducing your liquid consumption and therefore increasing the concentration of your urine, but that isn't healthy.

So, this isn't a particularly useful measure of anything. I would say, if you want feedback, post your particulars (i.e. weight, lean body mass, protein requirement etc.) and what you eat, and we can give some feedback on that.

[Mitra]

Mamaizie, welcome :).

What the ketostix show is that there are ketones in your urine - so you must be burning fat. But they don't tell you anything about where the fat is coming from. You haven't said what you're eating, so I don't know if this is what's happening, but if you are eating enough fat to fuel your body's energy needs, then you could quite well show ketones when you test, but just be burning the fat you're eating, not body fat.