Ketosis strips vary in price, average is about $11 for 50 strips in my area. I use the Bayer brand, they are supposed to be the most accurate from what I've heard.

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5'9" female
Started lowfat/lowcal on 1/18/02 at 235 lb
Started Atkins 3/18/02
221/214.5/160
14.5 inches gone in 1st two weeks on Atkins!

I just bought a bottle of 50 Bayer brand strips for $10 yesterday. It's worth it, it will last me two months and reassure me that my body is where it needs to be.

BTW: I stay in the induction phase, testing my ketosis every night, and never having more than 20 carbs, and assuming things that say 0 or less than one have at least 1/2 a carb per serving. Then every few days I eat a salad to get some carbs through lettuce. The lettuce always knocks down my ketosis so I register in not such a high state of ketosis the next day, but it never makes me go completely negative. Also, I have NEVER gotten into the purple/magenta dark area on the strips, and i don't show much progress on the weight scale... I'm taking that as a good sign, i figure with as little as i'm eating and being in a state of ketosis I HAVE to be burning fat... If I am and it's not showing on the scale that's fine with me, I lift weights a lot, I'm trying to add muscle so I don't lose it along with the fat. I suspect the weight will start falling off once I gain enough muscle. I've ordered a professional body fat tester and a tailor's measurer online, so i can see if i'm making progress in what really matters. I think I am, but I'd love to have scientific data to prove it.

Anyone know of any problems with staying in the induction phase? I'm not having a problem doing the diet... I get a little more upset on things that I used to just ignore, but it's not too bad, and I rather like it as I'm normally too soft. I'm really committed to the diet and just figure I'll stick with it until i've reached my goals and then find a level of carbs per day that will keep me neither gaining or losing weight. I really like the low carb foods, like grilled brautwurst, saurkraut, grilled T-bone, baked fish... it's all good, pretty much what i used to eat except now i consider carbs poisonous and don't eat those anymore... I'm surprised at how many i used to eat, and how okay I am with not having them.

My only concern about staying in the induction phase is that i'll be lose muscle instead of fat, so i'm taking ephedrine/caffiene (ECA stack), i've read studies that show it stops muscle-catabolism (your body won't use your muscles to get energy, so it is forced to use fat). I suspect my increased male testosterone behavior (like i'm on steroids or something) has a lot to do with the ephedrine and not the low carbs and exercise. But like I said before, it's worth it, I haven't killed anyone yet, and I'm not to a level that it's going to hurt my relationships, it's under control and actually I think good, because I stand up and say what's on my mind more. Which is better for everyone because I'm usually right, and when I'm not I'm open to hear why.