Hardly...

but it's so easy!

The strips can't tell the difference between body fat and dietary
fat.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade. The strips don't know if
they're testing body fat or dietary fat, so don't rely on them. Also,
a really dark colour only means that you aren't drinking enough water.
I say good for you though! You're doing something right, and I'll be
rooting for a good weight loss for you.

Paper

If it's not one thing - it's your mother.
225/224/150

'bye!
Peter

And of course it's not that they're trying to sell you the strips.

Are you really leaving? Or just pulling a Bear?

Well, no.

I see.  And you can tell that this is body fat you are burning, rather than
dietary fat, how exactly?

'Bye.

The lurkers support me in email!

Sseaott, you have gotten a great deal of help here and over all folks have
been *extremely* patient with you considering the attitude you came in with.
If you would just quit assuming that you already know everything you would
probably continue to learn a great deal more.  If there are posters you
don't like, I would suggest killfiling them or ignoring them rather than
complaining about them.

You can go if you want, obviously, but I'd wager that you will learn more
and lose more weight if you just chill out and stay.

carla

yes, how dare i tell you the truth.  

it's really just horrible, isn't it?

The strips indicate that your body is metabolizing fat for energy. They do
not indicate whether that fat comes from your own body fat or the dietary
fat that you consume on a daily basis. If you are doing Atkins properly,
your dietary fat intake will make up a large part of the fat your body is
metabolizing for energy; however...if you consume more calories that your
body uses in a given day, you can be assured that those strips are
indication the metabolizing of dietary fat...and not body fat.

The correct information does not equal negativity. The form in which you
receive the correct information is a direct result of your know-it-all
attitude. On a number of occasions I have witnessed your wise a.s
tirades....and then you expect people to respond to your every question
(have you ever tried reading before asking?) and post with affirmation and
caring. Wise up chump...you act like an a.s...you will get treated like an
a.s.

Norsk

QoCaJ didn't negate that, it is agreed that any indication does indeed show
that you've reached ketosis.  What she said is that the strips are no
indication of how much of your *own* fat you are burning - they're just an
indication that your body has switched to burning fat for fuel, period.
Being 'dark purple' doesn't mean you are burning more of your own fat - it
doesn't mean you are burning less either, because it doesn't 'mean' anything
either way.  It means only that you're producing ketones in large amounts,
which could mean any number of things that have nothing to do with how much
weight you'll be losing.

By saying that she isn't raining on your parade - she's trying to make sure
you understand what the strips are really showing you.  I think it's very
important to know that so that you don't freak out later if they don't show
as dark a color, and think that your loss has slowed down or will slow down
as a result (which could lead you to believing that the plan isn't working
for you, resulting in giving up on it).  You can try an experiment yourself
later down the road, to prove the truth of what she (and everyone else here)
has said.  Reduce your fat intake for a few days (do this later when you've
been on for awhile, I wouldn't recommend lowering fat while on Induction
because it could cause your cravings/hunger to return) and see if you don't
start showing fewer ketones.  Up your fat intake again and see if it doesn't
show a rise in ketones.  I can basically make my strips show whatever I want
them to show, just by regulating how much fat I eat during a given day (and
without changing my weight-loss 'speed' at all).

So while it is indeed mentally satisfying and motivating to see dark
purple - it is also as she said, meaningless to weight loss.  You can be
dark purple and not lose, you can be negative-indication or light pink and
be losing fine, you can be dark purple and losing fast - you can be anywhere
in between and either losing or not losing.  The scale and/or your
clothes/measurements are the only reliable indication of loss.

I give up as well.  You have the answers for everything, you believe you
know everything there is to know about Atkins and LC - so I guess at this
point I'm not sure why you came here in the first place.  You want to hear
nothing but Atkins party-line statements, and you aren't going to hear them
here.  This is a LC NG, not an Atkins NG.  If you want nothing but straight
Atkins party line, then I'd suggest starting/finding an Atkins-only NG or
BB.

You'll also go a lot farther in life if you start looking at the potential
for agendas and motivations.  The people here have no hidden agenda when it
comes to _your_ weight loss, because they have nothing to sell you.  The
same cannot be said of Atkins site - and you might also want to note that
the Atkins' widow has no ties any longer with Atkins Nutritionals.  Does
this mean the Atkins site isn't valuable on its own, of course not.  There
is lots of good info there.  But I tend to take anything that comes inside a
sales pitch with a healthy dose of salt, no matter where it's coming from,
or how much I believe in or make use of the end product.

So, best of luck with your weight loss...(meant sincerely)

....don't let the door hit you in the a.s on the way out (sorry, but with
your attitude it's obvious that you're not going to get much from this group
anyway, and are at this point wasting our time and yours if you don't care
to hear what people here have to say)

...and lastly, don't be afraid to return if/when you decide that other
people who have had long-term success with LC (both in loss and maintenance)
just _might_ have some wisdom of their own to impart to you - even if it
conflicts with your comfortable party line.  About the time you hit your
first long stall, you might decide that straight-up Atkins doesn't cover
every situation and be more willing to hear other people's advice - advice
and guidance that is based on their own SUCCESS, I might add.  You'll find
that if you're willing to at least listen (even if you don't agree), to at
least consider other options (even if you ultimately reject them for
yourself), you'll get a much better reception from a group as a whole - and
that applies to anywhere you might go, whether in a RL group, an NG, or a
BB.

Stargazer
Atkins since Apr '03
192/148/140

learn how to use your killfile!
that is the only way MANY of us can get the most use out of this
group!

rosie