The first way to know that you are actually about to start burning fat deposits in your body is hunger.
To feel a little hungry when you first begin a weight loss diet is good! It means that your body can’t find enough sugars or carbs to keep going. Hunger is the signal that your body is about to reach into your “fat warehouse” to find nourishment for metabolism.
Every diet or supplement that results in fat loss is ketogenic (fat-burning). Certain foods and dietary supplements promote fat-burning.
Any time your body burns fat, chemicals called ketones are produced. Ketones are byproducts of burning fat. If you are burning significant
amounts of fat, these ketones will be measurable in your urine. If you are familiar with the Atkins Diet, you already know about using ketone test strips. These are an invaluable tool for all serious dieters. They give you immediate feedback on just how much fat you are metabolizing
(burning) at any time.
Simple tool puts you in control of your own fat loss!
Ketone test strips are inexpensive, easy to use, and available at most any pharmacy or drug store. By maintaining the ketone content of your urine in the trace to small range, per the color chart on the bottle, you can customize your intake of carbohydrates and ketogenic foods and supplements, to speed up or slow down your own fat burning process. You can adjust your food and supplement intake to achieve the ideal fat loss rate for you! By testing for ketones, you can:
- Know for certain when you’re in fat-burning mode
- Customize your food intake for your ideal levels
- See which foods promote fat burning- and which do not!
The key to successful fat loss is a gentle, healthy, gradual process. Too many ketones indicate that you are burning fat too quickly, and may irritate your bladder. Fast fat loss is a sure road to failure, because your body will compensate by slowing your metabolic rate, leaving you feeling tired and toxic from the high ketone levels in your system.
Also, you won’t be able to stabilize your desired weight if you achieve it too quickly. Our bodies establish weight “set points” over time. Once you lose weight, you need to maintain that weight for at least two years before your body adjusts fully to its new set point. This is why most dieters gain back the weight they have lost, and even a few more pounds. Your body has to be taught at a metabolic level to be comfortable at a lower weight set point.
Your future looks great!
A weight loss diet is a long-term commitment to new habits and health. If you cannot commit yourself to two years of maintenance after the weight is off, it is better not to diet at all, because the backlash weight gain can leave you heavier than when you started. Most bariatric (weight loss) doctors feel that 2 lbs. per week is a safe and efficient amount to set as a permanent weight loss target. While two pounds a week may not seem like much, consider this: losing 2 lbs. a week, every week for a year, equals 104 lbs! It’s not just about losing
pounds. It’s about your long-term health and attractiveness.
How to Use Ketone Test Strips
Ketone test strips are easy to use. As mentioned, you can buy them at any drugstore. Simply place the tab end of the test strip in your first morning urine stream. Note the color change. Ideally, you want to see a slight change to pinkish-purple, matching the color chart on the
container to the “trace” to “small” range.
This color change indicates that you are (absolutely, positively) burning fat! If the strip reads in the moderate or large ranges, you are
burning fat too fast. In that case, you need to introduce some more carbohydrates.
Try 10-15 more grams of carbs per meal. If you don’t see any color change, you are not presently “in ketosis,” or fat-burning mode. In that case, you might restrict your carb intake, and introduce supplements known to encourage fat-burning. This is also an excellent way to see changes when you introduce a new fat-loss supplement.
Perhaps the best part of this test method, aside from the ease of use, is that you get to see what is really working for you. Everyone’s body is a little different, and now you can customize your food and supplement intake from specific results of your unique body and metabolism.
To recap: test for ketones daily. If the reading is too dark, increase carbohydrates to balance into the “trace” to “small” range. If you see too little or no change, decrease your carbs, increase your protein intake, and add a little fat.
