Jim,

I sincerely appreciate your response.

While everything in my original post is true, I must say that I
neglected to mention something critical: despite over two weeks now
with <20grams of carbs/day, I have most definitely lost some bodyfat.
I haven't gotten any sort of bodyfat measure besides looking in the
mirror. But, it's so obvious that I've lost some.

My issue with the Ketosis sticks was whether or not I was losing
bodyfat at the rate to be expected of someone who has properly done
Rob's metabolic U-turn. B/c my ketone levels - at almost three weeks
in the U-turn phase - are still listed as only "Small", I question
whether I'm losing nearly as much fat as to be expected. However,
like you suggest, maybe I should just question whether the Ketosis
sticks really work. Either way, I need to start cycling the carb-load
meals so I can get all the advantages of Rob's NHE program, and I
believe I will start tomorrow.

However, I would appreciate it if you continued to look into the
Ketosis Stick question as it pertains to NHE, because I honestly
haven't found anything.

-Steve

P.S. An off-topic question, if you don't mind. On the regular NHE
plan, after the U-turn, the carb limit is 30-60 grams of carbs per
day. I'm not sure if Rob means "stay under 30-60 grams of carbs per
day" or if he means "have AT LEAST 30 grams of carbs and NO MORE than
60 grams per day". Are you clear on this issue?

--- In HormonalFitness@yahoogroups.com, "jrpw10" <jrpw10@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Steve,
>
> I have never tested my ketone levels. I just meticulously followed
> the instructions and after the 10 days started in with the
cycling.
> I knew it was working because my bodyfat decreased and all the
other
> positive effects of the plan kicked in.
>
> Out of curiosity I will check out my ketone levels. However, I
seem
> to remember reading either in the book or in one of his online
> articles Rob stating that the ketone levels as indicated by the
> ketone indicator paper is not necesarily a good indication of
> success in this program.
>
> I'll look around to see where I read that from and will get a
> message back here later.
>
>
> Jim
>
>
>
> --- In HormonalFitness@yahoogroups.com, "wrestlerbutter"
> <dawrestla@> wrote:
> >
> > I bought NHE on the advice of a friend, a swimmer in college, who
> > swore that the diet/lifestyle change worked. I found the book to
> be a
> > fascinating read and I very much enjoy it. I've tried the
> metabolic
> > shift period of the diet several times, failing each time because
> of
> > cross-country travel due to work (eating on the road, on any kind
> of
> > structured diet, is difficult) or not being careful and getting
> > nickeled and dimed to death by hidden carbs. The fact that food
> > labels can advertise zero grams of carbs per serving when in
> > actuality there is <1gram of carb is very misleading, and upon
> > further research I've learned it has been my undoing several
times
> in
> > my numerous attempts at the metabolic shift (drinking flavored
> water
> > or eating meat processed with sugars, for example).
> >
> > I read about the Atkin's diet, and learned Dr. Atkins recommends
> > using Ketosis sticks to keep track of progress during the first
> TWO
> > weeks of the metabolic shift (as opposed to the NHE's one week).
> On
> > the Ketosis Sticks bottle, a color exists to help me track my
> > progress, with categories that measure ketone elements in the
> urine
> > at None, Trace, Small, Moderate, and Large. As I'm sure you all
> know,
> > the more ketones in the urine, the more one is in a fat-burning
> mode,
> > where None and Large represent the two opposite extremes of the
> fat-
> > burning specturm.
> >
> > My first week during the metabolic shift, for the first time, I
> was
> > 100% certain that I was under 20grams of carbs per day. However,
> on
> > the morning of the 8th day the Ketones in my urine were still
> > measured in the "Small" range, meaning my body was only a "little
> > bit" in the fat burning state after following Rob's guidelines.
> > According to the NHE plan, I should have been in a fat burning
> state.
> > So, I decided I'd do it for a second week - figuring maybe Dr.
> Atkins
> > was right about the length required to make the shift, and Rob
was
> > wrong. This morning marked the 15th day of me being absolutely
> 100%
> > certain that I ingested less than 20grams of carbs per day, and I
> > STILL was only in the "Small" range. What gives? I test every
> morning
> > when I wake up, and when I first did this 15 days ago - my ketone
> > measure was "None" - so I've definitely made some progress.
> >
> > So, some questions for everyone, and I'd really appreciate some
> > feedback. 1) Has anyone here used Ketosis sticks with the NHE
> eating
> > plan? If so, what were your results? 2) How can I benefit from
the
> > plan if my body never enters the fat burning mode? I don't
> understand
> > how it's possible to NOT be a fat-burner after 15 days of less
> than
> > 20 grams of carbs per day. Do I need to do a full week of NO
> carbs?
> > At what point do I dabble in "witch's brew", which Rob warns
> against?
> >
> > And so you know, I do high e-intensity resistance training
> > thrice/week and moderate volume/moderate e-intensity wind sprints
> > twice/week.
> >
> > I'd really appreciate some feedback, everyone, as this is
> incredibly
> > frustrating. I've been trying for over a month to do the
metabolic
> U-
> > turn. It didn't work initially because I wasn't careful and got
> > nickeled and dimed to death by hidden carbs. Now, when I know I'm
> not
> > making that mistake anymore, my body simply doesn't want to make
> the
> > shift. I have the will and desire to succeed, but I don't know
how
> I
> > could possibly fail this time.
> >
> > Thank you all,
> > -Steve
> >
>