Reddit mentions: The best diabetic test strips

Yeah, pretty much same thing. I don't use it, but if you really want to be sure, [there are strips to measure your ketone levels. Pretty cheap. I found these on amazons, but I'm pretty sure others work too] (https://www.amazon.com/Smackfat-Ketone-Strips-Measurement-Adaptation/dp/B00SODYZQK)

Even though it's unsubstantiated, I'm pretty sure there's no switch for ketosis. It'll gradually increase the longer your fast is, and it'll be easier with LCHF. The more you do IF, the more your body will get used to training in the fasted state and using fat as energy, so hopefully, you won't feel lightheaded later on. Give it a week or two.

I think the best thing the Republican party can do is to take a more solutions-based approach than they have the past four years, as opposed to the constant effort to vilify and obstruct Obama. It plays well with the Conservative base, but that's about it. I think to a majority of independents, the Republicans were viewed as pro-Wall Street in the Dodd-Frank debates (which obviously played out poorly for them in the wake of the financial crisis), and they were viewed as pro-status quo in the healthcare debates.

Republicans were never going to stop some type of financial or healthcare reform from happening. Especially with healthcare, it is abundantly clear that there is a problem. But the overall message from Republicans seemed to be that "America has the best healthcare in the world." That is the absolute wrong message to convey when individual diabetes test strips go for $18 a pop at the hospital, but a 50-pack goes for $21.19 on Amazon. The healthcare debate irks me the most, because there are definitely some actual free-market solutions that would substantially bring down costs. But Republicans completely botched the debate, made few attempts to appear reasonable and solutions-driven, and Obamacare and more government intervention is what we got. Even now, all we get are votes to repeal Obamacare every other day, and hardly any effort to promote a viable (and PREFERABLE!!!) free-market alternative.

Free. Market. Solutions. That should be their mantra. Hammer it home every time they come across a problem created by too much government intervention. Give numerous specific examples. Admit when there are problems, especially when they are clear as day for everyone to see, and promote free-market solutions for those problems.

My mom is on her second neurologist (due to moving) and both have been good. They ordered the testing that was needed (MRI and others) and other support services (in her case physical and speech therapy).

Maybe the one your LO has just isn't a good fit? They mostly deal with medial issues concerning the brain. More practical advice concerning behavior might better come from a psychologist. Actually my own therapist has been great giving me some practical advice. I started therapy a few months ago to help me deal with my mom's dementia.

Also, you don't have to go to a doctor to test for a UTI, you can buy the test strips yourself on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Urinalysis-Reagent-Strips-Paramater-QTest/dp/B071XTRPPT/ref=sr_1_6?crid=37MRZZBNLF2V1&keywords=urine+test+strips&qid=1558282673&s=gateway&sprefix=Urine+%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-6

If your LO tests positive then maybe you could call primary care and have an antibiotic called in to the pharmacy? Just wondering if that would make things easier.

Also, I understand needing to rant. I feel like ranting on a daily basis. Dementia sucks, and I'm sorry you are going through this. Try to remember to also take care of you.

So for the record, I didn’t use this one specifically, it’s just the first one I saw: link

From the photo, the bright blue things are lancets - they’re basically the needles that go into your fingers. You’ll want to alternative fingers when testing - that helps prevent scarring (if you reuse them too much, it’ll get dull which causes the scarring). New lancet per blood draw. You’ll want to take the blood from the sides of the finger (though idk why) - too far to the side though and it’ll hurt more than necessary.

The test strips (here’s a closer look) are what reads your blood after pricking your finger. The side with the arrow goes into the machine and you’ll want the strip in the machine before you draw the blood (other side of strip, in the middle). Not sure if it was my machine being finicky, but I had to angle it a certain way so the blood wasn’t drawn up too quickly or the machine would throw up an error - you’ll have to play around with that. The strips are really the most expensive part in all of this (there’s bits of gold in it) but it’s also the bit you can’t reuse.

The silver pen looking thing is what holds the lancet. You basically open it like a pen and put a lancet in before recapping. You’ll probably have numbers - the lower the number, the less the lancet comes out (shallower prick), the higher the number, the more the needle comes out (deeper prick / if you develop calluses).

Ideal, by the books method of using it is alcohol swab the finger/area you will prick. Put a new lancet into the pen thing. Turn on machine and put the strip in. Immediately prick, squeeze blood out, dip the strip into the puddle of blood and wait the 1-2 seconds for your result (or notification of error...in which case you repeat the dipping with a new test strip). Clean and bandage your finger.

You’ll want most tests under 140. Occasional blips are ok (ie your baby shower and gender reveal are ok) but don’t make it a daily thing.

The meals don’t have to be full sit down meals - 3 normal meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) + 3 snacks in between...which is a lot easier said than done in the beginning. After like a week, I found myself constantly starving so that made eating a lot easier (ofc then I found myself staring longingly at my food and waiting for the next meal to come).

For tracking purposes, I found glucose buddy to be great. I jotted down what I ate in the notes section and at the end of the week, you can download a report with your numbers and your meals come up as little footnotes.

Edit: as an aside, the monitor comes with a pouch for you to put everything into. There’s a mesh zipper pocket on one side (for bandaids, alcohol pads, lancets) and elastic bands on the other. Both the pen and monitor goes alongside the spine, the test strips stay in the container it comes in and goes perpendicular to the spine.

This sounds like a healthy diet, whether or not it is a ketogenic diet. And it seems to be working for you, which is great news.

It might be ketogenic. Even a pound of snap peas is only about 20 grams of carb. So it really depends on what you mean by "a LOT". If you are curious, you might try getting a food scale and using a macro-counting app like MyFitnessPal. Alternately, you could keep eating the way you are, and not worry about it as long as it seems to be working for you.

Here is some controversial advice, but for people just starting out, KetoStix can sometimes help you figure out whether you've gone into ketosis. Many people here will tell you they don't work, especially after you've been on a very low-carb diet for a while, but back when I was first getting started, it was reassuring to have an indicator that I'm on the right track.

All the sticks will tell you is, "At some point in the recent past, your body created some ketones and they overflowed into your urine." They can't say if you still have ketones in your blood. And they can't spot if you have ketones in your blood but none are overflowing into your urine. But if you darken the strips a few times, it's a good sign that you are on the right track even without buying a scale, and then you can stop using them just like everyone advises.

What made keto work for me in the beginning, when nothing else worked? The little ketostix you pee on.

I know, I know, lots of folks here don’t recommend them, and they don’t work very well once you get fat adapted, but there was no better motivation for me in the beginning than seeing the sticks turn pink because I knew I was in ketosis then.

Basically, I swapped my carb addiction for a pink stripe addiction. I stayed the course so I would see it every time. It gave me such satisfaction while I was adjusting to the new way to eat, the new way to drink coffee, etc.

I bought these ones. https://www.amazon.com/Ketone-Strips-USA-Made-Count/dp/B01MCU8NJ6/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref=yo_pop_d_yo_pop_d_pd_t2

Obviously, they don’t work anymore because I’ve been fat adapted for 2-3 months. But now I’ve lost 35 pounds, and enjoying multiple other benefits from keto, so that is what keeps me going these days.

Here is a great resource for keto. Click the menu at the top right, and you’ll learn all about it, plus you’ll come across some great recipes.

Buy some ketone test strips to test and make sure you’re in keto, and walla.

Wish you well on this journey too.

Depends how flimsy the desk is as to how much vibration gets transferred to the cameras. You could well be OK without doing anything. If not, you can buy very cheap little security camera mounts from amazon and stick them non permanently to the walls with 3M picture hanging velcro strips. Mounting them up high on a wall will be much better for roomscale standing games anyway because the cameras get a better FOV of your play area even when you lie prone on the ground in a shooter for example.

Security Camera mount

3M Picture hanging Velcro

DIRUI KETONE Reagant Strips for Urinalysis.

I was kinda thinking they were dodgy, but my housemate who eats pretty much anything tried them and it stayed inactive as expected. Used her a s a kind of Control group. lol
So anyway, I have some confidence in them.


Link to Amazon page.

Update: I'm actually really enjoying the taste of Ketosoy right now. I ended up with an immersion blender, 9 drops of sucralose and a teaspoon (3g) of matcha green tea.

Question: Is it fine to split it into 6 meals instead of 3? I tend to feel really hungry at night before bed.

Also, are the measurements accurate? The mix says 4 scoops of powder (which end up weighing anywhere from 16g to 22g each because i don't measure them perfectly, but it ends up averaging 70g which is what it says the serving should be. However with the oil, i weighed a cup filled to the top and it came to 32g of oil instead of the 37g listed on the serving guide.

Also i used a keto testing pee stick

I've been testing it everyday since i started Keto and today's the first time it showed ketos, however it's in the 160 mg/dl purple zone, is that normal?

my protein's gone up, my PH used to test around 5.0 but now it's 6.0, and my keto is in the purple zone.

Edit: I've also lost 2lbs, though that might just be water weight, progress is nice :)

np!

This one gets pretty good reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIK6CIW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dont forget you need ketone strips as well which are sold separately:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010MPEOOK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also bought a less invasive lancer to take blood:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013PT257I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

So calories in have to be < than calories burned in order for you to lose weight, but with the Keto diet many find that they have to make sure that they're in ketosis to get any benefit. When I did my last keto cycle (I lost 55 pounds with keto + moderate exercise) I found that for me, if I ate things that had even sugar alcohols in them it would push me out of ketosis. Buy the strips, they're cheap, fast and they definitely help you figure out how your body reacts. Again, this isn't a foolproof method, it's just a way to get more information from your body as to how it's reacting to the diet.

When I started, it was based on feel. I felt noticeably more energized and kinda tingly at first. Now, I use ketone strips to track progress, whenever I pee. xD The side of the bottle has the scale for the test.

For some reason, this subreddit really likes to downvote stuff pertaining to actually testing if you're in nutritional ketosis. I, myself, find it helpful to ensure I'm not getting carb creep from surprising areas.

I bought this meter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JIK6CIW/

And these strips: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010MPEOOK/

UTI test strips: http://www.amazon.com/Areta-Parameter-Urinalysis-Reagent-Strips/dp/B00D5UZMDC/

bulk pregnancy test strips: http://www.amazon.com/ClinicalGuard-Pregnancy-Test-Strips-25-count/dp/B007VT30C8/ They have other amounts available as well. $10 for 2 years worth seems like a small price for peace of mind.

I have struggled a lot with this. It got to the point where I thought I could definitely tell the difference between a UTI and a flare, but I would go to the doc for a urinalysis just to be told that there was no sign of infection.

This product saved me many a time. Super cheap and way cheaper than what I thought was the only similar product on the market.

For a seven day fast it sounds like you should have it planned just about right. One week pre fasting, weening yourself of processed complex foods to low volumes of unprocessed foods for a week, the fast for a week, and the recovery for a week slowly bringing your body back to a normal routine. Since you have already done a one week fast you know what to expect form your body, probably more so than anyone else. I would recommend some ketostix to keep tabs on what your body is doing. Also, the mental side of fasting is super important... be mentally prepared for a difficult endeavor and be prepared to be emotional during the fast.

I had a friend once who was really into keto. He lost a TON of weight on the diet and he was obsessed with whether or not he was in ketosis. He even went as far as to buy keto strips to measure whether or not his body was in ketosis.

According to him and from what I remember lurking /r/keto years back, it takes 3 days of eating under 20g of carbs a day to enter ketosis. Again, I would definitely recommend asking /u/awesomejohnson as I am definitely no expert when it comes to keto.

Oh and by the way, I'm a guy :)

I'd strongly recommend that you log your weight every day and also buy and useketostix. This, added to the [weight chart] (https://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/HackDiet) will provide you with excellent feedback about what's going on with your body. When you do binge on carbs, you'll see the graph and the sticks tell you if you are in ketosis or out of it.

You're probably just managing your electrolytes better than I am, don't worry about it! (: If you want to, you can get ketone strips to check.

The easiest way to tell if you're in ketosis is to use ketostix.

Also, some nuts have more net carbs than others (cashews have much more than walnuts, for example) so you might want to watch those.

Lastly, you should really track you food (at least in the beginning) it really helps to get a better picture what you're actually eating.

I get my GlucoCard Vital test strips, Meter and Lancing device va Amazon and save significantrly even over insurance.

I got these.

Nova Max Plus Ketone Test Strips - 40 Ct https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008P0WMI0/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apap_nda83P6TlFDBe

Justified it by saying I'll use the money I saved on food.

I'm guessing it's a rental so you can't use any nails, screws, or anything which will mark the walls?

If so, I'm in the same boat. I've been using some picture hanging strips which are basically like a velcro that goes on the wall. So far it's held my frames up for months in my last place and in this one. When it came time to leave the last one the frame pops off the wall easily, and then you stretch the sticky part of the hanging strip to make it release (there are fully instructions on the pack). I can highly recommend them.

I don't really log my food so I don't know my macros, but I do count my daily carb intake and I make sure that stays under 15. In most cases I only eat about 8 carb a day max. I don't log my carbs, but I do a general calculation of the calories I intake by looking at the nutritional info and doing mathematics in my head. I only mostly just eat protein and fat.

I use this for determining whether I'm in keto or not.

https://www.amazon.com/Smackfat-Ketone-Strips-Measurement-Adaptation/dp/B00SODYZQK/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1540764531&sr=8-1&keywords=keto+sticks

They claim this is accurate and the reviews seem alright. So I thought it's somewhat accurate.

I definitely recommend these Keto Strips.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SODYZQK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

As long as the color matches any color on the spectrum your body is in Ketosis.

https://www.amazon.com/Call-Express-Glucose-Diabetic-4boxof50/dp/B01J4DORAW. Ive been using these for months. Super inexpensive and seem to be accurate.

You can find test strips on Amazon for similar prices (or even cheaper) if you look hard enough.

Diathrive is selling 100 test strips for $24, while you can get 100 True Metrix test strips from Amazon for $16.

I got 150 test strips for like $7... Maybe "jump start" was a poor term. BHB acts as natural ketones till your body produces them. If your life requires you to be on top of your game and cannot afford down time BHB while not free will help you avoid the drain in that 48 hour period. Imagine being new to ketosis and constantly falling out of ketosis, a short two day period multiplied every time a mistake is made or you slip up.

Checking your ketones while not using BHB will help make sure your diet is in check and help you find out what works and what doesn't. Personal experiences vary, you do better without it while others may find it useful. Obsessing over anything is bad. Finding what works for you is what is important.

Agreed! Few products have earned my loyalty as much as these - I use them for paintings and pictures and even after several years, they come off with no issue

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Command-Picture-Hanging-Strips-Removable/dp/B00OI6F67O

I use those 3M Velcro things. More than strong enough for movie posters at least.

https://i.imgur.com/j9TeWke.jpg

These things : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Command-Medium-Picture-Hanging-Strips/dp/B00OI6F67O/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1521979783&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=3m+picture+hanging+strips&psc=1

Partly because I've learned how to feel when I'm in it or not, but mostly because I checked later that day with Ketostix. Definitely get some if you haven't already.

I am getting back to low carb/keto and could use these to help me see that my efforts are not in vain. They'd give me motivation to keep going and not cheat :)

They sell pee sticks (here's one example) that, depending on the color on it, indicates if you're in ketosis or not, and at which level you are.

You could try 1 stick a day after your "cheat" days to see how many days it takes your body to go back to ketosis THEN make a decision based on the results?

IMO you'd have better data to base your decision on. Ex: if you get back in ketosis 4 days after your "cheats" VS it takes 7 days.

I'm not sure either. But I think it might be worth it for you to buy some pee strips so you know for sure!

100 strips for $11: pee here

Cheapest I have found come off of Amazon, there are quite a few options (like this). Maybe you can find a Canadian seller so the shipping charges won't be so bad. Also when you get some you can easily double the number of strips you have by cutting them in half length-wise with a pair of scissors. There is still more then enough of the test patch to get a clean reading. That being said I agree with others here that you should not depend on these long term as the results can be misleading.

Comments at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074ZN3H2Z is a good example of this..

Marked "not for sale in US" but not in the product description, packaging has labels over labels, many people report incorrect readings (accurate readings are sorta the whole idea..) and the real manufacturer claims these are counterfeit.

Amazon keeps selling them, though.

You sound like you're in america. Do you have a Walmart or drug store nearby so that you can grab one of these just to have on hand? $9 is cheaper than an ER visit, but at this point it sounds like you need to go in.

Medical debt is just that, medical debt. If you're already in it, some more isn't going to make it worse. They're not going to send you away because you owe them money. They're going to treat you and add another bill to the mix, but all it is, is a bill. Go get help before you do something to yourself that will cost you even more.

Like I said, this varies by individual and so everyone can and should test themselves. Keto-sticks are sufficiently accurate and very inexpensive (e.g., https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B016Z5XZP0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 )

I don't eat much more meat than I used to, but I do eat a lot more fats, and cleaner sources of carbohydrate. Get yourself some ketostix (other brands and retailers are available) they'll be able to tell you more definitively whether or not you're in ketosis. But, yeah, fatigue can sometimes be an indication that your body has entered ketosis.

Apparently "Care Touch" makes a meter who's strips are about $0.16/each on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Care-Touch-Glucose-Strips-Monitor/dp/B0794DFH6F/

Will have to try these once I exhaust my supply of Contour Next strips.

Yes there are at home tests... here's one on amazon

I think OP is talking about Ketostix, which are like litmus paper that detects excess ketones leaving the body in your urine. They turn from beige to pink/purple depending on what concentration they detect.

You have to give your body time to get into Ketois.

You should purchase Ketois Strips to tell if your body is actually in Ketois. It's an excellent way to keep yourself in check.

I want to say, when I started, my body fell into Ketois in about four days, but my boyfriend took about 2.5 weeks.

Ketostix. They look like this. You can probably buy them at your local pharmacy for much cheaper.

https://www.amazon.com/Smackfat-Ketone-Strips-Measurement-Adaptation/dp/B00SODYZQK - to check if you are in ketosis. Relatively accurate in my experience

You can also buy exogenous ketones; to help get into keto or help keep you IN keto (I dont really believe in them because I don't seem to have a problem going into keto)

About your dieting plan. You aren't losing real weight; lets say you lost 10 pounds in 6 days; you probably lost 2.5 pounds max of real body weight; in a couple days; assuming you eat normally, you should gain back 6 to 8 pounds. If you want to be in ketosis; why not do a low carb intermittant fasting plan. Fasting for 6 days for weightloss, isn't the smartest thing. That 2.5 pounds of weight loss was probably alot of muscle. If you have the mental fortitude to go 6 days fasting; you absolutely have the requisite mental strength to follow a healthier mostly fat loss weightloss plan.

Well, for your Ketosticks this is a great deal.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000537YG/ref=oh_o05_s00_i00_details

Order them online? Amazon has the same ones i bought for 15.

These are even cheaper.

http://www.amazon.com/URS-Urinalysis-Strips-Ketone-100/dp/B0000537YG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1321028685&sr=8-4

or the kinds that everyone is famaliar with.
http://www.amazon.com/KETOSTIX-STRIPS-2880-50-EACH/dp/B0019SNZEA/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hpc_1

In diabetics a high concentration of ketones usually means that they are not creating/injecting enough insulin and they need to see a doctor. Your liver breaks fat into ketones which smell sweet and make your urine and breath smell funny. If you are eating a typical diet and you are producing enough ketones to effect your breath then there is likely something wrong with your liver or your blood sugar.

keto-diasticks should work, but since you dont need the glucose monitoring I would go with ketostix

I second Amazon, BP medical supply sells it, $100 for ~$8 USD.

Get it here.

Honestly, if actual ketosis is your goal, just measure. Urine ketone strips are dirt cheap.

It's a diet where you have to pee on a stick. https://www.amazon.com/Smackfat-Ketone-Strips-Measurement-Adaptation/dp/B00SODYZQK/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1484978228&sr=8-1&keywords=keto+test

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SODYZQK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is what I went with. 100 for $7.78, versus about $23 for the name brand "Ketostix."

Here are the Azo ones: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00854L57U/ref=pd_aw_vtph_121_bs_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8WAE3AK20KNKQZST925Z

But you can use any dipstick that shows leukocytes and nitrites.

Keto stix
http://www.amazon.com/Ketostix-Reagent-Strips-100-Count-Box/dp/B0000532GH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324567414&sr=8-1

(i get mine at Walgreens)

A ketosis stick, the picture is his urine soaking into a test strip paper. It shows that he is in ketosis.

This stuff

http://www.amazon.com/URS-Urinalysis-Strips-For-Ketone/dp/B0000537YG/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1332365833&sr=1-1

I am using these ones: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Fitter-Fabulous-Ketogenic-Accurately/dp/B01J9LOP4M/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1504475257&sr=8-2&keywords=keto+test+strips

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J9LOP4M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_WmQITIuIByiCf

Buy these

Hi! There are $10/350 cheap urine strips you can purchase, or more expensive $200+ breath analyzers!

Ketostix: http://www.amazon.com/Ketostix-Reagent-Strips-100-Count-Box/dp/B0000532GH

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.com/Smackfat-Ketone-Strips-Measurement-Adaptation/dp/B00SODYZQK&ved=2ahUKEwiZ85ft8d7gAhUAFzQIHcygCM0QFjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw2IMATJdOdg0yPiWHO_JC_-&cshid=1551372759890

This isn't true. The blood meters test for Beta Hydroxbutyrate. Zoom in on the picture of the strips and notice it says B-Ketones? Guess what that means? https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Xtra-Blood-Ketone-Strips/dp/B010MPEOOK

Haha! I was confused there for a sec. Thought you meant Ketostix, the thing you piss on.

You could just test it yourself if you're really desperate. This looks similar to the strips we use at the doctor's office. http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B00D5UZMDC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1453622996&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=urine+test+strips+blood&dpPl=1&dpID=41In6Am8x4L&ref=plSrch Of course, if it does show blood, then you'd probably have to see a doctor anyway.

How is it meaningless ? https://www.amazon.ca/Smackfat-Ketone-Strips-Measurement-Adaptation/dp/B00SODYZQK

I hate to ruin this guy’s business, but: http://www.amazon.com/Ketostix-Reagent-Strips-100-Count-Box/dp/B0000532GH

No. It takes several days of very low carb to get into ketosis. You can prove it to yourself by pissing on ketostix.