Ketosis without ketostix

IamUndrCnstruction

Is there a way to tell if you are in ketosis without using those ketostix? I have read that there are certain changes to look for, strange taste in the mouth, possibly bad breath, and other body odor things LOL. I have been keeping the carbs low (<30net) for two and a half weeks now, and I do have the above mentioned effects going on. Would you think it safe to say I have gone into ketosis?

baconslave

I would think you probably are. I've been doing keto for 8mo. I don't use the sticks. Never have. Once your body depletes its glycogen stores, the body switches to burning fat. It has little choice. If you are religiously keeping your carbs down to that level and not overeating protein, then you should be "in."

Did you want to be in ketosis for any particular health reason or just to lose weight? Because if you are under 30 net and you are losing weight, does it really matter unless you must be in ketosis for a medical reason? Ketosis in itself doesn't necessarily guarantee weight loss. It guarantees your body is burning fat for fuel. That is the main determiner of whether or not it really matters if you are in ketosis: is the ketosis medically necessary or not?

After you've become ketotic for a long period, the sticks don't even work well for many people (if they work at all) because the type of ketones you produce changes. The sticks only measure one kind, the kind that spills in the urine. The are designed as an alert for diabetic ketoacidosis (which is caused by the body no longer producing any insulin whatsoever in diabetics.) After a few weeks, you become keto-adapted and, you become so sufficient at burning them, there can sometimes be little to no spillage. The ketone production is of other kinds (there are 3 kinds of ketones, nuts isn't it?). Blood ketone meters are the the only accurate way of measuring your level of ketosis. That can get expensive. The ketostix can really only tell you if you are "in." And that is only for a short time until your body adapts, and you start making different ketones.

This is all based on assumptions, that your reason for following a ketogenic diet is unmedical. If my assumption was wrong, I do apologize. But I do stick with the bit about the blood ketone meter. For medically required ketosis, I would suggest investing in the meter. For non-medical, I wouldn't bother.

Should you want more detailed info about it all, check out these groups for help:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

Lots of knowledgeable folks in both, and I know there have been threads discussing this very thing. Click "All Discussions" and look around.

Best wishes.

IamUndrCnstruction

Thank you for all the information! I was not told I had to maintain ketosis, but I do have medical reasons for staying very low carb. I retain fluid pretty badly due to lung\heart issues, and the more carbs I eat, the more fluid I retain. I also need to lose a certain amount of weight before I can be listed for transplant.


I apologize for creating a new thread on an old subject. I did try and find it in the discussions, but I guess I did not go back far enough.

Edited to say my mobile app sucks cause I thought this posted in the group page I was on and not in this damn forum.

baconslave

IamUndrCnstruction wrote: »

Thank you for all the information! I was not told I had to maintain ketosis, but I do have medical reasons for staying very low carb. I retain fluid pretty badly due to lung\heart issues, and the more carbs I eat, the more fluid I retain. I also need to lose a certain amount of weight before I can be listed for transplant.


I apologize for creating a new thread on an old subject. I did try and find it in the discussions, but I guess I did not go back far enough.

Edited to say my mobile app sucks cause I thought this posted in the group page I was on and not in this damn forum.

It is hard to find things anywhere since they switched platforms. Just post it in the group. You'll get answers. I hope I didn't sound discouraging. I was trying to cover as much info as possible and direct you where you'd get more responses. Low-carbers tend to be a little more of a minority in the big forum.