Blood ketone reading machine
GrannyMayOz
Posts: 1,051 Member
Very excited that my ketone measuring machine arrived in today's mail. Who else has one? When do you take readings? What results do you like to see show up?
The Diet Doctor says to take fasting readings in the morning but I think I've read somewhere about taking a reading an hour, and then 2 hours after eating as well?
Just curious what others do with theirs.
The Diet Doctor says to take fasting readings in the morning but I think I've read somewhere about taking a reading an hour, and then 2 hours after eating as well?
Just curious what others do with theirs.
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Hi, I have a blood ketone meter. Have only used it 3 times since I got it a month ago because (a) I have to prick my finger and I'm a wuss and (b) strips are expensive. I didn't know you had to take fasting readings in the morning - I have done mine in the evenings about an hour after dinner. My readings have been either 0.5 (twice) and once 0.7.
- I would like to see them higher eg above 1.0, but I read that 0.5 and above do mean you are in ketosis, so hope this is right.
- I will try doing it in the morning next time (maybe tomorrow as I have the day off) and see what I get.
- let us know how you get on with yours!0 -
Thanks TotalO I will indeed keep you posted. Still 15 hours until my morning. The machine arrived an hour too late for me to do it this morning, I'd had 2 cups of coffee with coconut milk in LOL0
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How crazy expensive are the meters and strips?0
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dawlfin318 wrote: »How crazy expensive are the meters and strips?
Meters follow a "razor and blades" style of sales. As a result, the meters are dirt cheap (sometimes even free), but the strips can get pricey. Nova Max is currently running a special on their glucose/ketone meter, where you can get the meter and two boxes of ketone or glucose strips (any combination) for about $40. The strips are also on sale for about $20/box for either type. That's pretty good right now. Outside of such sales, they can run as much as $2 per strip for the ketone ones.
https://storefront.novacares.com/storefront/ <-- Nova Max Plus meter special0 -
I said I'd let you know my morning reading: 1.2 - so looks like morning readings are better!0
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Well my reading this morning was a little disappointing at 0.4. Ketosis *starts* at 0.5
But I've had my husband home for a 3-day weekend which means I haven't been able to eat for my evening meal the way I usually do. We eat LCHF recipes for our Brunch, but he's the cook and tends to be heavy handed with the onion, capsicum (peppers) and other veg so I have to adjust my carbs down in my evening meal while he's usually at work. Haven't been able to be quite as successful with that with him home, and yesterday blew my calories out as well.
So 0.4 is very much a starting place to build on and aim for better after 25 days *sigh*
However, even though the scales are only down 2 kgs (4 lbs) I can see a significant difference in the mirror already!dawlfin318 wrote: »How crazy expensive are the meters and strips?
I haven't dared price the strips yet, but I got 5 boxes with the meter as a deal. If I was diabetic I could have 'signed' a form to get the machine for free but I'm not willing to lie, so the machine cost me $80 (including the 50 strips) but they have a $40 cash back so that's pretty good. With the result I got this morning I'm really pleased to know the truth, rather than wonder why I'm losing weight so slowly.
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I love my blood ketone testing machine because it gives me hard science and facts. I can draw guaranteed conclusions from my food (and exercise) behaviours...
On Monday I ran on my treadmill and tested my blood ketones afterwards. The result was 0.8 and I did a happy dance (with my remaining ounce of energy) because relatively low ketone readings after exercise mean that you have been burning fat to power the exercise.
My weight was up 200 grams today so I checked my blood ketones. The answer was 1.1, nice and high(ish) so I'd say that I can *know* that weight gain was not additional fat. I've a feeling it was water because I didn't drink as much as usual yesterday actually.
I have been using the flexibleketogenic.com/ tracker to 'rate' my day's macros so, with my blood ketone reading of 1.1 this morning I knew that I don't have to get an *above 2* rating each day to stay in ketosis. My past week's Flexible Ketogenic ratings have been...
Fri 2.17
Sat 1.97
Sun 1.78
Mon 1.89
Tue 2.04
Wed 1.97
And I'm 300 grams lighter this morning than I was on Friday morning, despite one day with higher protein, and 1 day with higher carbs than I would have liked. And 2 days higher fat. Though there were 2 days with lower fat as well.
I track calories and all 3 macros. I don't worry if I'm up or down a bit on any of them, but I aim as closely as I can for all 4 goals each day and it's paying off.
I thrive on numbers, facts, statistics, predictable (where possible) outcomes and am so happy to have a handle on what is working for me in this WOE! I wasn't producing anything to crow about for my first 5 weeks but, through experimentation, observation and record-keeping, I now know what works for me *happy dance*.
If anyone wants my stats for interest sake...
58 years old
5' 5" [I'm 5' 4" but my neck is only ½" long so I claim that extra inch in height that normal people have!!! ROFL]
Currently 85.2 kgs - my highest was 100 kgs (220 lbs)
I'm a very solid, short/wide bone structure
I've been overweight to some degree or another since age 11
DAILY GOALS
Calories 1450 - or anything around 1200 to 1550. *Sometimes* I eat back a portion of my exercise calories
Carbs <15 grams - but I accept up to 20 grams
Fat 125 grams - but I accept between 100 and 125 without problem
Protein 70 grams - well, between 60 and 80 anyway.
Here's my before picture (weighing 88 kgs) and I'll post another when I get under 75 kgs I guess. The lady that took the photo named it, I'm not being vain LOL
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GrannyMayOz wrote: »With the result I got this morning I'm really pleased to know the truth, rather than wonder why I'm losing weight so slowly.
Being deeper in ketosis won't make you lose weight any faster -- that's still going to be a result of your caloric deficit. Keto might make adherence to and compliance with the strategy you're using to achieve that deficit easier to manage, and of course there's some other potential benefits, but it's not driving the scale.
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GrannyMayOz wrote: »With the result I got this morning I'm really pleased to know the truth, rather than wonder why I'm losing weight so slowly.
Being deeper in ketosis won't make you lose weight any faster -- that's still going to be a result of your caloric deficit. Keto might make adherence to and compliance with the strategy you're using to achieve that deficit easier to manage, and of course there's some other potential benefits, but it's not driving the scale.
Very well said....0 -
Being deeper in ketosis won't make you lose weight any faster -- that's still going to be a result of your caloric deficit. Keto might make adherence to and compliance with the strategy you're using to achieve that deficit easier to manage, and of course there's some other potential benefits, but it's not driving the scale.
That result, back on 17th Feb showed that I *wasn't* in ketosis at all, so that was my meaning. That I was happy to know I hadn't yet become ketogenic, because that explained (probably, in part) why I'd barely lost any weight at all by that stage.
But I'm grateful for your input kirkor, If I'm wrong about any of this I definitely want it pointed out to me.
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Wonderful Picture GrannieMay0
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GrannyMayOz wrote: »Being deeper in ketosis won't make you lose weight any faster -- that's still going to be a result of your caloric deficit. Keto might make adherence to and compliance with the strategy you're using to achieve that deficit easier to manage, and of course there's some other potential benefits, but it's not driving the scale.
That result, back on 17th Feb showed that I *wasn't* in ketosis at all, so that was my meaning. That I was happy to know I hadn't yet become ketogenic, because that explained (probably, in part) why I'd barely lost any weight at all by that stage.
But I'm grateful for your input kirkor, If I'm wrong about any of this I definitely want it pointed out to me.
It's these lines from the earlier post:
>Well my reading this morning was a little disappointing at 0.4. Ketosis *starts* at 0.5
>...
>With the result I got this morning I'm really pleased to know the truth, rather than wonder why I'm losing weight so slowly.
and your most recent one:
> I hadn't yet become ketogenic, because that explained (probably, in part) why I'd barely lost any weight at all by that stage.
that look to me that you are looking for weight loss to come from the ketotic state rather than your deficit.
I'm saying that even in deep ketosis, if you are not in a caloric deficit, you will not lose weight.0 -
Ahh yes, I see what you mean now kirkor and you are definitely right. Truly fascinated by myself now, because I was still accepting that everyone not aiming for ketosis would lose weight by deficit.
Thank you for persevering with me, I did need to see that error in thinking! (*)0 -
I enjoy my Abbot Precision Xtra.0
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Mine's an Abbott too Gale. The FreeStyle Optium Neo.0
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Naawww thank you ibettyWonderful Picture GrannieMay
Thank you totalobliviatotaloblivia wrote: »Completely agree - lovely photo and nice to have a face to put to the name!
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Have you checked your blood glucose with your meter granny? just curious - and not suggesting that you need to. For myself, higher glucose and higher ketone readings are mutually exclusive - although once adapted I can maintain a decent ketone reading even in the mornings with my dawn phenomenon higher fasting glucose levels. I did a blog post on that one, a couple of weeks ago. For me, IF coupled with keto helped me stick with a deficit, bring down my glucose, bring up my ketones and dump a few lbs. With any luck the trend continues...lol
Nice pic
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GrannyMayOz wrote: »Ahh yes, I see what you mean now kirkor and you are definitely right. Truly fascinated by myself now, because I was still accepting that everyone not aiming for ketosis would lose weight by deficit.
Thank you for persevering with me, I did need to see that error in thinking! (*)
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Today's discovery (if I'm interpreting correctly). Yesterday I ate 30 grams of carb. Friday I ate 22. This is definitely more than intended. I aim for 15 or under per day, but am at peace with up to 20 max. On both days, lunch was beyond my control and too high in carbs to allow me to 'rescue' the day with dinner.
According to Prof Noakes, if you are severely metabolically damaged coming into keto, then you *must* remain under 25g carbs every day to stay in ketosis.
My blood ketones this morning were 0.6 - still in ketosis - so perhaps that means that I wasn't 'too' metabolically damaged coming in. I had no medical conditions, but I was certainly pushing my luck. Looks as if I found LCHF in time, before permanent damage was done
(I don't take my ketone reading every day, only when I think I can discover something by measuring it.)0 -
Per the diet doctor:
Blood ketones are best measured on a fasted stomach in the morning (before breakfast, that is). Here are a few pointers on how to interpret the result:
Below 0.5 mmol/L is not considered “ketosis”. At this level, you’re far away from maximum fat-burning.
Between 0.5-1.5 mmol/L is light nutritional ketosis. You’ll be getting a good effect on your weight, but not optimal.
Around 1.5 – 3 mmol/L is what’s called optimal ketosis and is recommended for maximum weight loss.
Values of over 3 mmol/L aren’t neccessary. That is, they will achieve neither better nor worse results than being at the 1.5-3 level. Higher values can also sometimes mean that you’re not getting enough food. For type 1 diabetics, it can be caused by a severe lack of insulin, see below.
I have the precision xtra and only measure my ketone levels on Saturdays (fasting) due to the cost of strips. Its more or less to let me know if ive done a good job fending off hidden carbs. I bought the blood ketone meter because after over a year on low carb the scale barely moved. this didnt shock me too much because I am on medications that make me gain weight but I decided I wanted to be SURE that was the reason and not something I was doing wrong. The first time I measured it read at .02 and I was besides myself! I had been avoiding all starch for so long! Doing 20 or less carbs, going to the gym 5 days a week... so yes I was calorie deficient. So I cut down the amount of dairy I consumed, infact, limited it to pretty much just whipping cream for my coffee and that's it. And it helped... the second time I measured it was .05 I read lots of blogs and came across where someone had mentioned atkins products throwing them out of ketosis. Well at that time I would could in my daily carb count the atkins m&m candies and an atkins shake almost daily. I cut out all atkins products and the following week I went to 1.4!
I check my glucose levels from time to time... they've always been very low since the first test though so im not worried about them as much.
I dont think the meter will guarantee weight loss.I agree you need to do the other work with food and exercise but I do think it is a super useful tool in helping you find hidden sugar in things that may not effect other people but spike your glucose levels enough to keep you out of ketosis. Using this tool I have FINALLY started to see the pounds go down despite my medication which is a task I had almost given up on! It has helped me look at the equation more scientifically and make changes where needed.0 -
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences WL43. My best ever reading has been 1.1 but I eat cheese fairly regularly. I wonder if I would do better without it? Or by limiting it. Might be worth a try. I haven't been having any manufactured products at all (ie Atkins), and nothing sweet either.
Has it been your experience that you lose weight faster if your keto reading is higher?
I'm really happy for you that you are having weight loss now. You have worked hard for it!0 -
I lose weight easier when the ketone number is higher yes, but I think that just shows I didn't have too many hidden carbs.... I think saying that alone could be misleading though because I do a lot more than just monitor my ketone levels. I always keep my calories low which I know is a hot debate for keto and low carbers alike... I get the debate cause I used to be a low carb eater who maintained healthy weight eating 2400 calories a day so im indifferent. I think some things work for some people and not others... and also think peoples metabolisms change and what might have worked for someone in the past wont work now..... so now under doctor supervision my calories are between 1000-1200 a day, doing strength training five days a week. And my carbs I keep under 20g a day (5%). I allow myself within those means unlimited fat (80%) , moderate protein (15%,) barely any dairy and no sugar or starch.
Thank you for your support! :-) just keep at it eventually youll find something that clicks for you.0 -
Thank you WL43. It's really interesting to see changes with age isn't it? Frustrating too, when you see how fast the fat falls off of men or younger women, but I am happy for them, and know that I will eventually get there at my body's own pace.
I had been losing steadily but am having a bit of a stall again. This time I can see why, because my macros have been a bit out during the past week. It's amazing how closely I have to stick to them all to lose weight! But I enjoy recording cause and effect - thank goodness 0
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