Ketosis question

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  • ketorach
    ketorach Posts: 430 Member
    fileshiny wrote: »
    ketorach wrote: »
    fileshiny wrote: »
    ketorach wrote: »
    fileshiny wrote: »
    ketorach wrote: »
    fileshiny wrote: »
    I've been on a keto diet for a couple of months now, and my total carbs each day don't go over 25g. I do a keto blood test every few days. For a time, I was in optimal ketosis (1.5-3) but now I'm generally at about 1.1 and I don't know why, when my total carbs are so low.

    Edited to add for clarity: I'm also very careful on the protein, making sure that I take in a max of 30g per meal, with no more than 90g per day, and my protein intake is no more than 20% of my macros.

    I know that a few of you are going to want to direct me to the low-carb forum, but I had a very bad experience with the members there and left that group. I'm hoping that someone here might have some ideas what's happening.

    I also know that quite a lot of you are going to want to tell me not to do a low-carb diet for whatever reason, but I urge you to resist telling me what I should do with my diet. I have very reasonable and specific reasons for being on this diet, I am not uninformed, and I am not in need of correction. I don't think that carbs are evil, and I don't think everyone should avoid them, so there's really no need to put me straight.

    I appreciate any insight someone might have with my question.
    Keto and low-carb are fine. Keto-stix are useless. If you eat <25g carbs a day, you're in ketosis.

    I dont use Keto stix. I use a blood meter.
    It shouldn't matter. You're in ketosis if you're eating <25g carbs. I wouldn't worry about it.

    Ah, but that's you. You get to decide what you worry about and I get to decide what I worry about. It's a modern world now.
    Wow, you're pleasant.

    Just not a big fan of other people telling me what I should or should not do.

    Pretty sure saying, "I wouldn't worry about it" is in no way telling you what you should or shouldn't do. And, by the way, you posted on a public message board.

    Hey, have a nice day!

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    yarwell wrote: »
    fileshiny wrote: »
    I've been on a keto diet for a couple of months now, and my total carbs each day don't go over 25g. I do a keto blood test every few days. For a time, I was in optimal ketosis (1.5-3) but now I'm generally at about 1.1 and I don't know why, when my total carbs are so low.

    Edited to add for clarity: I'm also very careful on the protein, making sure that I take in a max of 30g per meal, with no more than 90g per day, and my protein intake is no more than 20% of my macros.

    Adaptation. The concentration of ketones in your blood reflects a balance between production and use, if you adapt to using ketones well the body sucks them up for fuel at lower concentrations and can maintain the flux without requiring big numbers to drive the process.

    Think of it like watering dry soil, if you pour water onto dry soil quickly it pools up on top, but once it soaks in and the soil is damp you can pour at a higher rate without seeing this.

    It takes a real effort for me to get up over 1.0 and low calorie intake would be part of that. If you have 90g of protein at 20% of calories then your intake is 1800 which isn't low for a woman. 1.1 is good, anything over 0.5 is acceptable unless you need therapeutic levels.

    Finally, what's the glucose doing. If like me your liver is too enthusiastic and pushes up your BG level the production of ketones will be inhibited by the consequent insulin level. If I have BG over 6 mmol (108 mg) I tend not to bother wasting a ketone strip.

    This is very true for me. My liver can pump out a fair bit of glucose at night - dawn phenomenom. I can eat an all meat diet, with virtually zero carbs, and my ketostix are usually 0.5 to 1, and my FBG could even be in the high side of normal. I find I won't go over 1.5 unless I have been fasting for a day or two.

    I know I am in ketosis because I keep my carbs very low, so I try not to be concerned with lower ketone readings. Unless I start fasting every other day, it's not going to go higher. I don't need theraputic ketosis, so I don't worry about it. You are keeping carbs low and in ketosis so what you are doing is probably right for you.

    Perhaps consider IF if you want to raise ketones?
  • bacagain12
    bacagain12 Posts: 7 Member
    GaleHawkins wrote: »

    Others may have a stable and predictable ketone levels but I do not. I tend to check my about every quarter unless I have a concern. Daily I check my acetone levels with a $15 blow meter.


    Where did you find a $15 blow meter? The only ones I could find were much higher. Thanks.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    bacagain12 wrote: »
    GaleHawkins wrote: »

    Others may have a stable and predictable ketone levels but I do not. I tend to check my about every quarter unless I have a concern. Daily I check my acetone levels with a $15 blow meter.


    Where did you find a $15 blow meter? The only ones I could find were much higher. Thanks.

    ebay.com/itm/Advanced-Professional-Police-Digital-Breath-Alcohol-Tester-Breathalyser-Analyzer-/272068951738?hash=item3f5892beba:g:WmEAAOSw7FRWZPs8

    @bacagain12 this is the only model I have ever purchased. It is cheap and that is the reason it works to detect. A real police grade breath analyzer will not give a False Positive reading on acetone found on one's breath.

    Some use a ketonix device that from my research seems to use the same parts in the $15 model above yet it sells for $150. Neither versions give any detailed info about the blood ketone levels and all seem to become more sensitive to acetone levels after about 100 uses I have found. I have had 3 of the cheap ones and they all gave different read out numbers but all did work for a YES/NO Am I in Ketosis answer.

    The best thing about it there is no blood or urine involved. :) Being both medically and geek inclined it makes me happy but others may just toss it. I have tried one of the sub $10 models but some have reported success. The blood meter is a requirement if one is interested in medical ketone levels. Remember being in ketosis does not insure weight loss if one is over eating.
  • bacagain12
    bacagain12 Posts: 7 Member
    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    bacagain12 wrote: »
    GaleHawkins wrote: »

    Others may have a stable and predictable ketone levels but I do not. I tend to check my about every quarter unless I have a concern. Daily I check my acetone levels with a $15 blow meter.


    Where did you find a $15 blow meter? The only ones I could find were much higher. Thanks.

    ebay.com/itm/Advanced-Professional-Police-Digital-Breath-Alcohol-Tester-Breathalyser-Analyzer-/272068951738?hash=item3f5892beba:g:WmEAAOSw7FRWZPs8

    @bacagain12 this is the only model I have ever purchased. It is cheap and that is the reason it works to detect. A real police grade breath analyzer will not give a False Positive reading on acetone found on one's breath.

    Some use a ketonix device that from my research seems to use the same parts in the $15 model above yet it sells for $150. Neither versions give any detailed info about the blood ketone levels and all seem to become more sensitive to acetone levels after about 100 uses I have found. I have had 3 of the cheap ones and they all gave different read out numbers but all did work for a YES/NO Am I in Ketosis answer.

    The best thing about it there is no blood or urine involved. :) Being both medically and geek inclined it makes me happy but others may just toss it. I have tried one of the sub $10 models but some have reported success. The blood meter is a requirement if one is interested in medical ketone levels. Remember being in ketosis does not insure weight loss if one is over eating.

    Thank you for the info - this sounds much better than the $150 version that I saw!!!

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