Ketostix

ZRx4

Hi all!
I'm a newbie, trying to get into Keto. Tho I'm having a hard time getting good readings on the sticks. Do I absolutely have to be under 20 gm a day for it so show? I had a day where I kinda skipped lunch so I had some fats and felt super lightheaded during my walk. Also does my spinach count toward my carbs? I've seen some posts saying fiber doesnt count, is spinach my fiber? I've lost a couple pounds in the last 2 weeks, as long as it's moving, I'm happy. If I'm still higher fat, lower carb (-40gms) will I continue to lose? Or do I need to modify all my macros?

Sarahb29

When did you start? It will take your body awhile to adapt, and yes as a general rule you have to be at 20g net carbs or less to get into ketosis. You'll know what foods have fiber if you're entering them into MFP. Spinach does have carbs and it does have fiber. Most leafy greens are safe to have during Keto, but they aren't unlimited.

Sunny_Bunny_

Check out the conversation on urine testing here
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/36676790#Comment_36676790

Weight loss will slow down considerably the closer you get to goal and often slows way down even when there's plenty more to lose for stretches of time before starting back up again.

KnitOrMiss

The lightheaded bits are electrolyte related. When first going keto, you need to take in at least 5000 mg of sodium to replace what is being dumped. Some folks like me need to stay at that much to maintain levels. I was going to take Sunny, but it just popped up that she beat me to it and already responded! LOL

ZRx4

Thanks for the reply ladies. I started 3 weeks ago, this coming Monday. I have found I have a really hard time limiting my veggies. I don't eat much, but all my carbs are going to them. Sometimes dairy, well like 10 gm/day maybe. Spaghetti squash and cauliflower have a lot of carbs, I never realized it, just eating half a cauliflower is my daily goal of carbs.

ZRx4

Oh no! I put a smiley emoji and it erased the rest of my comment. Boo!!!

JessicaLCHF

ZRx4 wrote: »

Hi all!
I'm a newbie, trying to get into Keto. Tho I'm having a hard time getting good readings on the sticks. Do I absolutely have to be under 20 gm a day for it so show? I had a day where I kinda skipped lunch so I had some fats and felt super lightheaded during my walk. Also does my spinach count toward my carbs? I've seen some posts saying fiber doesnt count, is spinach my fiber? I've lost a couple pounds in the last 2 weeks, as long as it's moving, I'm happy. If I'm still higher fat, lower carb (-40gms) will I continue to lose? Or do I need to modify all my macros?

I think it's really so individualized. It seems like sadly they work for some ppl great and others not so much. I think maybe it depends on how you lose keytones (breath, sweat, urine) and I have a theory it also depends on how overweight you are (more fat to lose may mean you're dropping more keytones) - maybe even how muscular you are, or how active/sendentary you are.

For me, they work great. I almost always have dark color on my stick at 25-30 net carbs a day. It took me about a week to get there after a cold start. Once I'm keto adapted, if I eat off diet for a meal (I never give myself a day, just a cheat meal), I'll be tan the next day, and getting back to the rosy color by day two.

However, my husband, who eats the exact same thing I eat, but is more muscular and more active, shows color on the stick, but never the dark color I have. We both live by the rule "Any color is GOOD color", tho.

JessicaLCHF

ZRx4 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply ladies. I started 3 weeks ago, this coming Monday. I have found I have a really hard time limiting my veggies. I don't eat much, but all my carbs are going to them. Sometimes dairy, well like 10 gm/day maybe. Spaghetti squash and cauliflower have a lot of carbs, I never realized it, just eating half a cauliflower is my daily goal of carbs.

Do you delete fiber carbs tho? They pass through and don't impact blood sugar/ketosis. Some argue this point, but I think it's correct.

ZRx4

I want to stay low carb, less than 40gm/day. But if I have better/faster results going Keto, I guess I'd do that. Would I? I love my veggies and limiting them has been hard, the first week I was Keto, had the Keto flu and was better by day 3. Tried getting in the 2nd week but my veggies are messing me up. My half and half is part of my carb intake. The rest is veggie carbs. What I love about this woe is I'm actually full and satiated (my husband think I'm gonna drop dead of a heart attack, lol). I've done whole30, felt great but hungry and craved everything. I'm about 15lbs from goal, I've been trying to lose weight for 3 years(lost 17lbs), I'm just so ready to be done at this point and maintain. Also, as for salt I pink salt the crap outta everything lol. But maybe that was an off day for me. I can't remember. I had a fat coffee with butter. Salt may have been questionable

ZRx4

What is considered fiber carbs? Carbs from veggies? I'm totally clueless lol

Even between 20-30gm its tan. I walk a ton, I lift 3-4 days a week. I'm in AZ so it's hot and I sweat a ton lol. It should be colored. Lol

Sarahb29

ZRx4 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply ladies. I started 3 weeks ago, this coming Monday. I have found I have a really hard time limiting my veggies. I don't eat much, but all my carbs are going to them. Sometimes dairy, well like 10 gm/day maybe. Spaghetti squash and cauliflower have a lot of carbs, I never realized it, just eating half a cauliflower is my daily goal of carbs.

You shouldn't have to limit veggies by a lot. Subtract the fiber from your carb count to get your net carbs. Most veggies, spinach included have fiber which will bring the total net carb count down. 1 cup of spinach is 1 carb and has 0.7g of fiber so you should be able to have a few cups a day if you wanted to. Romaine, same thing, 2.8g of carbs for 85g (a big bowl) but 1.8g of fiber so 1.8g net carbs total which isn't a lot. A whole head of cauliflower is 29g carbs and 12g of fiber so if you ate the whole thing your net carbs is 17g (not recommended! Divide your cauliflower into a few servings). An avocado is 13g of carbs and 10g fiber so you can eat the whole thing for 3 net carbs.

Fiber is not absorbed in our bodies, so always subtract it when counting carbs.

I find it easiest to plan out my meals during the day by plugging food into MFP before I eat them, that way I can subtract and replace things until I'm close to my 20g net carb goal.

As far as your ketostix readings, as long as you're on there at all that's all that matters. The colors on the sticks show dehydration IIRC - the more in the purple range you are themore water you need to be drinking. But as far as ketosis goes, you just want to have any reading at all, ideally in the lighter range.

I hope this makes sense!

JessicaLCHF

ZRx4 wrote: »

What is considered fiber carbs? Carbs from veggies? I'm totally clueless lol

Even between 20-30gm its tan. I walk a ton, I lift 3-4 days a week. I'm in AZ so it's hot and I sweat a ton lol. It should be colored. Lol

For instance, here's the nutritional data for one cup of cauliflower. It has 5.3 grams of carbs, but 2.5 of those carbs are fiber carbs and therefore can be subtracted.

So your net carb for 1 cup of cauliflower isn't 5.3, it's only 2.8.



You just subtract the fiber from the total carbs to get the net carbs.

JessicaLCHF

(I should add I drink like a fish and hubby doesn't. So although darker colors can show dehydration, that's not always true either. I really just think they are individualized. I think my husband, for instance, passes a lot of his keytones via sweat. If you sweat a lot, you prolly do, too).

Any color is good color!

ZRx4

Wow! That's EXTREMELY helpful! Thank you both!! Now I don't feel as guilty for eating half a cauliflower pizza last night!!
Pizza night lives on lol.

JessicaLCHF

Yum!

Sarahb29

You have more willpower than I - I'd eat the entire thing! Lol. Looks good!

bowlerae

I apologize I am skipping right to the reply section I haven't read all of the comments. Be sure to count net carbs vs total carbs. With net carbs, you subtract the fiber from foods so as you brought up, spinach for the most part and other leafy greens will have a lot of fiber and no you do not count that.

Also, how accurately are you tracking your food? Are you sure you aren't over the amount of carbs you think you are in?

People have different tolerance for getting into and maintaining ketosis. The general rule is below 30g Net carbs so If you are staying around 20g Net then you should be in ketosis no problem. Only thing I can think of that would hinder that is if you are not eating enough fat and eating too much protein. I'm able to do around 25-35g. But on my higher carb days I try to IF the following morning.

Lastly, I use ketosis sticks and they are not the most accurate, especially when you are starting off getting into keto. Mine take a while to register anything over "trace" amounts. Also, the amount of water you drink will have an effect on how dark the sticks are. I haven't drank as much water the past two days and my sticks are very dark but a day before that, with the same diet just less water, my sticks were very light.

ZRx4

I'm weighing everything by grams, so pretty accurately. I'm actually a little afraid to NOT count all the carbs in veggies. Like tonight I'm having spaghetti squash, which is 8gm net carb per cup, instead of 10gm. I'm worried that all those extra carbs will add up and I won't lose. But at the same time my brain is like, telling me it's ok, anything under 40gm. But that's double Keto standards. I just want these last 15 lbs gone already. I have a hard time losing, so I'm tired of not being at goal already, even tho I'm active and lift. Tho I only started lifting in April and took the summer off.

I generally aim for 140 gm of fat a day and my protein goal I'm always over, always, by like 30 gm. I tend to drink a lot, 2-4liters a day. Kinda have to in AZ. It's still HOT!

ZRx4

Sarahb29 wrote: »

You have more willpower than I - I'd eat the entire thing! Lol. Looks good!

I unfortunately HAD to share with the hubby lol l

klaak

Hey forgive me if I missed this, but I didn't see where you listed your calories per day. Also, I saw you mentioned you go over your protein, and I've read that can cause Gluconeogenesis which will throw you out of ketosis (the glucose). I'm about 3 weeks in and I am trying to keep my calories most days to 1100-1200 calories a day and my macros at 10% carbs, 25% protein, 65% fat. Maybe you're eating too much protein and/or too many calories?

ZRx4

My calories range from 1600-1800, I'm quite active tho. My Fitbit says I generally burn 2300+ a day. My macros are set to 5%carbs, 75%fat, 20%protein. Oh and I'm 5'7".

RalfLott

klaak wrote: »

Hey forgive me if I missed this, but I didn't see where you listed your calories per day. Also, I saw you mentioned you go over your protein, and I've read that can cause Gluconeogenesis which will throw you out of ketosis (the glucose). I'm about 3 weeks in and I am trying to keep my calories most days to 1100-1200 calories a day and my macros at 10% carbs, 25% protein, 65% fat. Maybe you're eating too much protein and/or too many calories?

There seems to be some debate about whether excess protein will detonate ketosis - perhaps because the conversion is so much slower than with carbs. (But if you're diabetic, YMMV on the effect of excess protein on your blood glucose.)

ZRx4

I've heard about the too much protein thing. I try to keep it in check, it's hard to hit my macros without one going up higher than I planned. Defininately not a diabetic.