Ketosis detector?

Luvmyhubby222
Luvmyhubby222 Posts: 149 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello! Week 2 of keto eating, and loving it (5 lbs in a week? Even if it's just water I'll take it-feels better!). Question-how do you know if you are in ketosis? I've heard the urine strips and breath detectors are not reliable, but weekly blood work is obviously not an option. I ask because although I aim for 20 gm I occasionally run 20-30gm of carbs, and wonder if this is knocking me out of ketosis.

Thank you in advance!

Replies

  • SOOZIE429
    SOOZIE429 Posts: 638 Member
    Personally, I know by the way my pee smells. It has a strong odor. I believe there are blood ketone tests you can buy on line.
  • JohnBarth
    JohnBarth Posts: 672 Member
    Urine strips have always worked for me. About $6 on Amazon Prime.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    I just listen to my body. Sometimes I get a funny taste in my mouth. I think I drift in and out because I drink wine in the evenings. My waist and my scale say I am.
  • Luvmyhubby222
    Luvmyhubby222 Posts: 149 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Are you just eating that way to lose weight? If so.... Does it matter if you are in ketosis or not?

    Id personally be paying more attention to whether or not I was consistently in a calorie deficit.

    I do that as well, but as I am new to the whole keto thing I want to do it by the letter and see how it works. So far, so good, but if I can do it better, why not? :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Luvmyhubby222 wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Are you just eating that way to lose weight? If so.... Does it matter if you are in ketosis or not?

    Id personally be paying more attention to whether or not I was consistently in a calorie deficit.

    I do that as well, but as I am new to the whole keto thing I want to do it by the letter and see how it works. So far, so good, but if I can do it better, why not? :)

    The most reliable way is a blood ketone meter. But as long as you are able to sustain the diet, it doesn't matter if you are or aren't actually in ketosis. Also, getting deeper into ketosis, won't increase fat loss or anything.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    If you are eating under 50g of carbs a day, you are probably in ketosis. If you are eating under 20-30g of carbs a day, then you can be sure you are in ketosis. The body needs about 100-150g of glucose a day; after a couple of weeks of sub-30g carbs, your body should be making ketones to make up for part of the short fall in brain fuel. You are ketogenic. :)

    If you do want to check, the blood tester is the best and most reliable. It's also fairly expensive.

    Ketostix are easy and cheap and will tell you if you are excreting any ketones. They seem to become less reliable as time goes by because some start to waste fewer ketones in the urine. You also will need to keep in mind that they are affected by hydration.
  • Luvmyhubby222
    Luvmyhubby222 Posts: 149 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    If you are eating under 50g of carbs a day, you are probably in ketosis. If you are eating under 20-30g of carbs a day, then you can be sure you are in ketosis. The body needs about 100-150g of glucose a day; after a couple of weeks of sub-30g carbs, your body should be making ketones to make up for part of the short fall in brain fuel. You are ketogenic. :)

    If you do want to check, the blood tester is the best and most reliable. It's also fairly expensive.

    Ketostix are easy and cheap and will tell you if you are excreting any ketones. They seem to become less reliable as time goes by because some start to waste fewer ketones in the urine. You also will need to keep in mind that they are affected by hydration.

    Very helpful! Thanks!
  • Luvmyhubby222
    Luvmyhubby222 Posts: 149 Member
    So I did one of those formula calculation thingies and it said 20 gm of carbs, but between 20-30 would be ok? I find myself running around 25gm without feeling too deprived, but 20 is rough for me.
  • Luvmyhubby222
    Luvmyhubby222 Posts: 149 Member
    :D No- I actually feel pretty good. I'm still waiting for the infamous keto flu. One of the reasons I wonder if I'm not really there yet...
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    edited August 2018
    Nah, you're there. :). That keto flu is actually just an electrolyte imbalance. When you cut carbs you lose water weight and sodium. If you aren't replacing the lost sodium (salt) then you end up with headaches, fatigue, myscle weakness, etc. it's completely preventable, but some still tell people it's something one needs to go through to get to ketosis. It's not.

    If you haven't experienced the keto flu, it just means that you are doing it right. ;)
  • Luvmyhubby222
    Luvmyhubby222 Posts: 149 Member
    Woohoo! I have been paying attention to lytes/sodium replacement, as I am also training for a half marathon at the end of Sept. THank you so much for the info!! Much appreciated!!! <3:)
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    No problem. :)
    Have you read Phinney and Volek's books? The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living / Performance? The performance one might be of interest to you as an athlete. Good luck with the training!
  • Luvmyhubby222
    Luvmyhubby222 Posts: 149 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    No problem. :)
    Have you read Phinney and Volek's books? The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living / Performance? The performance one might be of interest to you as an athlete. Good luck with the training!

    No, but I am so going to now! I've been looking for suggestions to for good info. Thank you once again! :)
  • Raf702
    Raf702 Posts: 196 Member
    From what I’ve heard, ketone strips are effective in the beginning of the Keto. But once your body has adjusted to effectively utilizing ketones. Your body won’t be producing excess Ketones, and the strip won’t change color. That can also confuse or discourage people to think they aren’t in Ketosis. When in fact they still are, the body isn’t flushing excess ketones. I would suggest relying on other symptoms of Ketosis.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    Luvmyhubby222 wrote: »
    Woohoo! I have been paying attention to lytes/sodium replacement, as I am also training for a half marathon at the end of Sept. THank you so much for the info!! Much appreciated!!! <3:)

    I have done a few HM and after an ankle injury stopped running for awhile. That caused a thirty pound gain. I have really struggled to get my running miles up. Since going keto a month ago I have not felt like my endurance is where it should be. I have heard the it can be difficult during the transition to fat adapted but runners do and feel better on the other side. The down side is some have said it can take months. I hope it goes well for you.
  • Luvmyhubby222
    Luvmyhubby222 Posts: 149 Member
    I have dropped some weight, and so far haven't noticed any huge hit to my endurance. I have a 10K on Sunday-we'll see how that goes. I will finish the half no matter what-run/walk/crawl-I WILL cross this thing off my list!

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