How long does it take for your body to enter ketosis?
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fitter_happier94
Posts: 63 Member
I've only been doing this for two days, so obviously I don't expect to be there yet, I'm just curious as to how long it takes your average person. I have strips to test for it but I've not bothered using them as I don't see the point yet (maybe in a few days time?). For reference, I'm eating about 20-30 (upper limit) grams of carbs a day, and 65% of the rest is fat. Cheers, and sorry for the daft questions, I'm new 
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Hours - you go into ketosis every night while you sleep. You are trying to maintain a constant state of ketosis. The strips aren't really useful in any way, because they only measure one kind of ketone, and only when you produce excessive amounts of it. If it's positive, you're in ketosis, if it's negative 50/50 you're still in ketosis.
Some of the signs you can watch for are an acetone taste or smell to your breath, a more noticeable smell to urine and sweat, thirst, and reduced appetite. It will take you around a month before you're fully adapted. In the meantime focus on staying hydrated and keeping your sodium up.0 -
Really? Screw Amazon, those things cost me £4.50
I've been in ketosis before (accidentally) for a few days when I was poorly and wasn't eating much, that acetone taste is definitely hard to miss. I only had 20g of carbs (total) yesterday though and I have no symptoms, weird. Thanks for the tips!0 -
katiem_444 wrote: »Really? Screw Amazon, those things cost me £4.50
I've been in ketosis before (accidentally) for a few days when I was poorly and wasn't eating much, that acetone taste is definitely hard to miss. I only had 20g of carbs (total) yesterday though and I have no symptoms, weird. Thanks for the tips!
The real reason those strips exist is for T1 diabetics. When they produce excess ketones, it's a medical issue, not intentional. Some people got the idea to start marketing them to people on keto, usually via an affiliate link on their blog, so they get a cut of all the sales.0 -
Good to know! I've been debating whether to buy the strips, but I haven't gotten around to it. I figured as long as I was losing and wasn't hungry, it didn't matter much. Now I know I'll be saving my money.0
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ok I was caught with the strips hype, I don't have any taste in my mouth, and not sure about the pee because I am drinking so much water I am peeing like I never peed before.
I was just wondering if I was in ketosis after five days or if I was an odd bod. I am keeping under 30 carbs a day so I should be in ketosis. 0 -
Don't feel bad if you were caught up in buying the strips. I think most of us have done it. I don't know anyone who is still doing it, long term. Some people do continue to want to know for sure, and they end up spending hundreds of dollars tracking blood ketones (which are more accurate). But, I think nearly everyone ends up buying the urine ones at the start. They're cheap and a positive result on them can be encouraging when you're just starting out.
I bought strips at the start. And then spent a lot of money on other ways to track it. Money that would have been better spent on ribeye and maybe a snazzy looking hat.
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I think it depends on the person...
One heard some people do after a few days and some take much longer.
If I go by the test strips then I've never been in ketosis
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I think it depends on the person...
One heard some people do after a few days and some take much longer.
If I go by the test strips then I've never been in ketosis
No, really, you are in ketosis any time you sleep more than 5-6 hrs at a time, everyone is. It typically lasts until you eat (the breaking of fast), and on a non-keto diet, that meal throws you out of it. If you then continue to eat carbs, you stay out of it. If, however, your first meal is very low carb, you stay in it. If your next meal is also very low carb, you stay in it longer. If you cheat and steal a few cheetos from a friend, you're knocked out for a few hours, but as long as you don't keep eating more carbs, you're back in a few hours later. For a while, your body will be a little confused, sometimes making too many ketones, but not always. That's when you get acid breath, stinky urine, and dry skin. Keto adaption is when your body stops making too many ketones, and only makes just enough. Changing your activity level can change that again, and it will adjust again. Similarly, changing your sleep, eating too many carbs at one meal (even though you're still under 20 or 30 for the day), getting sick, or having a surge in stress can alter ketone production. In terms of diet, though, it really is a simple as if you don't eat more than Xg carbs, once any previously ingested carbs are out of your system, you're in ketosis.0 -
I bought the strips! It is reassuring that they have been showing more ketones each day (day 3-6 of <30g carbs a day), but I only use them first thing in the morning. I'm now familiar with the weird taste in my mouth so I can probably just use that, but it was nice to have the confirmation.0
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I used one this morning and I'm definitely in ketosis, though I could tell that by how awful I was last night to everyone I spoke to (is this is a symptom when you're starting out? I was very snappy and irritable) and by how "hyper" and jittery I was. I figured that was just because my body's gone from eating several hundred loaves of bread a day to <20g of carbs. I'm gonna use up the strips on mornings but I won't be buying them again as they're too expensive (and by the sounds of things, almost useless over the long-term). It was reassuring this morning though, as someone who's just getting started
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Sounds like you are detoxing from your sugar addiction...withdrawal symptoms making you snappy etc etc. Brilliant! Wait until you walk into Sainsburys and just sail past all the goodies without a second look!0
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Hmm, well I've never had any "symptoms" of being in ketosis0
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In my case I think it took a few weeks at least. The hidden carbs are something I had to learn about.0
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@jumanajane That's an interesting idea and really scary; the fact that I could've been eating so much sugar I got withdrawals. Sorting it all out now though ey. Hehe, I think for the next couple weeks I'll be doing my shopping online! I'm calmer today though
@GaleHawkins Can you elaborate on what you mean by hidden carbs?0 -
Hidden carb are carbs you only find when you read food labels... Such as ketchup has added sugar.0
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Lrdoflamancha wrote: »Hidden carb are carbs you only find when you read food labels... Such as ketchup has added sugar.
Or when you go to a chain restaurant. And lets say you like certain shrimp dishes at Red Lobster, you think there couldn't be any carbs in, you eat them, then go home, add the meal into MFP and you say, "What the Hell!?!". Oh well, they'll sneak carbs in when they can. Why? Because they taste good or they don't cater to Lo-carbers. But, I predict that in ten years or so, they will... but that's another discussion...
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
You Might Be a Keto Dieter If...
LCHF is the XXXX (A funny animated explantion of the Keto WOE)
"Keto-flu" and Sufficient Intake of Electrolytes
Are You Having Charlie horse/leg cramps?
Need Potassium?0 -
Ahh I see, thank you0
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My daughter is type 1 diabetic so we have a blood ketone meter. I used it to check after a couple days and again after a week to make sure that, as a newbie, I was eating right and it was very motivating to see it hit 2.6 that second week.
Now I may just check every once in a while for peace of mind.0 -
My friend's little sister is too and she has one of those, but I'm absolutely pathetic when it comes to blood
even the most measly little drop haha, I might have to look into those things that test your breath, gonna try not to be too obsessive though because I want this to be a long term thing. I imagine it is good to check from time to time because as you say, peace of mind and to gauge how many carbs your body can take without coming out of ketosis 0 -
Hello, I read some comments here saying that you go into ketosis every night while sleeping. This not true. It usually take a few days to use up all of glycogen in your cells. After glycogen is empty your body must switch to ketone for energy.
When I switching into ketosis, I knew it. I was eating 2000 kcal. But I was starving because I used up the glycogen and my body needed to switch to ketones.
I also know this takes time because I used to get checked for ketone in my urine by a doctor ever year for many years and there was never any ketones in my urine after fasting all night and almost to noon the next day when the urine sample was taken.
Even after your body switches to ketones, it takes a while for your body to ramp up making ketones.0
