Do you have to track carbs on keto?

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FitAndLean_5738
FitAndLean_5738 Posts: 90 Member
in Food and Nutrition
This may seem like a silly question, but is it true you have to track carbs on keto? Is there any way to do keto without tracking anything? In my mind, this would look like eating foods that are low carb (leafy greens, eggs, meat, cheese, avocados, etc.) and higher fat. And then buying the pee strips to test yourself and seeing if you're in ketosis every now and then (maybe every other day). Has anyone tried this or is this just not feasible?

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  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    edited December 2018
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    I don't track or count anything. I try to limit carbs to <50g but that is only by choosing low or no carb foods. I do eat vegetables on the lower side of the carb scale. Even though I bought them I have never used the pee strips. I just wasn't into it and over time it is not very reliable. I speculate that I drift in and out of ketosis. My keto meter is my taste buds, I can taste a acetone hint in my mouth when I am in ketosis. I would be closer to 20g if I were to give up wine but that hasn't happened yet. After the holidays I plan on trying some fasting just for the fun of it and to see how it affects ketosis. Good luck!
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I tracked carbs for the first few months to help me learn what calorie and carb counts are in foods, like which nuts have more carbs, and which veggies are lower carb. I did not really count carbs to determine what I could eat, but rather to discover how many carbs were in the low carb foods I chose.

    Now I never count calories or carbs. I eat very low carb and find that the appetite suppressing effects from low carb keep my calories and carbs in line pretty easily. I haven't counted in a few years. It's doable, and even preferable to some. I would keep an open mind and weigh and check foods if you are uncertain of their nutrition.
  • maureenkhilde
    maureenkhilde Posts: 850 Member
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    I was curious so checked out the so called pee strips. You can easy in US get 100 of them for around $6. So not bad for about a six month supply according to your plan.

    Maybe for first few weeks or so, until you get the hang of the carb count look some foods up. And for not going over the calorie count, really need to consider just how much of the fat you are going to consume. As that can and does trip people up.
  • FarmerCarla
    FarmerCarla Posts: 470 Member
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    I'm about 2 1/2 months into keto, and I'm tracking calories and carbs as a training process so I can learn to choose wisely. I purchased a ketone meter after reading the strips aren't very reliable. My keto experience has been good, and I hope you'll be able to say the same!
  • KLM4k
    KLM4k Posts: 181 Member
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    Is there a Keto group someone on here?
  • maureenkhilde
    maureenkhilde Posts: 850 Member
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    Yes, go look for the Low Carb groups from the message board. And you will see quite a bit specifically about KETO.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    You don't have to count or track anything, but if it's a new way of eating for you, then it's like taking a road trip to somewhere over there without looking at a map. You might get there, you might not. It's likely that if you do get there, it will take you longer, assuming your sense of direction is good.
  • markdvsmo
    markdvsmo Posts: 16 Member
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    I'm very new to keto (one week in) but it seems that after tracking things closely for a while, you quickly get an idea of how much of what you can eat and still stay under your carb target. And at least for me, between the difference in food and the reduced appetite, it's been challenging to consume enough calories.
  • Hypsibius
    Hypsibius Posts: 207 Member
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    I "track" my carbohydrates (mainly I just keep a mental tab to ensure I'm in the 20-50 net-carb range) and then I track my daily weight using a weight-tracking app.

    I also do intermittent fasting (I only eat one big meal a day around 7pm with some light snacks until 9 or 10).

    The daily weight tracking is GREAT because it allows you to see the trendline and bounces w/ lots of great data points. Also I find daily weight tracking makes me less stressed about the scale.

    I do not track calories though, pretty much ever. I find it stressful and giving myself "allowances" for processed or high-carb foods just makes me very hungry and throws me out of ketosis for 25-48 hours.

    Good luck!

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