Are blood tested keynotes supposed to be less than urine stick?

(Vic) #1

Hi I have about 5 and half weeks into this WOE

I had started with the sticks for keystone testing and was usually showing from 1.5 to 3 or more

When I ran out I got a blood test for ketones and now My range is .4 to 1.1 usually

If anything I am having fewer carbs under 20 and many times under 15, With the exception of Tuesdays, I have a lettuce chicken taco and use avocado brings me to 22 carbs that day

I count everything and round up on cheese, Heavy Cream, Eggs and anything under 1 carb gets counted as a full carb

I count total carbs and do not deduct for fiber

(mole person) #2

Yes, that’s perfectly normal. Urine is not an acurate measurement tool. It should only ever be interpreted as a yes/no to whether you’re in ketosis. Whereas blood gives you a value that indicates the actual depth of your ketosis.

Your range sounds fine to me if weight loss is your goal. Generally, nutritional ketosis is considered anything above 0.5.

You may see some of us here, including myself, shooting for blood ketones up near 3 but generally this group is after therapeutic effects beyond weight loss.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #3

Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to maintain a certain level of β-hydroxybutyrate don’t chase numbers. If you keep sub-20 grams of carbs per day and remain conscious, you are in ketosis. That’s all that matters. Having your innards awash in β-hydroxybutyrate is a good thing, and I suppose more is better than less - up to a point. But many things affect the concentration and if you were to measure hourly for a day or two, you would see how variable it is and stop worrying about it.

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #4

The blood strips and urine strips measure different kinds of ketones. You can’t directly compare them.