Best tools for measuring

(Jillian Prince) #1

Hi Everyone,

Im new to Keto and would like to know the best tools for measuring your ketones. Im feeling quite confident and comfortable with the the changes I have made so far but would like to know how I’m progressing.
I have some urine sticks that let me know if there are Ketones and Glucose in my urine, but over the last couple of days it looks like there are less. Its hard to tell as its only measured by colour.
In Dr Bosworths book she says that as you start to use the Ketones they don’t show up in your urine… I’m hoping this is whats happening…
I have read that you can measure by breath, urine and blood…
So my question is: What do you use? What did it cost you? And what is the most accurate way of measuring your ketones?
Cheers
Jill.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #2

I use the Keto Mojo blood monitor. I think it was around 70 dollars. The strips for ketones are a dollar each. It can also test blood glucose. The glucose strips are much cheaper than strips for other bg monitors.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #3

You can, but each have their down falls.

With test strips, they merely test the amount of ketones your urine is excreting, you will get readings on this and sooner or later as you become more adapted you will stop getting readings and then you will get very confused and come and ask us questions as to why you’re no longer in ketosis, truth is you are, your body has just adapted to using those ketones therefore there is none being wasted through your urine.

Breath Analyses seem to get varying results, I don’t really trust those.

A blood meter would be your best bet, but even then after adaption the numbers will go down and you will be here again asking us why you aren’t in ketosis anymore, truth is you’re just fat adapted and don’t understand your results.

Some people only test blood glucose and try and guage their ketone levels off of that

Truth is, you don’t need any of these devices, if you are keeping your carbs below 20g a day you can ensure ketosis. It’s up to you.
It is a science experiment after all.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #4

Not necessarily - my ketone levels are finally going up - after six months.

(Running from stupidity) #5

+1

I have a breathalyser, but use it very rarely. No point.

(Bob M) #6

After tracking ketones for several years, exercise of the type I do mainly causes them to go down, eating a lot of fat causes them to go up, and fasting multiple days causes them to go up. I’m not sure about anything else.

I go in and out of tracking, sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Breath ketones don’t correlate well for me with blood ketones, and urine strips ceased working years ago.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #7

I don’t measure ketones. I trust how I feel and how the scale works.

It was free.

Breath measurement is the most accurate way to measure ketones, which, unless you are shooting for therapeutic levels of ketone management, only seems like a method to develop an obsessive-compulsive based anxiety disorder.more measurements lead to more questions like “why are my ketones usually X, but I did C, and now they’re Z and I’m freaking out?”

(John) #8

I see lots of comments that the urine test strips are unreliable. I am still turning them dark purple every time I test, so something is going on there. I am assuming/hoping that I will become fat adapted at some point and stop excreting so much and that the color will fade.

For me the two most important measuring tools are the notches on my belt, and the way my clothes fit.