Best Way To Tell If Your In Ketosis?

(Ben Yates) #21

It’s been a while since you posted this, but I’m brand new here and thought I’d give my two cents on this one. I’m also attracted to the numbers, but personally I think the best way to know you’re “in ketosis”, or that your keto diet is “working”, is to just notice whether you ever fall into hypoglycemia - don’t have to measure, it’s something you can feel. So like if you can go all morning being active but not feel any ill effects. I think basically if you at least intermittent fast, even if irregularly, and you have no problems, that is a good sign your body is using ketones for fuel and has adapted to using them.
If you do any endurance sports, and you never go hypoglycemic (or bonk, as we say in cycling), then for sure it’s working.

#22

So strange that not everyone can do that, wouldn’t it be normal…? I don’t think ancient humans had available food in the morning all the time! I know we are all different (I got hungry around 2pm on high-carb while many people need breakfast) but even my SO who gets hungry in the morning (not immediately but later, around 6am) simply works and exercises without food when he forget his breakfast at home. There is hunger but his body works as it should. I never understood the blood sugar dropping thing I heard about as isn’t that the job of our body to keep it stable? And it’s easy to make glucose when needed, food isn’t necessary at all. I wasn’t dizzy when I was starving for 11 days once. I function well. I was well-fed before so I had reserves but it’s the same on IF, we eat plenty (well I do… not everyone) just not all day.

Oh well. Even my body does illogical things like the dizziness when I try EF sometimes… 24 hours and a bit more should be nothing for a human and I manage not to get hungry many times but dizziness or weakness is other way to trigger eating, it’s not nice. My body has opinions and it’s not always a same as my mind’s.

If one knows they can’t do IF without ketosis then it’s a good sign indeed. Sometimes it’s subtler. Ketosis was almost exactly like not ketosis for me but in unusual cases (10 hour hiking in the mountains. not very much exercise, I called it a walk but way more than my usual) I did feel some difference. I don’t think I would notice it now though, my habits are stronger than the minimal difference on ketosis in my case.

If someone does heavy exercise, that is supposed to give us a very good sign indeed as our glycogen reserves are quite limited. I never had that. I just walked or slowly cycled (it had cardio parts but only now and then).

#23

Hello! Forum newbie here, but experienced keto’er.

You absolutely need to test your blood to truly tell if you’re in ketosis. When you’re in it long enough, you might be able to tell when your ketones get too high or if you get knocked out, but I’ve been testing my blood regularly for a year, and sometimes my numbers are really surprising and don’t line up with how I’m feeling, or what I assume my ketone levels are.

I was provided with a KetoMojo meter for a research study, and was fortunate that they paid for the unit and supplies for the duration of my particpation. But my main complaint is that the test strips are expensive. It’s worth it though. You don’t need to test as often once you’re fat-adapted. I went from twice daily testing to just weekly now, to make sure I’m on track with my goals.

Otherwise, I like the unit and the app, they are easy to use and accurate. The research team explained that the urine strips and especially the breath meters are not accurate enough to be taken seriously.

In terms of getting into and staying in ketosis, my personal recommendation is purchase a meter and keep your carb intake as low as you can, 20g or less per day, and avoid refined carbs (especially sugars) at all costs.

Best of luck!

#24

This! I’ve also heard that the strips test the ketones that your body is excreting, not the ones in your blood.