Blood ketones down

(Bryce G Stuart) #1

Hi guys,

My blood ketones levels have dropped this week. I test each day at the same time usually early morning upon rising, then around 1pm just before I break my fast and then again around 6pm.

I’m usually somewhere between 1.2mmol and 2.5mmol but this week have not got over 0.9mmol with an average of 0.5mmol

My diet hasn’t changed really except that I upped my protein to 120gr, as I’m trying to put on some lean muscle but I’ve kept my fats up around 140gr and my nett carbs are sub 20 gr each day.

Only other change of significance is that I haven’t got to the gym to push weights around and my exercise has consisted of mainly walking and a couple of 5klm runs.

I’ve still dropped weight this week, down to 76kgs and 18%bf from 77.3 and 18.3%bf at the start of the week.

I’m happy with my lean mass but am shooting to get my b.f down to sub 15%

I’m 185cm and am currently consuming circa 1840 calories a day. I’m practicing IF as well at 18/6 with my calories split across my feeding window which opens at around 1pm usually 600 to 700 Cal’s with the balance at dinner. I don’t usually snack in between those 2 meals except for the occasional handful of pork rinds (circa 30gr) some nights when I get home from work

Thanks in advance

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

The ketones that get measured are the ones your body hasn’t used yet, so one possible explanation is that your body is getting more efficient at using the ketone bodies it makes, so there aren’t as many circulating. Dr. Phinney in one of his lectures talks about some fat-adapted endurance athletes he was studying who barely showed any serum BOHB at all, but they were clearly ketotic. So as long as you are feeling well and keeping your carbs low, you should be fine. KCKO!

(Bryce G Stuart) #3

Thanks very much Paul I hadn’t considered my body’s efficiency as a possibility. I’m still losing so that could be the answer, not that I’d say I’m super fit but things are tracking in the right direction although my body fat loss has stalled over the past few days. I’ve upped my protein as of today as my lean mass is dropping according to my scales which so calculate bf as well. I know they are not super accuracy in that regard though.

Many thanks again, I appreciate your response

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

You’re welcome. Do try not to obsess about the scale. Your weight can fluctuate, and a few days at the same weight does not constitute a stall. (A few months, on the other hand . . . ) Not only that, but my scale gives different readings depending on how I stand on it, and I have occasionally weighed myself five times in a row, standing the same way (as far as I can tell), and gotten five different results. If you are losing inches, you are still in ketosis.

My weight has been stable between 190 lbs. and 200 lbs. since last November, but I can now wear 38-inch trousers that I couldn’t fit into when I got them for Christmas. And Sunday, I was able to slide them off without unbuttoning them, which I couldn’t do as recently as two weeks ago. I suspect that my body is still losing fat but putting on some muscle, which would explain why the scale isn’t going down, even though my waistline is. I’d love to lose more of my belly, but I’ve already achieved my primary goal of metabolic health, so I’m not terribly fussed whether I do or not.

(Dan Dan) #5

LOL same here until I read instructions and found it needs to be on a perfectly flat surface and to Stand completely still :open_mouth:

I found one spot in the kitchen and lots of practice being still and one with my scale I now get perfect weight same as last 10 doctors visits :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

(Julia ) #6

I am very confused I’m not sure what my blood testing is supposed to read can someone please give me a scale of normal and then when I’m in keto what it should be

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #7

@Jengblo Nutritional ketosis is defined as a serum level of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB) over 0.5 and under about 10 (I believe that the value is given in millimoles/deciliter; someone please correct me, if I’m wrong). You can go up to 15 or so without having to worry about ketoacidosis, but that level of BOHB is practically impossible to achieve if your body is manufacturing any insulin at all.

Be aware that where blood ketone levels are concerned, more is not necessarily better. Remember that the BOHB in your blood is what your body hasn’t used; it tells you nothing about how much the body made and how much was used. The point is to achieve fat-adaptation, and ketone levels are no more than a marker for that, they don’t measure it directly.

(Dan Dan) #8

Here :smiley:

Optimal-Ketone-Levels-min.jpg730×1095 52.9 KB

(Julia ) #9

Thx so much😎

Julia Engblom

503)791-0646

Brownsmead Cattle Co

(Dan Dan) #10

Bryce, instead of daily calorie restriction (your about 900kcals below TDEE) have you thought about OMAD or Extended Fasting to lower your body fat % :thinking:

(Bryce G Stuart) #11

Hi Dan,

I hadn’t considered either option seriously. I’ve been on IF (18/6) for a couple of weeks now and generally get through ok but am definitely ready for food by the time my feeding window opens although I have just started breaking my fast with just a protein shake and found that gets me through until when I get home.

I don’t obsess too much about the calories in and prefer to focus on just hitting my macros. That said I usually find myself averaging around the 1800 mark with 2000 being a big day. I did note your TDEE comment though and will have a think about upping the calories.

I’ll try and psych myself up for OMAD but I’m unsure if I could eat sufficient to really get a decent calorific intake.

I’ll give it a go though and keep you posted on how it goes for me.

Thanks for taking the time to give me some feedback