So I have been doing Keto for a little over 2 months now and have lost about 24 pounds. Which is the good news. However my blood sugar had originally gone down but is now back up to the 190’s and my blood keytone level is .03 and has remained pretty constant around there. I had stopped insulin for a while but I am thinking about starting again with bg numbers in the 190’s. Prior to Keto I was taking 90 (30 with each meal) units of fast acting insulin and 90 units of long acting insulin each night. High 200’s to low 300’s was not uncommon. Still taking Metformin and blood pressure meds. Not sure what to do.
Confused about numbers
anon54735292
#2
I’m assuming that you’re type 2? How long have you been diagnosed? Those are some pretty high numbers for a keto diet.
RobC
(Robert C)
#3
Please confirm this - “0.03” is so close to zero that you are not “keto” (and I am not sure if blood ketone meters register this low).
“0.3” is just low (ketosis is considered “0.5”) but may still indicate efficient ketosis (your body has adapted well and is just producing near what it needs so - excess in the blood is low).
jbo1969
(John)
#4
Precision Xtra is the glucose monitor I have which also takes Keto strips. Today at 11:49 am is read 198 for glucose and 0.3 for keytones. 1/16 was 0.3, 1/14 was 0.4, 1/9 was 0.6, 1/3 was 0.3, 1/2 was 0.3, 12/28 was 0.6, 12/26 was 1.1, 12/21 was 0.6, 12/20 was 0.4, 12/19 was 0.3, 12/18 was 0.3, 12/17 was 0.4, 12/14 was 0.4, 12/13 was 0.3, 12/12 was 0.2, 12/10 was 0.6, 12/05 was 0.2. Blood sugar was 125-202 during that time period.
jbo1969
(John)
#5
Yes type 2. Diagnosed at least 10 years ago. But I have been working on being insulin resistant pretty much my whole life. LOL
BenBoy
(Ben )
#7
What are you eating? How many calories? Do you exercise? I have a friend who has a problem like yours but she cheats a lot without knowing it.
jbo1969
(John)
#9
I have not had my insulin levels tested. Just the normal rising blood sugar numbers followed by chasing that with more and more insulin.
Eating mostly high fat meats like beef and pork. Fats are butter, sour cream, olive oils, olives and mayo. Carbs would be lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, onions, tomatoes (canned in chili, no beans). Only condiments have been hot sauce, salsa, mayo, mustard and blue cheese dressing. Full fat cheese and heavy cream if I make dressings.
I usually stop eating around 8:00 pm and intermittent fast for 16-18 hours through the week. I have not been counting calories since being on Keto.
anon54735292
#10
Would be worth tracking for a while to see precisely how many carbs/protein you are consuming.
You should definitely see your doctor & review your insulin usage - you don’t want to be running those kinds of numbers for long.
David_Stilley
(Full Metal KETO AF)
#11
I am not diabetic, but I have a diagnosis for post transplant pre diabetes. When I started at the beginning of September my fasting BG was 203. I started keto the next day. I tested again 12 days later and it was 150. Each month it has gone down but after five tests I’m still not there. My doctor is convinced that I’m doing the right thing and being insulin resistant is not a one week fix. So I stay calm and keep the course. I’m hoping February will be a winner for me. I think that like many others your diabetes will sort itself out too with time and patience. It would be prudent to talk with your doctor, especially if he supports the routine you have adopted as a step towards getting your diabetes in remission.
KetoCancerMom
(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :))
#12
Tomatoes and onions are actually fairly carby. I second the suggestion of tracking. You might find hidden carbs somewhere!
It’s worth tracking anyway to get a big-picture view of how/what you are doing
PaulL
(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?)
#13
First, the insulin you are taking is inhibiting your ketone production.
Second, do you know your daily carbohydrate intake? How many grams? Is that net or gross? If you are really insulin-resistant, you may need to eat even less carbohydrate, even go zero-carb/carnivore. With those kinds of serum glucose levels, it is likely that you are getting more carbohydrate than you realize, because the insulin is inhibiting gluconeogenesis in the liver, and even if it weren’t, gluconeogenesis doesn’t produce the level of serum glucose you are reporting.
jbo1969
(John)
#14
I’m actually not taking any insulin anymore. Only Metformin and BP meds. I’m eating 2 meals a day with about a 16 hour fast between dinner and lunch the next day. Total carbs are under 20. I don’t do net carb counting. Numbers tonight were 154 and 0.7.
jbo1969
(John)
#16
Yes it seems like it. Highest bg today was 178. Keytones 0.2 this morning and 0.7 tonight. I did increase my fat intake the past two nights with creamed coliflower and creamed spinach. Added lots of butter and some heavy cream.
anon54735292
#17
Keep an eye on the trend 
High numbers are nothing to mess with but if you’re trending down that is a good sign. Be aware that fat will slow digestion so it may take a bit longer for your blood sugar to peak. Do see your doctor though if the numbers don’t keep going down. Is your doctor aware that you’ve stopped insulin?
jbo1969
(John)
#18
No. I’m not sure how much good it will do. While I was chasing my numbers with insulin, She had me on 50 units of basil at night. My bg stayed high (upper 200s) so I bumped it to 70. She gave me a lecture about adjusting my meds without prior approval and checked my A1c. Then she bumped it to 90.
PaulL
(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?)
#20
Well, that’s an improvement! Okay, at 0.7, you are in nutritional ketosis for sure, and the BG trend is in the right direction. I’m no doctor, but my advice would be to keep an eye on things, and if the BG doesn’t continue lowering, see your doctor. As long as it’s headed in the right direction, I wouldn’t be terribly concerned. Also—how many times a day are you checking? What is the pattern of readings like?