Does your ketone blood level (in range) really matter?

#1

I’ve been doing keto for a few months now but I can’t tell signs of being in ketosis. I’m a bit OCD and feel like I need to know if I’m on track and still in ketosis or not, especially when eating these high fat, high calorie meals. I tested my blood level for the first time today at 0.5 this morning. I’ve read that’s barely nutritional ketosis and optimal is 1.5-3. My understanding though is your body is in ketosis, it either is our isn’t, correct? However it seems that people want to hit this optimal level. Does being in a “stronger” state of ketosis matter? Also, I’m a runner and jog 6-8 miles a day, I’ve read being in shape can also reduce your keytones level.

So now I really am confused about if I’m on track or not and how I can measure if I am or not. The scale has been stagnant for 3.5 weeks, but I’m feeling like I am looking better, maybe it’s in my head…

(Raj Seth) #2

If you are not eating carbs, but instead using fats, dietary or in body, as your main source of daily nutrition - you are either dead or in ketosis.
Actual level of ketones - meh. Don’t matter

#3

True, I worry though because I do tend to eat more vegetables and nut butters, etc., which all have a few carbs. I am trying to make this a lifestyle and not get discouraged and stay in reality, so I try to not focus on measuring and counting all my macros and getting obsessed. I got the blood meter to help ease my mind to confirm if I was eating too many veggies, etc.

I guess I’ll just check a few times and start to get a baseline. Try to have days with basically zero carbs and see where those levels are.

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

Phinney and Volek define nutritional ketosis as serum beta-hydroxybutryate above 0.5 mmol/dL, which is actually fairly arbitrary. Unfortunately, fat-adaptation can’t be measured directly, so we use serum BOHB as a marker. Dr. Phinney has included in some of his lectures an account of a study of fat-adapted endurance athletes who barely registered 0.2 or 0.3 and yet were still clearly ketotic and fat-adapted. So it seems you’re good. If you are producing ketones at all, it means your insulin level is low enough for you to become fat-adapted, which is the real goal, anyway.

#5

Thank you very much! This helps a lot.