Gum.. and keto blood test

(Di Ma) #1

Hello ,
Sorry for all the threads I start and the questions I have…
I have checked me keto level the first day I started and it was 0.1
Today is my third day and I checked it twice 1st time before breaking my fast and it was 1.4 and again an hour after dinner and it was 1.1
What is the best time to check for that?
My second question is about sugar free gum it shocked me to know that each one has 1.3 carbs… I chew 5 a day can that be right? I like gum in my mouth because it relaxes
It’s ok to keep using it right?

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2

Keep your carbs sub-20 grams per day - from any/all sources, chewing gum and otherwise - and you’ll be OK. Look at those 20 grams as a max limit, not a target to hit. As far as carbs go, the less the better. They serve no useful purpose. Don’t worry about the ketone numbers. A lot of stuff starts to happen all at once when you start to eat keto. Sub-20 grams of carbs will keep you there. Everything else will take care of itself.

(Di Ma) #3

Yes I am bellow 25 usually between 16and 19 with the gum

When is the best time to do the blood test? 1.1 is still good isn’t it?

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #4

If you stay below 20-grams of carbs per day and have detectable ketones you’re good! If you can manage it, shoot for sub-15 grams. When you first start on keto, it takes a few days for your liver to ramp up ketone synthesis, so the numbers for the first few days can be low. After a few days in ketosis, however, your liver will be synthesizing lots of ketones, most of which you will simply pee out because your cells and organs don’t know what to do with it. It takes another few days for them to figure out that ketones are fuel and start to use it. So don’t get worried if you feel tired and/or weak for a few days. It will pass.

Starting, it really doesn’t matter when/if you measure ketones. Later, it will matter more.

(Di Ma) #5

@amwassil today is my six day mark in the keto diet, I’ve lost 3.9 kilos (about 8.5lb)
My keto blood test showed 2.4 las night after my last meal and 2.6 fasting before breakfast
I couldn’t sleep at all last night , I slept from 6:30 am to 7:13 am and then from 10:30 am to 12:15 pm , I didn’t feel sleepy but I know I need to sleep, also I have muscle pain in my legs that feels like cold weak feeling you get when you catch a cold.
Is that normal?

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #6

@Di_Ma You’re going through ‘carb withdrawal’. A lot of stuff happens when you start keto. Hormones adjust, cell metabolism adjusts, overall metabolism adjusts. And this stuff all happens at once! Most people report various uncomfortable symptoms as a result. Your muscles are habituated to using glucose and/or glycogen as fuel, but by eating keto you’re not giving them that fuel. They don’t yet recognize ketones and fatty acids as fuel, so they’re fatigued. The good news is that it will pass, usually within a couple of weeks. The bad news is that some folks have to endure for a month or two.

Just stay with the program, keep hydrated and your electrolytes up and you will get through this.