Hi y’all!
I’ve been on the keto diet for about 2 weeks with promising results. I unfortunately had a cheat day yesterday when I went to the beach and indulged in some mashed potatoes at dinner and ice cream for dessert. This should’ve kicked me out of ketosis but when I did a blood ketone reading this morning, I was at 1.4! I feel like this meter has been accurate before but I’m not sure anymore. Anyone else experience this or offer an explanation as to how I’m still in ketosis?
Thanks!
Depends on timing and how much carbs you actually consumed. Assuming you ate sufficient carbs to stop ketosis, what your meter recorded this morning are residual ketones (β-hydroxybutyrate) still floating around in your blood not doing much of anything. Measure your blood several more times at 1 hour intervals and you’ll likely see it drop until the elevated glucose from the carbs is reduced and ketosis starts again. Ketone blood levels are variable - it’s a very dynamic system. Welcome to the forum.
you dont go into ketosis because of one day of eating low carb. why do you think you go out so quickly?
My understanding is that ketosis like gluconeogenesis is controlled by insulin. If insulin rises above whatever your personal ‘trigger’ happens to be, yes you will stop ketosis and gluconeogenesis, too. If you’ve got plenty of glucose from food, your metabolism won’t waste time and energy making unneeded ketones and glucose. The longer one remains consistently in ketosis, however, the faster and more efficiently one deals with the insulin rise and reduces it below the trigger.
Also, yes it is possible to start ketosis in a day. It only requires that insulin drop below one’s trigger point. Before eating 24/7 365, pretty much everyone was in ketosis by breakfast simply by eating supper at 6-7 pm going to bed 2-3 hours later and sleeping until 7 am the next morning. That’s a 12-hour fast and it was the common schedule of eating when I was a child in the 50s.
Thanks for the welcome and the advice! I just measured it again and now I’m at 1.7, I’ll keep on testing it every hour or so but I still don’t understand.
Just means you’re body is running on glucose again instead of using the ketones it’s had made ready to use as fuel… I can eat a whole tub of halo top then get ketone readings of 4mmol for the same reason.
If ketone level is rising, then ketosis has started again and you’re AOK. Like I said, it’s very dynamic so don’t get too concerned about fluctuations.
Forgive the slight correction, but it would be a bit more accurate to say that ketogenesis in the liver begins as soon as insulin drops low enough, but ketosis (i.e., blood ketones above a certain level) may take a bit of time after that to achieve. But essentially, you are correct.
Should have differentiated ketogenesis from ketosis. Thanks.
Not to worry. You got the big picture right, and I am often obsessive about details.
Hiya. I’m entering my 3rd week tomorrow I don’t use blood tests but I use the wee strips. I’ve not had a cheat day as of yet I’m too nervous as it took me a while to get into ketosis. But I’d assume (not a expert obviously) that you may not come out of ketosis straight after as it may take a little while to show? I’m not too sure but could you let me know if you do stay in ketosis please because it’d be nice to know if from 1 treat that you could stay in it. I know everyone’s different of course xxx
@Tarabrown91 Stay in ketosis as consistently as you can by eating sub-20 grams of carbs per day. For the first several months it’s very important to do so because your cells and organs get adapted to fat burning faster and more efficiently. The occasional off-day won’t hurt you much, but only if they remain occasional - the fewer the better. And none is best. Once you’re solidly fat adapted you will have more flexibility. Carbs serve no useful purpose and the sooner you realize and accept that the better off you’ll be. Best wishes.
Thank you. Realistically I know that it’s just many years of bad habits that try to trick me haha 
I’ve done better than I’ve thought in these last 2 weeks I’ve resisted every temptation (and that’s incredibly difficult on my own with the kids 
) but no I know your right in all honesty I’m too scared to do it anyway because I’ve worked so hard to even get to this point xx