I am considering getting a home meter to test my glucose and ketone levels. The meter’s are reasonably priced but test strips on Amazon are about $1 for glucose and $3 for ketones.
I know what levels to look for and all that. But my question is how important is home testing and if it is important then how often should I do it?
–Jacob
In my over two years on keto, I’ve only been testing for the last couple of months. It’s really not essential if you’re seeing the results you want, but is a useful tool if not.
I only started testing because I was curious.
I think if you are don’t need to test for ketones for health reasons, it’s a huge waste of money.
If you’re diabetic or pre-diabetic, testing for blood sugar is very important. Especially if you’re tying to ween yourself off medication.
If your a1c is normal, I wouldn’t bother.
Okay. If I don’t test then how can I tell if I am in ketosis?
I am not diagnosed pre-diabetic, but I suspect that I have an insulin resistance that just hasn’t gotten that far. Does that affect your answer?
–Jacob
I think everyone should have a glucose meter. I decent one is the Freestyle Neo and strips are cheaper, maybe $25 for 50 I think at Walmart. I would use it first thing in the morning a couple of times to see if you are under 90 or at least under 100 and once you are under 90 consistently then periodically. It is also good to see if you react to certain foods although it will not tell you your insulin reaction to the food, only your glucose
As for ketones, look at thread
If you eat 20 grams or less of carbs per day, every day, you’ll be in ketosis. The actual value is, well, of no value.
In a perfect world yes. In a world where somebody is overdoing protein and keeping themselves out, no. In a world where somebody is inadvertantly taking in sugars or carbs that may or may not be hidden, no.
Are they NEEDED? Obviously not but saying knowing glucose or ketone values on a way of eating that rely’s on those two things being in a certain range is zero is a little much. Those numbers can help people greatly. Most people starting keto give themselves a crash course and learn as they go.
^^^^ This get one if you feel the need to measure.Ketostixs are worthless unless your hydration level is your concern.
The breathalyzer is much cheaper than the blood ketone meters. You want an old school one, that does not filter out acetone. Amazon and ebay have them in several models all under $20. No strips, just a couple of batteries are needed. You can test as much or as little as you want.
It is not necessary to test, but it can be reassuring to do so. I lost most of my weight before measuring, but it sure helped to have the data when I was down to the last 15 lbs. I never wanted the blood meter because I can not prick myself everyday. It is my main motivation to make sure I am never going to need insulin injections.
Good luck!
Good luck.
Important to the individual only.
Not necessary for the ketogenic diet.
I have a blood glucose meter, a blood ketone meter, and a Ketonix.
I find all 3 very useful for my life.
Testing can be very addictive though, I battle against being totally OCD and testing after every meal to see the effect it’s had (or not).
I know I don’t have any blood sugar issues and know I can easy be keto and get the results I want, but because I like to know what’s going on with my body, the urge to test is strong…
^^^ This, indeed.
For me, I have to be careful not to let a morning .7 (“Why am I not 1.5?!?!?”) set my day off on the wrong foot. Ketones are funny things, and fluctuate so much (for reasons we can’t control or explain) that I test mine now simply to get a general sense of things at a high level, not to micromanage or obsess about them (as hard as that is).
That being said, I tested 1.3 this morning (after defeating craving demons last night), and that mental boost really helps me right now. So, just like any tool, the usefulness of ketone testing is limited to how, why, and where you use it. Like a hammer, if you use it for the wrong reason (clean the windows), at the wrong time (during a tornado) or in the wrong spot (at church), it’ll frustrate you.
In other words, you have to take ketone testing with a grain of salt (and potassium, perhaps). Be aloof about it and keep it in its proper place
I’ve been very interested to see that my morning readings are now anything between 1.6 and 2.1 since I stopped having peanut butter, which I thought I was OK with but only got me a max of 0.6 each morning… 
Oh, yes, peanut butter is absolutely banned from my house. Way too calorie dense and way too tempting. I tried the peanut butter powder as a compromise and even that was too tempting for me. Whipped HWC with that powder…too yummy. So, banned!! 
I get your point in general. Still, I here the Dudes talking about using a meter to test their sensitivity to alternative sweeteners. Also, in the video you posted he used the phrase, “if you are well adapted,” which I am not.
–Jacob
Apparently, this is not true for me. Granted, my sample data is very small (so far). I’m not T2D, but I am insulin resistant (PCOS). I received my meter on Wednesday (got ketone strips only). Checked and I was .6. Ok, not great, but I’ll take it. The next day, I was .1 in the morning and .2 in the afternoon. I average a max of 15 carbs usually per day.
So the question is…what knocked me out of ketosis? That’s what I’m going to find out! It could be too much protein (I aim for 75g a day but sometimes go as high as 90g) or it could be dairy, etc.
One thing I’m learning is that everyone is different…or the very least is that there are several different “situations” at play…
The 20g rule isn’t enough for some people, if only things were that simple. Getting your blood sugar stable has to be the priority.
Could well be the protein yes. Many people I’ve mixed with online have found that over 50 - 60g is too much for them.
Glad to know I’m not the only one. Months of data logged for food/macros, blood glucose, blood pressure, ketones, weight, and quarterly labs for various levels/markers. I agree it’s an individual preference unless you have a known or suspected underlying disease (e.g., diabetes, pre-diabetes or insulin resistance) and then it should be something you do but try not to obsess over. For someone starting out and steadily loosing body fat, I wouldn’t worry too much (again - no existing disease state). I’m at the goal weight I set for myself (down 56lbs) but realize I could probably stand to lose another 10-15lbs to get rid of some nagging trunk fat. Monitoring seems more important to me now.
