I didn't get knocked out of ketosis?

#1

No judging and no lectures, please, I ate poorly yesterday, it was intentional, and I don’t regret it. I’ve been eating clean keto for over 4 months, feel great, and have lost weight to the point where I don’t mind not losing for a week or two.

But this morning, I don’t feel physically like crap like I expected to, I am not ravenous (which usually happens after a carb up) and for the hell of it I breathed into my breath meter… still at .04. Is it possible to get to a fat-adapted point where I can eat crap, sugar and carbs for a day and NOT get knocked out of ketosis? Or do breathometers lie?

I have no intention of eating poorly on a regular basis, but what a wonderful thing it would be if I can have a planned, occasional “bad day” and not un-do all the good work I’ve done. Is that possible or am I going to see the repercussions in another day or two?
Sue

(TJ Borden) #2

I had a similar experience last weekend. I’m a huge craft beer drinkiner and had very little since starting keto. When I did, it would be half a beer and no issues. Last weekend we visited a tap room I hadn’t been to in a while and I got carried away. I still didn’t drink quite what I used to, but I had about 8 beers over 3 hours. I almost stopped at Taco Bell because I figured I had already knocked myself out, might as well put a cherry on top of my Sunday of sin. I passed on the drive through because I was full from beer. Next morning I checked and I WAS STILL IN KETOSIS. I did feel a little off the next day, but I ended up fasting because I didn’t feel like eating, and then I was back to normal.

I’m not sure if there is anything beyond n=1 science or not, but it seems like people have said that the longer you’ve been fat adapted, the easier your system can support a meal or even a day off without pushing a huge reset button.

#3

I believe there are too many factors involved to fully predict or explain the impacts of consumption.

Given energy being expended, hormones, food types, how the body is fat adapted, or what the body needs at that moment… who knows.

For myself I recognize a chocolate craving every three weeks, and I go with that - for I know that a craving won’t greatly impact my lifestyle choice for more than a matter of hours.

#4

Well, what did you eat? :blush:

(Barbara) #5

I am wondering how to get back into keto quickly after having a bad day… fast for a day .? Help

#6

When I get kicked out I fast the next day and usually do a kettlebell workout and HIIT workout on my bike. Works great.

(Barbara) #7

Thanks … will try that

#8

Fasting will drop insulin and exercising will use up glycogen stores. Both push the body towards lipolysis. It takes more than one indescretion to kick me out of ketosis, and the amount of time needed to return has decreased.

(Karl) #9

I have a Ketonix, and it’s completely unusable for determining whether i’m “in ketosis” or not.

I’m very strict with myself. I’ve had long swaths of fasting time, and I haven’t had >20g carbs in a single day in a VERY long time (and even when I do eat carbs, they’re always incidental). But my Ketonix readings will fluctuate wildly from no acetone readings, to crazy high - all seemingly random with no discernable pattern. I had it replaced once to rule out a dud unit.

I stopped testing.

I now feel testing for Ketosis is a pointless endeavor if you’re doing it for confirmation/affirmation. I’ve read countless posts saying things like “ZOMG MAH PEESTRIP SAYS I FALLS OUT OF KETO O NOESSS!!111”. Good lord, I have enough stress in my life. Chasing down numbers in your bodily fluids or breath? I gotta draw the line there.

If you’re testing for academic reasons, hey - have fun with that. But seriously - Stay under 20g carbs. If you don’t die, you’re in ketosis. Your brain can’t function otherwise. How much more affirmation do you need besides “Holy Crap! I’m still alive, and look ma! No carbs!”

#10

Isn’t it amazing what this way of eating does to us - in the past what I ate would be a fairly normal indulgence, and probably the typical way of life for most Americans, but I feel like some sort of criminal for having had two slices of pizza and a piece of birthday cake. a BIG piece of birthday cake. I won’t make a regular habit out of it but I am so excited that I wasn’t ravenous today, didn’t feel like sh/t, and am still in ketosis.
Sue

#11

Bad tools make any job harder. Breath meters and urine strips are notoriously unreliable. Blood ketone meters are the definitive standard. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.

“What gets measured gets managed” - author unknown

I don’t test ketones for affirmation or academic reasons. I test for results. My objective isn’t to minimize carbs, my objective is to maintain a state of ketosis. Within this constraint, I want to eat as many carbs (have as much dietary flexibility) as possible.

Here’s a management example:
Let’s say I want my body to derive a large percentage of it’s fuel from fatty acids (vs glucose). So I want to keep my GKI ≤ 2 on most days. Every morning I take my blood glucose and ketone readings. If my BG=95ml/dL (5.3 mmol) and BK=0.6 then I ate above my carb tolerance. If my BG=92 and BG=2.7 then I’m on point. If my BG=72 and BK=4 then I could have eaten more. The effect of exercise can similarly be gauged. This data can’t be ascertained based on feeling, it can only be determined by measuring.

Our body is smart and can function well and even achieve our goals without us doing any arithmetic. But tracking helps me better understand what’s going on inside my body. Informed management usually leads to better results than management by guessing.

(Pete A) #12

When you’re over 20 carbs you will get “knocked out of ketosis.” Stay under. That’s Keto. Why test? Or fret?

I’m affirming myself here as I haven’t gone over 20 carbs in over 6 months, When I do, I’ll fix it the next day. And day after. That’s how you stay in ketosis.

(Bunny) #13

You may get knocked out but recovery time will be short lived depending on how long you been in Ketosis.

I can go up to over a 100 carbs (now) and not get knocked out! Amazing! (probably because I exercise rigorously)

(Karl) #14

You’re chasing data. And when I read that above quote, It looks ridiculous, sorry. It’s statements like these that have the potential to turn AWAY people from this lifestyle. What you’re saying could easily be misconstrued as “Perform this rocket science if you want better results” in a sea of people trying to say “KCKO”.

Sorry, but that gobbledygook does more harm than good in my opinion (bearing in mind that my opinion means mostly nothing).

#15

My example was needlessly complex. I tend to approach things from a quantitative perspective, but that’s my own bias. Tracking doesn’t have to be complicated.

What I was trying to say is that using a glucometer makes things very simple because it

  1. Eliminates guessing
  2. Eliminates the need to track macros
  3. Allows greater diet flexibility
  4. Measures progress
  5. Helps troubleshoot stalls

Ketosis isn’t a feeling, its a physiological state. I know how many carbs I can eat and maintain ketosis (which BTW is more than 20g). Furthemore, I know that my insulin resistance has improved and I can tolerate more carbs now than I could 6 months ago. I know exactly how long it takes me to get back into ketosis. This information can only be obtained by measuring BG and BK.

Here’s how I keep it simple. I don’t weigh my food. I don’t count calories or macros. I eat what I want. I’m never “that” person at social food gatherings. I’ll have reached ideal weight without ever having a stall. All aided by tracking BG and BK and make adjustments accordingly. I’ve learned with most things in life that try-track-adjust is more effective and efficient than rule of thumb guessing.

There are a lot of folks on this forum who are happy to spend the rest of their life eating under 20g of carb. I have no problem with that, but I don’t want people to think that’s the only way to get results.

(Karl) #16

I got from 300lb to 165lb without having to give up any blood. I learned enough of a lesson with the money wasted on the Ketonix and the conflicting data it provided. I’m a UNIX/Big Data nerd in my day job so the data was initially interesting - until it simply wasn’t and only served to add stress to what’s already a stressful life event.

I never had any stalls. But if getting all stabby with yourself is how you want to get results, well, you do you. But I still think it sets a dangerous precedent for people who just want to follow another quote from author unknown. “Keep it simple, Stupid.”

(Daniel) #17

If you’re using a Ketonix meter, alcohol of any kind will cause you to register a false positive for up to 24 hours.

(Karl) #18

I don’t drink.

I stopped using the ketonix over a year ago. It sits in a drawer unused along with a tangle of cables that are equally unused.

I don’t need to test. I never needed to test. No one needs to test to succeed in this lifestyle, and most people who do are doing it for sketchy reasons. You don’t EVER need to whiz on a stick, blow in a tube or prick your finger to succeed at this.

I got here regardless of the fact that I quit all that testing BS. Do it if you want, but it’s an unnecessary practice for success in my opinion.

(Daniel) #19

sorry, I was addressing the thread starter.

#20

You get knocked out no matter what if you eat carbs, what changes is how you react. First your liver reloads glycogen, then your muscles, anything left spills over and THAT is the amount that gets you.