I started and it look like I'm in

#1

Started Monday (5 days ago) and tested this morning 1.5 hours after waking up. No food, just my moderate morning workout routine. Like I said I skip breakfast and have lunch at work at around 11am and then dinner at 6pm at home. I still used more greens then some of you advocate and will still do, hopefully it’s OK. Or so it looks I guess.
I don’t know how to judge the glucose number.

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(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

You are doing very well indeed. Glucose under 100 (American units) is very good. Ketones at 2.2 is also excellent, but a higher number doesn’t correlate with better outcomes, so don’t chase ketone values.

Just a note, here: we enter ketosis as soon as our serum glucose drops low enough (usually within 24 hours), but there is an extended period of keto-adaptation, as the skeletal muscles re-learn to metabolise fatty acids and heal from years of damage from excessive glucose. This period takes about six to eight weeks, normally, and you may notice a temporary decline in endurance during that time. Once the adaptation is finished, your skeletal muscles will rely primarily on fatty acid metabolism, actively passing up ketones and glucose in favour of those cells that can make good use of them. You may also notice a decline in explosive power; this, too, returns to normal, but it may take a bit longer.

#3

For now I try to refrain my enthusiasm fearing I’m dealing with beginner’s luck. I will keep diet roughly unchanged for one more week and then will test one at a time some supposedly offending foods which I would like to still have. Ordered 60 additional strips (glucose + keto) and needles.

I did not have any keto flu symptoms until this morning when waking up. A slight headache was present, but I occasionally get those once in a while, so I don’t really know whether it was keto caused or not.
Following Dr. Phinney’s advice I started to use more salt and drink bone broth with a bit of added salt.

(Joey) #4

Yes, stay hydrated and properly “salted” - as your body will be inclined to jettison both as you keep the carbs low. Sounds like you’re off to a great start.

Note @PaulL’s comments above about adaptation.

And please keep us posted. :vulcan_salute:

#5

This is a very wise observation. I wish I was this wise when I first got excited at my first keto go around. I’ve since matured and gained more patience and peace (especially on ketone levels). In my case it was classic 100% Dunning Kruger.

“Peak of Mount Stupid” is where I started to get over confident and think I can sneak carbs in here and there, to back to drinking Diet Coke (which I always knew spiked my hunger), etc. It’s been about 8 years along this curve. Thankfully now more toward the right side of the chart than the left.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #6

These are generally the result of low-ish sodium. A bit of extra salt on food (don’t go overboard) will take care of that. As will a nice cup of bone broth.

(Edith) #7

I finally quit Diet Coke for good almost a year ago. I think the Diet Coke, which went right through me, added to my electrolyte depletion.

(Joey) #8

I imagine the only thing worse than having Diet Coke go right through me would be for Diet Coke to not go right through me and stick around. :thinking:

(Edith) #9

Yeah, well… I was a Diet Coke addict.

#10

At least Mexican Coke uses cane sugar (a natural thing), but diet is all poison.

#11

Many would say cane sugar is poison, too.

#12

Back to my keto numbers. This morning my ketones reading was 2.5.
For some reason I could not import the readings on my phone like I did the first day and had to set up an acct with mojo and now I can see them as a chart or table. I guess it’s probably better to see the whole history.

Anyway I think I need to relax it a bit.

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(Joey) #13

Always sound advice. :+1:

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #14

Cane sugar = 50% glucose and 50% fructose
High-fructose corn syrup = 45% glucose and 55% fructose

Metabolically speaking, there’s not really any difference. Financially speaking, however, HFCS is enough cheaper than cane sugar to pay for several beverage-company executives’ multi-million-dollar bonuses.

(Joey) #15

Other addictive substances: heroin/opium, cocaine…

Here’s a fun (and eye-opening) read:
SugarVsCocaineInRats-2007-Lenoir.pdf (258.7 KB)

#16

I’d take the cocaine over the sugar any day. Far more enjoyable :wink:

(Joey) #17

Same here. We’d make substandard rats.

#18

And just try caging me :rofl: