In Ketosis or not?

ketonix
(Markus Sigfridsson) #1

So, I had french fries for lunch, three hours later I´m still in therapeutic ketosis with 55 (=0,5ppm).
Prior to that, this morning I was in at over 126 (=25 ppm). Still, shouldn´t I be thrown out of Ketosis?
I had my meter “Hardware checked” by Ketonix and they say the meter is fine.
I am very lean and don´t do keto for weight loss, but for other health reasons.

(Allie) #2

Ketones are a fuel for your body the same as glucose (from carbs) is. When you’re in ketosis properly and consume carbs, your body will burn the carbs first to get rid of them quicker but it will continue making ketones as that’s what it’s used to doing. These ketones will sit in the blood waiting to be used, once the glucose is gone.

I can eat a whole tub of Halo Top and register high ketones afterwards for this reason.

(Markus Sigfridsson) #3

I guess I’m fat adapted, I´ve been fasting 24 hours once a week for six months but only done Ketogenic diet for about 3 weeks.

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

Presume you’re using a Ketonix breath device (older style with the Ketonix prop measures). You’re actually measuring acetone, which is a breakdown product of acetoacetate. Your liver synthesizes acetoacetate, which in turn ‘spontaneously’ converts to/from β-hydroxybutyrate. The acetoacetate is the actual ‘energy packet’, β-hydroxybutyrate is the storage/delivery vehicle for cells which don’t handle acetoacetate directly and also functions as a regulator to many hormonal and other metabolic processes.

Acetoacetate floating around in the blood doesn’t last long. If it doesn’t convert to β-hydroxybutyrate it breaks down into acetone and CO2, which are vented via the lungs, or gets excreted via urine. The mechanisms around all this are very complex and not well understood in anything other than generalities. Nonetheless, as @Shortstuff says, if you dump a load of glucose into your blood pretty much all the acetotacetate already there will either vent via breakdown into acetone, or end up in your bladder. Terrible waste of a very valuable substance! :wink:

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #5
(Markus Sigfridsson) #6

I have the latest Ketonix, but yes it measures Breath-Acetone.

(Markus Sigfridsson) #7

Thanks, that link made a lot of sense.

#8

You’re not still in ketosis. When you eat carbs the ketones already in circulation don’t just disappear. You still need to burn them off as a fuel. Carbohydrates are a preferred fuel over fatty acids so you’re working on those right now. You’re burning ketones at a reduced rate now and it’s likely you’ll go through the carbs and switch back to ketones before you see a 0 on your ketonix. Also, breath ketones aren’t really that reliable when flip flopping fuel sources since those ketones are a by product of you metabolizing them, you’d see an increased number most likely if you checked your blood which should be dropping for the next couple hours most likely. This is why big picture is more important than constant testing. You’re only looking at snapshots in time. Eat some fries, burn them off, back you go! Not a big deal.

(Markus Sigfridsson) #9

Well, I had the fries as an experiment :wink:

(Ellenor Bjornsdottir) #10

Are you still getting the effects you want? If so, you should be fine. But more than that, you could top off your glycogen too much and move the needle too far into glycolysis, which may not be helping the health issue you are trying to do ketosis for.