Hi all,
Question,
I have been on the diet for about 2 months
My blood test shows i am 0.5-0.8mmol ketones. If i up my fat intake it goes up to 1.5-2.2mmol
i want to burn body fat. By eating extra fat am i not just creating ketones by the fat i have been taking in my mouth rather than using stored body fat?
Also does higher ketones = more fat burning ?
I am a little confused so if you could clear this up for me it would be great .
Thanks in advance
Al
Double cream in my coffee. Then my keto number will increase.
I usually put coconut oil in my coffee. I have 3 cups a day a teaspoon of coconut oil each time. 0.5-0.9 maybe 1.0 if I’m lucky
To get the higher numbers i use double cream (300ml) over the whole day)
only 1-2 times a week as i find it too heavy
Then I’ll get 1.7mmol -2.2mmol
Doesn’t that just mean I’m creating ketones my increased fat consumption? My goal is to burn stored body fat.
NOPE! So don’t become obsessed with ketone readings. My average was floating around 0.4-0.8 and the only time I’d go over that was during fasts. Lost 100lbs in that range. VERY easy to become number obsessed. Sometimes that’s a good thing, but many times it’s not.
Thanks for the information… as a newbie, i appreciate the feedback
I’m usually in the 0.5-0.8 range even if i fast for 12-16 hrs
It’s unclear to me why there’s such a wide range of ketones you’ll see on this board. Originally, I could get higher ketone, but now I’m basically between 0.5-1.0 unless I fast multiple days.
If you are solidly in ketosis - more fat intake is probably going to slow body fat burned (why wouldn’t the body opt for longevity through maintaining fat stores for famine?).
If you drink a quart of MCT oil your ketones might be through the roof but your body fat stores might be untouched.
At the same time, throwing in extra fat once in a while to avoid having the body slow metabolism because it is constantly using local stored body fat is probably a good strategy.
Thanks, solidly in ketosis means 0.5 and above for a number of weeks? Although i had 160g of blueberries one evening and i was 0.4 next morning. Had a slice of precut cheddar put me on 0.7 a few hrs later
Thanks for all the feedback… i appreciate all the advice… any other tips/advice welcome
I have heard that it is due to becoming fat adapted over a number of months/years
Not sure if that’s happening in my case yet as it’s only been 2 months
You might be too focused on numbers. Ketosis 150 hours per week out of 168 is fine - lots of fat burning.
Adding sticks of butter or MCTs to get every hour to measure in ketosis might backfire on you in terms of actual body fat reduction.
300 ml of double cream per day is quite a lot…
I tend to have about 50 ml per day in my 4 or 5 coffees. Large mugs… maybe try cutting it down a bit and see what happens.
However all of your readings show you are in ketosis (in fact any reading above zero shows that) so I wouldn’t strive for higher numbers. I tend these days after about 4 years to be between 0.5 and 1.0 whenever I ,rarely, test which is fine.
@MRALPPK I’m afraid you may be veering off these train tracks into the wrong direction.
If you are eating restricted carbs (roughly 20g/day or less) you ARE in ketosis. Otherwise, you’d be curled up in a ball and wouldn’t be typing on a keyboard 
Testing for ketones may be interesting (I do it from time to time) but it’s not really telling you anything you shouldn’t already know.
Meaningfully restricted carbs? Yup, you’re in ketosis.
With that said, assuming you are eating a prudently appropriate amount of protein (per your lean body weight), then the rest of your required energy needs must be met by eating healthy fats. There are no other options left.
So… as for losing weight … you need to set aside your expectations (whatever they might be) since you cannot simply steer this train wherever you want. It needs to stay ON THE TRACKS of your unique metabolism, insulin resistance, and other related hormonal/biochemical processes that are - except for nutrition (and perhaps exercise, stress, sleep) - otherwise out of your control. You’re a passenger on this train.
The only thing you can most directly control is to ensure you: (1) stay off the extraneous carbs, and; (2) eat enough healthy fat to ensure your hunger is properly satisfied.
If you do this (healthy fats + eat to satiety) you will see the weight fall off as soon as your body is ready for that to happen.
If you eat LESS than this amount of required nutrition (i.e., fat) to satisfy your true hunger, your body will eventually put itself in self-preservation mode and slow everything down. It will do this because it will sense that you are slowly starving. Your train w i l l s l o w l y s t o p.
This will become entirely counterproductive to weight loss. You cannot push this train into terrain where it doesn’t belong. Once off the tracks, it will stop itself in the middle of an empty field somewhere. Getting your metabolism back will then be harder - you will then have to rebuild lost muscle tissue AND you will likely put more fat back on in the process.
So, my advice: stop worrying about what fat is or isn’t doing to your ketones. Do worry about what carbs could be doing to your ketones. Eat enough fat (preferably in 1-2 meals/day, rather than day-long grazing) and otherwise: relax on the ride and enjoy the scenery.
Best wishes!
it does feel like a lot when i have it a couple of times a week … i will take you’re advice and cut back on the days i have cream , My usual is a teaspoon of coconut oil (or 2) with two sachets of milk,
thanks for sharing you’re thoughts, i definitely want to be on the right track which is why i joined the forum. There is no point me doing this if it isn’t in the correct way
Below is what i eat on a given day, Its normally 12-16 hours between my last meal and next meal the following day (unless i feel hungry which i usually don’t)
Black coffee with coconut oil and a dash of milk
I medium avocado
vacuum packed Mackerel/ sardines/ grilled chicken with skin on 1/4-1/2 or 150g turkey fried in coconut oil or 2 egg omelette
Vegetables steamed i choose between Celery/kale/ broccoli/ lettuce /spinach ect i might add a little butter
snacks… mixed nuts ( not cashews) or pumpkin seeds / unsalted peanuts 85% plain chocolate
teaspoon of peanut butter sometimes or some cheese with a little salted cucumber
All of my food and drink are kept within an 8-12 hour window
I find the coconut oil in my coffee tends to satisfy my hunger
i supplement with magnesium whenever i remember and try to take a good multi vit a few times a week
I feel ok and if i feel hungry i eat.
I didnt get any flu like symptoms although i did feel weakness in my muscles for a couple days after the 1st week or so but that went away after a day or two
As you said i don’t want to end up on the wrong track so does it look like i am eating enough so i don’t lose muscle or slow my metabolism ?
not wanting to highjack the thread. do I’ve always had the question. Do higher blood ketones mean more fat burning? and is higher better?
@MRALPPK Sounds like you’re doing great! I would simply suggest you enjoy the great eating patterns you’ve established for yourself and patiently see what happens. Things will likely evolve (including your taste buds and preferences) but I wouldn’t worry about knocking yourself out of keto - not likely to be possible given how little carbs you’re getting.
@Weeverrm I’ll let someone more knowledgeable reply if I’m wrong, but I don’t think the absolute level of serum BHB (ketones) - assuming you’re in ketosis to begin with - is indicative of the amount of kcal of fat that’s being metabolized. Once you’re in ketosis (i.e., not in state of glucolysis due to lack of dietary glucose/fructose), you’re burning fat. How much of that fat is dietary vs adipose depends on myriad factors (kcal of fat consumed, white vs brown fat tissue, exercise, metabolic starting points, etc.)
no but some is indicative your burning body fat, when i’m in weight loss mode i average 0,4 blood ketones, when im in a fat feed state i average 1,8 if someone has 0 blood ketones and weight is not coming off good sign insulin is to high.