Keto 5years and never test in ketosis

#1

Ive used keto mojo but tired pretty quickly of sticking myself and never testing in ketosis. Ive used two different kinds of strips and never had any color effect. I basically live “feeling” in ketosis. I’m 63. I have lots of energy and feel great. I walk daily. Im strong. Today I’m going to help load a dumptruck with firewood. I will keep up with the guys and not be sore tomorrow. This is my second weekend of loading wood. I feel frustrated that I never have a confirmation of being in ketosis. I do just “keto on” but I wonder why this is. Any ideas?

(Bob M) #2

What levels do you get? Something >0 but less than 0.5 mmol/l? When do you take the test?

(Cathy) #3

I am interested to know why this might be. Do you ever fast for more than 24 hours and test?

(Joey) #4

Yes… keep loading firewood.

Everyone’s chemistry is different (as different times in our lives). Sounds like you’re doing great. Your energy, strength, stamina, all speak to how avoiding the carbs is doing your body a great service.

Measuring stuff is often of some interest - but the numeral results are not really the point.

Have you noticed positive changes in any of those things that you were experiencing 5 years ago that prompted you to give keto a try in the first place?

#5

Funny story, a few days before the fire wood I sympathy fasted for about 17 hours with my partner who had a colonoscopy. On the third day after the fast i did get a result on the test strip! 15 which is the first color after no result so not a big effect but it was something. Ive fasted before but maybe my timing was off or something. Yay.

(Joey) #6

Was this “strip” a urine test strip? :thinking:

EDIT: I just re-read your original post… You started out mentioning blood test, but then switched to urine tests. If these have been urine strips you’ve been talking about, then hey… no wonder you get no ketones to show up!

Urine strips reveal the amount in your urine. These are wasted ketones that your body is not using but excreting.

When first going keto, your body produces loads of ketones in response and is wasting a lot of them - and they show up in urine, i.e., unused.

After you adapt (which, for you, has been many years now), your body STOPS wasting them… and produces what you actually can utilize on demand in your tissues.

Your urine then becomes more “normal” again because your body isn’t dumb enough to waste a source of energy and just then piss it away.

Congratulations. You’re normal (and quite healthier for avoiding 5 yrs of carbs).

Glory to your amazing homeostatic metabolism. :muscle:

(Jane) #7

My body is dumb, then LOLOL because I still turn the pee sticks purple after 8 years (9 years after Thanksgiving) on keto.

(Joey) #8

Very impressive! (In a urinary sort of way :wink: )
… but seriously, you are not typical of how urine strips work for most folks.

(Bob M) #9

Way back, I did a comparison of pee sticks, breath, and blood. I thought the pee sticks were the worst, because they could be influenced by how hydrated you were, among other things. I didn’t get a great correlation between breath and blood, either.

I have seen people say the pee sticks work for them, even after being in ketosis a while. I may have to pick some up to see what they say.

Each of them (pee, breath, blood) can track different things too. I never understood enough to figure out why one would track differently.

I’m still waiting for the continuous ketone monitors to get to the US. The curves I’ve seen are wild.

(Lauren Gratte) #10

Don’t get upset about the strips, because for so many years your metabolism has become as flexible as possible and simply does not leave “unused” ketones. Your endurance during unloading firewood and daily walks is a much better indicator of keto adaptation than any device. I was just reading the material https://betterme.world/articles/treadmill-10000-steps/ about the benefits of active daily movement for general tone and blood vessels. Keep up the good work and listen to your body, it works like clockwork!

(Jane) #11

i know…

(Joey) #12

@Janie Your urine may be a cure for something (or other). Have it tested for something (or other)! :test_tube:

(Jane) #13

:rofl:

I could retire now instead of in 18 moths!

(Doug) #14

Jane, I bet you’re really going to like it. :slightly_smiling_face:

It’ll be interesting to hear how things go.

#15

Ya, i have no real reason other than curiosity to test for ketones.

#16

If you know you’re eating 20g of carbs (depending on activity up to 50g) and you’re running with tons of energy, you’re in ketosis. You’d be on your face otherwise. Measuring blood ketones literally does nothing for you. If you were one of the few doing keto for medical reasons, then maybe it’s worth it. But not otherwise.