I bought the perfect keto urine strips, and from my understanding I’m in ketosis as long as I don’t get a negative result? Seems to be various reasons for low or high amounts of ketones in the urine… I don’t think I’m keto adapted or fat adapted, do I need a blood keto meter to know that?
Keto strips question
PaulL
(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?)
#2
There’s no real test for fat adaptation, unfortunately, but there indications, such as a feeling of energy, mental clarity, and so forth. As long as the urine strips are showing any result at all, you are producing ketones—that actually starts within a day or two. A lot of people find that their urine strips stop working after a time, because their body is wasting fewer ketones in the urine. The same with blood readings, too, although people generally show some ketone production, even if the level reads lower on the meter.
The problem is that there is no real way to measure ketone use. The best any meter can do is to show that you are producing ketones, not how much are being used. But that mental clarity indicates that your brain has made the transition to using β-hydroxybutyrate—brains really seem to love that stuff.
Personally, I don’t experience the real sharpness and the buzz of energy people post about, but that’s because I had some bad effects from low oxygen during a surgical operation years ago, and fatigue from a virus more recently. On the other hand, I can concentrate better, now that I’ve been keto for a while, and I just finished mowing the lawn and won’t have to spend the next two days in bed, resting up. So you can see why I’m not about to complain! 