Ketone Strips Newbie

(Rachel ) #1

Hello! I have done my first ever ketone strip: It came back as Medium 40…does this mean I am in ketosis? Confused, thanks.

(Bob M) #2

This is a urine one? That seems good if it is.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #3

Ketones are only synthesized in detectable quantity when you’re in ketosis. Urine test strips show ketones you’re excreting as ‘waste’, ie excess to what you’re utilizing.

(Rachel ) #4

Yes its a urine strip…okay well thats a relief!

(Rachel ) #5

Makes sense…with that being said is that a decent amount being excreted then?

(Bob M) #6

It will vary a lot. For instance, if you don’t drink enough, you’ll get dehydrated, which means a higher value will show up. If you drink a ton, a lower or no value will show up. Your actual ketone value hasn’t changed, just the amount per volume has.

The strips are pretty good in the beginning, as a general marker of whether you’re in ketosis. Don’t get too worried about the actual level, though.

And once you’re in ketosis, if you keep eating low carbs, you’ll continue to be in ketosis.

(Rachel ) #7

So basically to summarize, as long as its not in the neutral color zone then I am good to go?

(Bob M) #8

Basically. Over time, you can be in ketosis, and the pee strips will show zero. That’s because you’re just not peeing out ketones. I gave up on them a while ago because of this. However, I used them for a while before giving up.

It’s unclear how long this takes. Some people say they are useful after a long time on keto. I did not find that to be true.

(Ellen ) #9

@ctviggen, what if your blood ketones were always fairly high at 0.9-1.3 over 6 months and now never go above 0.5 with the same carb count. Does this mean you’re likely fat adapted?

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #10

It only means that ketone synthesis is a very dynamic process that results in different concentrations of ketones pretty much minute to minute. If you can measure ketones don’t obsess about the numbers.

(Bob M) #11

I’d say yes. I started low carb on 1/1/14, but didn’t start testing until 2016. I have since tested then not tested. However, when I started testing, I could get large ketone readings (by blood or breath). Now, almost 4 years later, I get small readings. For instance, it was easy for me to get to 1.0 mmol/l or above originally. Now, I only get there if I fast multiple days.

(Ellen ) #12

Okay, thanks @amwassil. I’ll TRY not to obsess.

(Ellen ) #13

I thought I read one of your posts awhile back saying it now difficult for you to get a high reading. I mostly test now for results on artificial sweeteners affecting me or the occasional glass of wine or bottle. It had been a long while since I had any alcohol but this past weekend I drank some Pinot Noir and my ketones after one glass was 2.0. High the next morning as well but today its down to 0.3. So it’s an interesting gauge of food and drink affects.

(Bob M) #14

I will try to remember to test after drinking. I’ve never done that. I only drink one drink per week, at night, so it’s hard to remember to test afterwards.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #15

Remember that breath and urine tests measure only excreted ketones, and that the liver gets better over time at matching ketogenesis to need, and the kidneys get better at redirecting ketones back into the bloodstream, usually resulting in less waste. But there is a lot of individual variation in this, and while most people find that the urine strips stop being useful over time, others find that they continue to get readings. Blood meters measure only the circulating β-hydroxybutyrate, but can give no indication of what actual production and consumption is.

For all these reasons, we advise people not to chase higher ketone readings. Once you know that you are in nutritional ketosis, there is no such thing as being “more” in ketosis. And the point is not precisely to be producing ketones, either, but to be keeping your serum insulin and glucose low enough to prevent metabolic damage and to promote metabolic healing. There are a lot of benefits to ketogenesis, don’t get me wrong, but the benefits of a well-formulated ketogenic diet are multiple and varied and extend far beyond mere fat loss.

Also bear in mind that, while it has become standard to measure acetone in the breath, acetoacetate in the urine, and β-hydroxybutyrate in the blood, all three ketone bodies can be measured in all three locations. So to get a truly accurate picture, we would need to be measuring our ketone circulation and excretion by multiple means and multiple measures. This would quickly get unwieldy for all but the most data-driven nerds. :grin: :bacon:

(Bob M) #16

I used to measure all three. The problem was there appeared to be no correlation between any of them, rendering data analysis very tough. I gave up measuring for a while, but then started again. Since I have a ketonix at my desk at work, I use that. I also have two Keto Mojos, one at home and one at work. I will likely stop testing again after these strips are gone, because I don’t really learn anything. For me, testing is only good if I learn something. Now, my ketones are simply low and only go up when I fast. There’s not much to learn from that. I can tell you my ketones will be between 0.2-0.5 every morning unless I fast multiple days. Thus, measuring doesn’t help me.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #17

Unless there is some specific need to know the precise level of ketones, for example to deal with some medical condition, I also have come to the conclusion that measuring ketones does not tell you much other than you’ve got some. The system is so dynamic and the concentrations of each ketone varies so much so continuously, that like @ctviggen says, it’s difficult to interpret what it means. As @PaulL says, if you’ve got ketones you’re in nutritional ketosis, there’s no ‘deeper’ or ‘less’ ketosis. This is why I’m so interested in the Lumen. Measuring RER to determine actual fat/carb burn rates in real time seems like much more useful information.

(Scott) #18

Strips are the equivalent of a keto pat on the back. They may make you feel good confirming that keto is happening but are mostly meaningless. Keep your carbs low and the rest will take care of itself. I have never measured anything to eat this way. Save your money and eat well.