Ketones 0.9?

(Shaz) #1

Hello again :wave:. Since my last post, I’ve lost about 600g but more importantly, belly fat. The tape measure is now 2.5/1 inch tighter :grin:. The past couple of days, I’ve only felt the need to eat twice a day again. I have either bacon and eggs for breakfast then steak/lamb for dinner. I’m keeping my fat at about 30/40g, no carbs (sausage has a few but below 10) and not tracking my protein but going with it. Anyway, 9 days ago my ketones were 0.5, now they’re still only 0.9. I started my journey 12 days ago. Does this ketone level sound about right? I would have thought it would be more :man_shrugging:.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2
(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #3

Ketone levels vary considerably between individuals and over time in the same person. If you are measuring with urine strips, expect a decline in their effectiveness, as your kidneys get better at extracting ketone bodies from the urine and putting them back in the bloodstream. Many people also experience a decline in blood ketone measurements, as well, which we guess is probably because the liver gets better over time at matching production to demand.

In any case, Dr. Phinney, who coined the term “nutritional ketosis” in the first place, says that while 1.0 may be a bit better than 0.5, levels above that carry no visible extra benefit. He has also observed barely detectable levels of ketones in fat-adapted athletes who were very clearly in ketosis. So my take on the whole thing is that if you are minimising your carb intake and still alive, you have to be in ketosis.