Knowing if I'm in ketosis

(Shromona Das) #1

Hi! I live in a small town in India. It’s impossible to get ketostix here. Is there any easier way to know if I’m in ketosis?
Also, my weight loss have become slower in the last four months. More importantly, I think I’m gaining weight even though I’m following the diet.
It’s therefore important for me to know if I am in ketosis.

(Dan Dan) #2

Try to find a cheep breathalyzer :smile:

(Bud Zimmerman) #3

Since you live in the US, Amazon will reach you and they have the best deals on ketostix anyway. (Breathalyzers and blood meters also) Don’t get too hung up on the scale and start measuring yourself. That will give you a more accurate idea of what’s going on. Like any way of eating, you lose some and you gain some. As long as the overall trend is going in the right direction, you’re on track. If your carbs are below 20-25 a day and your feel good, you’re in ketosis.

(Dan Dan) #4

Do you keep your carbs under or at 20g with moderate protein and high fat until satiety :thinking:

What causes a stall :thinking:

  1. Not enough Fat - 60% to 80% Fat - more Fat will accelerate Fat Adaptation

  2. Too much Insulin
    A) - Keep Carbs (Net) at or under 20g
    B) - Too many meals (snaks count) keep to a maximum of 3 meals
    C) - Eating window too large it should be 8Hrs. maximum the smaller the better

  3. Calorie restriction causes the body to go into starvation mode
    A) Ladies should eat at least 1500Kcals to 2000kcals Macros 5 / 22 / 73
    B) Men should eat at least 2000Kcals to 2500kcals Macros 5 / 25 / 70

  4. Lean Protein - Keto is ‘Moderate Protein’. Lean meat is high in Protein and low in fat. ‘Fatty Meat is Moderate in Protein and Moderate to High in Fat’ and preferable.

  5. Water Weight
    A) The body retains lots of water on a SAD diet- On a Ketogenic WOE the first weight loss is most likely water weight.
    B) Keep water at two liters a day until Fat Adapted.

  6. Some within 40 Lbs or less of their Ideal Weight/BMI tend to struggle with results. Have patience you will see results.

kCKO (Keep Calm Keto On)

“May the Force (fat adaption) be with you”

IF/EF Keto WOE is Self-Discovery :wink:

Good luck and much success in your journey in IF/EF Keto WOE :grin:

(Shromona Das) #5

Thanks! I do need the force to be with me… I am NOT losing weight anymore. In stead, I’m gaining weight. Ughhhhh… I feel terrible. Though I know steady and slow progress is the key.

(jilliangordona) #7

There are some great articles out there about signs you are in ketosis!

I have been keto for a year and a half and did not start measuring ketones until recently. If you are keeping your carbs low and fat high, it shouldn’t be a problem. Do you have a way to track what you’re eating?

(Shromona Das) #8

I do. But then again, my only sin is having an uncontrollable urge to munch on nuts. I feel terrible. I’m menstruating and have munched on a cup of peanuts. So I’m pretty sure I’ll need a quick fix from tomorrow. I do OMAD. I guess I’ll give the egg fast a shot. What would you suggest?

(Cathy) #9

Sorry you are struggling. I wonder if it is possible to get your thyroid checked out? It can be the cause of otherwise unexplained weight gain. Best of luck!

Nuts contain a fair amount of carbs especially in larger than single serving amounts. A serving is described as 30g which is literally a handful.

#10

It’s definitely not impossible, any drug store that has diabetic supplies should have them, Walmart sells them if you have one and of course theirs Amazon that will have them there in 2 days if you want. That aside if your gaining what does a sample day of food look like for you? The answer is there more than it is in Ketostix which are hit or miss anyways.

(Shromona Das) #11

Thanks… I’ll do a thyroid test. Though I believe it’s an after effect of the holidays and a month of bring on and off of keto.

(Shromona Das) #12

So, my usual day would be something like this:

A glass of warm water with fresh lemon followed by some tea. I wake up around 7.30ish.

I usually feel incredibly hungry by 11-11.30 so I snack a bit. It’s usually black coffee or green tea with a cube of cheese, some roasted peanuts or almonds or a piece of Left-over brownie made with whey protein and erythritol.

There are days when I skip this as well.

I start cooking around 1 and usually have my lunch by 2.30. That’s my first major meal so to speak.

Usually, it’s leafy greens, some eggplant, some cauliflower, broccoli, or lettuce. Followed by two (minimum) eggs. Sauted mushrooms or oily fish. I cook everything in butter or ghee. I also have a little butter cube on the side. Sometimes I replace the fish with chicken, or may be one or two extra eggs.

Then I have a coconut mousse or lemon card (any keto friendly dessert, really)

If I feel hungry in the evening (which I don’t, if I’m OK and losing weight. It’s only when I’m bloated or terribly depressed, or steadily gaining weight that I’m hungry all the time) I have a little fish/chicken broth with maybe a little salad, or some cheese, or some whey protein pancakes. But that’s a bad, bad day.

Sadly, I’ve been having bad, and days a lot recently. Plus I’m menstruating . which usually causes weight gain.

I don’t eat past 7. By latest, it’s 6.30.

Today, I snacked on some (read “depressed hence large amount” of peanuts and am sure, I kicked myself out of ketosis, if I even was there) peanuts and a cube of cheese. A cube, for me, is two tablespoons.

I had lunch at 4 comprising of a bowl of butter fried fish with some leafy greens, two hard boiled eggs tossed in butter, two tablespoons of cheese, one scoop of whey protein made into a vanilla pancake with an egg and some erythritol. I had another cinnamon whey pancake at 5.30. That’s it.

How big a sinner am I?

Really, those of you out there who have been doing this for longer than I am, kindly help.

Is this OK? How do I do this better?

And do all women gain weight during periods no matter what? How do you lose that weight afterwards?

I’m severely depressed because it’s been a month since I’m trying to get back to the previous awesome magical miraculous (and everything synonymous) fat burning mode. I need this belly gone. Not just because of its physical appearance- but being 42 KGS, I now feel being tied to a rock. The belly seems literally like a rock. I don’t feel comfortable.

#13

Why aren’t you eating a breakfast earlier? You say your first meal is 11-1130 and your “incredibly” hungry, then go on to say you “snack a bit” EAT A MEAL! I’d also recommend while your troubleshooting to get rid of the nuts and all the fake deserts, and stay away from the whey. Keto deserts are still deserts and their very easy to overdo. Don’t be afraid to eat real meals, and don’t cut yourself off because of what the clock says, if your body tells you it wants fuel, then eat something keto friendly. Listening to your body works in both directions.

(Shromona Das) #14

Oh … Thank you. I will keep my hands off of the nuts I promise. I tend to over eat them. And I will eat a proper meal when I’m hungry. I thought the whey might be a bad idea but I have nasty sweet tooth. I drink all my tea/coffee without milk and stevia. I somehow feel bloated if I have milk tea or coffee. Is their any way to negotiate on the dessert? Or will the craving gradually go away?

IF has actually been a miracle. Initially when I started OMAD three months back, I didn’t feel hungry before or after. But now that I’ve been kicked out of ketosis I’m having a hard time finding my way back.

#15

Invest in a blood ketone test meter. Far too many people around here dance around getting one for some unknown reason, it’s a small price to pay to ensure you are getting the myriad life changing benefits of keto.

(Shromona Das) #16

Can I get one from Amazon?

#17

Yep, and they have quite a few options for strips also.

DSS Precision Xtra Blood Glucose Meter Kit, Results in 5 seconds, Strips Not Included (1 Kit) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JIK6CIW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8a4yAbX7CMF97

(Shromona Das) #18

Yes, checked just now. Thanks so much. I guess I’ll order a scale to weigh food too. That way, I’ll keep the amount in check instead of eyeballing.

(Heather) #19

You might do some reading on “bulletproof coffee”. Right now I’m adding grass fed unsalted butter and organic unrefined coconut oil to my coffee in the mornings for breakfast and it helps me feel full. Today, I am going to order the “clean bean” coffee and the Brain Octane(MCT oil) from the www.bulletproof.com website to replace my regular coffee and the coconut oil. It might be worth your time to check into it. You can also use the Brain Octane other ways and not just in your coffee!

(Andrew) #20

Some sort of fat only first thing in the am would probably help you last longer and make happy ketones for your brain.

You are just on slow carb roller coaster instead of the sugar/starch roller coaster. Start in the morning after you have slept through the carb mini crash. Then eat more fat for a few days till your carb cravings leave.

You don’t sound fat adapted (easy to burn your own fat) at the moment. Hence why you get intense cravings.

(Shromona Das) #21

Yes, I think so too. I don’t think I’m fat adapted. I’m just afraid that my metabolism has become slower than ever. I have stopped taking ACV in the morning for a long time now.

I thought of bulletproof coffee but since I did OMAD I drank it with my lunch rather than in the morning. I should not probably try doing OMAD right away as I’ve been on and off keto last one and a half months. I should probably IF 18-20 hours and eat keto clean to begin with. Prepare my body, and only then go to OMAD.

Does that sound right? Or should I be doing something else?

The only development over the last week has been that I am enjoying my hunger. I’m not feeling sick or dizzy when hungry. Infact, it’s a feeling of the food bring digested. I’ve never had this strange feeling in the last seven months, because everytime I eat now, I feel the food being stuck in my upper belly.