Mojo readings

(Scott) #1

Are started back after 8 months off about 3 weeks ago . I got a keto mojo and started
Doing my keto
Readings in am about 30 min after waking up which is normally 1 or 1.1 and at bedtime which is either 1.5 or 1.6. I believe these are good readings but what type of numbers should I be hoping for to be in full keto .

(Bob M) #2

Those are fine. Unless you have cancer or some other reason to chase ketones, I wouldn’t be concerned.

(Joey) #3

@jscott1967 The challenge in answering this (perfectly reasonable) question is that everyone is different … and our metabolisms change quickly over time (diurnally, weekly, monthly, etc.)

Your numbers determined via Mojo would suggest you are clearly in ketosis. But having said this, if you’re “back” on keto - meaning you’re limiting your daily carb intake to 20g or less - then you are definitely in ketosis because after 3 weeks you are still conscious and focused enough to be writing a post on a forum.

In other words, unless you’re eating enough carbs to fuel your body, then you’re necessarily in ketosis because your metabolism is being fueled by the alternative sources (protein and fat - both dietary and stored body fat).

Personally, my numbers via Mojo have been all over the map over the past 16 months since cutting out the carbs. I’d been in the 5-6 range at one point, before descending down into roughly +/- 1 these days. One’s body develops, evolves, adapts … so don’t get too caught up in the statistics.

The stats are certainly of interest and help one navigate. But just a like a lighthouse, they’re for navigation. You don’t actually want to hit one. :wink:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

Stephen D. Phinney, M.D., Ph.D., and Jeff S. Volek, R.D., Ph.D., who developed the notion of “nutritional ketosis” (a term Dr. Phinney coined to distinguish it from diabetic ketoacidosis), define it as a serum β-hydroxybutyrate of 0.5 mmol/L or above. But they are the first to admit that the definition is somewhat arbitrary. It is the point at which they begin to see the benefits of ketosis in most individuals. Dr. Phinney is on record as stating that 1.0 may be somewhat better than 0.5, but that levels above 1.0 do not confer any added benefit. Chasing ketones does no good.

Dr. Phinney has done research on fat-adapted athletes whose β-hydroxybutyrate levels were less than 0.5, so it is obvious that ketone readings have a lot of individual variability. As mentioned, if your carb intake is less than 20 g/day and you are still breathing in and out, your liver has to be making ketones and your cells have to be using them, regardless of what your circulating number is. Blood ketone measurements indicate only the gap between production and consumption; they do not measure how much your liver is making, nor how much is being used.

(Scott) #5

Thanks , then don’t really need to order kore strips when these are done if I am still under 20grams

(Joey) #6

That’s probably the case. The way I use my Mojo (sparingly, given the test strip cost and need to draw blood) is to occasionally test some food item of interest.

E.g., I used the glucose measurement to test my n=1 reaction to a boatload of pure Stevia extract over the course of several hours (result: zero effect) and the ketone strips to see if eating a ton of fruit one single day knocked me out of ketosis, at least as measured via blood serum (in that situation, it did not appear to do so).

It’s comforting and interesting to see the stats from time to time. But getting carried away becomes pointless and distracting to enjoying the benefits of better health through carb avoidance. Enjoy! :vulcan_salute: