New and frustrated with blood readings?

(Kristi ) #1

7 months ago I did keto diet with great success. I lost 30 lbs in 1 month and it was pretty easy. I used urine strips to check my ketone levels and they consistently registered at high ketone levels. At that time I did not work and I did no real physical activity.

Now Ive decided to start the diet again. Even though I am eating the same foods I did on my first keto diet, my urine strips wont register higher than a small amount of ketones. So I decided to get the ketometer blood tester.

The same thing happens everyday. I start out at 1.6 mm (excuse me if thats the wrong terminology) and then after I get to work a few hours later it reads at .9mm and by bedtime it could be as low as .6 (no matter if I eat that day or not)

Sometimes I wont have eaten anything between that time frame. I work as a waitress so there is more physical activity for me than the 1st time I did the diet. But I haven’t seen the same amount of weight loss.

Should I be shooting for 2.0+ on the blood reader? Or will I lose as much weight in the lower numbers? And why do my numbers go down after starting work??

Im getting frustrated. I feel like the numbers don’t match up to my food intake.

When I do eat, I eat less than 6 carbs a day, I just feel like my numbers should look better.

(Example)
Breakfast : 1 atkins protien shake - 2 carbs 15g protein
Lunch - 2 eggs with 1tb mayo (egg salad)
Dinner - pork loin (2 ounces)

Im very new to this…any info helps me.
Thanks.

(Robert C) #2

Hi @Kristi_CD,

You’ll have to do more research on what keto really is.

30 pounds loss in the first month of keto is usually not really keto - it is usually keto foods but actually too little so, actually calorie restriction. An initial water weight change, then maybe no change for a month or two while fat-adapting and then a pound or two a week is much closer to keto.

All of the numbers 1.6, .9 and .6 are all above .5 so, technically you were always in ketosis - but it looks like you are doing that on severe calorie restriction.

The last time your body reacted to the likely calorie restriction by dropping weight - but also probably slowing metabolism. Now, when you give it almost nothing (based on your example list) it might be rebelling (if you feed me so little, I’ll hold on to the fat in this famine) as well as trying to further lower a probably already lowered metabolism.

In the beginning of keto you should be trying to increase your calorie and fat intake - using a keto calculator on the web or using a few of the keto calculators on the web and taking an average. You are trying to fat adapt and get your caloric needs UP (increasing metabolism).

Breakfast should be bacon and eggs or reheated keto dinner leftovers if time is tight - not a shake (likely to cause a plateau in the future if not already causing a problem now).
Lunch could do with more food - some sautéed arugula (lots of butter - sprinkle with cheese).
6 ounces of pork loin fried in butter would probably be better for dinner.

Once you eat more, you body will adapt and burn more calories - then, when you skip a dinner, your body will easily grab some body fat instead <- this is the desired outcome. Right now, the stress of those small portions could easily be putting your body into a famine “hold on to life-giving fat / slow down metabolism” mode.

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

Eat. More. Food.

(Kristi ) #4

Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I really appreciate this information. It makes sense. I kept reading fasting was the easiest way to get into keto so I figured…well then Ill fast and try to eat as little as possible.

Im going to stop stressing about the numbers then and eat more! Im planning this for the long run, not just a month. I feel better eating this way…so Ill add more fat and calories and go back to using my macro counting app.

Thanks for taking the time to explain this.

(Marianne) #5

Hi Kristi,

I agree with what others have posted here. You need to learn more about keto, starting with eating more food. Not having enough information, I think you are proceeding with how we all used to approach conventional dieting, which normally is food deprivation, calorie restriction and exercising. The beauty of keto is that you don’t have to do any of these things.

I’d ditch the pee sticks and blood monitors, too - and for me, I stay off the scale. It is a total mind game and can be very detrimental, surprisingly whether what it indicates is good or bad.

You got the main part licked - keeping the carbs under 20/day and way lower (excellent if you can do it). I don’t like veggies, so that part isn’t hard for me, either. Once you start following keto proper, you will find that you can eat well, without hunger or cravings, and still lose weight. It is amazing. If you can, read up on dietdoctor.com - free and tons of great, informational material and videos that explain a lot and take much of the mystery out of eating keto.

For the first couple of weeks, I’d encourage you to eat three good meals a day - even if you never did before (B, L, D, no snacks, all clean food). For breakfast, eat 2-3 eggs with bacon or sausage. Lunch, do chicken, tuna, egg, ham salad with mayo, heavy salad with meat, eggs, cheese, olives, couple cherry tomatoes and oil & vinegar dressing. Dinners for us consist of a nice piece of meat and a small amount of veggie with butter or bacon grease, or cole slaw with mayo. When we eat pork steak like you mentioned (which is often because it is a favorite), we usually have a whole steak each, or if it is particularly huge, I will cut it in half. The point is, our individual meat serving is probably 8-12 oz. My husband and I now eat one meal a day, with a hard boiled egg or chunk of pepperoni or something if I am particularly hungry before I make it to dinner.

After a couple of weeks of eating like this, your body will naturally need less food. You will find that you can skip a meal and have no problem getting to the next meal without hunger or craving. After a week or so of three meals a day, I would have a bulletproof coffee with eggs and bacon in the morning and that would hold me comfortably through lunch and until dinner time. Again, it happens naturally when your body is fueled sufficiently and getting enough fat. Your metabolism will switch from burning the carbs you used to consume to now burning fat, which sustains you more evenly and much longer.

Read up and trust the process. The “success” stories on dietdoctor.com are very helpful and inspirational, as well as what members post here. It works. Good luck!

(Full Metal KETO AF) #6

You are severely under eating and not giving your body enough nutrition to heal. KETO isn’t about starving yourself to lose weight, it’s about repairing damages hormonal response. Your food choices leave a lot to be desired. Eat right for a while and put away your testing stuff. Stressing over numbers never helps. It sounds like you’re in ketosis because you aren’t dead from low blood sugar.

You shouldn’t use KETO use a weight loss scheme for a month and go back to your old ways, approach it as a lifestyle choice to maintain and continue progressing towards better health. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Susan) #7

That is terrific =). I have been on Keto since February and I feel so much happier and healthier. I am feeling healthier then I have for years =). My blood pressure is normal, my asthma is so much better, I can get around so much easier, and I am sleeping much better as well. I have lost 57 pounds so far, slow and steadily. I still have over 100 to go, so it will take a long time, but for sure, Keto is a lifestyle, not just a diet. Please eat more, you only have to be concerned with keeping the carbs at 20 net grams or less, and no sugar, and you will lose weight and feel great =).

Welcome to the best forum on the internet =).

(PJ) #8

I find that sometimes, what helps me most, is whatever best helps me understand the fundamental reason behind things. Because then, I can make good decisions for the 10,000 edge-case scenarios (exceptions and “but it’s different because”) issues I run into all through my life.

Looking at your menu, I think when you get some time, you might read up on fasting. Not that you necessarily want to fast. But because it kind of lays out the difference between under-eating vs. not-eating. The first makes you a competitive eater and drops your metabolic rate, so that you’ll survive a long winter when there’s food but competition for it so you don’t have much. The second makes you a competitive hunter, and uses your metabolism to give you plenty of energy from fat, so your brain and body work well enough to go hunt down some food, so you and your village survive. It’s a funny thing, but I actually learned more about how under-eating was bad for me from learning about fasting, than from learning about eating. :slight_smile:

(Kristi ) #9

I stared keto for the 30 days a while back because I started to get anxiety for the 1st time in my life and it started to effect whether I would leave my house or not. It was pointless and scary, I looked online for things to do to combat anxiety without the use of medication and KETO popped up. So I tried it…It was difficult but my desperation to feel better out weighted my desire to have cake for breakfast.
The weight just fell off so quickly and the urine strips were like my cheerleader telling me “good job, your doing it!”

Now Im almost at a comfortable weight for me. So I want to keep going not just to lose the weight but because the first time I did this I felt so great. My anxiety went away and I didnt feel the urge to sleep all day. I had energy for the first time and life was good.

Im stressing about the readings because I just want to be in a good state of ketosis. Not a beginning one.

After reading everyone’s answers I will heed the advice given…actually today I ate bacon and eggs for breakfast…no shake…so here goes!!

everyone in my family and at work is sick of hearing about my frustration so I finally turn to the internet!

THANKS EVERYONE

#10

Your ketone levels are fine and don’t typically correlate with your weight loss so don’t obsess about them. Your entire days menu isn’t even 1 meal combined. You’re going to destroy your metabolism if you keep eating that little.

(Susan) #11

That is really good, Kristi. I am happy for you that Keto is helping so much =). There are people on the forum that were on depression and/or anxiety medication that have been able to reduce the dosages and some have even been able to get off the meds after a time. Keto has so many benefits, beyond just the weight loss for sure.

Bacon and eggs for breakfast is awesome, you are off to a good new start. Please eat enough, because I went through a 2.5 month stall in the summer from not eating enough calories. All that is important is to keep the carbs at 20 net grams or less. Remember we are all here to cheer you on and encourage you.

(Marianne) #12

Yay!

:clap:

(Susan) #13

Thanks Marianne =) I still have over 100 to go, but I still am happy with the progress =)).

(Marianne) #14

Absolutely! You and I started together and are enjoying the same results. Love keto and all our keto friends here.

:hugs:

(Susan) #15

Yes I agree, this forum is fabulous and the lovely people are certainly such a powerful part of our successful Keto journey =)).

(Kristi ) #16

Im struggling with what to eat… I basically live at work. I wake up at noon and the thought of eating food makes me sick…so Ive been adding 1 tbl of MCT oil to my protein drinks, then when I get to work at about 4, I eat 2 scrambled eggs with butter added in and a slice of provolone cheese on top and 2 pieces of bacon. If I feel hungry again at 8pm ill eat the same thing again because I feel like Im horrible at deciding what to do!
Ill eat a few pickles and avocado for snacks.

By the time i get home its past midnight so I just go to bed.

I just wish I had a personal chef! Im horrible at cooking! I bought some ghee but dont know how to use it. Do u think i could just make some fat bombs? I need REALLY basic food choices that are easy on the go…

My problem is Im never hungry, everything sounds gross. Sometimes Im force feeding myself and gagging it down. I want to be successful but its just easier to drink a meal then make one and eat it.

(Susan) #17

My only concern with you trying to get the calories from food is that this is meant to be a lifestyle way of eating, not a diet. So, sure you might lose a lot of weight fast, etc. but then when you decide that you are tired of only drinking shakes for life, and start to eat food, you will gain it all back fast =(.

I am totally speaking from years of yo-yo dieting and up and down with my weight, and trying to help you to avoid this is all. I found Keto last February and it has been so freeing, compared to what I was doing with my eating from 11-54.

Have you see our Chaffle section on the forum? You can make them, and use two to make a sandwich -there is also various kinds of keto breads you could make to make sandwiches too. You could make a salad for work that has cheese and meat in it (I like putting a can of chicken in mine or bacon for the protein). If you could do 3 meals a day to start out, the not eating for 14 hours or more is fine still.

I did 5pm for supper and no food or calories until the next morning when I started, so that was mostly from 5pm-7am or later before I ate starting out - then lunch, then supper.

Since June I have been doing Lunch at 1pm and then supper at 4:30 for a daily TMAD of 20:4 that is working well for me, but I uilt up to the 20 hours not eating from February-June, I started with 14-15 hours.

Waiting until 1pm I can eat easier, so I often make something like cook cabbage in butter, then add a protein, and Avocado Mayonnaise. Supper I will have a protein and some low carb vegetables, adding fats, like butter to the meat and vegetables while cooking them, if i am still low on fats, I add some of the Avocado Mayonnaise, and at lunch and supper I often have a tea with HWC as well, that helps up the fats.

Everyone is different -I made Fat Bombs to start out as well, to have for desert when I ate. I eliminated artificial sweeteners in June, so I still made them but no sweetener, as it was triggering cravings for sweets for me.

(Kristi ) #18

Your right. The way I am eating right now is not going to carry me long term. It should be a life style choice. Something sustainable and healthy.

Im just overwhelmed by having to really think out meals…I’ve lived my whole life eating whatever is available . Doing keto takes some effort and preparation, and I think I easily slip into same foods over and over.

Im super grateful for your help and feedback.

Thanks again for your response.

(Bunny) #19

It means your fat adapted (7 months) and your body is using the ketones so you can’t see them (even with a blood ketone meter) they are not floating around in your blood or urine.

.6 .9 …are trace amounts.

The morning 1.6 or 4 hours into sleep is natural and what a metabolically fit person would have whether they are on a ketogenic diet or not.

Cortisol and maybe even Insulin always peak mid-day and then decline until bedtime so that’s where that .6 bump comes from then ketones start to rise again .9

(Kristi ) #20

that would make sense, considering when Im at work my activity level is up and I always feel energized.

But man it was a bummer seeing low readings. I haven’t tested myself at all since I posted that. It just messes with my mind!