Nova Max Ketone Meter?

(Jenn W) #1

I got my Nova in the mail yesterday and my ketone strips so I was finally able to test my ketones.

I measured for the first time at 7pm prior to my evening meal it read 0.4
I remeasured again at 4:30 am overnight fasted and it gave me a reading of 0.3

From all I’ve heard/read these readings are just shy of nutritional ketosis. However I’m questioning the accuracy of this tester

I’ve been following Keto since July of 2016 two cheats in my history both lasting over a weekend and they both resulted in major carb hangovers! (Don’t cheat people! Not work it)

I’d definitely say I’m fat adapted since I have no issues fasting. Never hungry!
I’m averaging about 55 to 65g protein
120g plus of fat
And under 15g total carb a day this is a generous number too

I’ve had the effects of going off my medication no issues with pain or inflammation. My blood sugar averaged about 95 during the day and morning tests are usually just under 110 (dawn effect)
Another note in case it matters I’m smack in the middle of my menses.

Help!! Does this seem accurate?

(Peter minahan) #2

Try different fingers ! And compare. Also squeeze the blood down to the tip of the finger.
On blood test monitors there is a neutral strip test in order to calibrate it.
I have a glucomen lx plus by menarini it works well . And cheapest for strips.
Do you know anyone in ketosis to compare?
If all fails contact the manufacturer.:pray::heart:

#3

Yeah, that might have something to do with it. I don’t have any experience testing around it myself. Maybe @Daisy or @Donna knows more about it. [Or anyone else with functional female-parts, lol]

(Paul) #4

i have similar results, i don’t cheat, but still my nova maxx only shows 0.4-0.8 most of the time. I generally check in the morning.

In my research, I understand that working out a lot might show a low number, mainly because you’re using the ketones that you’re producing.

I am testing cutting out sweeteners and diet coke, to see if that affects ketones

i am also reducing protein from 120g down to 80g. (I have 80g of lean body mass)

All this experimentation is mainly to understand what my ketone numbers can be. I see people on keto youtube channels showing 1.5-3.0 range all the time, but i’m never there. I don’t know why.

(eschor) #5

ketone readings can vary greatly by time of day, that may explain your readings

(Michael Wallace Ellwood) #6

Oh, good to find another Glucomen user. I wanted to get the lx plus, but they’d stopped making it.

The replacement is the LX2. It looks fancier, but I suspect I’d have preferred the old one.

I partly got it because at first I thought the strips would be cheaper, but in practice, I’m now finding it hard to find a reliable cheap source (this is in the UK). Ebay was looking good, but then the seller shipped entirely the wrong strips (got a refund). So paid more to get them from Amazon
(£2 per strip). But the people selling them don’t seem to have many in stock, on Amazon or Ebay).

And you don’t seem to be able to get them from high street pharmacists (and they’d be expensive anyway). Unless you are a “registered diabetic”, and you get them on prescription. But I’m not and don’t want to go down that route…

(Michael Wallace Ellwood) #7

The Dudes have talked about the possibility that sometimes you are burning almost all the ketones you make, and so that’s why the meter reading can be a bit low.

I think Richard said he had noticed this issue with his own readings.

So it doesn’t necessarily mean you are not in ketosis.

I think the blood ketone measurement is just a guide, not an absolutely solid indication, of ketosis.

I suppose the “gold standard” would be to have a many-hour lab test (a bit like the Kraft test).
In that case, it would be good to have glucose, insulin and ketones measured.
Would be interesting to see the correlation

One needs a very good friend in medical laboratory, I guess. :slight_smile:

#8

@richard also mentioned that he rarely sees high ketone levels and the link to high levels of physical activity.

(Richard Morris) #9

And yet in Breckenridge I saw a 4.3 mmol/l of ketones. Altitude apparently increases my ketones. I suspect the mechanism is that it increases the amount of work that red blood cells have to do … and they eat glucose, so I make more of that to keep my brain happy and when I make glucose I make ketones.

(Andrea Krambeer) #10

I believe your meter probably works, but your diet does not. You have WAY too much protein in your diet. Your body will turn excess protein into glucose and store it, just like it would carbohydrates. I’m guessing you have never truly been in ketosis. Your overall daily calorie intake should break down to be 75% healthy fats, 20% protein, 5% carbs.

(bulkbiker) #11

Try spirit healthcare with the Caresens Dual does both ketones and blood glucose ketone strips are about a pound each and the glucose about £10 for 50…
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product-category/shop/caresens-dual/
Needs very little blood as well or so I have found.

(eat more) #12

doing the math:

1400 (total daily calories from calculating macro grams given)
65g protein (18%)
120g fat (77%)
15g carb (4%)

so without knowing the OP’s stats (LBM and bf%) even using the high end of protein grams listed, those fit in your listed percentages and are actually under what you listed for protein/carb and over for fat.
protein is not “WAY too much”…based on percentages…

percentages aren’t as useful as these guidelines:
protein 1-1.5g/kg LBM
chosen carb limit (usually 20g or less)
fat for “the rest”

you could very well be in too great a deficit or surplus yet still hitting your “percentages”
protein requirements are dictated by lean body mass not total calories required…makes percentages not as useful right?

without knowing stats it is impossible to factually state/troubleshoot a person’s intake…
even with stats it’s difficult to accurately troubleshoot/say for certain what is going on since each person is different.

(Andrea Krambeer) #13

Yes, you are correct. My apologies. I don’t know what i was looking at before, but clearly I did not read her numbers right. Again sorry about that!

#14

I have a Nova meter and my readings often fall in that range especially in the morning. They seem to correlate with other ways of measuring, so I assume the meter is accurate.

If you’re fat adapted and doing well, I wouldn’t worry about the numbers. They are still a positive.

Given the explanations about how the ketones in blood, breath and urine are really “leftovers” from what we use, I’m beginning to question the need for constant measuring anyway.

My two cents…

(Tim) #15

So, anyone ever seen this?

Here’s last night’s ketone reading…

IMG_6557.JPG2448×3264 1.34 MB

And here’s today’s…

IMG_6564.JPG2448×3264 1.19 MB

Really annoyed right now. Want a number, didn’t pay for a flashing ‘HI’ symbol. Do want stats!!

(Tessy M.) #16

I found that my Nova Max gave me wild readings. I would get a 0.3 which seemed low so I would re-test immediately and it would give me a 1.5. I gave up on that meter.