Testing Ketones Help Please

(Tessa) #1

I recently purchased a meter to test my blood for ketones and have been trying to find information about those tests and testing itself.

Is there a better time of day to take the test? Should you take it before or after food and at what time frame?
Also, I just re-started keto again about a week and 1/2 ago. I was eating keto for 9 months last year, took a couple months off, felt like crap and now realize how much better I feel eating keto.
I would like to lose weight and I have no health issues that I’m trying to fix with keto. It’s all about the way I feel and trying to drop weight.
Being that I’ve just started (again) is it too soon to even get good reads on ketone levels? If so at what point would be good to start testing to get accurate reads? Like a month or 2 in?
If it matters, my macros have been 75/20/5, I don’t fast, I’m 5.8 tall, weight about 194lbs and would like to get to 165 as that finally puts my BMI as “normal”. My doc once told me I should be 145lbs though.
The ketone reads I’ve gotten so far have ranged from 0.4-1.9 at all different times of the days.

#2

That Ketone range is fine, more doesn’t mean anything in most cases. Also BMI doesn’t matter, go by real numbers. When you start getting down where you like how you look get your BF% measured and go from there.

You’re testing blood so it’s always accurate. Don’t waste money on expensive strips just to tell you what you most likely already know… you’re in ketosis. If you think for some reason you’re screwing up, sure, test and see what’s going on. If you want to tweak something and see the reaction, great time to test. But constantly testing is insane. It’s not doing anything for you other than most likely stressing you out because you want to have a number at a certain level that doesn’t really affect anything. There is a minority that are doing keto for very specific medical reasons and sometimes they’re helped by higher constant ketones but that’s not most of us. I never test anymore, but I’m one of those 0.2-0.8 types. Outside of when I used to fast I never break that range. Lost 100lbs that way in a year. Don’t brainwash yourself on ketone readings.

Loose FAT, not “weight”!

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #3

Keep in mind that there is considerable variation in ketone measurements throughout the day. Your measurement is likely to rise, the further you get from your last meal, for example. But one thing is certain, if you are keeping your carbohydrate intake low and are still breathing in and out, you are producing ketone bodies.

There are two further things to keep in mind, as well, with a blood meter: First, you are measuring circulating β-hydroxybutyrate, not the amount being produced and consumed. Second, every measuring device has a certain inherent inaccuracy. Meters sold for home use typically have an error of ±20%, so a level of 1.4 will be reflected by a reading somewhere in the range of 1.2 to 1.68.

Lastly, β-hydroxybutyrate is not the only ketone body being produced and consumed, there are also acetoacetate and acetone, which have their own uses and effects on the body. But the benefits of a ketogenic diet are not limited to the production of ketone bodies; this way of eating also allows the body to heal from the effects of excessive glucose and insulin levels in the blood.

(Bob M) #4

If you want a lower value, test in the morning. If you want a higher value, test at night. Exercise affects this, though.