Why have I never went into ketosis?

(Carolyn Brewster) #1

I follow a strict Keto diet and have never went into ketosis. I use the strips and it always says a trace. i have been on a keto diet for about two months. I have lost 17 lbs so i’m not complaining about the weight. My blood sugar has went from 133 to 85 so I am not using my diabetes meds at this time Would my meds have anything to do with no Ketosis as I take several medications?

(Ethan) #2

Are you testing with urine or blood strips?

(Rob) #3

Strips are notoriously inaccurate and it reads spilled/wasted ketones. Maybe you adapted quickly and became an efficient ketone burner fast? Also people who are equally ‘deep’ in ketosis I.e. efficient at making/using may show entirely different levels in blood, breath or urine.

As you correctly point out, the strips don’t matter (except that it may piss you off that you wasted money on them :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:), how you feel and what is happening on the scale and off it that matters. This WoE is called Ketogenic but really (as @240lbfatloss always says) it it really lipolytic (fat burning) and creating ketones is a useful byproduct of that.

There is a a good article on www.tuitnutrition.com that explains ketone production and fat adaption and how the latter is much more important.
http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2017/09/measuring-ketones.html

Be happy that it’s working for you and don’t sweat the ketones. :grin:

#4

Don’t assume you haven’t been in ketosis based on the results from urine strips. If you want to track ketones, the definitive tool is a blood ketone meter. In the US, the two major brands available are the Precision Xtra and Keto Mojo.

(Jay AM) #5

Adding a caveat that no measurement device is necessary to track ketosis. If you consume under 20g of net carbs, you are in ketosis or you are dead.

(Vijay Bhakta) #6

i have been doing Keto for nearly 2 months myself now. I have a glucometer etc but to be honest, I get confused by the numbers so am using my body to let me know.

The best marker I have is how hungry I am in the morning - before Keto, I would have a BIG bowl of cereal in the morning then a snack at 11am ish. Now, I am not hungry at all, I may have a spoon of carls choc mouse with a small almond cake that I bake, but that is just cos its sooo tasty.

My simple view is not being hungry = being fat adapted = being in nutritional ketosis - make sense ?

(Ken) #7

Perhaps a better way is viewing it within the context of the absence of adverse lipogenic hormonal resistance states, which is really what has happened when the misnomer “fat adapted” is used.

Leptin release=Sated=Caloric requirements met=Lipostasis=Maintenance.

Then fat loss:

Caloric deficit=Ghrelin release=Hunger=Lipolysis of stored fat.

Ketosis is one aspect of Lipolysis.

(Dan Dan) #8

Ok, then I choose “A fat-burning beast” :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

(Pete A) #9

Despite your concerns, based on showing trace ketones, losing 17 pounds and a blood sugar drop, doesn’t that tell you you’re in ketosis?

CONGRATS on your progress!

(Dan Dan) #10

Here is my favorite bit :smiley:

" a fat-burning beast will be able to burn glucose when necessary and/or available, whereas the opposite cannot be said for a sugar-burner. Ultimately, fat-adaption means metabolic flexibility. It means that a fat-burning beast will be able to handle some carbs along with some fat. A fat-burning beast will be able to empty glycogen stores through intense exercise, refill those stores, burn whatever dietary fat isn’t stored, and then easily access and oxidize the fat that is stored when it’s needed. It’s not that the fat-burning beast can’t burn glucose – because glucose is toxic in the blood, we’ll always preferentially burn it, store it, or otherwise “handle” it – it’s that he doesn’t depend on it. I’d even suggest that true fat-adaptation will allow someone to eat a higher carb meal or day without derailing the train. Once the fat-burning machinery has been established and programmed, you should be able to effortlessly switch between fuel sources as needed."

(Ken) #11

Despite the melodramatic definitions, no doubt to aid marketing, but in reality showing a somewhat lack of biochemical knowledge, a FBB is merely someone who has a balanced insulin-glucagon secretion state. The ability to burn either carbs or fat with equal efficiency.

(Jody) #12

Pee sticks … piss you off … I see what you did there :smiley:

(Dan Dan) #13

That puts us ignoramus folk in our place :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

(Empress of the Unexpected) #14

Everyone’s right. You are in ketosis, definitely having lost that weight. I have lost weight as well, and been strict with my carbs. My strips usually showed nothing or trace, pink only like five times. If I get really curious, I may buy a blood meter, but I have accomplished what I set out to accomplish so see no need to measure, except out of curiosity.