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Ideal Time of Day for Testing Ketones?

Rachox

Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
17,967
Location
Oxford
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I know this has been asked before but a search isn’t finding the answer for me, so I apologise for asking again. Since cutting my portion sizes and meals a few weeks ago to shift some more weight, my carb count has been less, most days I'm eating under 30g carbs per day. So because I was putting in an order for blood glucose strips for my meter I’ve ordered ketone strips too as I am curious to see what level of ketones I’m getting these days. (I use a Caresens Dual meter which measures both).
Can someone please remind me the best time of day for ketone testing?
 
For me mornings are usually lower than mid afternoon but by then I have usually been fasted since 7-8 pm the night before so..
The longer you are fasted the higher the reading mine are usually about 0.6 in the morning and nearer 1.0 in the afternoon.
I think consistency might be a better rationale than timing.

Edit to add 4 hours after dinner bloods 4.4 and ketones 0.6.
 
After periods of fasting, for example overnight. Or if you are intermittent fasting, just before you break your fast. As soon as you eat, your insulin response which will clear your ketones to trace.
 
Thanks for your replies @bulkbiker and @ert , I thought it was after the longest period of fasting, which for me is overnight.
 
I’d agree that consistency is more important than timing - especially if your eating follows a regular pattern. That way you’ll be comparing like with like.
 
bulkbiker said:
Anything that registers ketones (i.e. a reading that doesn't say LO or 0) shows you are in ketosis.
Nutritional ketosis is meant to be anything up to 3.0.
To get much higher you'd likely have to be on an extended fast.
Click to expand...
That’s good information. Thanks. I was wondering what it meant if you were outside those parameters.
 
Yay! Forgot to check ketones yesterday morning, but did the test this morning and have a reading of 1.0!
Very happy with that :)
 
ert said:
After periods of fasting, for example overnight. Or if you are intermittent fasting, just before you break your fast. As soon as you eat, your insulin response which will clear your ketones to trace.
Click to expand...

My levels are always slightly up after my 30 min Nordic walk and when I do intermittent fasting (6pm to noon). Should I wait as certain time after exercise and fasting before taking my reading?
 
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