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Keto

woollygal

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,485
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Coffee diabetes
Morning
Just a question on keto. So I always thought Keto was under 20g of carbs. But things I’ve read say 20-50g.
So does this depend on each individual?
So most days I’m under 20g but couple times a week I have a butter chicken and another day a stir fry.
Both are perfect with my sugars but they make my daily carbs under 50.
So does that mean they are still ok for me to have or am I ruining all my work that I do the rest of the time?
If I have to get rid I have to get rid, I’d rather not because I do enjoy them and it’s something I like that does nothing to the sugars (I check after each stir fry because I’m always thinking it’s a fluke lol).

I have no idea if I’m in ketosis, I have no idea how you are supposed to know if you are.

but I want to give my body the best chance
 

Hi there. The only way to test if you are in ketosis (generally speaking) is to do a test, either with a urine strip or a ketone blood testing strip. An individual's body will go into ketosis if it is not getting enough glucose (carbs) to use and therefore switches into fat burning mode. This occurs at differing levels but is usually below around 50 carbs, some people go into ketosis on 50 carbs, others have to go lower on 20 carbs or whatever. I've done it and was able to eat around 60/70 carbs and remain in ketosis. x
 
"Keto" is not a diet.. its is a physical state where your body is producing ketones.
If you are producing them you can be said to be "in ketosis".

Most people achieve ketosis when eating under 20g of carbs per day that's why the 20g limit is a general guide.. some may get there with more some maybe need almost zero carb to achieve it.. some very active athletes can eat a lot more carbs and still be in ketosis.

The most accurate way of measuring available to us it a blood ketone meter.

The most cost effective way I have found is using this meter
https://www.valuemed.co.uk/collecti...n-you-buy-50-on-call-blood-ketone-strips-here

Still costs 80p per test (and when you don't get enough blood on the first one as I did this morning £1.60)...

I don't test every day though just maybe once per week or after eating something non keto friendly.

If you have a spare £40 lying around it might be worth it.
 
Thank you. I might call up dr next week (when I ask about why I’m now having to shield) and ask if I can have one on prescription.

What about the foody bit of the question? Any thoughts?
 
Thank you
I’ll see if I can get one if not prescription I’ll look at getting one
 
woollygal said:
Thank you. I might call up dr next week (when I ask about why I’m now having to shield) and ask if I can have one on prescription.

What about the foody bit of the question? Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Without knowing exactly what you eat and without knowing your level of blood ketones its kind of impossible for me to say.. You might be one of the people that have to go virtually zero carb before you hit ketosis and start to use your stored fat for fuel.
My only suggestion would be fasting for as long as possible and trying to eat one large ultra low carb meal a day.
My ketones zoom up and blood glucose plummets when I fast for extended periods so maybe try an intermittent fasting regime for a week and see if that triggers some weight loss.
How much do you have to lose?
 
Sorry I meant that a couple of my meals get me to under 50g rather than the under 20 that I am most days.
 
woollygal said:
Sorry I meant that a couple of my meals get me to under 50g rather than the under 20 that I am most days.
Click to expand...

Ketosis is a state your body is in and can take some time to re-establish once you are out of it.
If you are susceptible to carbs and they push you out of ketosis easily then it may take 3-4 days to burn off the glucose.
If you do higher carb meals 2 or 3 times a week you could impair ketosis for most of the time so you won't get the benefits.
Until you can measure whether you are in ketosis or not then I'm afraid you won't know.

Good luck with getting a ketone meter on the NHS.. did they give you a blood glucose meter?
 
Thank you
Yes they gave me blood glucose kits and a new one last year when they updated.

with intermittent fasting then, you eat one big meal a day, is that the equivalent of say lunch and dinner in one meal and I’m assuming it has to be under 5g to be keto? So drinks during the day have to be water or can you have flavoured teas and tea?
 
woollygal said:
with intermittent fasting then, you eat one big meal a day
Click to expand...
One or two in a restricted time window yes. Breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner or just one meal a day (OMAD).
woollygal said:
I’m assuming it has to be under 5g to be keto
Click to expand...
Well it could be up to 20g if only once per day if you can achieve ketosis with 20g of carbs.. most can but I can't say whether that's you or not. Only testing will show that.
woollygal said:
So drinks during the day have to be water or can you have flavoured teas and tea?
Click to expand...
I drink coffee with cream and tea with cream or milk.
 
Thank you

does it matter how much food you eat? Mot carb wise but quantity wise. Is it just normal portions?
 
Thanks for that. I’ve finally ordered myself a ketones meter. I have crept up in weight over the last 18months by 7kg and bloods stubbornly refusing to drop beyond the drop I achieved after 3 months. So similar issues to @woollygal albeit with different numbers. This might give me some answers.
 
@woollygal

i will be AMAZED if your doc provides you with a way to check ketones.
The nhs provides the equipment to people at risk of ketoacidosis, i doubt if wanting to check whether you are in nutritional ketosis will make the cut.
 
It’s annoying isn’t it.
My sugars (well days to day ones) are blooming perfect.
It’s the weight that is stubborn.

I’m going to wait until end March and then see if I can get dr to do my big bloods and see what my hba1c is. I’m hoping I won’t be back at work before then (well unless I can get this shielding this reversed) I’m hoping because I’ve been so good foody wise that my big hba1c will be lovely and low.
But who knows. If it does depend on my weight then I’m screwed!
 
Brunneria said:
@woollygal

i will be AMAZED if your doc provides you with a way to check ketones.
The nhs provides the equipment to people at risk of ketoacidosis, i doubt if wanting to check whether you are in nutritional ketosis will make the cut.
Click to expand...
Yea I’m not overly hopeful. But she also wants me to lose weight, she knows it’s refusing to come off even though I’m exercising more and eating better so you never know.
Maybe I’ll get her on the hop form the vaccines and she’ll issue one without really knowing she is doing it
 
Yes very annoying. My bloods are not perfect. Ok. But not perfect. Fingerprick and hb1ac all pretty consistent and have been for more 2 yrs now. Just the gradual weight increase and lack of progress on bloods.

Checking for ketosis and acting on that is one option. I’m guessing I’m close (was regularly in ketosis using pee sticks with the same way of eating (50g carbs ish) in the early days). I’m just dreading having to weigh and count everything again. I know I can’t maintain that obsessional tracking mentally or to be honest making the foods I eat any more restrictive than I already have.

Also realistically after nearly 3 yrs of mostly maintained weight loss, consistent ok blood levels (prediabetic) and a fair bit of intermittent fasting I’d have thought my insulin resistance should have improved enough in that time that very low carb would be enough to get to normal levels and ketogenic eating more the way to get there rather than still strictly required. Maybe I just didn’t go far enough to start with and my maintenance was premature, hence the slow sliding back.
 
Woo hoo finally got one. Morning fasted (well after half a cup of white tea as I forgot til then) gave me. 0.8. (Bgl 6.4) I’m pleased with those ketones not so much the bgl. Mornings with minimum of 12 hrs fasted usually more and sometime up to 16hrs are usually a mid 6 for me with a very few high 5 and an occasional 7 . Always have been since I went very low carb on diagnosis and start of testing just after even during and after original 15kg weight loss.

So on that basis I assume I am in light ketosis. Not sure if higher levels burn more fat or not or it’s like pregnancy and you are or you aren’t and the level just shows how many unused ketones you have rather than how many you are using.

As I haven’t actually counted carbs in quite some time (loathe counting and measuring foods with a passion) I’m guessing I’m at around 30ish g a day but a bit variable 20-40. I’m going to have to count now for a few days along side readings and see where that gets me.
 
That’s great
I occasionally get into the 1s but even on exercise and few carbs I’m still around 0.4-0.8
 
Any feedback from you in your testing would be gratefully received please @HSSS
 
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