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What are your ketone levels for low carbers out there?

I went low carb today, with only 15-20g total for breakfast and lunch adn no bolus insulin. Highest BG was 6.4 two hours after lunch.

Resting HR and exercise HR were both elevated by about 10bpm this evening, bit that could alos have been dehydration after a day on trains and in an office with not a lot of fluid intake.

Oddly, even on just basal insulin, my readings during my run this evening were pre - 5.9; 5km - 5.2; 10km - 4.0

I was very surprised at the drop between 5km and 10km.
 
I've been low carbing for a few weeks and had a few questions. I understand the mechanisms that Insulin controls in relation to the release of fatty acids and the increases in Ketones as a result of the body moving to fat burning as opposed to using Glycogen stores.

My questions relate to two things.

  1. What should I expect my ketone levels to be? I've been maintaining a BG of around 5-8 mmol/l during this period and my ketones have been coming through in the medium to high range on the Ketostix. Is this normal (I estimate based on colour, around 6mmol/l), or in other words a level that I can definitely feel.
  2. How do you deal with hypos and remain in Ketosis?
 
1. In nutritional ketosis you can't reliably measure your ketone level with ketostix because some people stop dumping certain ketones in urine after they are ketoadapted, and ketostix don't measure all ketone types.

2. Primarily low carb avoids hypos which is the best way to deal with them! But, fair question. An over treated hypo can ruin nutritional ketosis for a couple of days. Basically treat any hypo as early and as minimally as you are able. Don't over treat. Easier said than done. That means taking small amounts of carb, and then wait and test before taking more.
 
Thanks Spiker. I'm fairly sure that I'm not fully ketoadapted yet as I've not been doing this for long enough, so I'm still seeing the Ketones in the urine.

I'll take on board the comment relating to the hypos.
 
Also make sure you use (and carry) carbs that are highly efficient for hypo treatment. You don't want to ingest 50g of carbs to get 10g of fast acting benefit. Glucose liquids and gels (not fructose!) are best, or pure glucose tabs with water. Avoid any non-sugar carbs and any non-glucose sugars in your hypo treatment, and no fats either (they delay absorption so you will have to consume more carbs before you stop the hypo).
 
Yes. Have always treated hypos with glucose tabs, so no need to change there.
 
Hi guys. I've been trying to look into this myself, seems a lot of ppl are going low carb!

Simple question: can you get DKA when blood sugar levels are in healthy range?

Since low carbing my sugars haven't gone over 6.5 but ketones about 2. Is low carbing dangerous for type 1s if blood sugar is controlled? (I don't need bolus if I have no carbs)
 
Emmotha said:
Hi guys. I've been trying to look into this myself, seems a lot of ppl are going low carb!
Click to expand...

Yup

Simple question: can you get DKA when blood sugar levels are in healthy range?
Click to expand...

Almost impossible.

Since low carbing my sugars haven't gone over 6.5 but ketones about 2. Is low carbing dangerous for type 1s if blood sugar is controlled? (I don't need bolus if I have no carbs)
Click to expand...

No, not at all dangerous.
 
Cool thank you

So... Next big question....: why don't the nhs advocate lower carb diets for type 1? Surely it would save them loads of money on insulin?
 
Because there are a lot of people in the nhs who still believe that saturated fat is the enemy.....
 
Emmotha said:
Cool thank you

So... Next big question....: why don't the nhs advocate lower carb diets for type 1? Surely it would save them loads of money on insulin?
Click to expand...
Much as they would save on insulin, they would save vastly more on overall care of diabetics.

But official advice moves slowly. The main UK and US diabetes organisations have only just reclassified low carb from "dangerous" to "may be useful".
 
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