When you eat a lot of protein in one meal you'll be kicked out of ketosis anyway due to gluconeogenic amino acids.

Which is a good thing otherwise you'll eventually suffer from thyroid and electrolyte issues.

We are supposed to cycle in and out of ketosis.

Those ketone wee strips are a scam anyway because they only measure what you're weeing out.

I’ve been a carnivore for over three years and have never tracked my ketones or macros. The only thing I’ve ever tracked was my weight and my body measurements.

I believe some people can overthink this carnivore lifestyle and make something that’s so simple into something complex.

7 hours ago, Geezy said:

I’ve been a carnivore for over three years and have never tracked my ketones or macros. The only thing I’ve ever tracked was my weight and my body measurements.

I believe some people can overthink this carnivore lifestyle and make something that’s so simple into something complex.

Exactly.

I'm in a Facebook carnivore group and someone asked about needing to check ketones.

That's what prompted this post tbh.

I remember when I was on keto being absolutely obsessed with checking my Ketone levels.

Thanks to professor Bart Kay I learned the error of my ways.

I checked mine for a stretch with a blood sample as well as the glucose testing.

Between the two the GKI number can be obtained.

Mostly I use it when fasting. I dry fast for app. 48 hours and then water fast the next 24-48 hours.

I sort of figured out where I am at during the fast, where/when I feel the best and how that corresponds to being in ketosis, deeper ketosis and then when I come out.

During the non-fasting times I am sure I bounce in and out, especially when I drink one of the protein drinks that has a bit of sugar.

Scott

A little elaboration.

I started off with losing weight from fasting but soon realized I could lose the same amount of weight just as easy just being a normal carnivore.

Mostly I do it now because I simply feel really good about 1/2 way into the fast and even into the day or so afterwards.

I tracked ketones and GKI numbers a number of times. It is the 'since I am here approach'. I have an autoimmune disease that affects my neurological system. The most neurological impact from fasting and being in ketosis is on the deeper end. I can use the GKI number to see where I am at during the fast. Let's say the GKI number is four and I would like to get between 1 and 3, I can dial up when to go to the gym.

I'm already in ketosis and ketones (I think BHB's off the top of my head) are rolling. Burning fat for fuel in in full gear as the glycogen has been depleted from the liver. This is a good state to be in and I feel really good. I then add in a fairly hard workout when I get down around 5, even four and that workout will drive me below 3 for a few hours.

I target 3 and below because that is where the neurological repair/improvements occur which is pretty deep into ketosis. After one or two workouts between 48 and 72/96 hours I sort of think I have done all the repair/improvement that is going to be done on that particular fast. I also sort of think two longer fasts during one month inches me closer to the 'diminishing returns' areas of fasting.

Maybe that made sense.

Scott

Very high ketone levels don’t necessarily mean that you are an effective ketone producing machine. As ketones become very elevated ketone clearance could actually decrease.

Therefore ketone concentrations are not always synonymous with fat burning.

A Ketone meter measures the ketones waiting in the blood steam, it doesn’t count the ketones that have already gone to work.

The number on your meter doesn't simply tell you how many ketones your liver produced

It tells you how much BHB happens to be in your bloodstream at that moment.

If production > utilization→ BHB rises If utilization > production → BHB (*Beta-hydroxybutyrate) falls

If production = utilization → BHB stays stable.

Chasing ketones is not the whole story and neither should it be. If your goal is weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, better glucose control, lower triglycerides and reduced hunger or improved metabolic health then consider instead, what is happening to your waist, your body composition, your glucose, your fasting insulin, your triglycerides and HDL, your blood pressure, your hunger and your energy. How do you feel? If all of these things are moving in the right direction but your ketones dropped a little which metric seems more important?

We can become so fascinated by ketosis that we forget to ask why we are trying to create ketosis in the first place.

Therapeutic ketosis is different from simply trying to improve your health. What is your goal In all of this?

Your ketone meter is a tool.

It is not a metabolic report card.

It measures concentration.

Not ketone production.

Not total ketone utilization.

Not total fat oxidation.

Not insulin sensitivity.

Not body-fat loss.

I did the pee test strips on my first Atkins journey in the mid 90's. It was cool to see that I was "in ketosis" but I never obsessed over it. Once the way of eating becomes routine, a lifestyle, it becomes irrelevant. But at time is was a motivator, like patting myself on the back, lol.

I bought the urine strips but soon found out they were not giving me anything close to what I was looking for in a marker.

The worst/funniest part is I checked myself at work one night and someone seen me testing myself. Let's just say they weren't thinking ketones nor pregnancy, so I made a call to HR as a preemptive strike. LOL

Scott

FYI, this topic may have inspired tonights live stream discussion....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw-MrEd4FRI

I hate I missed it. I ran like a chicken with its head cut off last night to free up some time to drop in on my phone from work. But, to no avail as it was one thing after another most of the night.

I will try to watch it sometime today. It would have been better to listen, interact and ask questions.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Scott

21 hours ago, Bob said:

FYI, this topic may have inspired tonights live stream discussion....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw-MrEd4FRI

I'll have to watch it.

Strange usually YouTube videos embed properly.

Ok yeah you have to press enter after you've inserted the link and the embed will show properly.