Ketosis question.
 

I've seen many questions about eating a particular food, then testing an hour later and being knocked out of ketosis... I don't think that's possible to measure with the ketostix that quickly. I'd think it would take at least a day for changes in your blood ketone levels to be reflected in your urine levels.

My question to the "information sources" on the boards is, just HOW long after eating something would the change actually register on the strips?

I've never been out of ketosis for more than about a half day. I think it's like anything else...YMMV.

I've had pasta and bread in a single meal (had to go out with my boss for lunch) and I was only out for about a half day. Don't know if it was the carbs or not.

Sherry

Hmmm... I'm just thinking about what the "time lag" would be between eating the carbs/going out of ketosis/having it actually REGISTER as such on the strips. In the "old days" when Ketostix were used to monitor diabetes and ketoacidosis, it was about a one-day lag before the ketones built up enough to register, because my aunt would have to measure each day. I'm thinking it would be similar for ketosis/lipolysis, and that testing right after eating something and delaring it "safe" may be a disservice to yourself...

I agree with you about testing right after a meal...

When I first started lc'ing, I used ALOT of strips, but usually only test about every other day now (I was neeeew, what can I say!). I can almost always tell if I'm in keto by the taste, as I've become accustomed to it now.

Sherry

You're right to be skeptical ;) It's a misconception that the liver ONLY makes ketones in the absence of sugar and insulin .. and conversely, that when carbs are consumed the ketone-switch gets turned OFF. Even if it did, it would take a lot longer than one hour :daze: ... blood sugar doesn't begin to peak until one to two hrs. after a meal, depending on what else has been eaten and how fast the person's stomach and intestines digest the food. Insulin will spike to deal with the sugar by either moving it into the cells to be used as fuel, or more likely to cause it to be converted to triglyceride fat for storage. Of course, fat storage is exactly what we don't want. In the meantime, the liver will continue to make ketones, but it'll be from fat that's eaten, not body fat.

The ketone testing strips do not indicate what's happening in the blood .. only what has "spilled" over into the urine since the last time the bladder was emptied. Depending on how many carbs are eaten and for how long, ketone production may eventually slow and stop .. but it takes hours to a day or more to happen.

The important thing to remember is that the more immediate effect of a carb binge is fat storage and increased triglycerides .. reduced ketones will be a delayed reaction.


Doreen

Thanks, Doreen. I suspected that's the way it would work, but hadn't the facts to back it up. Next time I'm told "it's okay to eat ice cream, 'cause it didn't throw me out of ketosis, I TESTED" I'll have a more intelligent explanation that won't sound like "nuh-UH!!!! willtowilltowillto!".....lol!

Carbs per meal vs. Carbs per day
 

Hey!

I was doing some research night before last on the internet and came across someone's page that said that he could eat up to 17 carbs per meal but NEVER to exceed 34 carbs per day.

I would like to know my carb max/meal and per day.

Saturday before last I was feeling quite ill (vomiting) and I decided that I HAD TO HAVE a chocolate wendy's frosty. It was small and I never went out of ketosis.

I looked at Wendy.Com and they said the frosty has some unreal amount of carbs.

My mama said this means that I am NOT insulin resistant and that my body is/was so used to a twelve pack of coke a day (or more) that it didn't bat and eye at my excess.

Ideas?

Thanks!

DowDowDowDow

Columbus, OH 43207

I have purposely cheated to see how long it took for the stix to tell me I was "out" of ketosis. IMO...2 hours at least. I have measured within the hour and still registered on the stix. Your body needs to digest the food before it shows up in your urine.