Questions about ketosis

[benconsult]

Hi,

I've been in induction for about two weeks and I'm a bit alarmed about my high ketone levels. I have not been diagnosed with diabetes, but my doctor said I was boarderline high(fasting 115), and that I should get a meter and test.

I've been reading a lot how Atkins can effectively treat high blood sugar levels, as well as help me lose weight, all without medication -- so I was intrigued.

I've been getting great results since I started -- fasting blood sugar in the 80's and 90's (I'm supposed to keep it under 100), and I've lost about 10 pounds (down to about 250, 6' male).

So here's my question: I bought some ketone test strips, just to see if I was in ketosis. For the first few days, I wasn't... then it gradually increased. This week I have been sick, and my ketone levels are really high. The top two numbers on the color chart are 80 and 160 (a big range), and reading it in direct sunlight I put it as just between them, call it 120.

Is this level dangerous? I know I have read a lot about ketosis vs. ketoacidosis, but no one seems to talk about what levels they get in ketosis. My blood sugar is normal, but these ketone levels seem quite high. Has anyone else had levels that high??

Thanks!

[Georgiana]

A dark color on the ketone test strips is often a sign of dehydration, which is probably what happened when you were sick. Just increase your water intake. As a rule of thumb, you should be drinking 64 oz plus another 8 for every 25 lbs you have to lose. You might need to drink more when sick.

[benconsult]

Oh, by the way I am drinking plenty of water -- it's not a question of being dehydrated.

[momtomany1]

If you carbs are very low and your fat is good and high, in other words, you are properly doing Induction, a high ketone reading is just reflecting this. Most likely if you bumped carbs up and fat down a little it would moderate. It is not going to harm you though. Think of Ketones as the 'ash' after you burn fat. (Don't jump on my analogy, not meant to be highly scientific.) I have had very dark readings at times.

[imagood1]

I have the opposite problem - no color on my sticks but I know I'm in keotsis because of my breath. I drink 150 oz of water a day so I'm hoping that is why I have no color.

I hope you don't develop full blown diabetes - this is the best thing you could do for yourself to stop it...I wish I would have listened 3 years ago when I was told the same thing!

Good luck

[EverLosing]

Don't let the color make you too nervous. I have tested at the far end of the spectrum for several days now. I too am drinking plenty of water. However, I'm in OWL and out of curiosity I bought another bottle of ketostix last week or the week before, can't remember. I felt like I wasn't dropping the pounds fast enough for the amount of activity and food I was eating. So, I wanted to see where I stood. The sticks barely registered. I lowered my carbs for a few days and now it's on the other end of the spectrum. You have to view these like a pregnancy test. You are in ketosis or you're not. The extent to which the color changes doesn't neccessarily mean you're burning more fat or that you're in "deep ketosis" as I've read here by some posters. There's no shallow ketosis and no deep ketosis. You are in it or you're not. Just make sure you're drinking enough. I find I lose the most when my daily water intake is over 100 ounces of water. I was getting a little generous with my carb consumption of fruits and nuts and that is what caused the color change I'm sure. I just needed to make sure I wasn't knocking myself out of ketosis. While I love the fruit rung, I'm not willing to stop losing either!!

[Ckeeny222]

I am a type 1 diabetic...I cut out my carbs just yesterday and today have a killer headache and checked my ketone levels and the color instantley changed to darker than the darker color on the stick...Ive tested several times tonight all with the same readings. My blood sugars are not elevated either...