Keto Diet Guide: How to Measure your Ketones Properly

Keto Diet Guide: How to Measure your Ketones Properly - Thomas DeLauer

Ketone Ranges Overview

Below 0.5 mmol/L is not considered ketosis - at this level, you’re far away from maximum fat-burning

Between 0.5-1.5 mmol/L is light nutritional ketosis - you’ll be getting a good effect on your weight, but not optimal

Around 1.5 – 3 mmol/L is what’s called optimal ketosis and is recommended for maximum weight loss

Values of over 3 mmol/L aren’t necessary - that is, they will achieve neither better nor worse results than being at the 1.5-3 level

Higher values can also sometimes mean that you’re not getting enough food. For type 1 diabetics, it can be caused by a severe lack of insulin

Below 0.5 mmol/L

If you’re readings are too low you may need to avoid all obvious sources of carbs, but also to be careful with your protein intake

Excess protein will converted into glucose in the body - large amounts of protein can also raise your insulin levels somewhat, which compromises optimal ketosis

Between 0.5 & 3 mmol/L

Nutritional Ketosis

**1.5-3 mmol/L is the optimal range for fat burning**

Known as nutritional ketosis, a state where the body is using ketones as a fuel source efficiently and safely

In individuals without diabetes or in those with controlled diabetes, having insulin on board to maintain healthy blood sugar levels keeps ketone production in the safe range

This is achieved by reducing carbohydrate-intake to below 50 grams, because when glucose from food is limited, but blood sugars are still in a healthy range and enough insulin is present, the body will begin to burn body fat for fuel instead, producing low levels of ketones in the bloodstream

Ketones in the 1-3 mmol/l range are not acidifying the body

Over 3 mmol/L

Starvation Ketosis

Starvation ketones are simply the result of not eating enough food over the course of several hours

Ketoacidosis

Because ketones are acid substances, high ketone concentrations in the blood may create acidosis

Ketoacidosis, commonly referred to diabetic ketoacidosis, is a very dangerous state where an individual with uncontrolled diabetes is effectively starving due to lack of insulin

In normal individuals, or those with well controlled diabetes, insulin acts to cancel the feedback loop and slow and stop the overproduction of ketones (insulin has a suppressant effect on ketone production)

Without this feedback loop, dangerous levels of ketones build up, acidifying the body

References

[samclayton]

-0-0.5 MMOL per liter means you’re out of ketosis
-0.5-1.5 MMOL per liter means you’re in light ketosis
-1.5-3 MMOL per liter is optimal ketone range

[sherrymiller]

No matter how many times I view your channel, I either learn something new or it re-enforces the basics. Death & life really is measured in the blood. An important measure for your health. Thanks again @ThomasDelauer for putting your passion for helping people nutritionally together with what you’d learned (thus far) & your hard work out there. I appreciate you sharing ‘cause it’s worth the watch from my treadmill! 👍🏻

[mrgreen]

I love how you have the confidence to say you're just straight up THE best channel on these topics and not "one of the best" which mean literally nothing lol, good on ya man!

[wellnessrdshow]

Thomas, I've been in the medical world my entire life. I want to say that your knowledge and ability to deliver useful information is outstanding. I understand that you have a leaning toward the super athletic group, but don't forget us who are healthy, older and not workout fanatics! ;-) Keep it coming. Love it all! Thank you!

[elboyd]

My ketones recently have zoomed up and my blood sugar has come down. Ketones 5.9 today (the highest ever) and blood sugar is around 4.0 - 5.0 I am not hungry, my A1c is 5.0 (I'm T2) as of a couple weeks ago and all my nutrition as shown in the blood test is good. I have lost 30% of my body weight since 30 April. I'm not doing anything that different, for most of the time my ketones were around 1 or 1.5 at most. I tried really hard to get them a little higher and sometimes they frustratingly would drop below 0.5. Love keto, all my deranged numbers that were in the blood test back in April 2018 including blood glucose came back within the normal range. My blood sugar has gradually gone down which I am very happy about. Thank you for all your good work, love your channel!

[reemalabed]

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[sardinahdepaiva]

I am Justin Sardines firefighter/paramedic and I have seen that sleep has an unusual
Reaction to ketone levels please help me make some sense out of this.
To the positive part, this is the Best channel not just for physical changes but, mental as well.
I pray that all our public safety personnel get on board your channel, I’m personally continuously sending this channel out to various departments.
Thank you Thomas for all your diligence and hard work, all very motivating.

[kd]

Just got my Keto Mojo-!! First reading in IF w/BP coffee in play.. 2.3-! After 1.5hours after my large OMAD 1.8-! This is So Great-!! So glad I got this.. I Finally Know I'm really doing it-!!

[utopiadweller]

4:40 buy keto mojo... How to measure ketones 5:55.... ideal numbers 7:35. Fat adapted 10:20

[kevinwalsh]

So my question is WHEN is the best time to test? I test in the morning an hour after waking before I eat and my Ketons are usually very low.

[erikpanderson]

Thomas, FYI, I noticed that so many people prick their fingers and not on the side of the ring finger, the finger least sensitive to pricks and on the side, you'll hardly feel it. Also, few know that if you prick on the meaty part of the palm where you'd touch one with a karate chop. You'll hardly feel this prick as well.

[Matthuselah]

Just purchased the Keto Promo bundle, which was already $20 off the regular price. But, by following Mr. DeLauer's link I saved an additional $13.64. For $75 I got the meter, strips, lancing device with lancets, and much more. Oh and shipping was free too. Thank you Thomas DeLauer for everything, especially for the link in the description that hooked me up with such a great value.

[pohkeee]

Since I started tracking both with the Mojo it’s been very helpful. I can see the direct effects of specific foods and serving sizes! Also, nice to note that even on days that I slip out of keto, I quickly slip back in within 12-24 hours. Fat adapted with flexibility 🤓

[prescis]

I started Keto this week and I’ve been devoted to this channel!! I’ve lost 3lbs this week!! Thank you for all your knowledge is helping me. It’s just my first week but this time around doing keto feels better, easier and I feel in control, unlike two years ago when I tried and it was a failure because I wasn’t informed correctly.. Thank you!!

[donnell]

WOW !! Such an informative video and so spot on. as proven by my short experience of being on a keto diet, as a 74 yr old vet fighting the va to understand that being
on the keto diet for just 2 months, started Nov 9, quit metformin Nov 12 with normal sugar readings 75-80's and 90, Blood Pressure daily readings of approx 115/70
and weight loss from 175 to todays weight of 147 ( 28 lbs), one va dr said I needed to regain the weight??? My first test with your keto meter was this morniing showed
my ketosis was 1.8 but as coming off the colonoscopy fast of 3 days I did consume a higher level of proteins yesterday in one meal daily. My sugar being liltle high of 95
but your explanation of higher carbs lowering the ketosis levels gives me hope that tomorrow my ketosis readings will be a lil higher. Thank you and Dr. Berg for possibly extending
my life span so I can be around to see my second chance family of 15yr old daughter, 11 and 9 year old son to reach their young adulthood. I even got a second chance at Pine car
derbys with my son and we are now working on one for next month. God Bless you.

[evaeyez]

Keto is a way of life. been on it for 44 days and lost 9.4 kgs. I'm back to my pre-kids weigh from 9 years ago. The only thing I'm upset about is that I have not come across this diet before!

[rhemagenesis]

3.1mmol today on day 14 on my fast. Thanks for the information. I bought urine kit at first but then immediately returned it and bought blood ketone kit after listening to this

[Biohackthefat]

Good video on testing. So many ppl test urine which is a waste of time, I have my clients test ketones AND glucose, then have them calculate their GKI to see how deep into nutritional ketosis they are in. This is another aspect the general population that tries keto miss. Your GKI number is THE most important factor to Consider when trying to lose body fat, not just ketones alone. You can be 0.5 or above, but if your glucose is elevated, your not going to be in deep nutritional ketosis.

[terrenceleonard]

I am 67, have been living a keto life style 6 months. My ketones usually do not get above 2.0 (Keto Mojo) but my GKI score is often between 2.5 to 4.5 so I do not get alarmed my ketones are not high enough. Three days a week I do moderate anaerobic training and when the weather permits I do high aerobic activity bicycling for many hours at a time. I IF 20 hours daily too.

[artful_spinning]

I will have to look into getting one of those...I rely a lot on intermittent fasting sometimes to help me with ketosis, I have a hard time keeping carbs under 50 per day...when I do, I'm like super proud of myself! If I could see a reading of my keytones, it may help me not stress over carbs so much....