Keto Meal Measurement: Counting Macros For Ketogenic Success

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can be effective for weight loss and certain health conditions. It involves drastically reducing your consumption of carbohydrates and replacing them with fat, which puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. In this state, your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbs, and your liver turns fat into small energy molecules called ketones, which your brain and other organs can use for energy.

To achieve ketosis, your macronutrient makeup should be around 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs. The best fat sources on keto include fatty cuts of grass-fed beef and red meat, fatty fish like tuna, salmon, and mackerel, and MCT oil.

To measure ketosis, you can use urine testing strips, blood ketone tests, or breath tests. Urine testing strips are cheap and convenient but less accurate, while blood tests are the most accurate but relatively expensive. Breath tests are painless and do not require additional supplies but are slightly less accurate than blood tests.

How to measure ketosis

Ketosis is the metabolic state in which your body uses fat and ketones as its main fuel source. Ketosis is achieved by eating far fewer carbs, which puts your body into this metabolic state. In this state, your liver turns fat into small energy molecules called ketones, which your brain and other organs can use for energy.

There are a few different methods to measure ketosis, each with its pros and cons.

Urine Testing Strips

These are cheap and convenient, but less accurate than other methods. They reflect ketone levels over the past few hours, rather than at the time of testing. However, they are a good option if you want a rough idea of your ketosis level.

Blood Ketone Tests

These are the most accurate method to measure ketosis, but the test strips are relatively expensive if you plan to test regularly. You can use certain blood glucose meters designed to test for ketones.

Breathalysers

Breathalysers are not as accurate as blood tests but are better than urine test strips. They are also cost-effective as they only involve a single upfront cost for the device. This makes them useful for people who want to understand how well they are achieving ketosis throughout the day.

When to Measure Ketones

When and how often you test ketones depends on what you want to find out. If you want to compare your ketosis levels from day to day or week to week, it is best to test at the same time(s) of day to ensure consistent results. As ketone levels vary throughout the day and are affected by meals and exercise, testing at different times can show how your level of ketosis varies.

Ketone Levels

The "sweet spot" for weight loss is considered to be 1.5 to 3.0 mmol/l, as recommended by researchers Stephen Phinney and Jeff Volek. Ketone levels of 0.5 to 1.5 mmol/l indicate light nutritional ketosis, which is still beneficial but not to the same degree as full nutritional ketosis.

Factors Affecting Ketosis

A few factors can influence the achievement of ketosis, including carbohydrate intake, protein intake, and the level of exercise.

The pros and cons of urine testing strips

Urine testing strips are a cheap and convenient way to measure ketosis. They are ideal for those new to the keto diet who want an easy and affordable way to ensure they are headed towards ketosis. However, as you get deeper into ketosis and your body becomes more optimised in producing ketones, urine testing strips may indicate that your urine contains only trace amounts of ketones, potentially misleading you into thinking you are no longer in ketosis.

Pros

• Cheap and convenient
• Easy to use
• Can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies and supermarkets, as well as online
• Results are available in seconds

Cons

• Measuring ketones in the urine is less accurate than measuring in the blood or breath
• Results reflect ketone levels over the past few hours rather than at the time of testing
• The strips expire within three to six months of opening
• Not suitable for long-term ketosis maintenance

The accuracy of blood ketone tests

Blood ketone tests are considered the most accurate way of measuring ketone levels. They are also the most expensive option, as the test strips cost around $1 each. Blood ketone meters require a battery and a finger-prick blood sample to produce a reading.

A study comparing the Keto-Mojo blood ketone meter with the Precision Xtra meter found that both devices displayed excellent test-retest reliability for measuring ketones. The interrater reliability between the two meters was also considered excellent. The bias, or average difference between readings, was 0.056 mM, with the Keto-Mojo meter producing slightly higher ketone measurements on average.

However, blood ketone meters can give inaccurate readings when a person is not in ketosis. One source reports that urine test strips may be more accurate at detecting the absence of ketosis.

Blood ketone meters may also be less reliable when measuring glucose levels. A comparison of the Keto-Mojo and Precision Xtra meters found that the interrater reliability for measuring glucose was only good, with a bias of -3.322 mg/dL. The Keto-Mojo meter tended to produce higher readings than the Precision Xtra meter at glucose values below 80 mg/dL, and lower readings at values above 80 mg/dL.

Breathalysers: a single up-front cost

If you're looking to measure your ketone levels, breathalysers are a great option. They are a more accurate way of measuring ketone levels than urine testing strips, and they are also more cost-effective than blood ketone tests. With a breathalyser, you only need to pay for the device itself upfront, and then you can test your ketone levels as often as you like. This makes it a good option for people who want to closely monitor how well they're achieving ketosis throughout the day.

When it comes to measuring ketosis, there are a few different methods to choose from. Urine testing strips are a cheap option, but they are less accurate than breath or blood tests. Blood ketone tests are the most accurate method, but the cost of the test strips can add up if you want to test your ketone levels regularly. Breath tests, on the other hand, strike a good balance between accuracy and cost. While they are not as precise as blood tests, they are still more accurate than urine tests. Plus, with a breathalyser, you only need to pay for the device itself, and you can use it as often as you like without having to purchase additional supplies.

The sweet spot for weight loss when it comes to ketone levels is 1.5 to 3.0 mmol/l, according to researchers Stephen Phinney and Jeff Volek. This level of nutritional ketosis can help maximise fat burning and make your weight loss efforts more effective. It's important to note that it can take a few weeks for your body to switch to using ketones as its main fuel source when starting a ketogenic diet, so don't give up too early if you're not seeing results right away.

How to measure ketones from day to day

Measuring ketosis is a good way to see if you're on track with your keto diet and to tailor your diet towards more effective weight loss. While you can measure your weight to see if weight loss is occurring, measuring ketosis can be more helpful. For example, weight can fluctuate throughout the day, and putting on muscle can cause the scales to show a weight gain or a stall in weight loss.

Measuring ketone levels can be more useful as the production of ketones is a direct result of fat burning. Ketone levels can change throughout the day in response to food and exercise.

There are a few different methods for measuring ketones:

Urine Testing Strips

Urine testing strips are a cheap and convenient way to get a rough idea of your ketone levels. However, measuring ketones in the urine is less accurate than measuring them in the breath or blood. The results from urine testing strips also reflect ketone levels over the past few hours rather than at the time of testing.

Blood Ketone Tests

Blood ketone tests are the most accurate method of measuring ketone levels. You can perform these tests using certain blood glucose meters that have been specifically designed to test for ketones. However, the cost of the test strips is relatively expensive if you intend to test your ketones regularly.

Breath Tests

Breath tests are a good middle ground between urine and blood tests. They are more accurate than urine tests but less accurate than blood tests. They are also more cost-effective if you want to test your ketone levels regularly, as they only involve a single upfront cost for the device.

When to Measure Ketones

If you want to compare your ketone levels from day to day or week to week, it's best to test at the same time(s) of day to ensure consistent results. However, if you want to see how your level of ketosis varies, you may want to test at different times throughout the day.

The optimal ketone range for nutritional ketosis is 0.5–3.0 mmol/L. Nutritional ketosis is the state in which your body can use stored fat for energy most effectively, helping boost weight and fat loss. The longer you stay within this range, the more fat you will burn and the more effective your weight loss efforts will be.

Frequently asked questions