Keto Kickstart: Starting Numbers You Need To Know

The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can help with weight loss and certain health conditions. When starting a keto diet, it's important to understand what ketone levels indicate ketosis, which is the metabolic state where your body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. The optimal ketone range for nutritional ketosis, which is the state where your body can most effectively use stored fat for energy, is typically considered to be between 0.5 and 3.0 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). However, some sources suggest that the sweet spot for weight loss is between 1.5 and 3.0 mmol/L. It's worth noting that there are different types of ketosis, such as nutritional ketosis and starvation ketosis, and the optimal blood ketone concentration can vary between them. To achieve nutritional ketosis, a significant restriction of carbohydrate intake is necessary, usually to less than 50 grams of total carbs or 25 grams of net carbs per day.

Ketone levels for weight loss: Nutritional ketosis is defined as blood ketone levels of 0.5–3 mmol/L, which is also the optimal ketone range for weight loss

Nutritional ketosis is defined as having blood ketone levels of 0.5–3 mmol/L. This is also the optimal ketone range for weight loss.

Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses fat and ketones as its main fuel source instead of glucose (sugar). On the keto diet, you cut back significantly on carbohydrates, so your body begins to burn fat for fuel. In this state, your liver turns fat into small energy molecules called ketones, which your brain and other organs can use for energy.

How to Achieve Optimal Ketone Levels

To achieve and maintain optimal ketone levels, you must restrict your carb intake. Most people on the keto diet restrict their carb intake to less than 50 grams of total carbs per day, or 25 grams of net carbs. Net carbs refer to the total number of carbs minus the amount of fibre.

Your body will not start to produce ketones on its own until it burns through your glycogen stores, which it will not do unless you cut off its supply of dietary carbs. Once you shift into ketosis, your body can produce ketones for energy from either dietary fat or stored body fat.

How to Measure Ketone Levels

The most reliable way to measure your ketone levels is to use a blood ketone meter. These devices work similarly to blood sugar meters, as you use a lancet and a blood testing strip to collect a small blood sample from your fingertip, which the device then reads.

There are also less accurate but easier methods to measure ketone levels, such as urine test strips or a breath test.

Ketone Levels and Exercise

Anaerobic exercise (short duration and high intensity) will decrease circulating ketones, while aerobic exercises (such as swimming, walking, jogging, and cycling) will generally increase circulating ketones.

Important Considerations

It's important to note that nutritional ketosis is very different from ketoacidosis, a severe complication of diabetes characterised by extremely high levels of blood ketones and blood sugar. Nutritional ketosis is safe for most people.

Additionally, while ketone supplements (known as exogenous ketones) will raise your ketone levels, it's unclear whether they aid weight loss.

How to achieve optimal ketone levels: To achieve these levels, you need to restrict your carb intake to less than 50 grams of total carbs or 25 grams of net carbs per day

Achieving optimal ketone levels is a crucial aspect of the keto diet, and it requires a significant reduction in carb intake. To reach these levels, you must restrict your daily carb consumption to less than 50 grams of total carbs or 25 grams of net carbs. Net carbs refer to the total carbs minus the amount of fibre, and they are the carbs that get absorbed into your body.

To ensure you stay within these limits, tracking your carb intake is essential. You can calculate the net carbs in a food item by examining its nutrition label. First, determine the total carb content, including any sugar, fibre, and sugar alcohols. Then, subtract the amount of dietary fibre and half the amount of sugar alcohols from the total carbs to find the net carbs.

By staying within the recommended carb limits, you will be able to achieve optimal ketone levels, which is crucial for weight loss and various therapeutic benefits associated with the keto diet.

How to measure ketone levels: The most reliable way to measure your ketone levels is to use a blood ketone meter

When starting a keto diet, it's common to focus on ketone levels as concrete measurements of progress. Nutritional ketosis is considered "light" through 1.0 mmol/L and "optimal" in the 1.0 mmol/L through 3.0 mmol/L range. The optimal ketone level depends on your goals. If your primary goal is weight loss, achieving "light nutritional ketosis," or 0.5 mmol/L-1.0 mmol/L, is a good starting point. From there, aim for "optimal ketosis," which is when your ketone levels are between 1.0 mmol/L-3.0 mmol/L.

The most reliable way to measure your ketone levels is to use a blood ketone meter. These devices work similarly to blood sugar meters, as you use a lancet and a blood testing strip to collect a small blood sample from your fingertip, which the device then reads. Although your body produces three types of ketones, most blood ketone meters check for beta-hydroxybutyrate, the most prevalent type.

There’s some disagreement among researchers about the best time of day to test ketone levels. When you last ate appears to be a major contributing factor to your ketone levels, so you may want to do your ketone testing 3 hours after eating a meal.

You can also check to see whether you’re in ketosis by using urine test strips or a breath test. These methods are less accurate but easier than using a blood ketone meter. Urine tests, which are test strips that you dip in your urine, change colour based on the presence of the ketone acetoacetate. The darkness of the strip is an indicator of the extent to which you’re in ketosis. Urine strips are inexpensive but also the least accurate testing method. Breath tests measure the amount of the ketone acetone in your breath in parts per million (ppm). Reliable breath testing devices are fairly expensive and slightly less accurate than blood testing, but they’re painless and do not require the purchase of extra supplies like lancets or strips.

Ketosis and exercise: Anaerobic exercise will decrease circulating ketones, while aerobic exercises such as swimming, walking, jogging, and cycling will generally increase them

Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses fat and ketones as its main fuel source instead of glucose. The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can be effective for weight loss and certain health conditions. On a keto diet, you cut back significantly on carbohydrates, also known as carbs, in order to burn fat for fuel.

Ketone bodies are produced in the liver during conditions of reduced carbohydrate availability and serve as an alternative fuel source for peripheral tissues including the brain, heart, and skeletal muscle. Anaerobic exercise (usually short duration and high intensity, like heavy weight training, sprinting, or jumping) will decrease circulating ketones, cause blood glucose to go up slightly, and cause ketones to temporarily go down. With aerobic exercises, such as swimming, walking, jogging, and cycling, you’ll generally notice an increase in circulating ketones.

The optimal ketone range for weight loss is 0.5–3 millimoles per liter. To achieve this, carb intake needs to be dramatically reduced. On the low-carb, high-fat keto diet, your body enters ketosis, a state in which you burn fat as your main source of fuel rather than carbs. For many people, being in ketosis can help improve blood sugar levels, reduce appetite, and help maintain muscle mass—all of which may contribute to weight loss.

Ketosis and diabetes: Ketosis is a slightly more complicated topic when it involves people with type 1 diabetes or those who are otherwise completely reliant on insulin

Ketosis is a natural metabolic state in which the body uses fat as its main source of energy instead of carbohydrates. This is achieved by reducing the number of carbohydrates in one's diet, which forces the body to burn fat for fuel. This can be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes, as it can help to lower blood sugar levels and promote weight loss. However, ketosis is a more complicated topic when it comes to people with type 1 diabetes.

People with type 1 diabetes should approach ketosis with caution, as they are at risk of developing a dangerous condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA occurs when there is a lack of insulin in the body, which is needed to allow blood glucose into cells. Without enough insulin, the body breaks down fat and protein into ketones at an alarming rate, leading to a dangerous build-up of acid in the blood that can be life-threatening.

While ketosis can be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes, those with type 1 diabetes should consult their healthcare provider before considering a ketogenic diet. It is important to monitor ketone levels closely, as high ketone levels in the presence of high blood glucose can indicate the onset of DKA. Additionally, insulin therapy may need to be adjusted when starting a ketogenic diet, and other diabetes medications should be carefully evaluated with the guidance of a healthcare professional.

While ketosis can be a safe and effective strategy for weight loss and blood sugar control, it is crucial for people with type 1 diabetes to work closely with their healthcare team to ensure a safe and effective approach to diabetes management.

Frequently asked questions