You don't
need high ketone levels for weight loss: Do Ketones Matter?
Keep in mind that some people tend to overemphasise the importance of high ketones while it's not as simple and most people don't even
need high ketones: The Ketone Craze - Who Really Benefits From High Ketone Levels?
Not exact matches
Also, you don't
need to shoot for
high ketone readings above 3 mM.
On a Keto Diet your body isn't in
need of
high levels of glucose due to the fact your body is mostly being powered by
Ketones (you're not eating foods that allow for
high glucose levels).
High ketones are actually not
needed for weight loss but you may not be getting enough / too much of protein or fat).
The readings don't necessarily
need to be
high, it's actually enough if you see trace
ketones.
Thank you Erika, yes, Ketostix are not reliable and
high ketone levels are not
needed for weight loss.
I don't think you
need to shoot for
high ketone levels, unless you use the ketogenic diet for therapeutic purposes (in cases like epilepsy, cancer, etc).
Hi Mary, you may want to check out this post -
high ketone levels are not
needed for weight loss (if that's your goal): How To Low Carb: 15 + Common Weight Loss Mistakes
There are ways to boost
ketones (eg fasting,
higher fat intake or exogenous
ketones) but most people do not
need to do that as they do not benefit from very
high ketone levels.
In my opinion,
high ketone levels are not
needed and won't have a significant impact on your weight loss / fat loss (I wrote more about
ketone levels here: Do
Ketones Matter?).
But when it comes to
ketone levels, you don't
need to aim
high to get the results you
need.
Hi Sakeena, the difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis is explained here: Ketogenic Diet FAQ: All You
Need to Know Unless you are a diabetic, you won't experience ketoacidosis: Ketogenic Diet FAQ: All You
Need to Know (very
high ketone levels and
high glucose levels).
Some people might notice improved cognition with relatively low
ketones, while others will
need to get their
ketones elevated
higher in order to experience a benefit for the brain.
It may be that such a large portion of the brain's energy
needs can only be met by
ketones when
ketone levels are relatively
high —
higher, perhaps, than most people would be able to achieve through a ketogenic diet alone.
In most cases, you don't
need to aim for
high ketone levels: Do
Ketones Matter?
On the other hand, some people may follow the restricted ketogenic diet for therapeutic purposes and they really
need to make sure their
ketone level is
high while their blood sugar level is low.
You definitely don't
need to measure
ketone levels or even achieve
high ketone levels to lose weight on a ketogenic diet!
The ketogenic diet revolves around the principle of low carb,
high fat, as
ketones are a principal source of energy that our bodies
need to function.
In fact, you don't even
need to be in ketosis or show
high ketone readings to lose weight.
You may
need to check out your macros (maybe add some fat since your protein looks fine and you know you shouldn't go over 100 g): KetoDiet Buddy - Easy Macro Calculator for the Ketogenic Diet You won't
need to worry about getting your
ketone levels
high - contrary to what you may have heard, it won't make a difference and
high ketone levels won't necessarily lead to more fat loss.
Simply put, if you're using a low carb approach to be slim, trim and feel well, there is no
need to measure your
ketones several times a day and try to push them as
high as possible.
Does one
need more fats to reach
Higher ketones, while keeping carbs low.
One of the reasons people hit the wall during the marathon is that in order to maintain that
high level of athletic activity they
need to go into ketosis, but they don't have enough mitochondria to burn
ketones at that
high a level.
You do not
need to aim for
high ketone levels and it may be why you experience these issues: The Ketone Craze - Who Really Benefits From High Ketone Lev
high ketone levels and it may be why you experience these issues: The Ketone Craze - Who Really Benefits From High Ketone L
ketone levels and it may be why you experience these issues: The
Ketone Craze - Who Really Benefits From High Ketone L
Ketone Craze - Who Really Benefits From
High Ketone Lev
High Ketone L
Ketone Levels?
However, when it comes to weight loss,
high ketones are not
needed (please, see the post I linked to).
The level of
ketones in your body doesn't always
need to be
high - people lose weight even with no or very low
ketone readings.
Also, to mention the Atkins diet, in the book I read, the diet begins with a two week very low carb diet [20 grams of carbo perday] in order to transition the body into a state of nutritional ketosis, using
ketones not glucose / insulin for energy generation; however, it is not intended to be a permanent such state but rather for the dieter to gradually add in carbs; however, is one added in only up to the limit, which varies from person to person, of carbs to just below the lvel that would transition out of ketosis, then Atkins would work with that in mind and requiring monitoring for blood or urine
ketone levels and must
needs be
high fat,, moderate protein, and low carbs