I'm torn...

about continuing my daily ketone/glucose testing. Here's why...

Last week my ketones were low, hovering around .4 or .3. I know my carb intake was too high and knew my number would be low. When it was confirmed on my trusty Precision Xtra meter, I didn't curb my carbs. Quite the opposite, I adapted the "What the hell" attitude. That never turns out well.

It's been almost a week, I checked my numbers today, still .4, which is no surprise.

Ironically, my order for 60 more ketone strips arrived yesterday from the Canadian pharmacy. And 100 glucose strips.

It occured to me that my relationship with daily finger pricks is turning into my relationship that I had (before I ditched it) with daily weigh-ins. If my scale number was higher than I wanted, I was cranky. And happy as a clam if the number was low.

This morning I did an hour kettle bell class in a fasted state. Next weekend I'm doing a half marathon on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday. Both will be in a fasted state. I'm going shopping for pants because all the ones in my closet are literally falling off. I can do the 16/8 hour fast/feed window without a problem.

I know I'm fat-adapted. But when my ketone number is low, it makes me nuts!

What to do...what to do.....

Hurry up ketone strips!

Still waiting on my order for more strips. Since they come from Canada, it takes time. I have 7 strips left, I stopped checking my ketones this week, to save them.

I quickly learned that checking my ketones on a daily basis keeps me on track. Even if the reading is low, I stay aware of how many carbs I'm consuming. Since I stopped testing, all bets are off!

I haven't completely fallen off the wagon. No grains or sugar. But lots of peanut butter, more fruit than usual, bigger scoops of yogurt, etc. I can tell by how I feel that I'm out of ketosis. I'm getting hungrier than usual and my food cravings are coming back. I"m looking forward to the detached feeling, more like "food is fuel" feeling I get when I'm in NK.

Today, I'm back on track. I may wait a few days before I check my blood. I don't need to confirm that I'm out of ketone range, it may take a couple days to get back in.

In other news, I'm heading to Vegas next weekend for a half marathon. I need to ensure I'm in fat burning mode by then..

My 24 hour experiment

Inspired by Jimmy Moore, I decided to test my ketones and glucose several times over a 24 hour period. Here's the numbers..

9pm   Glucose  77  Ketones 1.0    Dinner was about 3 hours earlier
7am   Glucose  68  Ketones  .2     Before breakfast
6pm   Glucose  71  Ketones  1.7   Last meal was breakfast at 9am

In about 2 hours I'll check my numbers before I go to bed.

UPDATE...about 2 hours after dinner my glucose was 87 and ketones were .6
My numbers bounce all over the place!

My ketone numbers

they've been going up and down.

Although I've stayed above .5, the minimum to be in NK, the numbers correlate to how I feel.

When I'm at .5 to about 1, my hunger is gone. My energy remains consistent all day, no afternoon slumps.

When I'm at 1 to 2, my hunger is gone plus I have zero cravings. You could shove a tray of brownies in my face and I wouldn't take a bite. I love this feeling.

When I'm above 2, I have no hunger or cravings. I'm also experience bouts of euphoria. It's kind of freaky, I can be doing a mundane task and all of a sudden, I feel giddy and really happy. It feels strange, I'm going to need some time to adjust to feeling this way.

I wonder what would happen if I get into the 3's. My head may explode...

The experiment continues

I just ordered more ketones strips from Canada.

I'll have about 50 more days to test my ketones and glucose. I was going to do this all year but I may stop earlier than anticipated. Even at $2 a strip from Canada, my wallet is still hurting.

I'm also concerned that ketone testing is evoking the same emotions as getting on the scale every morning. My mood can change based on the number. For example, yesterday my ketone reading was .9. I was disappointed that it wasn't higher and ate some extra carbs. I was in the "what the hell" frame of mind. I pulled myself back before I did major damage, however, I don't like to be on an emotional roller coaster.

On the other hand, getting daily ketone readings identifies a slip before it grows into a full blown bad habit. When I was staying in the 1.5 to 1.7 range, I ate a almost no carb breakfast. That kept me full until dinner. I would have a glass of wine in the late afternoon but it didn't kick me out of ketosis. I think the no carb breakfast and no snacking was the key.

The last day or so I've been eating some carbs in the morning. Instead of my usual turkey and cheese rollups, I've had full fat yogurt with heavy cream and coconut and nuts (it's so good!). Those extra carbs may have been the reason I've been doing a bit of mindless eating before dinner. Couple pieces of cheese, a handful of nuts, small things that add up. If I didn't see my ketones dropping I would have stayed in denial. I can't do so when the lower number pops up. Now I'm back on track.

Bottom line is that daily ketone testing will continue until my new keto-habits are firmly in place. They are..
-No or very low (5gr or less) carb breakfast
-No snacking

Speaking of turkey roll ups, it's time for breakfast...

I was tempted to stop pricking my finger everyday

Ketone sticks are expensive. And sometimes it's inconvenient to get a reading every afternoon. There have been a few days when I prick my finger in my car ( I usually have all my blood reading stuff in my purse).

On the other hand..

My ketone readings have been averaging around 1.5. This must be my Nutritional Ketosis sweet spot. I feel terrific all day long. I've been eating a mostly no carb breakfast consisting of some type of meat/cheese combo. Today I had some chicken with swiss cheese and mayo around 8am. I was busy all day with no dip in energy. Dinner was at 6, I could have pushed it back, I wasn't even hungry yet.

No cravings. No growling stomach. Pricking my finger everyday is a small price to pay for feeling so good.

I better order more ketone strips....

Back from Phoenix

without a 100 mile belt buckle.

I'll get that $%*& belt buckle someday!

I did complete a 100K. That got me a pretty etched glass mug.

Here's a quick recap of the fun..

I flew into Phoenix the day of the race. After picking up my rental car, I headed to Whole Foods to stock up on keto-groceries. I hit the mother lode at the location in Scottsdale. Grass fed cheese and bison. Turkey and salad stuff. I even found some sugar free chocolate. I was stocked and ready to go.

The last stop was to eat lunch at Smashburger..

Smashburger is based out of Denver and they're terrific. I had a lettuce wrap burger with avocado, swiss cheese and a fried egg. Delicious! I was now fueled and ready to walk in circles for many hours.

I arrived at Camelback Ranch around 2pm. The loop is 1.03 miles, a chip that attaches to your ankle records your distance. Every 4 hours, the route is reversed. That keeps you from losing your mind.

Camelback Ranch is really pretty, there is a lake and trees and best of all, a real bathroom! With toilets that flush! I never had to use the dreaded Port-a-Lets.

After about 11 hours, I went to my car to take a nap. Despite being in Phoenix, the temps were in the 30's. I cranked the heat until the interior was toasty and piled all my clothes on top of me. I was surprised to find I slept for about 5 hours. When I woke up it was almost 6am!

The next day I had a hotel room (hot showers and a comfy bed!). I alternated between the Ranch and the hotel for the remaining 48 hours.

Despite having tables of food, all I took was water. I only ate the groceries I bought and felt great. At one point in the race, volunteers were standing on the track with open pizza boxes. People would take 3 slices and roll them up like a burrito. The only thing that was tempting was when the big vats of cherry cobbler arrived. I averted my eyes.

Since the race, my ketones have stayed around 1.5 mm. I feel great at that number, no hunger and consistent energy. My goal is to stay around that number for the rest of January.

I'm researching my next race, I think it will be a half in Vegas in March.

100 Day Nutritional Ketosis

challenge begins Monday, Dec 3.

Now that I can get ketone strips for $2 a piece, I think I'll do a long challenge.

My goal is to get my ketones around 2 - 3 . Upon reading other blogs, that number range seems to be the sweet spot for weight loss and well being. I've been on the low side for the past week and notice that some of my cravings are returning. I've also been snacking even though I'm not hungry. This is a slippery slope, I need to do a U-turn before I'm eating pizza and toast again.

My plan is to strictly limit carbs to 50 grams or less. Protein will be 50-60 grams. I'll eat enough fat to be satiated.

I'll keep breakfast to about 10 grams of carbs. This morning I had full fat yogurt with whipping cream. Topped with 1/2 oz of nuts and 1/2 oz of pomegranate seeds. When my ketone levels rise, I know this will carry me until mid-afternoon. Until then, if I get hungry, I'll have a piece of cheese to tide me over.

I do enjoy a glass of red wine in the early evening. A 5 oz glass has about 4 grams of carbs. Wine will stay in my plan as long as I haven't had extra carbs during the day.

If I keep my dinner to around 20 carbs I should be good.

If my ketones don't rise, I'll tweak my plan.

I'll check my ketones about 3pm everyday. I'm braced for a low number this afternoon. The good news is I have nowhere to go but up.

UPDATE...fasting glucose was 84. Ketones were .3. I knew I was out of ketosis by the cravings I've been experiencing for the last couple days. Since Thanksgiving I've been eating too many carbs, I knew the ketone number would catch up with me. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to get back to at least 1 again.

I almost chickened out

and didn't check my blood today.

After yesterday's carb-a-looza, I feared the worse. I finally faced reality and checked under the hood..

glucose..71  (whew)
ketones...8 (could have been lots worse)

On happier news...my ketone sticks arrived from Canada! Here's the website I used  www.universaldrugstore.com

The strips were about $2 each, much better than the US rate of $5 each. I was able to get some bargins on eBay but I hate the auctions. I've never been good at haggling.

Since I have a source for ketone strips that I can afford, I'm thinking about doing a 100 day experiment. I'm curious to see how I would feel if I can elevate my ketones from the .5 range to around 2. I need to buy more glucose strips too.

Hmmm...I need to contemplate my plan...

Beast Mode!

The last of the Thanksgiving leftovers have been eaten.
I have 5 weeks before my 100 mile race.

Time to enter Beast Mode!

Less than 50 grams of carbs a day.
Fast-5
Moderate protein, about 60 grams a day.

It's getting serious now...

I love this video

it's describes LCHF perfectly. And it's funny too..

I made it through my first day of Fast-5 without a hitch. I was so full from Thanksgiving, I could have completed a 24 hour fast.

While in a fasted state I took a 4 hour walk yesterday morning. Today I'm going on a morning hike.

Yesterday my numbers were 71 for glucose and .9 for ketones. The ketone number is slowly moving up again.

UPDATE...On Fast-5 day 2 my fasting glucose is 80 and my ketones slid back to .4. Despite a 1hr hike, my ketones are low. I know it's because I'm eating too much protein and carbs from Thanksgiving. The leftovers will be gone today. Tomorrow I'll be back to my non-holiday foods.

An experiment within an experiment

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas I'm doing Fast-5.

Fast-5 was designed by Dr Bert Herring. It's a form of intermittent fasting. You fast for 19 hours a day, then your "eating window" opens for 5 hours. Since becoming fat adapted, I can go fairly painlessly without food for 19 hours. My eating window will be 2-7pm.

I'm curious to see how daily fasting will impact my ketone numbers. I'll take my readings around 2pm, before my first food of the day. I'm also going to do glucose readings at that time.

Today is Day 1, fasting for 19 hours will be super easy. I'm still full from Thanksgiving!

Damn you Holiday Baking!

My ketone reading is .4 today. I'm out of nutritional ketosis.

I have no one to blame but myself. Yesterday I was experimenting with some LCHF baking for Thanksgiving. Sampling and taking "a small piece" of everything I made.

Even though I used xylitol as the sweetener, I know I had more than 50 grams of carbs yesterday. Probably more like 80-100.

Yesterday, before the bake-fest, my fasting glucose was 71 and my ketones were 1.7.

Today the fasting glucose was 92 and ketones were the dismal .4.

This proves I need to be diligent over the holiday season. It also re-inforces my decision to extend my ketosis experiment.

.4.....dang it.

6 weeks until another race

This one will be a doozy.

It's in Phoenix, a 72 hour race that finishes on New Year's Day. It's aptly named Across The Years.

Last year I did the 24 hour event. This year I'm in for the whole magilla, 3 days. My goal is to complete 100 miles. Because if I do, I get this nifty belt buckle..

That buckle will look very nice sitting in my office. I want it!

My other goal is to stay in nutritional ketosis until the race. Today my ketones were 1.8, that's where I like the number to be. My fasting glucose was 69. Seems to be a correlation between low glucose and higher levels of ketones.

I'm going across the border

to get more ketone strips.

about $2 a strip, that's a bargain!

I ordered 30 more strips from a Canadian Pharmacy. Although I know Canadians are trustworthy folks, I've never placed an international order before. If they do arrive at my doorstep, I'll place a bigger order. In Canada, the strips are about $2 compared to over $5 in the U.S.

I was bidding on 30 strips on eBay but the Canadian ones are cheaper.

If the order arrives without a glitch, I'm going to continue my NK experiment for the next couple months.

UPDATE...received an e-mail that acknowledged my order..that's a good sign.

.The meter never lies

Yesterday I was once again, testing out some LCHF desserts for Thanksgiving.

Today my ketone reading was .6. I'm dangerously close to being kicked out of Ketosis City. 

Although most of the low number is due to my endless sampling, I also took the reading earlier in the day. I usually take the reading around 3pm. Today it was at noon. If I ever get a good stash of ketone sticks, I may take a sample in the am, afternoon and evening. I can only afford to do this once, plus I don't want to stick my finger all day.

Tomorrow my husband and I have a long hike planned. I may take a reading as soon as we're done, to see if my ketones go up after exercise. I did take samples after my marathons last month. I didn't see a significant change.

On a related note, my underwear is getting baggy. Nutritional ketosis rocks! 

Updated food plate

forget that one made by the government. The one that's chocked full of carbs.

This is what it should be..

The only thing missing is a glass of wine.

Fasting glucose..87
Ketones..1.2

My favorite yogurt

Voskos Greek Yogurt

One cup has 20 grams of fat, the highest I've found. It also has 15 grams of carbs and 9 grams of protein.

I've been having some for breakfast, about half a cup, mixed with some heavy cream. I then top it with some berries, coconut flakes and nuts. It's my new favorite breakfast and keeps me going until dinner.

My fasting glucose was 85.
My ketones were 1.4, up from 1.1 yesterday. If I stay between 1 and 2mm I'll be a happy camper.

Nutritional Ketosis is like having a superpower.

Today is an intermittent fasting day. I ate dinner last night around 6pm. It's 4pm the next day, no hunger pangs. Not even a growling stomach. If I didn't know otherwise, I would have thought I'd eaten breakfast or lunch.

Nope, just coffee and water.

I'll be eating dinner in a couple hours. I'll update my numbers later tonight.

LATER THAT DAY..
Fasting glucose..85
Ketones..1.1

I've been working out of town all week. Last night I had some kale salad with chicken. The salad was so delicious, I may have overeaten it. My carbs could have been bumped up, which may explain my low ketone number.

If my number doesn't go up, I may have to tweak my diet. I've been able to have a glass of wine everyday and still stay in ketosis. Also, some 100% chocolate. Sadly, I may have to remove them for the duration of my experiment. I'll see what my readings are tomorrow.

Today's readings

fasting glucose...81
ketones...1.5

And a photo of Rocky..