Ketone and Glucose meter results - need help

[bikerman]

I am 56 found out about 6 weeks ago I was 4/4. After being freaked out took steps recommended on this website and in Bredesen's book, primarily diet and exercise. I purchased the Precison Xtra meter to measure my "pregoress". My fasting glucose reads 93, about where it was several months ago and before I eliminated all processed foods and sugar, and started exercising like a maniac. I understand that this is moderately high. What should my goal be for fasting glucose level and how do I get it lower?

My Ketone level measured 1.1 mmol/L, within the suggested range, so this means I have achieved mild ketosis, right? Should the goal be to stay in this mild ketosis or cycle on and off.

How often should I take the blood strip tests?

Thanks,

bikerman

[CarrieS]

Hi Kevin,
Slacker answered a question very similar to yours earlier today. I'll paste her answer here as I don't think that I could answer it better.

In the meantime, there is a wealth of information on our website about ketone and glucose testing, as well as insulin resistance (IR); it is not specific for ReCode but general advice.
Please review Stavia's primer and the our wiki for IR. The wiki is also a good initial source of information for ketone testing. You can find our wiki link icon in the tool bar right upper corner of the website.

[bikerman]

From what I get out of the wiki and 50% piece is that intermittent fasting may help to bring down the fasting insulin level for those of us that have a high fasting glucose level, like me. However, it seems to be effective for those people who are "fat". I am the opposite (skinny) with a BMI of 22. So I am not sure if intermittent fasting will help - am trying it now to see - and even if it does I am concerned that I will lose too much weight between the fasting and eliminating all sugars/simple carbs. What should I do?

[floramaria]

Hi bikerman,

It can be tricky to get enough calories to sustain your normal weight when you are doing intermittent fasting, as I know from personal experience. Many people on this site are doing it though. (I always marvel that Tincup can do repeated cycles of fasting for 5 days out of every 14 and maintain his weight over time.) One thought I have is that you could start slowly, with just a 12 hour overnight fast, and see how you manage with that. Once you are doing well with that, you could up it to 13 hours, then 14, if you want. I'd like to do a 16 hour fast every night, in theory, and for awhile, I was doing the 16 hr fast every night, which some people manage quite well, month after month. It is very easy for me to forego meals, and even the times i did multi day fasts, while i was doing them, I felt fine. But though I felt fine, I couldn't keep my weight stable though, so I gave that up. Went back to fasting at least 12 hours each day, sometimes up to 14 and I throw in an occasional 16 hour fast.
My philosophy is to meet myself where I am now, with what I am capable of, without stressing myself too much. Experimenting with your own body and gradually moving in the direction you want to go in is one approach that can work. Also based on what you wrote, I'd suggest tracking your food with something like Cron-0-meter to be sure you are getting enough calories. Handfuls of nuts and pour more oil onto your veggies can pump up the calories quickly.

[Tincup]

I am 56 found out about 6 weeks ago I was 4/4. After being freaked out took steps recommended on this website and in Bredesen's book, primarily diet and exercise. I purchased the Precison Xtra meter to measure my "pregoress". My fasting glucose reads 93, about where it was several months ago and before I eliminated all processed foods and sugar, and started exercising like a maniac. I understand that this is moderately high. What should my goal be for fasting glucose level and how do I get it lower?

My Ketone level measured 1.1 mmol/L, within the suggested range, so this means I have achieved mild ketosis, right? Should the goal be to stay in this mild ketosis or cycle on and off.

How often should I take the blood strip tests?

Thanks,

bikerman

On glucose, given your handle, I assume you work out quite a bit. Fasting glucose can have unusual readings for someone in ketosis and exercising a lot. They go into this quite a bit in this podcast.

Yes you are in mild ketosis. Absent a strong reason (epilepsy, cancer, your brain fog disappears & etc.) for very high ketones, my thought is being adapted and in mild ketosis is a good place. Dr. Mercola would tell you to up your carbs/protein a bit on days you work out, especially strength training. A huge benefit of being even in mild ketosis is that insulin has to be relatively low for ketones to be present in any quantity.

As to testing for ketones, if you have a sense things are fairly static, then no need to continually test. Same with glucose. Testing an hour after a meal can give you an idea of what certain foods do to your glucose, so a pre and post meal test with the post being an hour after eating.

Lastly, ketone strips are expensive. The new Keto-Mojo meter has the same functionality as the Precision, but ketone strips are $0.99 each. I've had both and used to have to order by Precision strips from pharmacies in Australia (name is different - Freestyle Optium - but they still work in the Precision meter - both made by Abbot - just different branding). Even then it was difficult to get less than $1.30/strip.

[judith74]

Hello

I am now a little confused. After 16 hours fasting and exercise my ketones are 1.1 mmol/L. But during the day it goes down to .2 mmol/L.

My question is: Is the goal to reach the ketones optimal level (.5 to 4 mmol/L) just before breaking the fasting or the goal is to try to keep this level during all day?

Thanks!

[Tincup]

I am now a little confused. After 16 hours fasting and exercise my ketones are 1.1 mmol/L. But during the day it goes down to .2 mmol/L.

My question is: Is the goal to reach the ketones optimal level (.5 to 4 mmol/L) just before breaking the fasting or the goal is to try to keep this level during all day?
!

My opinion is that the ability to make ketones and be in ketosis is the important thing. Unless you have brain fog or some reason for therapeutic ketosis (like cancer, epilepsy & etc), where you need to fuel on ketones all the time, trying for high levels of ketones continually is unnecessary. Being able to make significant ketones (which you are) means your insulin is relatively low. This is a good thing. While ketones have important roles as signaling molecules, they may not be important for you.

Remember that beta hydroxybuterate, which is what you are testing in your blood, is a storage form of ketone. So what it is now depends on what it was a while ago less what was used plus what was made. It is not a real time monitor of what is being made. Breath acetone is likely a better metric for this, however most of the breath monitors will also sense methane, so if you eat a lot of fiber, this will also spike the monitor (I had this experience).

Again, if it were me, I'd be happy that I'm keto-adapted, spot test as needed to confirm my status hasn't changed and not worry about it too much.

[judith74]

Thank you so much for your answer Tincup!