January Nutritional Ketosis...Are you in the zone?

[BigRunner]

Good morning everyone.

AM Blood Ketones: 2.1
Weight: 201 (up from 200.5 yesterday).

Plan is to check every other day to conserve testing strips. May take an additional here or there when something out of the ordinary happens like: a new food, way too much protein, a few drinks with alcohol, some higher carb vegetables, etc).

The weight bump is normal. I usually bump up and down for a week, then lose a couple of pounds, then repeat.

For now, just keeping tabs on protein and not logging anything. If progress stops, I will have to start logging.

[SFGirl99]

Originally Posted by lowcarbella

does anyone experience crazy heart palpitations in ketosis?as if your heart wants to jump out if ts cage?what makes it go away?

I just experienced it this morning. I was out of ketosis for a few months, gained a lot of weight, and just started getting back into it. I ate a very high fat diet for two days (85 to 90% fat, mostly from Kerrygold butter, coconut oil, MCT, fat bombs and some homemade macadamia nut butter, protein was between 40 to 55 grams, and no carbs other than whatever came from the nut butter, fat bombs, bacon and eggs). Calories the first day were at 1200, the second day around 1600 (I played tennis so I ate a little more than I originally planned).

My fasted blood ketones jumped from .3 on Monday morning to 1.2 this morning. But, I have a headache and heart palpitations! I'm going to add a lot of salt to my broth today and start taking my magnesium and potassium again. Hopefully the flu won't last too long!

I don't know what makes the palpitations go away. I did not experience it the last time I was in strong ketosis. Are you just getting into ketosis? Maybe they will go away after the adaptation period. I hope your palpitations go away soon!

[drjlocarb]

Originally Posted by JMCM1

I am. And I have added broth nearly daily (which tastes great with slices of avocado floating in it, I might add).






I just worry mine is gaining strength!

What about magnisium?

It would be really helpful if they would let you come in when it was happening and draw blood. It's hard to tell what is going on when the symptoms are gone by the time you have blood drawn. Electrolytes self regulate so fast it's hard to find a solution if the symptoms are already rectified.

[JMCM1]

I take 2-400mg. tablets of magnesium glycinate every evening.

I wore a holter (sp?) monitor for 24 hours - they saw no alarming heartbeats, I guess.

Yes it's the electrolyte stuff that I hope I'm not damaging one way or the other.

[clackley]

Good morning all!! Great news people on the ketone readings!! It is wonderful to see how different and yet the same we all are and what issues can affect us in seemingly different ways.

Is that a new podcast with Mark Sisson? I need to get back to listening to my podcasts. I currently have 52 backlogged!

No testing for me today but I did start my thyroid medication as a result of my dr. visit yesterday. We talked about using metformin and at the end of that conversation he said if he were to treat me for anything it would be thyroid as my tsh was out of range. It had been once before (and I didn't know to address it then) and for the past few tests,it has been just verging on the upper end but not outside. The range is .40-3.80 which is pretty huge but mine was 3.83 and enough to warrant treatment. I also have many symptoms but most recently, a rise in b.p.. Still in the normal range but definitely raised.

So weirdly happy about it as it may be a key for me and weight loss. I really need to do some reading on the subject. I guess I should subscribe to the thyroid forum.

[Mobear]

TOM = time of month (menstrual cycle).

[JMCM1]

Originally Posted by clackley

Good morning all!! Great news people on the ketone readings!! It is wonderful to see how different and yet the same we all are and what issues can affect us in seemingly different ways.

Is that a new podcast with Mark Sisson? I need to get back to listening to my podcasts. I currently have 52 backlogged!

No testing for me today but I did start my thyroid medication as a result of my dr. visit yesterday. We talked about using metformin and at the end of that conversation he said if he were to treat me for anything it would be thyroid as my tsh was out of range. It had been once before (and I didn't know to address it then) and for the past few tests,it has been just verging on the upper end but not outside. The range is .40-3.80 which is pretty huge but mine was 3.83 and enough to warrant treatment. I also have many symptoms but most recently, a rise in b.p.. Still in the normal range but definitely raised.

So weirdly happy about it as it may be a key for me and weight loss. I really need to do some reading on the subject. I guess I should subscribe to the thyroid forum.

Oh good for you - I hope you'll be able to see a good change soon! It can take a few weeks to notice, sometimes. I had one friend say she felt better after only a few days.

[UnstrungHarp]

Originally Posted by bjjcaveman

What does TOM mean?

Congrats on consistently high ketone readings!

Also just reading about the Tabata work out is making sweat! I'm destroyed after 2 tabatas already... and your'e doing 5? You must be in phenomenal shape!

TOM = time of the month, which we girls often blame for our lower ketone readings, higher appetites, and higher weigh-ins!

Thanks, but I dunno about phenomenal shape...I don't always keep good form, and some of those 20-second bursts toward the end were in slo-mo compared to the first round. For me, what makes this workout more fun than, for example, sprints or Tabatas on a cardio machine is that the moves are mixed up - not the same thing each time. Stuff like air jacks, power scissor lunges, tuck jumps...most of the moves have your feet in the air more often than on the ground! (So it's certainly not for people who have knee issues.) However, there is more room for "cheating" by not giving it your all...like barely jumping an inch off the ground. And I find myself doing that sometimes. If I ever get through this workout without any cheats at all, I will have something to be proud of!!

[SFGirl99]

Originally Posted by clackley

Good morning all!! Great news people on the ketone readings!! It is wonderful to see how different and yet the same we all are and what issues can affect us in seemingly different ways.

Is that a new podcast with Mark Sisson? I need to get back to listening to my podcasts. I currently have 52 backlogged!

No testing for me today but I did start my thyroid medication as a result of my dr. visit yesterday. We talked about using metformin and at the end of that conversation he said if he were to treat me for anything it would be thyroid as my tsh was out of range. It had been once before (and I didn't know to address it then) and for the past few tests,it has been just verging on the upper end but not outside. The range is .40-3.80 which is pretty huge but mine was 3.83 and enough to warrant treatment. I also have many symptoms but most recently, a rise in b.p.. Still in the normal range but definitely raised.

So weirdly happy about it as it may be a key for me and weight loss. I really need to do some reading on the subject. I guess I should subscribe to the thyroid forum.

No, the Mark Sisson podcast was in February 2012. I just found it last night.

Good luck with the thyroid medication - I hope it helps!

[cici52]

Good morning. I am experimenting today with a little different timetable. Ate boiled eggs for breakfast, BPC for lunch and going to see if I can get through the rest of the day with just fat. This is actually more for my JUDDD DD side of the equation and has nothing to do with NK.

I am now solidly back to my preholiday weight. The one in my profile that thinks it is a brick wall. However, somewhere in my science classes, someone said if you push something hard enough, it will move. A quick google says this is Fudd's first law of oposition. Sorry I can't remember who Fudd is. However, I am pushing hard and feeling very hopeful that tomorrow will be the day to see a new number.

Congrats to all you having great readings and getting back to it after the holidays.

[tablis]

Originally Posted by clackley

Really great advice and the only thing that I would add is that it might take quite a bit of time to come up with the right macros and then to adhere for the length of time it takes to get the results you are looking for. I have read that for some people, it can take up to 6 months.

I also think that if all else has failed, there may be some underlying physical problem that needs to be identified with the help of a physician.

thanks! i hope i cant get this thing sorted out without a doctor bc I never find them very helpful

Originally Posted by lowcarbella

does anyone experience crazy heart palpitations in ketosis?as if your heart wants to jump out if ts cage?what makes it go away?

happens to me also...usually with a feeling of faintness/weakness/dizziness. I worried about it a lot. I've also had a few bouts of all out vertigo during induction in the past but I did a million tests and they found nothing except that my bp sometimes seems to go low and so they told me to drink a lot. Recently when I started feeling dizzy and weird I was told on this forum to eat some salt and it helped!

Originally Posted by UnstrungHarp

I forgot to mention that I'm still somewhat sore, so maybe even the new low weight is a little inflated! I did work out yesterday but am taking today off. Yesterday's workout was Tabatacise, and I jumped in and did the whole workout (you're supposed to start out with just one Tabata and build up to the whole workout eventually, but I am a sucker for punishment!). After a thorough warmup, it's a total of 5 Tabatas that are really about 6 minutes each, rather than 4. The first 4 minutes of each section follow the strict 20/10 Tabata protocol, but after your heart rate recovers slightly, you use the Step for a "recovery blast" - which is easier than a Tabata, but not really much of a recovery! After that, you genuinely recover for several seconds before moving on to the next 6-minute Tabata section. Somewhere in the middle of the fourth Tabata I started questioning my sanity. It was definitely the toughest cardiovascular workout I've done in a long time!

OMG this sounds like so much fun. I am such an WO junkie and have done several similar style routines! I would love to try this but I was so overtraining and had to cut down. I really enjoy and miss kettlebells too

Originally Posted by JMCM1

Exactly. It's one of the things that adds to my worry.
I keep telling my DH how healthfully I am eating and then secretly worry I'm damaging my heart. So I do supplement with avocados and a couple of 99mg. tablets - I know the tablets aren't much, but I feel like I'm doing something.

Honestly, at least for me, and having been thoroughly checked out several times for the heart issue, it's probably a multitude of things at once, NK being only a small part of it.

me too- i worry about this but I can't seem to thrive unless I'm LCing. I have noticed that the symptoms usually come on when I'm in induction without hunger and have forgotten to eat...

Originally Posted by UnstrungHarp

Thanks, but I dunno about phenomenal shape...I don't always keep good form, and some of those 20-second bursts toward the end were in slo-mo compared to the first round. For me, what makes this workout more fun than, for example, sprints or Tabatas on a cardio machine is that the moves are mixed up - not the same thing each time. Stuff like air jacks, power scissor lunges, tuck jumps...most of the moves have your feet in the air more often than on the ground! (So it's certainly not for people who have knee issues.) However, there is more room for "cheating" by not giving it your all...like barely jumping an inch off the ground. And I find myself doing that sometimes. If I ever get through this workout without any cheats at all, I will have something to be proud of!!

This reminds me alot of TurboFire, have you tried it?

Originally Posted by JMCM1

I take 2-400mg. tablets of magnesium glycinate every evening.

I wore a holter (sp?) monitor for 24 hours - they saw no alarming heartbeats, I guess.

Yes it's the electrolyte stuff that I hope I'm not damaging one way or the other.

I also did and they found nothing but I didn't have any symptoms when I was wearing it so its hard to tell. Sometimes I worry about long qt syndrome. Aside from the congenital variety there is a type that can come on intermitently from drug interactions or other causes and they don't always catch it on an EKG or holter bc its not happening all the time...

[tablis]

So I'm on day 2 today with no incident so far. It was a good idea to use induction as a stepping stone into NK. Its a lot less pressure and I'm not worrying about logging anything.
Just eating tons of protein and almost no carbs. Have very little cravings already. I'm also not forcing down the CO. That will be tomorrow. I already feel the brain fog lifting..

kristn, you mentioned somewhere that you get a tingly feeling when you are in ketosis.
does anyone else? I have been for years and I call it my motor running. Its almost like a cat purring only without the noise. I know I'm going to be in (ketostix style)ketosis when I wake up in the am before my alarm goes off, don't feel exhausted and my "motor" is running.

[UnstrungHarp]

Originally Posted by tablis

This reminds me alot of TurboFire, have you tried it?

Yup!! I actually loved TurboFire so much that I did the workouts too often....then I got burned out on the system and decided to trade or sell it for something else. (There are a couple of message boards out there where workout video fans can sell or arrange trades for their used workout DVDs.) I haven't had any takers yet, so maybe it will sit there long enough for me to come back around to it again someday.

[tablis]

Originally Posted by UnstrungHarp

Yup!! I actually loved TurboFire so much that I did the workouts too often....then I got burned out on the system and decided to trade or sell it for something else. (There are a couple of message boards out there where workout video fans can sell or arrange trades for their used workout DVDs.) I haven't had any takers yet, so maybe it will sit there long enough for me to come back around to it again someday.

Hey did you finish body beast? sorry if i missed a post about it - i've been having trouble keeping up

[bjjcaveman]

Hope this is appropriate for this thread.. but since seeing we've been discussing everyone's workout this makes for interesting reading.

I just came across this article today by Robb Wolf in which he defends his position that ketosis and low carb have limits, especially in the setting of high level athletes or people who do highly glycolytic work outs (he includes Crossfit, BJJ!!!, MMA, and other stuff). I also imagine this would probably apply to Tabata heavy workouts.

He was more focused on performance though... rather than weight loss.

[UnstrungHarp]

Originally Posted by tablis

Hey did you finish body beast? sorry if i missed a post about it - i've been having trouble keeping up

I decided not to follow the calendar anymore after the first two weeks, so I guess I didn't technically finish it. But I did it exclusively for a month, then it was around that time that I received the Xtrain workouts and wanted to move on to them. I definitely enjoyed Body Beast and will come back to the workouts again!

[mom2zeke]

Originally Posted by bjjcaveman

Hope this is appropriate for this thread.. but since seeing we've been discussing everyone's workout this makes for interesting reading.

I just came across this article today by Robb Wolf in which he defends his position that ketosis and low carb have limits, especially in the setting of high level athletes or people who do highly glycolytic work outs (he includes Crossfit, BJJ!!!, MMA, and other stuff). I also imagine this would probably apply to Tabata heavy workouts.

He was more focused on performance though... rather than weight loss.

Thanks for posting this! I read it the other day and have been thinking a lot about it in conjunction with Peter Attia's Ketosis part II blog post.

My take away is that if you're a competitive strength or power athlete then ketosis is probably not the best diet to use when training. But it's still uncharted territory and I don't know how much actual research on fat adapted power athletes has been done. As always, people need to eat and train to their goals.

NK has helped me get leaner and lower my BF% while getting stronger. Those are my goals and I'm happy with how it's going so far.

I do think the transition to fat-burning is hard when you're training and there are definitely set backs until you're fully adapted.

[mom2zeke]

Originally Posted by tablis

So I'm on day 2 today with no incident so far. It was a good idea to use induction as a stepping stone into NK. Its a lot less pressure and I'm not worrying about logging anything.
Just eating tons of protein and almost no carbs. Have very little cravings already. I'm also not forcing down the CO. That will be tomorrow. I already feel the brain fog lifting..

for making into day 2! Take as much time as you need to really get into the groove.

kristn, you mentioned somewhere that you get a tingly feeling when you are in ketosis.
does anyone else? I have been for years and I call it my motor running. Its almost like a cat purring only without the noise. I know I'm going to be in (ketostix style)ketosis when I wake up in the am before my alarm goes off, don't feel exhausted and my "motor" is running.

I'm glad I'm not the only one! I was starting to think I was imagining things.

[mom2zeke]

Originally Posted by cici52

Good morning. I am experimenting today with a little different timetable. Ate boiled eggs for breakfast, BPC for lunch and going to see if I can get through the rest of the day with just fat. This is actually more for my JUDDD DD side of the equation and has nothing to do with NK.

I am now solidly back to my preholiday weight. The one in my profile that thinks it is a brick wall. However, somewhere in my science classes, someone said if you push something hard enough, it will move. A quick google says this is Fudd's first law of oposition. Sorry I can't remember who Fudd is. However, I am pushing hard and feeling very hopeful that tomorrow will be the day to see a new number.

Congrats to all you having great readings and getting back to it after the holidays.

for getting back to your preholiday weight!!

[mom2zeke]

Originally Posted by bjjcaveman

What a big ketone jump!

Looks like your body just flipped a switch doesn't it?

Interestingly I've been feeling pretty crummy since yesterday and my ketones seem to be increasing. I think this might be LC flu which I haven't experienced in a while. Headaches, brain fog, achy. I also performed with great mediocrity at kettlebells last night. Hopefully it subsides soon!

[bjjcaveman]

Originally Posted by mom2zeke

Interestingly I've been feeling pretty crummy since yesterday and my ketones seem to be increasing. I think this might be LC flu which I haven't experienced in a while. Headaches, brain fog, achy. I also performed with great mediocrity at kettlebells last night. Hopefully it subsides soon!

I guess this is a good thing?? since it means for sure you're going into keto-land. I am eagerly awaiting your next ketone measurement!

'great mediocrity' I loved this. Very poetic.

To everyone else who is measuring... do you find the measuring first thing in the AM gives you something to look forward to? When I wake up now I can't wait to jump out of bed and test! Almost like Xmas morning.

[UnstrungHarp]

Originally Posted by bjjcaveman

Hope this is appropriate for this thread.. but since seeing we've been discussing everyone's workout this makes for interesting reading.

I just came across this article today by Robb Wolf in which he defends his position that ketosis and low carb have limits, especially in the setting of high level athletes or people who do highly glycolytic work outs (he includes Crossfit, BJJ!!!, MMA, and other stuff). I also imagine this would probably apply to Tabata heavy workouts.

He was more focused on performance though... rather than weight loss.

Thanks for this interesting info! I've previously read some similar articles on the topic and thought...hm, maybe I should consider the idea of carb consumption around workouts...then I remind myself that I'm not a real athlete and do not have to worry about how my performance measures up to anyone else! As long as my workouts make me feel like I'm pushing my own limits, it doesn't matter to me how heavy the weight is or how many Tabatas I can do before collapsing. I know the point of the article is performance rather than fat loss, as you mentioned, so I am in no way going to argue against the idea that carbs can be beneficial in that context... I really have no idea. I just know that NK is where I want to be and am not interested in finding a way to justify getting a "carb load" day or a "cheat meal" into my lifestyle!

If I'm not misunderstanding the idea, as long as the workout subjectively feels like a challenge (lifting to failure, going anaerobic with cardio), the hormonal response is going to be favorable for fat burning. Therefore, even if ketosis makes performance "suffer" (can't lift as heavy, can't sustain high intensity cardio as long), the subjective experience of difficulty is still there and the resulting benefits are the same....right??

And this is just me, but once I got adapted, I really don't think my strength or ability to sustain anaerobic activity is worse than before I started NK. Of course, YMMV, n=1 and all that.

[mom2zeke]

Originally Posted by clackley

No testing for me today but I did start my thyroid medication as a result of my dr. visit yesterday. We talked about using metformin and at the end of that conversation he said if he were to treat me for anything it would be thyroid as my tsh was out of range. It had been once before (and I didn't know to address it then) and for the past few tests,it has been just verging on the upper end but not outside. The range is .40-3.80 which is pretty huge but mine was 3.83 and enough to warrant treatment. I also have many symptoms but most recently, a rise in b.p.. Still in the normal range but definitely raised.

So weirdly happy about it as it may be a key for me and weight loss. I really need to do some reading on the subject. I guess I should subscribe to the thyroid forum.

I cried with relief when my doctor told me my numbers were hypothyroid. Finally there was a reason that I couldn't lose weight and was falling asleep at 6:30 every night (along with a host of other symptoms). There's a lot of good information here on the thyroid forum (and many differing opinions like all the forums here on LCF). Shelley also knows a lot about thyroid and is a good resource.

I'm not sure what you've been prescribed, but if your doctor prescribed T4 only (Synthroid is a common brand name) then it can take 6 weeks or longer to really know if it's working. If you are taking dessicated thyroid or T4 and T3 combined you will feel the effects much faster (the T3 is the active hormone and starts working right away, the T4 is a storage hormone and needs to be converted by your body to T3 to feel the effects).

Some people do fine on T4 alone, but others find that they need both T4 and T3. That's why getting the free T3 and free T4 tested is important. If you are taking T4 and your doctor is only testing TSH and free T4 it's impossible to tell if you're converting T4 into T3 and you can look "fine" on the tests, but still feel quite hypo.

Just some things to keep in mind as you go down this road.

[UnstrungHarp]

Originally Posted by bjjcaveman

To everyone else who is measuring... do you find the measuring first thing in the AM gives you something to look forward to? When I wake up now I can't wait to jump out of bed and test! Almost like Xmas morning.

Yes!! That, and the promise of coffee immediately afterward is enough to make me happy to wake up early.

[mom2zeke]

Originally Posted by bjjcaveman

To everyone else who is measuring... do you find the measuring first thing in the AM gives you something to look forward to? When I wake up now I can't wait to jump out of bed and test! Almost like Xmas morning.

Originally Posted by UnstrungHarp

Yes!! That, and the promise of coffee immediately afterward is enough to make me happy to wake up early.

I'm with the two of you. I even like getting on the scale which I used to loathe.

[UnstrungHarp]

Originally Posted by mom2zeke

Interestingly I've been feeling pretty crummy since yesterday and my ketones seem to be increasing. I think this might be LC flu which I haven't experienced in a while. Headaches, brain fog, achy. I also performed with great mediocrity at kettlebells last night. Hopefully it subsides soon!

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling great! Hope you are just readapting to ketosis and you start feeling better very soon.

[Myles]

Originally Posted by mom2zeke

It depends. My headache had dissipated by last night so I went to kettlebells.

Myles--I don't count myself in ketosis unless my morning ketones are above .5. Since this is all new territory, we're each just doing our own experiment--there is no one right way to do it. The reason I tested in the afternoon on Sunday was because I wasn't getting good morning ketones, but I felt like I was in ketosis in the afternoon. I was just confirming this with the strips.

well, heres something interesting.

This was done just for fun, but at 10:48 pm a few minutes before posting this, my blood ketones read 2.1 - now granted this is around 5 hours after dinner, and in the morning im willing to bet it will be the usual .2 or .3 ..if so......does anyone know what this may mean..or is it meaningless? But ...if i wasn't in fat burning mode (ketosis) - wouldnt this number still be 0 ? Is this a sign of anything obvious that i need to do to be burning ketones while i sleep? The numbers i care about most are those ones that are not moving on the scale, but as i say they arent, so these are the other numbers im having a go at

[tablis]

Originally Posted by UnstrungHarp

I decided not to follow the calendar anymore after the first two weeks, so I guess I didn't technically finish it. But I did it exclusively for a month, then it was around that time that I received the Xtrain workouts and wanted to move on to them. I definitely enjoyed Body Beast and will come back to the workouts again!

Oh i love cathe!

[Mimosa23]

Just stopping by quickly: I am very happy, I have lost a pain free, easy 8.8lbs so far, and cannot believe how good I'm feeling! This is great!

[luigi_uk]

Originally Posted by Mimosa23

Just stopping by quickly: I am very happy, I have lost a pain free, easy 8.8lbs so far, and cannot believe how good I'm feeling! This is great!

glad to hear it