# How to know if you are in keto?



## nkira (Apr 27, 2009)

Is there any way to know if one is in keto state?

By googling I came to know that you can use Ketostix detect the presence of ketone bodies in urine.


Any one, any experience with this?


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## Unreal (Apr 27, 2009)

Walgreens sells keto test strips.


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## Built (Apr 27, 2009)

Yep.


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## largepkg (Apr 27, 2009)

Yep, any drug store sells them. Just pee and read.


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## nkira (Apr 27, 2009)

Well, in what range the reading should be?


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## danzik17 (Apr 27, 2009)

Just out of curiosity, why do you care if you're in keto?


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## Built (Apr 27, 2009)

He's experimenting to see if his migraines settle down. Mine disappeared eight years ago when I did Atkins and stayed in ketosis for about 8 months. 

They never returned. 

I had endured them from the age of 11 to the age of 38.


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## nkira (Apr 28, 2009)

Exactly what Built said. danzik17 you have to have migraine to know the agony of it. It's suicidal, I really respect the people who pull through it.

Built, 27yrs of migraine, that's really long time, my sympathies.

Will it help the epilepsy in same way? 

danzik17, check out the other thread if you are interested. 

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/open-chat/99021-any-one-migraine-cluster-headache.html



Built said:


> He's experimenting to see if his migraines settle down. Mine disappeared eight years ago when I did Atkins and stayed in ketosis for about 8 months.
> 
> They never returned.
> 
> I had endured them from the age of 11 to the age of 38.


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## largepkg (Apr 28, 2009)

nkira said:


> Well, in what range the reading should be?



Maybe the sticks are different now but when I used them they only showed the color purple (I believe) when you were in ketosis. No range.


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## nkira (Apr 28, 2009)

Okie, I'll be getting some stix & then post the feed back. I read some where that, 

"Ketostix are not necessary for experienced ketogenic dieters, who can easily tell whether they are in ketosis or not from how they feel and the metallic taste in their mouth" Is that true? Any one experienced that?


Any good thread to read & learn about Keto?


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## largepkg (Apr 28, 2009)

I'm no expert on Atkins style dieting although I ran the diet many times successfully. I could definitely tell when I was in ketosis. I had a bad taste in my mouth and my hunger subsided considerably. Also after a few days I had more energy.

I still pissed on the sticks to make sure though. They're cheap enough.


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## nkira (Apr 28, 2009)

Worth reading http://tsampa.org/training/blog/archives/2006/10/

The article also mentions Lyle McDonald.

There's a movie on ketogenic diet & epilepsy!!!

"...First Do No Harm is a 1997 television film, directed by Jim Abrahams, about a boy whose severe epilepsy, unresponsive to medications with terrible side-effects, is controlled by the ketogenic diet"

â???¦First Do No Harm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## nkira (May 8, 2009)

Well I just got my keto stix, pissing tomorrow  

Is it time bound like "test only in morning"?


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## Zeus100 (May 8, 2009)

It's up to you but like other things, it's good to be consistent. When I've  used them in the past, for the first few days I would use them 3-4 times, to so how the response changed (if it did). I always liked the response better in the morning.

Why?
Keep in mind a Ketostix will give you an indication of ketone concentration, so that can be influenced by food or water consumption. (ie on a day you drink a tonne of water, be ready for a low concentration)


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## Built (May 8, 2009)

Ketones may also disappear after you train (because you will have burned them off) - then reappear even stronger later on.


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## nkira (May 9, 2009)

Well mine came negative, so now I need help to get into keto phase....I am all ears.


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## Built (May 9, 2009)

Crank the fats. Try for a gram of fat and a gram of protein per pound lbm (don't go super high on protein for now), keep carbs very low (under 50g) and do a depletion workout today and tomorrow.


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## nkira (May 9, 2009)

Noted. Will it be okay if I do the depletion on monday? sat n sun are my non lifting days. 

I need guide lines for depletion workout.....will it be ok that I increase the reps but keep the routine that you suggested here

10-12 rep range ok?



Built said:


> Crank the fats. Try for a gram of fat and a gram of protein per pound lbm (don't go super high on protein for now), keep carbs very low (under 50g) and do a depletion workout today and tomorrow.


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## Built (May 9, 2009)

Click the link in my sig where I have my UD2.0 setup. My depletion workout is in that spreadsheet. 

They aren't heavy workouts - they're long, pump-training workouts that are there to deplete glycogen, not to make you sore.


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## nkira (May 10, 2009)

Noted....will start from Monday.

Built, less than 50g crabs IS tough!! Most of the food I eat has at least some carbs.

This also means I have to drop my daily 2 scoop dose of SANN V12 Magnum as it contains 27g carbs, meanwhile I am considering starting SANN Fierce till the end of keto.

Can you please list some very low carb food choices?


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## Built (May 10, 2009)

meat
eggs
fish
fibrous veggies such as broccoli, cabbage, romaine, cauliflower, spinach, Brussels' sprouts, avocados <- extremely wonderful for the healthy fat and the fibre

Also, butter, olive oil, ghee, most cheeses, oily nuts such as macadamias and walnuts, coconut and coconut oil, nut butters.

For your particular experiment nkira, LOAD the fat. If you see the fitday breakdown, you should see 65% or more of your calories coming from fat, and around 5-10% from carbs. Ignore calories for now, just get that fat HIGH!


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## nkira (May 11, 2009)

Sounds good, If everything is inline the by when should the strip test should be +ve?


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## leg_press (May 11, 2009)

Umm dont mean to sound dense, but what does keto mean?


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## nkira (May 11, 2009)

Built, I just finished reading your UD2.0 setup. I need subs for following as I do not have the gym setup for these specific workouts,

Seated Cable Rows
Leg Extension (I have the equipment but it's got some issues with hinge point.)

Can I use front squats as sub for Leg Extension?

What exactly are SHELC?

Your UD2.0 consist of total 16 exercises (from cell 3 to cell 16, all are to be done for depletion or are the last 8 exercises the variation?



Built said:


> For your particular experiment nkira, LOAD the fat. If you see the fitday breakdown, you should see 65% or more of your calories coming from fat, and around 5-10% from carbs. Ignore calories for now, just get that fat HIGH!



Ok, I get the high fat plan but is it Ok if total calories go above the maintenance? Considering Fat 65% Carbs 5-10% Leaves only 25% for Proteins.

Just want to confirm.


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## Built (May 11, 2009)

Don't get too hung up on the percentages, but yeah, unless you're trying to lose weight, don't get hung up on the calories, at least not for your "keto-migraine" experiment. 

You won't need as much protein on a high-fat keto plan as you would on a low-fat keto plan. Just to clarify, don't combine this with UD2.0 - you can't serve two masters, pick which one you're fiddling around with for now. I know you're just looking at the depletion workout, I'm just re-stating. 

Re the depletion workout, you do a full-body depletion workout, 3 sets of basically 20 reps, then do the whole workout again. I offer the second 8 exercises as a variation on the first 8, mostly out of boredom. 

Front squats are fine. SHELC are supine hip extension leg curls (google it, it's on a swiss ball). You can just do leg curls if you prefer.


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## nkira (May 11, 2009)

I want to do the keto-migraine experiment, but I am not sure about the duration of it.

I was worried about nutrition partitioning, thats why I asked the calorie count question.

So when I am into UD2.0, how many times a week is the whole body workout?

While doing this keto-migraine experiment i'll be following the routine that you suggested here  I hope that is Ok.


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## Built (May 11, 2009)

You absolutely may, but you may wish to reduce the training volume while you get the diet sorted out. You won't have much glycogen so the pumps and the endurance won't be there for the higher reps or volume.

For the keto experiment, while you're on maintenance calories, you can train any way you feel comfortable but you might simply prefer to do this for a few weeks, every second or third day:

*Workout 1*
Squats 3x5
T-bars 3x5
Bench 3x5

*Workout 2*
Hang clean and press 3x5
Romanian deadlift 3x5
Weighted chins 3x5

This is basically how I train for PSMF (I train every third day on PSMF), although on PSMF I'm on about half maintenance. You will be on higher fat AND at maintenance, so you may feel fine the other way but I'd do the abbreviated version I've posted for the first week or two while you sort out the eats.


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## nkira (May 12, 2009)

Built, I think I will have to postpone the keto-migraine experiment as I HAVE to run my Accutane cycle....so I cant go high in fats.

Last time I complete the cycle my triglyceride count went through the roof!! & that was with out high fat diet.

I am bit worried about the triglyceride count...

Even after I complete the cycle it took around 3 months to get the triglyceride count in normal range, btw I was not into any training at that time.


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## Built (May 12, 2009)

My skin cleared up with keto. Many people experience this.


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## nkira (May 12, 2009)

Really!! I HAVE to research this before I start with accutane, Its so much better to eat all the fats n be in keto & look great!! 

This is great news!!



Built said:


> My skin cleared up with keto. Many people experience this.


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