Signs of Ketosis on Your Keto Journey
One of the most popular questions in our keto group is how to know the signs of ketosis on your keto journey. Below you’ll find some great tips for helping determine if your body is truly in ketosis.
SIGNS OF KETOSIS ON YOUR KETO JOURNEY
Have you started the Keto diet? You may be wondering when you will be in Ketosis and how to tell. In essence, this high-fat diet raises your ketone levels, which puts you in Ketosis. The idea is that your body switches its fuel from burning carbs to burning fat. Your liver is to thank here as it creates the ketones and then sends them to your brain, so you have the proper fuel to help you get through the day. If you aren’t sure, don’t miss these signs you’re in ketosis.
Understanding how to recognize the signs you are in ketosis is key to losing as much weight as possible on the keto diet. These are the main ketosis symptoms that you’ll have, indicating that your body is in ketosis.
For a complete guide, check out What is Ketosis: Ultimate Guide to Ketosis & Ketones for a more comprehensive post of all things ketones and signs symptoms of nutritional ketosis.
Ketosis Symptoms To Pay Attention To
While these signs of ketosis are the most common, you may also hear people refer to the keto-flu as well. The body’s process has similar flu symptoms but can indicate signs your body is in ketosis.
Here are the other ketosis symptoms and signs to look for:
Obvious weight loss
When it comes to the Keto diet, your body will lose weight. There may be a slow period initially, or you could experience a significant drop in water weight as your body is trying to figure out this lifestyle change. You may notice a greater loss of fat by how your clothes fit more than the scale as you continue. Just remember, the scale isn’t the only measure of success.
I suggest recording measurements along the way as you may experience times where you lose more weight than others. Seeing a loss in inches is a great motivation to press on even if the scale isn’t moving as you feel it should.
You may feel less hungry.
One of the biggest signs of ketosis is that you feel less hungry. Although this isn’t true for everyone, you may begin to feel less hungry in the beginning. It’s quite amazing, really. When you fuel your body with fat, you stay satiated much longer, which means you think about food less. For many, this is a welcome sign as higher carb foods fuel hunger signals.
Crazy sleep cycles
When I first started following a ketogenic lifestyle, I noticed that I wasn’t sleeping well. It seemed to take a long time to fall asleep, and I would wake up all through the night. As with any major diet change, sleep can be interrupted until your body adjusts to this new way of eating. For most, this crazy sleep cycle is fairly short-lived; as you become fat-adapted, the pendulum swings to the other side, and you’ll sleep much better and wake up rested and refreshed.
Trouble in the bathroom
It may take your digestive system some time to adjust as you begin following this way of life. For some, constipation can be an aggravating side effect while others deal with diarrhea. This, too, should be temporary as your body gets used to digesting the foods in this new way of eating. For others, their digestive system may go in the other direction, and they may experience loose bowels, which should also resolve.
You may discover you have bad breath and a dry mouth.
Ugh, no one wants to know if they have bad breath, do they? This may be one of the clear signs of ketosis along with dry mouth. The elevated ketones in your body are to blame for this bad breath. Is it worth it? Yes. Knowing you’re getting healthier, bad breath is a small side effect. Many people on the Keto diet also have said that their bad breath didn’t stay long. Yay!
Measuring ketones
Being on the Keto diet does not mean you HAVE to measure ketones, but you can check for them, and there are several ways to do this. One way is a blood ketone monitor; it can help you determine if there are ketones present in your blood. You can also get Ketone strips to help you determine if there are ketones in your urine. The blood ketone monitor is expensive, although it is much more precise in measuring ketone levels. I use the urine ketone strips now and then with an understanding that they aren’t completely accurate. You can choose which way you prefer to measure ketones. You can also go without up to you!
Which of these signs of ketosis was most noticeable to you on your journey?
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I have been doing the keto diet for 12-16 weeks now and I cannot stay in ketosis. One day I will show moderate the next no trace. I am counting macros and stay under in carbs and under in protien and hit the fat needed. I use MCT oil in coffee every morning. I have no idea what I am doing wrong. Any suggestions?
If you are testing your urine those strips become increasingly less reliable the longer you are following keto because your body begins to use the ketones more efficiently and does not spill so much. The better question is how are your close fitting? Have you lost weight? How do you feel? I would not use those strips as a gauge of success. If you want to check ketone levels very closely I would get a blood ketone meter for true accuracy. Personally, I rarely test and I don’t track macros and I’ve still got results. I just don’t have the brain space for all the calculations.
Try measuring your Ketones about 30min after you have dinner. That is when mine are the highest. If I do it in the morning they are there but much lower than after dinner. When you eat, ketones are released by your liver into your urine. Hope that helps.
When i first started doing the dieting, On Sept 14th 2018, I was on the Total Life Change Diet, I lost 16 pd, That got to costly, so I decided to try the Ketos diet, well right off i gained 3 pds, but now i have lost 2 of those pds, but seems to not losing any more , so i don;t know what i am doing wrong
So many factors Katy. I wish I could pinpoint exactly what is going on but really difficult since everyone’s journey is different. Best of luck on your journey!!
Hi Kasey,
New to Keto so I thought I would try some of your receipes, they all look so yummy.
I am going to try the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins and it calls for Pumpkin Puree,
is that the can of pumpkin pie filling you get from the grocery, because I am looking at the ingredients and it has per 1/2 cup 10 carbs 3 fibers and 5 grams sugar.
Nope, two different things. Pumpkin puree is 100% pumpkin with no added ingredients.
Make sure it says pumpkin NOT ready to make or pumpkin pie MIX. it will be the consistency of mashed sweet potatoes, not soupy or flavored.
I am new to Keto and I have loved it so far. Is there an upcoming challenge that I can participate in? I really need support because I am the only one in my family trying Keto and I just feel alone in the process. Thank you!
We will be starting a new challenge this summer. Make sure to follow my page for details.
Just started Keto and on day three. I noticed that my urine color was getting clearer and today it is this funny shade of mid/dark yellow. What does that mean?
Hey, Kimberly, not sure I have an answer for you on this one. Sorry!
I’ve been doing keto for about 6 months. I follow it pretty well but don’t do the calculations because they confuse me. I’ve lost no weight and my clothes fit the same as they have in the past. I only have 20 lbs. to lose but no luck. Ideas please.
If you google “weight loss stall” on kaseytrenum.com, you’ll find a post I wrote that might be helpful.
Me and my husband have been on keto since dec 1st he has lost 35 and myself 22 it has been a big change for us me especially I cook now he even got me new pans so we decided we would just have us whatever we wanted and it make us both sick so no more junk just our good food Keto oh and we both have dropped 2 sizes in our Jeans 😍
How wonderful! I’m so happy for both of you that keto is making a difference in your lives.
I use a keto breathalyzer. I LOVE it and it’s VERY accurate! I paid a little more and didn’t go with the $50-60 ones because the sensors will eventually stop working. I got the one that the company will actually replace the sensor after 300 uses. It’s a fantastic Keto tool!
Great! That sounds like a good deal.