I have been trying “keto” diet on and off for many years. Started initially to get lean, and then just sort of stuck to it, as was feeling better avoiding the blood glucose spikes and dips associated with carby eating. I am a big eater, I like eating a big meal, and if I do it with carbs, the roller coaster begins. However after doing the “keto” diet for many years, I came to realization that I didn’t feel that super energetic, didn’t have that energy burst I had from high amount of carbs. Also, whenever I fasted, keto like activity, I would always struggle, I would do it, but it would be really hard and stressful. Somehow I decided to buy a blood ketones meter, after playing around with a blood glucose equivalent for a while. My blood glucose was stable, and at or below the 100mg/dL mark, so technically “healthy”, but I didn’t really feel that great. When I measured blood ketones first time, they were at 0.7 mmol, which technically would mean I was in ketosis. I still didn’t feel that great. Eventually I came across the group Paleomedicina (aka Nutriintervention) and they were stating there that in order to be in ketosis you need 2g of fat per each 1g of protein, or around 82% calories from fat and 18% from protein. I didn’t really get it, I WAS in ketosis and was eating much more protein and less fat, what were they talking about. And then I listened to one a podcast, with Shawn Baker (USA carnivore doc) and Csaba Toth (Hungary, Paleomedicina doc), and Mr. Toth specifically said that one needed exactly 50g of fat in a meal, to get to the 1.6mmol ish of blood ketones. It made me wonder. So tried it. And it was magical. I actually tried a meal of 40g of protein, and 80g of fat, and shortly after started feeling amazing, I wasn’t sure what was happening, I had lots of energy, like a kid, some sort of tune was playing on telly and I started dancing (well, bobbing along while walking around the room full of energy), initially I wasn’t sure what was going on, then it hit me, check ketones. When I did, they were at 2.0mmol. From then on I experimented with different protein to fat ratios, and eventually came to conclusion that around 2.2g of fat to 1g of protein is best for me and keeps me at 1.6 and above ketones, and I actually feel the best at 2.0 and above. What this experience taught me is that a “keto” diet is only keto if it gets you in the right levels of ketones for you. When you find that level, and it reliably gives you energy, Bob’s your uncle, you just gave yourself an amazing tool.
Ps. Eating a little bit of fat with EACH BITE really makes a difference. It’s like a teaspoon of fat if liquid or equivalent in solid bite. If you eat the protein first then the fat, it might not works as well, especially if you’re like me and struggle with fasting.
Ps.2, if you’re using the keto diet for weight loss, and it’s not working, do measure the blood ketones, from experience if you keep ketones above 1.6mmol, the weight loss will continue. And as always, there’s art to it.