Question about Ketosis and Carbs

I've done some research, but would like personal experiences and opinions. My carb intake bounces between 20 and 45 for the day. I'm concerned that I'm bouncing myself in and out Ketosis. I have read that below 30 per day is the sweet spot, but some days I'm veg heavy or have a 1/4 or a 1/2 of a whole wheat tortilla so my carbs are closer to 40 or 45. I don't do actual Keto (my fats run between 25 and 40 for the day).

Has anyone else that follows a low carb regimen had a problem with this? Opinions, thoughts? All are welcome.

Thank you,

Diane

Honestly, during WL phase I never really cared as long as the WL continued. I mean, I limited carbs plenty but I didn't care if I was actually in Ketosis. But, I bought keto strips to test my urine and often was spilling a good amount of ketones.

I will get some ketone sticks. However, my main concern was does it mess with you body if you do go in and out or is ok? I'm not terribly worried about staying in, but don't want to mess up by fluctuating if that might hurt me in the long run.

I have had to do some research on this because my body does not tolerate ketosis. The literature indicates that most people go into ketosis somewhere below 50g of total carbs/day. Everyone will be different, of course, but that's the rule of thumb I've been able to find. I have been able to stay out of ketosis shooting for 80-100g/day.

There are urine dipsticks you can get at the pharmacy or online that will tell you if you're producing ketone bodies, which is indicative of being in ketosis.

Thank you, I will get some sticks and check. I've been dizzy a couple times this week, but it may be due to a couple of stressful things that have happened.

What were your symptoms that clued you in to not tolerating Ketosis?

It's essentially like the "carb flu" people normally get for a few days when starting a low carb diet, but it's many times worse and doesn't seem to go away (though admittedly the longest I've been able to stand it is a little shy of 2 weeks). I get to the point I simply cannot function mentally, I feel completely wrung out, body aches all over, shaky, and dizzy. I also tend to get very hypoglycemic, with blood sugars in the 40s and 50s.

Luckily, with therapy I've addressed my emotional eating (mostly) and stopped my budding binge behavior. So I'm not finding carbs to be a trigger for uncontrolled eating. :)

Thank you for sharing with me. Makes me feel better about my carb intake. I'm not experiencing anything but the couple bouts of head spinning which is probably stress. Thanks again and I'm glad you are in a better head space!

Are you on blood pressure medication? If you are, as you lose you won't need as large a dose and it may need to be adjusted.

That's a good point. I had to drop one of my two meds within about a week of surgery, and the other one dropped about 6 weeks out. I was getting dizzy and lightheaded because it was pulling my BP too low once it wasn't needed.

Always consult your doc before adjusting BP meds, of course.

When I started out, I was on 7 medications for BP. I'm down to 3 and those are at reduced amounts. I take my BP every day and log it for that specific reason. I now average 114/67 (last couple of weeks). I only take it in the morning, so that is a good idea. Next time I feel dizzy, I will check it. I may be dropping later in the day.

You guys are wonderful! Thank you for all the good ideas!