What are Ketone Testing Strips?

Ketone testing strips are strips very similar to a pregnancy testing strip where you urinate on a test strip for a readable result as to whether you have ketones in your system or not, and at what level of ketones.

The strips are made with a special type of paper that reacts to ketones by turning a different colour. Comparing the colour on your strip to an accompanying colour chart will give you a reading of ketones in your urine.

Ketone Testings Strips read the ketones in your urine, in contrast to a keto breath test which reads the ketones in your breath, and a ketone blood test which reads the ketones in your blood.

The Ketone Testing Strips are the easiest and most cost-effective way to read your ketones when starting a keto diet.

What are Ketone Testing Strips used for?

Ketone Testing Strips have the sole purpose to see if your body is producing ketones, through testing the number of ketones in your urine.

How do Ketone Testing Strips work?

If ketones are found in your urine (no matter how small the amount), it means your body is producing ketones, meaning you are in some level of ketosis; and if maintained, you are on the way to becoming fat adapted (fat adaption = using ketones as a preferred energy source, the ultimate goal of keto dieting).

So using Ketone Testing Strips is a great way to give you a guide at the start to see if you are on the right track. They serve as a great tool to provide you with some key performance indicators.

The strips record the ketones your body excretes through your urine, which tells us that your carbohydrate and protein intake is low enough, resulting in your body needing to produce ketones.

The ketone strips are not designed to tell you if you are fat adapted; that will naturally happen if you maintain a state of ketosis. However, the ketone strips are a great guide to use for the first 2–4 weeks, because once you become fat adapted and your body becomes more efficient at using ketones, it will no longer excrete them into your urine at the level it once did.

So the best way to use ketone testing strips is in the first 1–2 weeks to see if your macro intake is correct and as a result your body is producing ketones, then from weeks 2–3 to help you get an idea of how to eat correctly by seeing what impacts your ketones; then eventually identifying that you are fat adapted, by noticing your ketone readings have dropped or been eliminated on the strips even though your eating has stayed the same.

Do I need to use Ketone Testing Strips & what are the benefits?

You never actually have to use any form of ketone testing methods, and you can try to read the signs of your body and stick to the principles of keto dieting. However, from my experience it’s always great to utilise tools like ketone testing strips to see what is going on inside our bodies, as in reality things don’t always go as planned.

For example, sticking to the basic keto dieting principles such as keeping your net carbohydrate intake below 20g, having a moderate intake of protein and having generous amounts of healthy fats, your body should automatically start producing these ketones and you will eventually become fat adapted, right?

This is true; however, it’s easier said than done and here is why:

1. Not everyone measures food the same way; some over measure and some under measure.
2. Not all food contains the exact level of carbs that is displayed on the label; there is a measure of variance allowed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
3. We often miscalculate the conversion of net carbs from gross carbs, and some labels don’t tell you net carbs.
4. Using macro calculation apps to do the macro calculation for you, such as MyFitnessPal, Calorie King or Carb Manager, do not provide the exact number of macros for each ingredient; these are just guides and often guides provided by users.
5. Everyone has a varied carb toleration level. This means that some can have more carbs, yet still get into ketosis, while others have to cut right back and 20g net might be too high. Your carb tolerance level comes from how your body uses carbs and also your eating pattern before starting keto.

Are my testing strips working/why have my Ketone Testing Strips changed suddenly?

There are a few “common” variations when it comes to using ketone testing strips that can be the cause of why your ketone testing strips are not reading the way you expected, keep changing or just won’t get darker.

The point of the following chapters and knowing these variations is not to get you overwhelmed or stressed by having too many things to focus on; however, the information provided is designed to prevent you from freaking out if you do get a sudden change in your ketone readings. With this in mind, here is a troubleshooting guide for when it comes to reading your ketone test results.

The key to testing ketones

The key is not to get fixated on reaching a specific level of ketone readings or to aim to maintain that level all the time. If you aim to have a so-called “perfect” reading, you will become emotionally stressed due to not reaching your precise expectation, and as a result: 1) you will hinder the way your body processes carbohydrates/sugar and produces ketones, resulting in not getting into ketosis or 2) you will adjust your eating, drinking, lifestyle, etc. every time you urinate on the stick and get a different reading, making it hard to troubleshoot as you have made so many changes; or most commonly 3) you might even give up and eat something you shouldn’t because your reading moved or did not reach the level you desired and you became disheartened.

So when it comes to using ketone testing strips, your key objective is to keep within a consistent reading, being above Small 1.5 and below the maximum reading. As long as you are in this range and getting the benefits of ketosis – such as weight loss, increased energy, clarity and improved mood – you’re 100% on track, and if you desire, you can implement small hacks to help you produce more ketones, but only once you get a consistent and stable reading.

Troubleshooting my ketone readings

If you are coming to the end of Week 1 and not showing ketones or finding your ketone readings are still quite low, then here are some troubleshooting tips.

1. You might need to review your ketone testing variations and reread the testing variations chapter. Doing this can give you insight as to why you might be fluctuating or your readings are low.
2. You might need to do something a little extra to boost your ketones. If this is the case, read Chapter 9 on ketone production hacks. However, I advise that you wait until the end of Week 2; by this stage you should be Moderate 4.0.
3. You might need to try a ketone blood tester/reader, especially if you have been following a healthy low carb diet before trying ketosis, as your body might already be in a form of ketosis, and therefore your body is optimising those ketones quite early instead of urinating them out.
4. Most commonly, I find that those people who are having the most difficulty getting into ketosis is due to what I call sneaky foxes. Sneaky foxes are things you eat/drink unconsciously that compromise your carb intake level. For some it’s adding honey to tea, or having a late snack, snacking on veggies, eating some fruit, adding in extra veggies to a meal, picking at nuts all day, having hidden sugars in supplements, having fruit in their water or making smoothies. If you are trying to get into ketosis with a time frame in mind, then it is essential that you either track everything that goes past your lips or follow a pre-calculated meal plan to a tee like the KetoLean 4-Week Kick-Starter Program, at least for the first four weeks.
5. If you have just started the keto diet and have not produced close to moderate readings, then chances are you might be eating more carbs than you realise. This is easily done: it could be due to confusing net carbs to gross carbs, not recording everything you consume, the app you are using not having the right macros entered, or you are selecting the wrong brand within the app. If you are new, it’s always easier to follow a program that has done all the hard work for you. 

Hydration levels: how does hydration impact my ketone readings?

As the ketone testing strips measure the ketones you urinate, hydration plays a big part in what you are urinating.

If you are over hydrated, or more hydrated than you were last time you measured, the results will show up differently: it will show up lighter, reading lower levels of ketones.

If you’re dehydrated, or less hydrated than you were last time you measured, the results will show up differently: it will show up darker, reading higher levels of ketones.

Which is the right reading, which is the wrong reading, and how do you know what’s normal?

The only way you can know what reading to focus on is to know what your natural state of hydration is, then be aware if anything compromises your hydration.

Here is how you find your natural hydration:
The key to staying in optimal hydration is to drink small amounts of water throughout the day, up to 3.5–4 litres.

Here are some of the common things that impact your hydration:

• Have you been drinking small amounts over the day, or did you drink all at once before you measured, flushing out your ketones?
• Have you been more active during the day, or has it been hotter, or have you been in the sun more than normal, making you dehydrated?
• Have you worked out or put added strain on your muscles resulting in muscle soreness, fatigue or inflammation, making you dehydrated?
• Have you been stressed or had poor sleep resulting in dehydration?

You can also look at your urine if it’s dark, smelly or chalky; that often means dehydration. If it’s clear with no colour, that often means you have high levels of hydration; however, a healthy hydration level will show up as clear but with a slight colour to it.

Time of day: what time of day is the best time to test ketones in urine?

The time of day you take your ketone readings is important when aiming to get consistent readings, as your ketone levels will change to reflect your daily habits, such as your eating, sleeping, drinking and training patterns.

Your habits will impact your readings; they will either impact your ketone production or your ability to trace them in your urine.

Eating:

When you eat, you are naturally consuming some level of carbohydrates. This will alter your ketone production as your body wants to burn the carbs first. It does take time for your body to burn carbs, and while they are in your system, your ketone productions will drop, and in time will change the ketone reading in your urine. In our KetoLean 4-Week Kickstarter Program, we avoid this by breaking your carb intake up over the day, rather than having one big meal of 20g of carbs.

Sleeping:

Testing after a longer period of fasting, such as testing in the morning, will minimise the levels of carbs available in your body, resulting in a higher ketone production and reading, just like hydration. Recently, I did a test: I woke up, had about 600ml of water, then later in the morning tested my ketones using the urine strips. In this case I used two testing strips; I tested the first stream of my urine and then the end stream. The results were .8 for the first flow and .4 for the end flow. This really shows how water intake can have a big impact on your ketone readings. This doesn’t mean don’t drink water, as if you don’t it will mean big trouble later in the day; this is just an experiment to show you how you need to be consistent in reading times/habits.

Training:

Similarly, when you train, your body will automatically burn your available carbohydrates/sugars first. People often use fasting and exercise to forcefully deplete their carbohydrate/sugar levels to aid in ketone production.

So the vital part of knowing this is to test your ketones at the same time of the day after doing the same habits of that day; that way you can get a consistent reading.

As testing strips are best used for the first 2–4 weeks and you get 50 in a pack, I recommend testing 2–3 times a day at the same time each day when starting off. It could be morning/midday/evening, then after the first week, once you know your ketone patterns, drop it back to 1–2 times a day, which could be morning and evening.

After week 1 drop back to twice a day!

Remember, just like scales for weighing yourself, do not become obsessed with them. They do not determine if you will get results or not. Sticking the diet out is the only way that will guarantee that you get your results. In my last decade as a weight loss and health coach, I have never seen someone not get their results when they persisted with an open mind.

Time delay: how long does it take for my eating to impact my ketone readings?

A useful tip to know when reading your ketones is that it takes time for your ketone production levels to impact your ketone readings in your urine.

Reading the number of ketones in your urine; these are the ketones your body disposes into your urine stream, the leftover ketones. You need to factor in your ketone production, the use of those ketones, the disposal of the ketones not used, and the time it takes them to accumulate in your bladder.

So just because you cheated with a high carb snack and you’re still in ketosis doesn’t mean you can get away with that all the time. It could be that you got away with it that time, but doing it repetitively will compromise you becoming fat adapted. Or more often than not, the reason you still have high amounts of ketones in your system after a high carb cheat is that it takes time for your body to stop producing ketones and, in turn, for that to reach the readings of your urine/the ketones in your bladder.

So if you eat something you shouldn’t have, don’t expect your readings to drop immediately and if they don’t, then don’t take it as a hall pass. Likewise, when entering back into ketosis or going on a fast, don’t be disheartened if you don’t hit a high reading of ketones within the hour.

How to use your Ketone Testing Strips

There are two ways to use the ketone testing strips: 1) urinate directly onto the strip, or 2) urinate into a container and dip your strip into it.

I prefer to urinate directly onto the strip to avoid having to manage and clean up containers I have urinated in, plus it makes things a lot faster.

However, when urinating on your ketone strip, I encourage you to do it mid-flow, when your flow has slowed down; and try to just touch the strip on your urine rather than holding it under the full flow, as the chemicals on the strip can be washed off and I have noticed lower readings when I urinate full flow directly on the testing patch. A trick I do when urinating on the strip, is to urinate on the opposite side of the testing patch. This means I don’t urinate directly on the strip, but the testing patch still gets exposed to my urine.

Once you have urinated on the strip, compare your readings with that on the container within 45 seconds. I would encourage you to wait longer than 15 seconds but no longer than 45 seconds to get an accurate reading. Then dispose of the strip in your recycling bin.

How to read your ketone levels chart/ what level of ketones indicates ketosis?

Here is a quick guide on how to read your ketone testing strips; we will explain what each level of reading means and how you can change your readings if your reading is not where you want it to be. This reading guide is based on our KetoLean Ketone Testing Strips; however, it may also be used for other testing strips.

If you have been on the keto diet between 0–3 weeks, then this guide will benefit you; however, if you have been on a keto diet plan for 4–6+ weeks and want to increase your ketone readings, then strips might not be best for you. In that case, you might want to try testing your ketones with a keto blood test; however, the only way you will know is by giving testing a go.

What does it mean if my Ketone Testing Strips Read Negative?

This means that you have no traces of ketones in your urine. It doesn’t mean you are not in ketosis or producing ketones it just means that right now they are not making it to your urine.

Action:
Don’t change anything; however, if you have not progressed from here within 3–4 days, then you might need to review your diet and read our troubleshooting guide in chapter 3.

What does it mean if my Ketone Testing Strips read trace 0.5?

This means that you have some traces of ketones in your urine. Your body is starting to notice that your carbohydrate levels are low and as a result it is producing ketones, which have made their way to your bladder. Well done.

Action:
Don’t change anything. If you have come this far, you should progress to Small 1.5 naturally. If you don’t and it’s been more than 7 days, then review the troubleshooting guide. Don’t panic, some people don’t get here until Day 10. If, however, it passes Day 10 and you have done everything in the troubleshooting guide, consider one of the 3 ketone boosting hacks in the next chapter.

What does it mean if my Ketone Testing Strips read Small 1.5?

This means that there are small amounts of ketones in your urine. This is a good sign and right here is where you are most likely to start burning fat.

Action:
From here you should progress up to Moderate 4.0 by Day 10. If not, remember everyone optimises ketones at different rates, so you might be using them effectively meaning they are not making their way to your bladder as waste. So if you are losing weight, increasing in energy and clarity, then hang tight as you are in ketosis. If not, consider one of the 3 ketone boosting hacks in the next chapter.

What does it mean if my Ketone Testing Strips read Moderate 4.0?

This means you are in prime territory; your body is producing ketones effectively.

Action:
This will be your base level. If you go up to 8.0–16 then great, but if not, don’t worry, you are doing fine. You can maintain this position, which naturally most people do; however, if you feel you’re not experiencing keto results by the end of Week 2, consider one of the 3 ketone boosting hacks in the next chapter.

What does it mean if my Ketone Testing Strips read Large 8.0 Dark Purple ketone strips?

You now have a high level of ketones in your bladder. This can be typical especially if you have come off a high carb/sugar diet. Your body just needs time to use the ketones effectively.

Action:
You might find you stay at this level for quite some time. That’s fine; or you might drop slightly back to between Moderate 4.0 and Large 8.0 as your body becomes more efficient at using ketones as your new energy source.

What does it mean if my Ketone Testing Strips read High Large 16.0?

Your body is now discarding an extra large amount of ketones into your urine. This might mean your body is yet to become efficient at burning them or that you are producing too many ketones, and you can increase your carbs slightly.

Action:
If you find yourself in this state over 7 days, it’s suggested that you increase your calories and carbs slightly by adding in a snack or a meal.

Ketone production hacks/how to increase your ketone readings

If you are coming to the end of Week 1–2 and not showing ketones or finding your ketone readings are still quite low, and have covered the troubleshooting points, then here are some hacks to boost your ketones. Or if you have been at Moderate 4.0 for quite some time and really want to boost your ketones and results, these hacks are perfect.

Exercise

I often tell people who are just starting a keto diet to stop all exercise for the first 2 weeks in order for their body to adjust to their new style of eating without placing themselves in a position of stress, hindering their long term results. However, there is one exception to this rule and that’s exercising to forcefully deplete carbs and produce ketones. This is best done in the morning, while not consuming carbs at least 5 hours either side of the workout. It should be only done once, and when exercising aim for a HIT session or interval cardio training of no longer than 30–40 minutes.

Fasting

If exercise has not worked, then a couple of days later you can try fasting for an extended period of time. I have found the best duration is 36–40 hours, and the best time to fast is from 6pm until morning on the second day. That leaves you with around 12 hours of fasting time while you are awake, which (lets be honest) makes fasting a lot easier.

For example, Friday 6pm you have your last meal (preferably a low-carb or no-carb meal), then you wake up Saturday and fast all day and night until Sunday when you have breakfast. By this time your ketones should have drastically increased.

When fasting you need to drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated, and you can also consume as much fat as you desire; however, you can’t have any carbs or protein whatsoever. So, for example, you can have MCT oil, frozen coconut oil fat bombs, bulletproof coffee, black coffee/black tea, etc.

Both

If you have tried both of the above methods and have still not boosted your ketones, then wait two days and try both at once. Fast from 6pm, exercise in the morning, fast for the day, then eat the following morning.

When fasting please do it safely. If you are a diabetic, do it under the advice of a healthcare professional, and if your job involves heavy labour, try fasting on the weekend.

After trying any one of these and boosting your ketones, you can go back to your standard keto diet. If you are still having trouble, I recommend either following our KetoLean 4-Week Kick-Starter Program or talking to a KetoLean Coach.

How do I know I am keto adapted/fat adapted and can stop using the ketoNE testing strips?

As discussed earlier in Chapter 1: What are Ketone Testing Strips used for?,  you will notice that your ketone testing strip readings will drop for no reason, while your energy, focus/clarity and weight loss will still be as they were when your readings were showing, and your body’s craving/hunger will have changed.

Here is an outline of what you might experience:

Weight loss consistency:

When you first enter into ketosis you will lose quite a bit of fluid; however, after Week 2 you will notice a weight loss pattern: a specific amount of weight you lose every few days, weekly or every fortnight. This weight loss pattern should continue even when your ketone levels drop on the urine test. This means you are fat adapted.

Energy:

Within the first week (after the first 4 detoxing days) you should notice your energy levels improve, and by the end of Week 2 you will notice that you’re not tired at the times you used to be. For example, 3:30pm slumps don’t happen, and you feel as if you can stay awake a lot longer than normal without feeling tired. Again if this level of energy stays the same even though your ketone strip readings drop, this means you are fat adapted.

Focus/clarity:

Focus and clarity improvements take place right after the detox phase (4–7 days) and they should continue to increase as you go on. You might even notice a spike in focus and clarity when you become fat adapted. This is because your body is now working on a cleaner, more stable and available energy source: ketones. So if your focus and clarity are high even though your ketone strip readings drop, this means you are fat-adapted.

Cravings and hunger:

When you become fat-adapted, your body will naturally start to look for energy in high-fat foods and as a result no longer crave sugar/high carb foods for energy. Sure you still might have some habitual addictions in place; however, they won’t be driven by headaches, lack of energy or obsessions for those foods. You will also notice you don’t feel like eating as much and prefer to go long periods of time without eating without it impacting on your energy levels. If this happens even though your ketone strip readings drop, this means you are fat adapted.

My Ketone Testing Strips are not working

If you are finding that your Ketone Testing Strips are not working, it may be due to the fact that they have become compromised due to incorrect care; or they are working but you need to review your diet to produce ketones. If it’s the latter, please reread the previous chapters in this guide.

A good way to know if your ketone testing strips have become compromised is if the tip/reading patch has turned brown. The tip/reading patch should be a white or cream colour; however, if it has turned brown it means they have not been cared for as per the care instructions.

In order to prevent your ketone strips from becoming compromised, you need to keep them in a cool place, away from moisture and sunlight and return the cap as soon as possible to minimise exposure to the elements.