When Tracking Helps, and When It Just Adds Stress

First, the part that actually matters

If you do one thing, do this: get your carbs very low and keep them there. That is what brings your insulin down, and lower insulin is what drops your blood sugar and lets your body burn its own fat. Everything else on this page is optional.

I want to say that plainly, because I have watched women quit before they started. They read that they need to weigh their food, hit exact macros, log every bite and prick their finger twice a day, and they decide the whole thing is too much. Honestly? For a first week, they are right.

So here is where I actually stand on tracking. It is a tool you pick up when you have a question your food alone cannot answer. If you cut the carbs and your blood sugar comes down and the weight moves, you do not need any of this. Carry on.

But if you have been eating low carb for a couple of months and nothing is budging, tracking is how you find out why. That is the job it is good at. Treat this post as the reference for when you get to that point, not a to-do list for day one.

When tracking earns its place

Tracking is not the diet. It is a way to see what you are really eating on the days your results and your best guess do not agree. Here is when it is worth the bother.

1. Your carbs are not as low as you think. This is the common one. Salad dressing, a handful of nuts, the cream in three coffees. A few days of logging shows you the gap between what you meant to eat and what you ate. Once you have seen it, you usually do not need to keep logging.
2. You have stalled. It worked for a while and now nothing is moving. Two or three weeks of tracking turns “I have no idea why” into a number you can do something about.
3. You suspect you are low on protein. Most of the women I work with are, and they feel it as constant snacking. Protein is the one number I think is worth a look early on.
4. Packaged keto food is in your basket. The “only 1 net carb” on the front of the box is often nonsense. Count total carbs instead of net and you will see it right away.
5. You and I are working together. When I can see your food and your numbers side by side, I can tell you something useful instead of guessing.

If none of those sound like you, skip it. Keep the carbs low and get on with your day.

The Role of Ketosis in Managing Pre-diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes

Shifting your body into a state of ketosis by adopting a ketogenic diet can make a real difference for managing pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Here’s how this metabolic state supports better health outcomes:

1. Improved Insulin Sensitivity: At the heart of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes lies insulin resistance, where the body’s cells don’t respond effectively to insulin. This inefficiency leads to high blood sugar levels. Ketosis helps by decreasing the body’s demand for insulin since fewer carbohydrates need to be put into storage. Over time, this can improve your body’s insulin sensitivity, making it easier to manage or even reverse pre-diabetic and diabetic conditions.
2. Stabilized Blood Sugar Levels: By significantly reducing carbohydrate intake, the ketogenic diet helps lower blood sugar levels. In ketosis, the body relies on fat for energy instead of the sugar from carbohydrates. This shift leads to more stable blood sugar levels throughout the day, reducing the spikes and crashes often caused by high-carb meals. For those managing pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, stable blood sugar levels are crucial for long-term health.
3. Weight Loss and Metabolic Health: Excess weight, particularly around the abdomen, is a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes and a sign of insulin resistance. Ketosis not only aids in weight loss by utilizing fat as an energy source but also helps in reducing fat stored around vital organs. This weight loss can improve metabolic markers, such as cholesterol, fatty live, and blood pressure levels, further benefiting individuals with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
4. Enhanced Energy and Well-being: Beyond the numbers, many report feeling more energized and less hungry on a ketogenic diet. This is because fat provides a more stable source of energy than carbohydrates, and ketosis helps regulate hunger hormones, making it easier to manage appetite. Improved energy levels and satiety can make it easier to maintain lifestyle changes that support diabetes management.
5. A Sustainable Approach to Health: For many, the ketogenic diet provides a sustainable way to manage their condition without the constant monitoring and medication adjustments required by traditional high-carb diets. With the right guidance and commitment, individuals can see significant improvements in their blood sugar control and overall health.

How to Track and What to Track

If you have decided tracking is worth it for you right now, here is how it works. Skip to the next section if you are not there.

Tracking Macronutrients:

Carbohydrates: The primary focus on a ketogenic diet is to limit carbohydrates to a level that allows your body to remain in ketosis. Typically this is between 20-50 grams of total carbs per day. Tracking every gram matters since even small amounts can affect ketosis.

Fats: Since fats will make up a significant portion of your diet, tracking intake helps ensure you’re consuming enough to stay in ketosis and support energy needs without overdoing it.

Proteins: Essential for muscle maintenance and overall health, protein needs to be consumed at every meal and I recommend a minimum of 30g at each meal. Finding your sweet-spot for protein takes trial and error and tracking helps with this.

Tools for Tracking:

Use digital food tracking apps to log your meals and snacks. These apps can help calculate your daily intake of carbs, fats, and proteins, adjusting as you input different foods. I like the Cronometer app as I find the entries for foods are very accurate.

Monitoring Glucose and Ketones:

Glucose Monitoring: Regularly checking your blood glucose levels can give you insights into how different foods affect your blood sugar. A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) provides real-time data, showing trends throughout the day. Alternatively, the finger prick method is a reliable way to test blood sugar levels, though it provides less continuous data.

Ketone Testing: You do not need to test ketones to get results. How you feel, and what your blood sugar is doing, will tell you plenty. If you do want to test, blood is the accurate way, with something like the Ketomojo that reads glucose and ketones both. That is the one I use. Urine strips get less reliable the longer you have been at this. And a ketone reading is not a report card. Chase the results, not the number.

Interpreting Your Data:

Understand what your target ranges should be for glucose and ketones. For glucose, standard of care suggests you aim for levels typically within the range of 4.0-7.8 mmol/L (72-140 mg/dL). When you work with a coach like me to reverse metabolic disease, I am going to suggest you aim to keep your blood sugars under 5.6 mmol/L (100mg/dL). Also, your blood sugar should not rise more than 30mmol/L when you eat a meal. If it rises more than this, re-evaluate your meal and other things going on at that time.

For ketones, levels between 0.5-3.0 mmol/L indicate nutritional ketosis, the optimal range for most on a ketogenic diet. If you want to read more on this, KetoMojo has a great article on these levels and you can read it HERE.

Adjusting Your Diet Based on Data:

Use the information from tracking macros and monitoring glucose and ketones to fine-tune your diet. If you notice certain foods spike your glucose levels or kick you out of ketosis, adjust your intake accordingly as those foods may not work for your body right now.

Remember, the goal is to find a sustainable pattern that keeps you in ketosis, manages your blood sugar levels, and feels satisfying.

How Long Should You Track?

One of the most common questions from those new to the ketogenic diet is, “How long do I need to keep track of my macros and health markers?” The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all, but tailored to each individual’s journey and goals. Here’s a guide to help you work out your tracking timeline:

• The Initial Phase:

Start Simple: If you are brand new, do not track. Get the carbs down and give it a few weeks. If you want one piece of data in that stretch, log your food for three ordinary days, not to hit a target, just to see where your carbs actually land. Most people are surprised. Then put the app down.

• The Adjustment Phase:

Tweaking as You Go: As you become more comfortable with the diet and your body’s responses, you might adjust how frequently you track. This could mean focusing more on foods that you know fit your macros well, while still periodically checking to ensure you remain in ketosis. If you are managing pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, keeping an eye on your glucose is the one worth continuing. Ketones you can leave alone.

• The Maintenance Phase:

Finding Your Rhythm: After several months, tracking every bite may not be necessary. Many find a rhythm with a set of go-to meals that fit their macros. However, periodic checks are useful, especially if your weight loss plateaus or your health markers change.

• Lifelong Monitoring:

Sustainability: Nobody needs to log every meal forever, and I would not ask you to. What lasts is knowing roughly where your carbs sit. Coming back to tracking for a week here and there, when something changes or you have drifted, does the same job without the daily grind.

When to Be Extra Vigilant:

• Portion Creep: It’s easy for portion sizes to slowly increase without you noticing, a phenomenon known as “portion creep.” Regularly measuring and weighing your food can prevent this, ensuring you’re consuming the right amount of macros as you intended.
• Hidden Carbs: Some foods, like dressings, sauces, and even some vegetables, contain what I call “sneaky carbs.” These can add up without you realizing it, potentially knocking you out of ketosis. Continual tracking helps identify these hidden sources of carbs.
• Nutrient-Dense Foods: Foods like nuts are incredibly nutrient-dense and easy to overeat. A small handful can contain a significant amount of calories and carbs, potentially stalling your progress if not accounted for.
• Long-Term Management: After the initial phase, you may wonder if you need to track forever. For many, a periodic tracking approach works well, tracking diligently for a few weeks, then taking a break. However, during times of change or if progress stalls, returning to tracking can help identify issues and get you back on track.

If you are working with me, tracking gives us something real to look at together instead of both of us guessing. That is the main reason I ask for it, and I will tell you when you can stop.

The goal was never to track. The goal is to eat in a way that keeps your blood sugar down without you having to think about it much. Tracking is scaffolding. Take it down once the building stands.

Monitoring Glucose and Ketones

For those following a ketogenic diet, tracking glucose and ketones gives you feedback on what’s working and what needs to be adjusted. Understanding these metrics and their ideal ranges matters for making sure your diet is steering you towards your health goals.

Glucose Monitoring: Blood glucose levels reflect how much sugar is in your blood at a given time, providing key insights into how your diet affects your blood sugar control.

Ranges: For individuals without diabetes, typical fasting blood glucose levels will be between 3.6-5.0 mmol/L (65-90 mg/dL) and less than 6.7 mmol/L (120 mg/dL) two hours after eating. For those with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes your levels will be higher. Set a goal of maintaining levels as close to non-diabetic ranges as possible is recommended through a ketogenic lifestyle.

Ketone Monitoring: Ketones are made when your body burns fat for fuel, so a reading confirms the switch has happened. Handy to see once. Optional after that.

Measuring Ketosis: Nutritional ketosis is typically defined by blood ketone levels ranging from 0.5 to 3.0 mmol/L. This range indicates that your body is in an optimal fat-burning state, suitable for weight management and metabolic health improvement. Check out that article on KetoMojo I linked above.

Let’s talk about ketoacidosis for a moment as many confuse this with ketosis. Ketoacidosis is when you have high blood glucose AND high levels of ketones. Take my husband Dan for example. Dan and I were doing a 72 hour fast and near the end of that 72 hours, his ketones were over 8.0 mmol/L. Many would panic seeing this, but here’s the thing, his glucose was 59mg/dL (3.2 mmol/L) and he felt FANTASTIC! Now, if his sugars were high with that ketone number, he would not have felt good, and it would be a trip to the ER. I will add that Dan does not have any metabolic health conditions, but he still monitors.

Generally, if you are pre-diabetic or type 2 diabetic and you follow a ketogenic diet, your glucose SHOULD come down when ketones go up. This is why you test AND self-monitor, so things don’t go the wrong way. Work with your doctor and find out what levels they find acceptable.

Monitoring Methods:

Glucose: A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) or traditional finger-prick blood tests can be used to monitor glucose levels. CGMs offer the advantage of providing real-time data and trends over time, while finger-prick tests provide specific point-in-time readings.

Ketones: Blood ketone testing is the most accurate method for assessing ketosis. Devices like the Keto-Mojo offer dual glucose and ketone testing capabilities. While urine strips can measure ketones, they are less reliable over time as your body becomes more efficient at utilizing ketones for energy.

The Importance of Dual Monitoring: Understanding the relationship between your blood glucose and ketone levels is key to personalizing your ketogenic diet. Monitoring both allows you to:

• Adjust your diet based on real-time feedback on how different foods and activities affect your levels.
• Identify and manage the “sneaky carbs” that might inadvertently increase your blood sugar levels.
• Optimize your fat intake to maintain nutritional ketosis while ensuring your diet supports your overall health and wellness goals.

Common Struggles with Tracking and How to Overcome Them

Say you have looked at the list above and tracking makes sense for you right now. Here is what usually makes people give it up, and what helps.

Time Constraints

Struggle: Many feel they don’t have enough time in their day to log every meal or snack. Life is busy, and adding another task can seem overwhelming.

Solution: Streamline the process by using apps like Cronometer that allow you to quickly scan barcodes, create favourites, or import recipes. Consider dedicating a few minutes each morning or evening to plan and track your meals for the day. Remember, investing a little time now can save you a lot of time and health complications down the road.

Measuring Fatigue

Struggle: Initially, weighing and measuring food portions can be daunting and annoying. Over time, it’s common to get sloppy, eyeballing portions instead of measuring, leading to inaccurate tracking.

Solution: Periodically recalibrate your eye by measuring out portions again, especially for high-calorie foods like nuts and dairy products like cheese. Remind yourself why accuracy matter. It’s easy for those “sneaky carbs” and extra calories to add up, stalling progress or leading to weight gain.

Overlooking “Sneaky Carbs”

Struggle: It’s easy to forget that carbs can hide in less obvious places like dressings, sauces, and even foods marketed as “low carb.”

Solution: Make it a habit to read labels and enter everything into your tracking app. Knowledge is power, and knowing exactly what you’re consuming can help avoid unintentional overconsumption of carbs.

Resistance to Tracking

The Struggle: Let’s face it, tracking every bite can be tedious, and there’s a natural resistance to the perceived hassle, especially on busy or stressful days.

Solution: Ask yourself what question you are trying to answer. If you can name one, keep going until you have the answer. If you cannot name one, that is your sign to stop. Tracking you resent is tracking you will quit, and quitting the app has a nasty habit of turning into quitting the food too.

Handling Nutrient-Dense Foods

Struggle: Foods like nuts and dairy, while keto-friendly, are also very nutrient-dense and easy to overeat. A handful of nuts or a few splashes of heavy cream in your coffee can significantly impact your daily macros. I know about this one – I was the girl who liked a bit of coffee with my cream!

Solution: Use measuring tools and a scale to ensure you’re not inadvertently consuming more than you intend. It’s also helpful to portion out snacks ahead of time rather than eating directly from the bag or container.

Plateauing and Getting Discouraged

Struggle: Even with diligent tracking, you may hit a plateau or see slower progress, leading to frustration and a temptation to give up tracking.

Solution: Use it as a prompt to review and adjust. Sometimes a plateau just means your body has adapted, so your macros need a tweak or your eating window does. You do not need to keto harder, just differently. And if a few weeks of tracking has not turned anything up, stop. The answer is somewhere else, and grinding away at the app will only wear you out.

My Journey Through a Ketogenic Lifestyle

I’m nearly five years into my ketogenic journey. I’ve experienced incredible transformations, not just in weight, but in overall health and wellness. However, my path hasn’t been without its bumps. I want to share some of these personal challenges and ah-ha moments with you, not just as a coach, but as someone walking this road too.

There was a time when I only tracked my macros periodically. It seemed to work fine until I hit unexpected stalls. I realized that without consistent tracking, I was over-consuming fats in my coffee, a common pitfall. This was a wake-up call; it underscored the critical role of diligence and accountability in maintaining progress.

Another lesson came from my love for baking keto treats. Initially, I thought, “They’re keto, so they’re fine,” and indulged in them almost daily. However, I noticed that this habit was also contributing to my plateaus. I had to face the fact that even keto-friendly treats can stall progress if not managed wisely. Now, I save these special treats for truly special occasions and focus on making individual servings, like a keto cheesecake in muffin liners, to enjoy the moment without leftovers tempting me later. I also cut recipes in half, so it makes less.

This adjustment wasn’t just about portion control; it was a deeper lesson in mindfulness and moderation. It also was an effort to re-create my favourite foods so I could continue to use them as comfort foods. This concept took me a long time to realize. It’s so easy to get caught up in the “it’s keto, so it’s okay” mindset.  True progress however, demands more nuance and self-awareness.

Sharing these experiences isn’t easy, but I believe in being transparent about my journey. Even as a coach, I face challenges and have to constantly reassess and adapt my strategies. It’s not a sign of weakness; it’s a part of growth. My commitment to tracking, being mindful of what and how much I consume, and staying flexible in my approach has been key to overcoming these hurdles.

I share this with you to illustrate that no journey is perfect. We all face setbacks, but they don’t define our path, they refine it. Whether you’re starting out or recalibrating your keto lifestyle, remember that every challenge is an opportunity to learn more about your body and how you can nurture it towards your goals. I am no longer in a race to get the weight off. I am working to nourish my body, insert times of fasting to allow for healing and times to “feast” and nourish my body. Tracking is just one piece of my health journey.

Let’s walk this journey with openness and the willingness to adapt. Because when we do, the path to health and wellness not only becomes clearer but truly ours to walk.

Final Thoughts

Starting a ketogenic journey can be a powerful step toward reclaiming your health, especially for those of us working through many different metabolic health challenges. This path is rewarding but demands mindfulness, commitment, a willingness to adapt and learn, and most of all PATIENCE!

Tracking taught me things I would not have worked out on my own, like how much cream I was really drinking. But it is a tool I pick up and put down. The carbs are the rule. The rest of this page is optional extra.

So remember that the ketogenic lifestyle is a journey of discovery, one that’s uniquely yours. Use the tools and knowledge at your disposal, but also be kind to yourself through the ups and downs. Together we can walk this path toward a healthier, long life.

QUICK TAKEAWAYS

• Cut the carbs first. That is the one that moves the needle. Everything below is optional.
• Track when you have a question. A stall, an odd blood sugar reading, a nagging sense that the carbs are creeping. Not on day one.
• You do not have to test ketones. How you feel and what your blood sugar is doing tell you more.
• Be Mindful of Portions: Even keto-friendly foods need to be consumed in moderation to avoid stalls.
• Address Challenges Head-On: Time constraints and measuring fatigue can be overcome with the right habits, strategies, and tools.
• Adapt and Personalize: What works for one person may not work for another. Be willing to adjust your approach based on your body’s responses.
• Seek Support: Whether it’s from a coach or a community, the keto lifestyle is easier with support.
• Embrace the Journey: Accept that there will be challenges but view them as opportunities for growth and learning.