Below is the detailed data of what I have been consuming and my glucose and ketone levels.
I have a few thoughts in general, but especially for the Day 3.
It's really hard to stay under 20 g of carbs like some of the "experts" suggest. The biggest challenge is reading the labels of the things that claim to be keto. For example, I had a "keto sauce", but the serving size was so small that when you added enough servings to actually get the flavor into the food it started to be a carb impact. Additionally, the sauce was sold in a one-time use pack so they made it appear that sauce was in line for a couple of servings.
My eating window is 2:00 pm - 10:00 pm. I have been eating my first meal when I get home from work at 4:00 pm or so and then another one about 8:00 pm. My first meal is small and I have been focusing on consuming probiotics: miso soup, fermented garlic, pickles. Those things are all low cal, but also have a few carbs. I've been adding a raw egg to the miso and it cooks in the broth. Really good.
The later meal, I have been eating 5 - 10 cups of salad with some amazing olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a couple of tablespoons of pecorino cheese. One, I can't believe how low cal it is. I think it's less than 300 with over 100 coming from the olive oil. Two, I can't believe the volume. Three, how amazing it tastes. The salad has been a staple, but then I add a nice piece of protein and some fat. So far the fat has been guacamole. I really believe in finding a flavor profile that you love and sticking with that for a week or so, and then picking another one and eat that for a week or so.
1200 Calories. That's about what I am consuming and that's not enough long term. I will need to crank up the meat and fat at some point, but I am trying to lose weight. I may need to crank it up anyway, because it may just be too low to maintain fitness.
Exercise. I have been trying to hit 4,000 calories burned per day per Fitbit and have done an OK job. I would say that after the fast that I have gotten a bit stronger, but muscle endurance is a big concern. On the Day 3 night, I did a hike and then a run-walk on my NordicTrack treadmill using iFit. The hike was good. The run was one of the longer runs that I have done over the last year even and the hills about killed me. I think that I had to slow it down once, which hurts mentally.
Day 3 Dinner Food Volume. It was a lot. 6 cups of salad, another couple of cooked collard greens, 6 oz of salmon and a few tablespoons of guacamole is a lot of food. It tasted amazing. All food has tasted really amazing on keto.
Mindful Eating. One thing that I did Day 1 and Day 2 that I didn't do as good of job on Day 3 is slowing down while I eat. Some really good olive oil and balsamic should be savored. Focusing on the robust tastes makes the experience a lot better. It's something that I want to be cognizant of going forward. Also, don't stick anything in your mouth that isn't absolutely delicious. If you are eating less, eat delicious. I think in the past I supplemented bland with mass. I am going to stop doing that.
Lucky in a Couple Ways. I'm lucky in that so far, the Zero sodas, haven't affected my glucose or ketone levels. Everyone is different and I am lucky here as I like Zero sodas. That being said, I am going to try to drink them less. I am also lucky in that the on Day 1 even though the carb level was at 40 g and on Day 3 after a small meal, workout and a large meal, I also kind of stayed in the "ideal zone". The meter said at 85 that you start to leave the ideal glucose zone, but other online resources said up to 100, after a meal, is completely fine.
Day 3
Day 2
Day 1
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