Ketone Levels Chart: What Your Reading Means
A reading means little without context. This chart puts each range next to the situations that typically produce it.
Short answer: Anything from 0.5 to 3 mmol/L counts as nutritional ketosis. There is no evidence that higher readings in that range speed up fat loss.
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Blood ketone (BHB) chart
| Reading (mmol/L) | Meaning | Typical situation |
|---|---|---|
| Below 0.5 | Not in ketosis | Regular mixed diet, or carbs above your threshold |
| 0.5–1.5 | Light nutritional ketosis | Early keto, or a more relaxed carb limit |
| 1.5–3.0 | Nutritional ketosis | Established keto at 20–30 g net carbs |
| 3.0–5.0 | Deep ketosis | Fasting for more than a day, or after long exercise |
| Above 5 with high glucose | Not a diet range | Seek medical advice, especially with diabetes |
Higher is not better
A common mistake is chasing higher numbers. Fat loss does not scale with ketone level: once you are in nutritional ketosis, energy balance matters far more than whether you read 1.2 or 2.8. Adding lots of extra fat to raise ketones can slow fat loss.
Urine ketone strip chart
Urine strips measure acetoacetate, not the BHB a blood meter reads. Most strips use the same colour pads:
| Strip result | mg/dL | mmol/L (approx.) | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negative | 0 | 0 | No ketones spilling into urine |
| Trace | 5 | 0.5 | Early or light ketosis |
| Small | 15 | 1.5 | Ketosis |
| Moderate | 40 | 3.9 | Higher ketone spill. Often dehydration on keto |
| Large | 80–160 | 7.8–15.6 | Unusual on a diet alone. With diabetes and high glucose, seek medical advice |
Strips are cheap and useful in the first two to three weeks. After that, they often fade even while you stay in ketosis: the body wastes fewer ketones in urine, and the colour also depends on how much you drink. A light strip after a month is not a sign you have stopped working. For a reliable number, use a blood meter, as explained in how to measure ketones. Ketora lets you log strip results next to blood readings.
What moves readings
- Time of day: many people read lower in the morning and higher in the evening.
- Exercise: often a temporary rise afterwards.
- A large protein meal: can lower readings slightly; protein is still important.
- MCT oil and exogenous ketones: raise blood ketones without saying much about fat burning.
- Illness and stress: can move readings either way.
Using the chart in the app
When you log a reading in Ketora, it is placed in the band above and plotted against your glucose. The weekly view shows whether you are consistently in range, which is more useful than any single test.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good ketone level for weight loss?
Anything from 0.5 to 3 mmol/L counts as nutritional ketosis. There is no evidence that higher readings in that range speed up fat loss.
Why are my ketones high but I am not losing weight?
Ketone level shows fuel use, not energy balance. If you eat more energy than you use, you will not lose fat even with high readings.
This guide is general information for healthy adults, not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.