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@megan right I love food n just wanted some control too. I’ll check out whole30. I’m already pretty much doing Keto but all this protein is making my breath smell awful. Thks for suggestions.

I actually had diabetes when I started the process. My A1c was around 7.6 or so and my glucose levels were usually around the 160-170 rang when I would test. I was on 3 diabetes meds, a cholesterol med, a blood pressure med, 2 anti-inflammatory meds. Not only did having diabetes not delay things, having comorbidities actually helped speed up the approval process for me. I know you wanted gradual changes to your eating, and to a certain extent you can still have that. But it's important to start getting your mindset and habits changed at least a little before surgery. Once you have it, you have to make drastic changes pretty fast. Better to start now. I would start by eliminating soda and anything carbonated. Get caffeine from coffee (the kind you can make at home) using sugar free sweeteners and low/no calorie creamers (or almond milk) and tea (personally, I prefer tea). Swap out regular chocolate, candy, popsicles, pudding, etc to the sugar free kinds. Start lowering your carb intake and try cutting down on pasta, bread, potatoes, etc... There's keto versions of bread that taste fantastic. Look at the way the bariatric diets require you to eat (protein first, then veggies, then carbs) and try to plan your meals around that (protein helps you feel full longer). Practice getting in at least 64oz of water now so you can be used to drinking it a lot. You can still eat yummy foods, just change the way you do it. It's less jarring if you start the process now.

I hear you on this! Like you, I've told very few people about the surgery. I have had a couple of social events that couldn't be missed - a retirement lunch for a work colleague and a funeral for a friend's dad. Both during the pre-op liquid diet. At the lunch, I found wonton soup on the menu and ordered that without wontons. Other than a weird look from the waitress, that one flew. Funerals around here are big food events though and friends make trays of sandwiches and cookies and everything under the sun. It was hard to make excuses for that, but I just said I was on a crazy shake diet and couldn't eat anything. I'm finding there's enough people on the keto kick in my social circles that there's almost always someone on a restriction of some sort. Bless your neighbour (and anyone else who loves to entertain) let me know how you make out with that one!

One thing I’ve noticed is that food goes down easier as the day goes on. In the morning I need to drink at least 12 ounces water or else breakfast just won’t go down. Also, I can’t eat nearly as much as I can for lunch or dinner. I’m to the point now where I can barely squeeze in 1/4 cup food for breakfast and about 1/2 cup lunch and dinner. PROGRESS. yay I also make sure to drink 1 to 2 glasses fairlife milk daily to help keep up with protein. still haven’t even tried to eat anything other than protein. Last night my husband and I made a hamburger casserole from a recipe from keto daily. Some of their recipes can tend to be fatty, but we used 93/7 ground beef and half the recommended cheese and it turned out pretty good.

I'm hoping to get to 130 too, so we pretty much have the same starting weight and goal weight! I know exactly how you feel. I'm hoping the keto diet works for me too. The sleeve is such a great tool! Especially if you are good at going to the gym (which I'm not LOL)

I’m looking at dulcolax since it’s 1/2 the price. Gonna hop back on my probiotics. I need to get into a better habit with my pills.... I’m not great at remembering to take them. Alarms don’t help. Oh my favorite cooking blog (40 aprons) has a sushi recipe 😍😍😍 🍣🥢🍣🥢 it’s Whole 30/Paleo/Keto!! Yay!! Can’t wait to try this!! And it’s got 8 grams of protien :) https://40aprons.com/whole30-sushi-low-carb-paleo/#wprm-recipe-container-16015

Nothing I would call “bad” I have days where I intentionally stray off program, but I ALWAYS go the extra mile before AND after to make up for it. I now practice IF (intermittent fasting) all of the time. What varies is the length of time I fast daily. Most days I practice 16:8 or 18:6, but when I restrict further (either 20 or 24 hours between meals) it takes me a day or two before I can hold my usual amount of food and I supplement with protein shakes. One thing I consistently practice is what I call bari-Keto, and I’m convinced that’s why (along with the IF) that I have so few problems. It’s like regular Keto, but without many of the fats bc those hurt. I very rarely have >25gm carbs on any given day and any carbs I do have are veggie related so it’s offset by a ton of fiber which helps slow the absorption and thus reduces the chance of getting sick from it. Check over your food logs and I bet you find the days where you’re experiencing “bad” are days when either the carb or fat load is higher than normal. Twice I’ve tried to eat salmon with my signature mayo-dill topping and both times it made me very ill. Once I ditched the mayo and subbed in wasabi mustard, I had no problems at all. Which was fabulous news to me as I use tuna/salmon at least 1-2 times weekly to try to keep on top of healthy fats.

I have been low carbing off and on since 2001, so most of my experience is prior to WLS. I would say once you burn off the sugar in your body and get over the sugar withdrawals you start functioning normally. Maybe 6 weeks you notice you are firing on more than all cylinders. It is subjective and I can only go by my experience and the experience of my friends. If you read the stuff by the Bulletproof guy he swears by it, but he is also into a lot of other bio-hacking, some based in science some whacky. The difference with post-op on WLS surgery is takes you a while to be able to eat enough calories to really be clear in your mind. At least 800 calories daily for me, to fuel working and just regular activities. When my calories were below that I was fatigued a lot. I don't have celiac and I don't have a gluten allergy and most people that claim to have gluten allergies have never been tested. I mean think about it, if people were allergic to gluten, most of the population would be sick, it doesn't make sense. Most people are reacting to too much sugar. I don't tolerate sugar more specifically HFCS. HFCS makes me sick. It is too much sugar too fast and it floods your system. People say sugar is sugar and that is kind of true, but how different sugars react in your body is very different. I try to stay at 25 net carbs per day and no more than 75 on a carb day. I only count net carbs because I really need my Fiber and net carbs makes the most sense. Really with just eating meat and veggies, it is pretty hard to break even into 25 carbs. I really have no idea how people end up eating so many carbs. I had ribs yesterday so today I am just eating fish and a lot of veggies so I will post later what my carb count is with all the veggies I eat. If people are seriously just eating meat and green veggies is impossible to have a high carb count, counting net carbs or actual carbs. I think if you seriously low carb for a long period like WLS patients should be doing you are going to have to carb cycle some, or your body just gets used to it and nothing happens. I am still experimenting with this. This day is bad because I had a Fit Crunch Bar I have one day a week that I usually have carbs, I had to add some carb cycling because I was stalling a lot. Saturday I had fish tacos and pizza all day and it was pretty glorious. This is the nutrient break out for that day. This is a high carb day for me and my net carbs are 32.5. I also went to Starbucks in the afternoon and had a Trenta Cold Brew, but I always order it black and add my own half and half. This is a day I didn't really feel like eating much /r/keto has been a really big help to me. I can't eat the fat they eat, but there are lots of good tips there. I use the Keto Calculator to calculate my macros to set in LoseIt. It is awesome because well most people can't handle the huge fat deficits that we can, they would be too hungry, but WLS patients can go on and take the max fat deficit. The weight loss forecast it comes up with there is also really helpful. It tells you at the points you have to increase your calories. I want to add that I am not just coming up with how and what I eat on my own with stuff I have found on the internet. Things I have researched have lead me in this direction but I also am in contact with two University Professors. My biggest issue right now is I don't eat enough calories for my RMR or my activity level. It is pretty hard to up my calories but I am trying to slowly. I don't have a diminished metabolism at all and I want to keep it that way. The best way to do that is to keep adjusting your calories higher as you lose. Leaving them low for a long period, lowers your metabolism.

I have been low carbing off and on since 2001, so most of my experience is prior to WLS. I would say once you burn off the sugar in your body and get over the sugar withdrawals you start functioning normally. Maybe 6 weeks you notice you are firing on more than all cylinders. It is subjective and I can only go by my experience and the experience of my friends. If you read the stuff by the Bulletproof guy he swears by it, but he is also into a lot of other bio-hacking, some based in science some whacky. The difference with post-op on WLS surgery is takes you a while to be able to eat enough calories to really be clear in your mind. At least 800 calories daily for me, to fuel working and just regular activities. When my calories were below that I was fatigued a lot. I don't have celiac and I don't have a gluten allergy and most people that claim to have gluten allergies have never been tested. I mean think about it, if people were allergic to gluten, most of the population would be sick, it doesn't make sense. Most people are reacting to too much sugar. I don't tolerate sugar more specifically HFCS. HFCS makes me sick. It is too much sugar too fast and it floods your system. People say sugar is sugar and that is kind of true, but how different sugars react in your body is very different. I try to stay at 25 net carbs per day and no more than 75 on a carb day. I only count net carbs because I really need my Fiber and net carbs makes the most sense. Really with just eating meat and veggies, it is pretty hard to break even into 25 carbs. I really have no idea how people end up eating so many carbs. I had ribs yesterday so today I am just eating fish and a lot of veggies so I will post later what my carb count is with all the veggies I eat. If people are seriously just eating meat and green veggies is impossible to have a high carb count, counting net carbs or actual carbs. I think if you seriously low carb for a long period like WLS patients should be doing you are going to have to carb cycle some, or your body just gets used to it and nothing happens. I am still experimenting with this. This day is bad because I had a Fit Crunch Bar I have one day a week that I usually have carbs, I had to add some carb cycling because I was stalling a lot. Saturday I had fish tacos and pizza all day and it was pretty glorious. This is the nutrient break out for that day. This is a high carb day for me and my net carbs are 32.5. I also went to Starbucks in the afternoon and had a Trenta Cold Brew, but I always order it black and add my own half and half. This is a day I didn't really feel like eating much /r/keto has been a really big help to me. I can't eat the fat they eat, but there are lots of good tips there. I use the Keto Calculator to calculate my macros to set in LoseIt. It is awesome because well most people can't handle the huge fat deficits that we can, they would be too hungry, but WLS patients can go on and take the max fat deficit. The weight loss forecast it comes up with there is also really helpful. It tells you at the points you have to increase your calories. I want to add that I am not just coming up with how and what I eat on my own with stuff I have found on the internet. Things I have researched have lead me in this direction but I also am in contact with two University Professors. My biggest issue right now is I don't eat enough calories for my RMR or my activity level. It is pretty hard to up my calories but I am trying to slowly. I don't have a diminished metabolism at all and I want to keep it that way. The best way to do that is to keep adjusting your calories higher as you lose. Leaving them low for a long period, lowers your metabolism. Hey OMI, thanks for this very detailed response. I wasn't able to respond for a few days and just getting around to it now. I'm still way too soon post-op to tailor my macros at this point, but I've bookmarked your post and will come back to it in a few weeks. I really appreciate the level of detail. Interesting point on the carb cycling. Why do you say you can't eat the fats they eat on /r/keto? If you are also trying to up your calories, wouldn't some added fat do that? Anyway thank you again for sharing all of your info. You must be past the 365 day mark at this point so congratulations again on all your hard work and success. Also re: celiac, I got diagnosed during the pre-op process for the sleeve which is why I asked but I'm going to make a separate thread for that.

Yes, Next week already, it feels like time passed in a flash, I booked the surgery two months ago. The smallest I can ever remember being was 135 in high school too! I was in dance and it kept me in shape, m weight has slowly crept up through the years and after having my kids i packed on 20lbs each kid that just wouldn't come off. I used to be super active and then i tore all the ligaments in my foot and here came more weight. Now i also struggle just to stay under 200, i've tried everything including keto and it just comes right back on, with a vengeance every time. I told my family that I don't want to hear there opinions when they think i look weird if i do hit my goal weight. I know its going to be different for me because i haven't seen myself that small ever, even when i was at that weight i thought i was fat... if i knew then what i know now lol. I'm so ready thought to not feel all this weight on my knees and my back. That has been the hardest, not being as active because my foot swells under the weight and stress. Hope we can follow each others progress and be each others motivation!

@Biddy zz thks. Those r great suggestions. I just need to get it together n regroup. I need to do more meal planning. Yes that “Real Good Pizza co.” is a once n awhile thing but it’s basically no carbs which is why so many people r eating it especially those on Keto diets but yes I’m sure plenty of additives. Definitely no clean eating.

I think the dietician is just trying to earn her keep. If you are on point with your protein what else does she have to whine about. I understood that you are supposed to get your protein from shakes during the first 2 phases at least if necessary. I believe when you get to normal food phase, you are only supposed to use them as snacks rather than as a meal so that you get your other nutrients as well. I wonder if we really need the dietician. Mine told me not to use the KETO diet, too much fat. I found so many recipes on Pinterest that are tasty and easy to make. They must all go to the same school because she told me the same thing that someone else was told by hers, "Maybe you could just eat one slice of pizza instead of two." With regards to eggs, my information says "egg whites only" but the nurse at the hospital said I could slip a little yolk in. I'm not a fan of egg white and was informed that I cannot add salsa so I just add cheese, sometimes refried beans. I hate wasting the yolk but I cannot bring myself to buy egg whites in a carton. I am finding that I am adjusting to eating differently though I am looking forward to a week from now when I can eat regular food in small quantities. I am worried though that I will try to eat everything in site so I am trying to think ahead.

I was an avid coffee drinker for a couple years but I can't stand it black so I would use creamers and sweeteners, etc and I think those things were causing insulin spikes so I weaned myself off. Tried cold turkey.....I definitely don't recommend that. But I've been caffeine free for about three months now. As for carbs, I have no issues there. I look at carbs as evil incarnate. LMAO Ever since doing Keto and Carnivore and reading all the research on those, I strive for ZERO carbs, it doesn't always happen but it's definitely a goal that I obsess over. My biggest issue is the boredom grazing and my very sedentary career as a crane operator. I literally sit in a seat and do nothing but pull levers for 12-14 hrs a day, 7 days a week. I would like to find a more active job but after doing this for over 20 years, and the awesome amount of $$$$$ it pays, it just seems insane to do anything else. If you've read my story on my profile then you know the only way I went from 420 to 190 after my VSG was because I had saved up enough money to take a year from working a focus strictly on exercise all day every day. Maybe that in itself wasn't the healthiest decision mentally. I don't know, I, like everyone else, am a work in progress. I'll figure it out. I think the things I am finding here in BP will help a lot this time. I wish I had stayed active in here since joining back in .....2012 I think??

Girlfriend, bahahahaha! You are not a member of that coven but as @GreenTealael says, you ARE a member of our coven! I don't disagree with you btw. If I didn't have the level of deep doodoo in my metabolism, and neither did Mr. F., I don't know if I would be doing low carb/keto-ish. I would likely be doing Mediterranean or something like that--cuz I love eating that way. And I adore beans and legumes. But my insulin numbers tell me differently and if I eat those things, then my insulin does shoot up and so does my bgs...and so does Mr. F. But I've said it all along, there are Many, Many, Many paths to the finish. And the best path for you is the one that you can do forever without feeling discontent. I will go out there and say "some carbs are evil" and very unhealthy for us...no one in their right mind needs Cheerios, unless it's to use as their emotional support animal. LOL. But hey, if you do well with wheat berries, or oatmeal, or the rustic oats (forget the name), or fill-in-the-blank of your favorite unprocessed, whole grain, potato, brown rice, wild rice, basmati, etc...and I will hop on that train with you to cheer you on. I do envy those people. I just know I cannot do it, even if my will power holds out and let's me "eat in moderation." Sadly, magic for me always comes with a price--and that price is gonna be either higher bgs, or higher insulin. (And that's not to say I'm a saint either...we all know I have had and do have my fair share of cheats with bread, contraband, crappy carbs, etc, etc, etc! hahahaha--I can only hope to keep it to a very, very minimum and hope like hell it doesn't fu*k me or Mr. F. up down the road. I'd hate to lose a kidney cuz of my cheesy poof addiction.

I've used keto sticks and a breath meter. Neither ever showed that I got into ketosis, even in the beginning when I was only eating 300 cals/day. I had to have been fat-burning, but never could prove it by the meters.

I am around. Had a rough week, not fasting. I think trying to add keto killed me, it just gears me up to binge. Going back to my low carb, moderate fat ways. Good luck on your weekend feasting! I still haven't gotten to the point where I can easily bounce back to my IF and EF after a very indulgent weekend. BUT I know you are not one for over indulgence, so I suspect you'll do fine. As for the video--- veganism = bad ---> personal theory confirmed.

There are so many Keto apps I don't know which one to download. Any advice here? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@OutsideMatchInside are you using a keto calculator app, and if so which one? Thanks for that background/lesson!

I have a few questions so I might understand your predicament better.... So you had surgery on 6/12.... When did your Dr. have you go on the water only diet? From what date to to what date did you lose the 45lbs? Soooo I'm not a Dr. however I have had several stalls and my Dr. said they would be normal. He told me that my body would need time to adjust in between drops of weight. So ive lost 28 pounds since my surgery on 6/15. 17 of that weight came off the first month, After that i've averaged about 5lbs a month. Now i say averaged but in reality I have stalled for 2-3 weeks then had movement in the scale of a few lbs for 1-2 weeks. Then I will stall again for 2-3 weeks then the scale moves again. I definitely have noticed when i eat more protein rich foods and drink lots of water i get movement in my scale..... The problem is the reason I had the surgery to begin with I LOOOOOVEEE carbs!!! So while i try to have more good days with my eating I don't always stick to the protein first rule! My recommendation would be to not cut out eating.... I think that might make you stall more since when you reintroduce food your body is probably going to try and keep as much nutrients as it can. I have heard a lot of people have success with the intermittent fasting but i think you have to start with smaller hours so your body doesn't go into starvation mode and try and keep everything put in it. I know MrsLingo on here was staying low carb or keto and she had looks amazing. A lot of people in my Dr.'s group have also gone low carb and have had success with keeping the stalls short. I know stalls can be frustrating trust me i feel like I've been in stalls more then I've had movement on the scale. If you get a chance check out Ask Dr. A on Youtube. Dr. Alvarez was my doctor and watching his videos has helped me so much. He answers questions other VSGers send in and you would be surprised how many of us have the exact same issues. His videos give you so much information and they help put me at ease about some of the issues or stalls I hit.

hi @JamieLogical.. id have to say in about May of 2016. i've gained abt 3-5lbs (although i seldom weigh myself anymore) i do NOT get the Water intake that i should per day, & have only recently returned to the gym .. i strive to eat very clean, keto almost.. don't crave sweets or starches, so that's good. i MAY not be eating enough throughout the day, but i STILL SAY that i am able to eat too much @ once!! i eat lean Protein, chicken, fish, ground turkey & veggies and/or salad..

Okay so broke my fast with this wonderful soup. https://www.galonamission.com/slow-cooker-low-carb-zuppa-toscana-soup-keto-friendly/ For extra protein, we subbed beef bone broth instead of plain broth and I also added in an extra 1/2 scoop of the bone broth powder to pack in 22 gm protein in my 1 cup serving. I can do soups as long as I slurp the liquid, then wait a few minutes and eat the solids. There were no leftovers.

So due to all of my web searches looking for food options and recipes, all of my Facebook ads have become low-carb food product recommendations. It's kind of ridiculous. A lot of them are very much marketed for keto diets so the fat content is usually too high, but occasionally a gem will slip through. One of the best surprises was Taste Flavor Company low calories sauces. They carry a kind of steep price tag, but I figured it was worth checking out. BOY WAS IT EVER! I sprung for the bundle that gave me all 4 flavors, even though I am not a fan of ranch and didn't expect to enjoy the Cilantro Lime Ranch sauce. I was soooo wrong. So far the only one I haven't tried yet is the Cherrywood Chipotle BBQ sauce because I haven't really made a meal that it would be a good fit for, but considering how in love I am with the other 3 flavors, I expect it will taste amazing. With the exception of the Spicy Garlic Parm, it's 10 calories in 2 tablespoons of sauce. Spicy Garlic Parm is 1 tablespoon for 10 calories. I highly recommend them! https://tasteflavorco.com/

Has anyone had very bad chills upon waking up in the middle of the night. Had a whole body aches yesterday afternoon then woke up in the middle of the night just now with major chills. Not sure if this could be keto flu or something else. Anyone have any similar symptoms

Yes! There are definitely plenty of good choice that can be made at airports. The whole keto trend is good for us bariatric folks, with cheese, jerky, nuts being readily available. But as we know, having good choice available doesn't always lead us to make those good choices

Yes on Veganism = Bad (Most Likely); the caveat is, that there is a qualifier. That qualifier is "Unless it's carefully constructed and observed." LOL! I'm sorry you are struggling getting into keto. You know, maybe look up The Resetters, Dr. Mindy Pelz on YouTube and FB. She talks alot about resetting the female metabolism (especially if you are pre-menopause), and she has a plan that is ketobiotic, but it addresses the week leading up to Auntie Flo and how you progesterone load for that week using things like sweet potatoes, and other things that build progesterone. You actually eat more carbs during that week. And it's helping turn a lot of women's lives and weight loss around. So the keep for me with weekends like the one coming up is planning. I'm a planner, now. And I find comfort in the planning. Like I know our friends want to stop for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. I just don't hardly do that anymore unless those meals are all very slim type of meals. But I know these are gonna be extravagant places and only one really counts tomorrow. So I'm gonna maybe just have a poached egg and sauteed spinach for breakfast with tons of coffee. Then I might eat a bite of Mr. F.s grits or a bite of his biscuit and gravy. Something I know I can easily do. Then lunch is bbq and I will eat my fill of that cuz they don't add sugar. And it won't take much. Dinner is a hamburger from this joint in Arkansas and I've got no probs doing a lettuce wrap. No need for fries cuz I know what they taste like and they make me feel awful. And tons of iced tea! So I know the day won't be bad. Then I just apply those same metrics to Saturday and Sunday. The reality is I will still come back a couple pounds up. But I shouldn't have too much issue going into my M-W fast next week. *score* And it's IF for the win!!!! Also you are doing WONDERFULLY!!!!! It's ok to take a week off. Just keep flexing and building your fasting muscle hon!!!