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I have MCT and done the bulletproof coffee- I can't say unnoticed too much difference in energy or weightloss... I use the keto strips to stay in ketosis. The only thing I would say is remember it is an oil/fat and to think about the calories of a TBS spoon of oil- also too much MCT and you will be heading to the potty [emoji4]

I've never been slim. I come from a line of morbidly obese women, been on diets since I was 13. I've lost and gained the same 3-6stone countless times for 15 years. Slimming world, weight watchers, cabbage soup, cider vinegar, slim fast, Cambridge, slim and save, keto, lchf, starving, fasting, bulimia, fad diet pills, -you name it, in the last 20 years, ive tried it!!! 🤣 Last year I've stuck religiously to slimming world and the gym only to maintain, I'm defeated. 😞 @Xapphirea I hate fizzy drinks and struggle to drink much throughout the day so the fact that those are a necessity is actually a bit of a relief! I'm in the UK so woukd have to pay for my surgery. I've found a clinic that really stands out to me, in Latvia. I just looked and from the moment they ok you, and see if you're suitable, they aim to get you over within 2-3 weeks! Fortunately, I still need to save a big chunk of money before i can commit to anything anyway so itd be a good few months before i could book. I feel mostly excited about the prospect of doing this. Id do it tomorrow lol but I need to sir with the idea and broach the subject with my husband. I'm going to Rome with a budget airline on March 31st, I think squeezing my backside into those plane seats will make my mind up so thay gives me a month to process.

I feel like I’ve just been told off! Being smart before you let someone cut out your vital organs is a bit of an obvious point, but granted, you don’t know me, I COULD be an idiot ,so thanks? However, I assure you, i’m not. In your defence,i don’t think I was very clear, the 2-3 weeks timeline is AFTER you’ve provided all your Medical history and had evaluations. It not just cut and cheque and a cut a stomach. They have told me the barrage of tests he’d need to do first, including blood test, group blood test and rh factor, biochemistry analysis, (ALAT,ASAT, bilirubin, cholesterol,HDLP,LDLP, triglycerides, INR, APTL, prothrombin, urea, creatinine, (Na+,K+,CL-, HCO3, Ca2+), TTH, glucose, total serum protein, chest x Ray, fibrogastroduodenosvopy with anaesthetic, heliocobacter pylori test, ultrasound, ECG and Hep C . A lot of which would be performed at the clinic, if you’re not suitable for surgery when you get there, they return your funds minus a deposit to cover the travel/accommodation of getting you there. I think your own experience has made perhaps made you a tad prejudice to other processes. Irresponsible and reckless are strong words. I understand the process is different in the US but when you’re paying private for anything, things move quicker, there are fewer stages and hoops to jump because you’re not costing anyone else anything. If someone want to claim a major surgery on their insurance, obviously the insurance company isn’t going to make it half as easy for you as they would a private paying client. This why I need to make sure I’m doing as much research as possible to know I’m making an informed decision. Including the advice they give you for preparing before a surgery. As as per the water comment, I meant with meals-I didn’t specify that, so my bad. I’m not the biggest drinker in all honesty though, but I’m aware of the requirements and I’ve done plenty of keto diets before that require a LOT more than the recommended 1.9litres a day that I’ve seen and managed just fine. Someone pointed out protein water as an option too, because I struggle with the texture of shakes, so that’s an extra incentive to drink. i know I’m out of other optoins. “One last attempt to do it myself” for me, was at least 2 or 3 attempts ago. I don’t need a huge diet before surgery , just need to eat healthily for health’s sake because my BMI is 35.8 which isn’t far from their minimum requirements as it is. I’d say i’ve made my mind up to be honest. I’m going to follow the clinic over the next month, there’s a few more people that I’m speaking to that are going for surgery this week and they’re going to be journaling their experiences over the next 2-4 weeks and if i’m Still happy with the regimen , i’m Hoping to call and book this summer

I find keto is a great way to remove cravings, but I usually only do it for about 3-4 weeks as needed. I would buy the book "intuitive eating" and begin that journey to go beyond diet plans and calorie counting. Best of luck-

I think you already know many of the answers to your questions. You got out of your healthy rhythm and need to find the motivation to get back on track. I would suggest you make an appointment with the nutritionist at your surgeon's practice to discuss what's going on with your weight loss. You don't want to let it go for too long. If you think working with a personal trainer will get you motivated, go for it! Weight is lost in the kitchen, not the gym--but, working out can be a good motivator for eating healthy. Also, you can definitely do Keto after bariatric surgery. I am only 3 weeks out and I am essentially doing keto. Obviously, I am eating more protein and my macro doesn't look exactly like the ideal Keto macro, but I cut my carb intake to less than 20g of net carbs per day. I am getting my 100g + of protein a day and the rest of my calories are from healthy fats like avocado. It's been enough to put me into a state of ketosis and I think it's helping me along the way. Plus, I am very happy with the foods I am eating. For me, this is a sustainable lifestyle. If you're a carb addict, it can be hard to give up those carbs--it takes about 4 days to get through the "withdrawal" and even a little longer with keto, but it's totally doable. You can definitely do it... think about how you were able to handle the pre-op liquid diet. Keto is way easier than that!!!

I purchased the Tespo 5 weeks pre surgery and started using the energy and women’s multi-vitamin. My husband is not sleeved, and he he loves his men’s daily ad the energy. Total output is about 1 oz and the flavors are not bad. He mixes it with his Keto drink and can’t even tell it’s in there.

Its quite normal to go off foods. I think its the Keto diet that changes the foods tastes. Two years on, I still am unable to stomach cooked salmon, mussels and lamb. Strangely enough, they were my most favourite foods pre surgery. It does get better once real foods are back on your menu, I promise. Just eat what you can now because this stage of having little appetite doesn't last for everyone. What you are doing is great

I cannot take credit for any of the following (I copied and pasted from a few sites...): Ketosis merely means that our bodies are using fat for energy. Ketones (also called ketone bodies) are molecules generated during fat metabolism, whether from the fat in the guacamole you just ate or fat you were carrying around your middle. When our bodies are breaking down fat for energy, most of the it gets converted more or less directly to ATP. (Remember high school biology? This is the "energy molecule.") But ketones are also produced as part of the process. When people eat less carbohydrate, their bodies turn to fat for energy, so it makes sense that more ketones are generated. Some of those ketones (acetoacetate and ß-hydroxybutyrate) are used for energy; the heart muscle and kidneys, for example, prefer ketones to glucose. Most cells, including the brain cells, are able to use ketones for at least part of their energy. But there is one type of ketone molecule, called acetone, that cannot be used and is excreted as waste, mostly in the urine and breath. The description of the smell varies, but it is often described as "fruity" or like the smell of apples which are "past their prime" (or even downright rotten). The good news is that keto-breath usually doesn't last forever. Most people find it dies down after a few weeks, or at the most a few months. The reason is unclear, but it seems our bodies adapt in some way. Children on a ketogenic diet for epilepsy have been shown to have less acetone in their breath as time goes on, for example. In the meantime, there are things you can do to minimize the impact of "keto-breath": Drink more water: try 8 glasses per day to see if this helps, and then you can experiment from that point. Natural breath fresheners to try include mint, parsley or other greens, cloves, cinnamon, and fennel seeds. Some people swear by breath capsules, which are usually made from parsley oil (e.g. Mint Assure) for keto-breath. Others find they do not help. sugar-free mints or gum can be tried, but watch the carbs in them. Ammonia Breath from Protein When the body metabolizes protein, ammonia is produced. When people eat high-protein meals, there tends to be increased ammonia in their breath and/or urine. In large amounts, this can smell pretty bad. It's important to remember that we don't need lots and lots of protein in our diets. Our bodies use protein to maintain and build muscles, to make enzymes, and for other structural and chemical needs. The body will convert excess protein to energy, which is where you will get the extra ammonia (this also happens during starvation or long exercise when the body begins to rely on breaking down muscles for energy if it runs out of sources of fats and/or carbohydrates). Find Out How Much Protein Your Body Needs Sometimes people load up on protein because they are afraid to eat more fat. This is one of the reasons why it is rarely a good idea to try to eat a diet that is low in both carbohydrates and fats. The solution to "ammonia breath" for people on a low-carb diet is often to increase fats in the diet, and cut back some on protein foods. Above all, don't let problems with your breath derail you from staying with a diet that is improving your health. Instead, try to figure out the cause of the bad-smelling breath and tackle it. Body Odor There are a number of chemical changes that take place in your body when you're on a low-carb diet, some of which can cause a foul body odor. Ketone bodies have an odd odor to them; they're not unlike fingernail polish remover in their smell. Once you enter ketosis, it's common for others to smell ketone bodies on your breath and in your sweat, which can give you a foul, sickly-sweet odor.

OMG Yes! I was so itchy after surgery that I was hurting myself with scratching. I'm not sure if it's correct but when I looked online I found out about the 'keto rash' and thought that could be the cause. When your body is in ketosis - when it's burning fat due to lack of carbs - it can cause that itchiness in places on your body where you typically sweat more. Like I said, not sure this is the actual cause because I didn't have a visible rash and I was mostly itchy on my lower legs. It did go away but every now and then I get a flair up that lasts for a few hours then goes away again. Hope you feel better soon.

Thank you so much for your response. So I did the 6 month process last year and did great. Lost like 40-50lbs and did everything right. Was given a surgery date and didn't follow through. Because of the weight I lost on my own I thought I could do it on my own and didn't want to take the risk at surgery. Well over the last year I gained 15 or so of those pounds back and realized I cant do it all on my own, no matter how good I was eating. So i jumped back on the train to surgery. This go round though i dont know if it's the fear I won't go through again if I lose the weight or that I'm so positive about the surgery I'm scared of not getting to eat the stuff I do now that I'm having a food funeral. I know that I already have a fatty liver so that does scare me and I do want to be in the best shape before surgery. I see a counselor and all though I wanted to keep my surgery somewhat of a secret I think I will talk to her. I'm suppose to be doing the south beach diet. Which for the last year I have been on a diet that has been some what the same as the keto diet, but sense starting back up with the surgery all the progress I made with that diet has gone out the window Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I started my journey at 397 pounds. I lost 99 pounds during my six month insurance-required pre-op diet program, weighing 298 on the day of surgery (September 28, 2016). I met my goal of 180 pounds on October 2, 2017, 1 year and 4 days post-op. I currently weigh 173 pounds. The surgery helped me, yes, but I have followed a keto way of eating since the first day of my six month pre-op diet program. I eat less than 25 grams of carbs per day and keep my calories below 2000. I plan to continue to eat that way long term. That's what has helped me to achieve my goals. Good luck!

I was the doing keto before surgery. I'm now on liquid diet and obviously can't eat food but I did like the Keto diet before and would like to continue doing once I'm in regular food. Good luck to you all. No matter what, remember that making the decision of having surgery was the best decision ever!

Did you have any sort of classes with your NUT? Or get some sort of eating plan? In general, if you can eat real food, protein shakes should supplement your protein intake, not be the main source. So 1 protein shake a day if it'll make the difference between the food you eat that day and your protein goal. More if you need more protein. As a general guideline, these protein numbers are about the norm from what I've seen: absolute minimum of 40g or protein a day for women and 50g for men. As you move further out, I've seen 60g all the way up to 120g a day be the protein goal. I aim for a minimum of about 70g a day, usually surpassing it. You'll want to stay under 60g of carbs while early out. If you really really want to low carb it, people who are hardcore into keto (a diet that is high fat, moderate protein, low carb) only consume 20g of carbs in a day or less. Fat is up to you, there are so many conflicting studies out there and you'll just have to figure out what works best for your body to lose weight. If you're physically active, I found this elsewhere on the forum and thought it'd be helpful in terms of calorie progression: Months 1 through 3 = about 800 kcals/day Months 4 through 6 = about 1000 to 1200 kcals/day Months 7 through 9 = about 1200 to 1500 kcals/day By 12 months out = about 1700 kcals/day By 18 months out = 1800 to 2200 kcals/day In order to know how much you're consuming, you NEED to track your food. There are many apps for it out there including SHealth which is pre-installed on samsung phones. I personally use myfitnesspal, you can find me under the name tia_527. All you do with these apps is put in what foods you had at each meal and what amounts. You can also log exercise if you want. These apps will tell you how many calories you eat and what your macros were (how many grams of carbs vs protein vs fat you've had).

Well I finally got the psychology approval which took the longest to come back for some reason and found out everything was submitted to insurance on 02/20/19.. omg I can’t believe how much I’ve been stressing over this.. It seems like thoughts of this take over most of my day.. I’m trying my best to be positive and I am so looking forward to this new journey in life. I’ve even eaten all my fairwell foods cause I know after this I’m done! I’m working on a mental change now as I know this is a must in order to be successful. I can even tell the difference going from Keto to crap. I’m excited to get back on track! I wonder how long this approval will take. I’ve seen so many different ranges. I’m sure hoping it’s quick and even more hopeful for a yes! I’ll take a slow yes over a quick no! I know most of everyone has been through this before and I appreciate all the feedback I’ve received from you guys! I can’t wait to join the cool kids club lol! Many blessings & continued success to all! And If your like me waiting I guess we just gotta keep hanging till we get to the other side!

your pouch is probably fine. Supposedly it takes work to stretch it - as in chronic overstuffing. You're probably just used to eating more, and it's hard to cut back once you've been eating at a higher calorie level. Regain is pretty common - but I know a lot of people who've managed to lose it. Some have gone to Weight Watchers, some start counting calories again, some do Keto, some do Intermittent Fasting - whatever works. But I would get on it now before it really gets out of control. It'll be a lot easier to lose 20 lbs than 50... If you're a calorie counter (I am...), then track your intake for a week or two to figure out what your current average calorie intake is. I find it hard to drastically cut mine, so I just try to cut it by 100-ish calories at first, then after a week or two, I'll cut another 100 calories - and so on if you hate calorie counting, then go back to following the rules we all followed the first year - protein first, then non-starchy veggies, and then if you have room, a small serving of fruit or whole grain carb. Or find a program that you like and can stick with for awhile (like Keto or WW), and try that...

I switched over to mostly calorie-counting when I hit maintenance (I can maintain as long as I stay in the 1500-1700 calorie range - your range may be more or less than that - you have to experiment to find your "sweet spot"). I still mostly follow the post-op rules, though - I make sure I get enough protein, eat protein first, then veggies, etc. I do eat more carbs than I did while in weight loss mode, though - but the healthy kind. you'll just have to figure out what "works" for you (some people join Weight Watchers, some do modified keto, some people use intermittent fasting) while being sure you're meeting the protein requirements and remembering the order (protein first, then non-starchy veggies) also, I continue to log my food intake at 4+ years out. I think it's vital.

Hey Everyone, I hope you're doing well. Here's a bit of background on me before I get into my current dilemma, if you don't care about that, skip to the TLDR at the end. I'm a 27 year old man and I got my surgery last year. I've always been heavy (the last time I was less than 300 lbs was in elementary school) and I wanted to live a longer, happier life. I talked with my doctor and she said that Bariatric surgery was the best option for me. I went to one Bariatric clinic and was basically treated as a number, so after six months of prep and almost $1k, I left them and went to a Bariatric clinic that a family friend had had good luck with. I had better luck with them and was able to get my surgery ~ 4 months after my first visit with them(vs almost a year with the first one). My finance(then GF) and I actually got COVID three months before my surgery, though it was not horrible for us. My hospital stay was fine and my recovery went pretty well. I had issues with the liquid diet following the surgery, but after that I was fine until now. Read after the TL;DR for my current dilemma. TL;DR: I'm 10 months post-op and my weight loss has stagnated. I'm prepping ~10 oz per meal, though I usually don't finish it, and have been doing that for about a month. I do about 20-30 minutes on a peddle bike (under my desk) per day. My doctor recommended Keto for me (which I tried pre-op and lost 90+lbs, though it was terrible for me psychologically) and I started it today. I was wondering if anyone had any tips to push past the wall I'm stuck on. Thanks for any advice. Paul

Therapy is probably good for you at this point. But definitely consult with your nutritionist to get back onto a healthier diet again. I don't eat many things that are just carbs. I try to stick to meat proteins, but I satisfy my carb needs with beans/lentils/nuts. They help satisfy me while providing more protein. Rice is usually a big no-no. As is any bread, especially with yeast. They fill your stomach up with less nutritious foods. My nutritionist allows me to eat 6-8 whole wheat crackers with meals when I want a "bread" source. I also eat very small tortilla wraps (meat/cheese inside). Once in a while I will take pretzels or tortilla chips and dip them in hummus or a bean dip. But my diet is mostly keto-ish.... high protein, low fat, very low carbs. The high fat isn't good in keto, but the fat you do eat should be healthy fats (not bacon bacon fat or the like sadly). Try to break the junk food habit! I restrain myself from eating junk most of the time. But I do allow myself the OCCASIONAL small treat. But for me, my biggest food enemy is "Cola". Pepsi/Coke are my addiction. And I do NOT drink diet. Nasty. I know I cannot ever drink it again or I will slip into all my bad habits before I know it. So... I found a flavored drink substitute that I am allowed to have: Vitamin Water Zero or Gatorade Zero. If I need something flavored to drink, I stick to those or unsweetened mint tea or something similar. Anyhow, consult your nutritionist, schedule an appointment with a therapist, and start tracking your food again and work out! And support groups are great too, if you find one that works for you. I don't like the group setting, that is why I am here on this website. But I also have a co-worker that had the surgery 4 years ago... I get a lot of support from her too. And I am advising another co-worker who is considering having surgery. Both are therapeutic for me.

Hi, I'm almost 4 months VSG. I'm going on a cruise in 2 weeks. Can anyone suggest a keto friendly drink? (Alcoholic) Sent from my Moto Z3 Play using BariatricPal mobile app

There are some pretty awesome keto/low carb bloggers out there with sugar free sweets that rival the real thing. While you still have the metabolic advantage going of your honeymoon period, I'd sure check them out though, and see if you can find "healthy-er-ish" alternatives. Cuz God, that would be terrifying to gain all your weight back, just because you can't not eat sweets after dinner! I keep reading at some point, our appetite does come back, and that our ability to eat more increases with time too...I'm pretty terrified I will change my anatomy, be able to lose it all, then because I won't stay diligent enough, will gain some or all of it back! So I'm working like a one-armed-paperhanger to try to build new, healthy habits. Two of those things involve breaking up permanently with sugar and also breaking up with crunchy, carby, salty snacks. ((hugs)) And glad it's working for you right now!!

Yep, could be keto flu. Google it & see if it’s what you’re experiencing. Plus you’re likely experiencing withdrawals from caffeine, sugar, etc. It does get better. Good luck with your surgery.

@Sara Bronson Yea Whisps are awesome and are a staple in our house as my wife is also running a keto diet. I can't do pork rinds. Never been a fan.

Keto poop would of chaised their asses out of the operating room! Would of been pretty fun if they were shooting a video for YouTube and a turd hit the floor! Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using BariatricPal mobile app

Thanks so much guys! I think you're right I will refer back! That sharing meals thread looks brilliant! I was feeling so low this morning. I have had a look at the keto diet but isnt it all cheese and bacon etc, so are you saying change it up for low fat cheese kinda thing?

I'm 1 year 6 mo post OP vsg, I'm considering keto, does anyone know what macros I should be following? Sent from my SM-G960U1 using BariatricPal mobile app