Search the Community

Yeah, half the bariatric surgery websites I read in the US warn against fast food due to high sodium. Show me the evidence. I also want evidence on saturated fat and cholesterol while you're at it. Nonsense. I understand there's correlation, no ****, but when I was going Keto, often as not I used to rip the bun off two long chilli cheese burgers from Burger King (Swiss thing, awesome) and I was skinny and my blood work was epic. Oh and caffeine too. There's so much nonsense out there and half of it is from people whose names end in MD.

There is a thing called "bariatric keto" which is basically Atkins in that it is higher protein than current keto fads call for, but Atkins is "old school" while keto is "in" and what people want to do if they are keeping up with current fads - so they label it appropriately. But, I wouldn't compare a bariatric diet (which is basically maintenance level protein and then whatever else to fill in the minimal caloric requirement one has,) to keto, or Atkins, though one can use them if so inclined, but neither is all that sustainable long term, and that is what you should be striving for. Think in terms of what your diet should be in five or ten years - if that's keto or Atkins for you, great, but there's no compelling reason that it should be either. It can be vegetarian or vegan if that floats your boat, and that will work just as well.

I had five incisions in line with my belly button. They were small 10-15mm. They healed over a couple of weeks. I used bio oil too & now I have to look hard to see the scars: they’re little faint lines. Yes, you’ll have saggy skin. It stretched out carrying your weight. Factors like your age, gender, genetics, how long you were at your highest weight, how overweight you were all impact how much sagging you’ll have. As catwoman7 said saggy skin is better than being obese & unhealthy & you can have skin removal. I didn’t have much loose skin when I reached my goal weight but I do have more on my upper inner thighs & upper arms now that I’ve lost more. I just don’t wear short shorts or strappy or strapless tops. I’m just wearing ordinary cotton hipster briefs under this dress. Oh, & my breasts are pretty deflated. Walking is excellent post surgery. Start walking at the hospital to help get rid of the gas they fill your abdomen with during surgery. Your surgical team will probably advise when you can start to increase your activity or introduce other options. I was put on a keto diet for 2 1/2 weeks pre surgery so I can’t advise on what your diet requires. Your dietician or surgeon should have given you a plan to follow. Good luck.

@@rking I have 90 days of a supervised diet. I'm so freaking glad that's all my insurance asks for -- if I had to do this for six months before surgery I think I might throw in the towel because that seems SO FAR AWAY. But ALL of their patients do this, and the practice has amazing results overall, so I'm going to be an adult about it as best I can. This month is for getting into ketosis and getting the macros balanced and hitting targets -- tons of fat (75%), tiny bit of carbs (5%) from veggies (almost) only, moderate protien (20%). I'm not even supposed to work out until 21 days in, because of the raging bitch syndrome/exhaustion/hot mess/keto flu that accompanies sugar/carb withdrawal. And I'm not supposed to restrict calories too much this month, either -- 1890 per day. Next month they'll tweak the plan based on my feedback, drop the calories a bit and up the cardio and I'll have to start seeing their trainer at their gym. Same thing during the third month -- drop the calories, up the cardio, fix what isn't working. Then the two week pre-surgery diet, which is two or three protien shakes and a meal per day. After surgery there is one week of Clear liquids, two more week of all liquids, two weeks of soft foods, then a "New Normal" plan that is also a ketosis diet for at least the first 6 months. My docs REALLY ride the heck out of the honeymoon period. They expect their patients to lose 25% of their total body weight by 6 months post op, and if they haven't, they have plans for that, too. It is FAR MORE INTENSE than I was expecting from lurking on these forums for a few months. So far I have made good choices. White carbs, grains, Beans, starchy veg, fruit, bread, tortillas, sugar, honey, sodas, milk, lattes, chai lattes, etc are all totally gone. I did go over my carb allotment one day because I used 4 Ricola cough drops without logging them and didn't realize they have a bunch of carbs, but other than that I've stuck to the plan.

The protein amount that is usually specified is nothing special (maybe a bit of overkill, but not much) - it represents the amount that we generally need to maintain our lean body, or muscle, mass, and will not change appreciably as we move from weight loss into long term maintenance. What will change over time is the amount of other things that will be consumed with it - fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, etc. So things won't seem as protein intense over time. It will also become a basic habit (did you worry about your protein intake before you decided on WLS?) As with vitamins, it is something that we will need to make sure we take in some form - some will need more than others - and periodic lab tests will guide us on what and how much we need to take (including protein.) So, do you need to count and monitor it forever? Not really, as it will usually become habit and take care of itself. For instance, protein is only about 20% of my diet, so it isn't something that I think a lot about. Now, if you decide to make major changes to your diet or lifestyle (like going vegan or keto) then you should revisit the subject to make sure that you are getting enough of what you need.

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'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.

It's kind of like Atkins. Low carb, high fat, allows for the protein we need. There's a lot of great info on it on a Reddit keto sub thread. Read the FAQs section if you're interested. I learned a ton there. There are also great searchable posts here.@outsidematchinside is one of the resident experts. Her posts kept me from giving up on it because she's rocked it for huge weight loss and has a lot of knowledge and humor to share. I'm also doing a parallel effort in mindful eating, which is eating with awareness and non-judgment. The judgment part is what throws us into catastrophiizing one poor food choice into days or weeks or years of eating crap. My surgeon's office had a six week mindful eating class that was great. We used a workbook by Susan Albers, who I think is from the Cleveland Clinic. I thought it would be only minimally helpful, but it was really excellent. I'm also lucky enough to live near Jean Fain, who is an expert in mindful eating. She wrote a book called The Self-Compassion Diet, which is also excellent. I have just started seeing her for individual counseling because I've used overeating as a coping mechanism since I was six years old and it's high time I move on to a better existence. :-)

With COVID we aren't having a family get-together. It's just me and hubby. I'm making some Keto sausage balls and keto brownies and that's about it. We aren't big on tradition so not having the turkey and trimmings isn't a big deal to us. Hubby and I are on the Carnivore (stricter Keto) diet so we wouldn't be eating much different than any other day anyway. Focus on Thanksgiving as being with family as opposed to being about food.

Assuming you stick to your plan, you Will lose more! The human body isn't magic. It doesn't run on rainbows and fairy dust, it runs on stored energy (fat and muscle) and what you put into it. So, if you're restricting calories and eating the right kinds of foods, you will lose weight! If you're in a stall and need some assurance that you are losing fat, I like keto strips. They're cheap, all you do is pee on a strip and it tells you what level of ketones are in your urine. Ketones are one sign that your body is in ketosis and is rapidly burning fat. Also, 36 pounds is great! I'm 2.5 months out and only got to 36 pounds today. Follow your meal plan, exercise (whether it be when things are cool in the morning/evening or at a gym), and keep your head up!

I heard trying a keto diet. It helps break a stall. God bless.

I think you are right, that you need to start keeping track of your calorie intake....it will give you a better idea of how much you should be eating to lose weight. Take a look at this calculator and input your data and it will give you a general sense of what calorie level you should be at to lose weight: https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/ There are many other calculators out there, this just happen to be the one I used. Good Luck!

REALLY? I hadn't done as much RNY research as up to a few weeks before original surgery date, I was scheduled for VSG. Ended up with an RNY and my date getting pushed back a few weeks but was so into getting thru pre-op diet that I didn't get a great deal of research done on RNY to be honest. Watch me be a 30-percenter I'm pretty hard core on the keto front although I'll have to reconsider the use of artificial sweetners down the road when I'm ready to introduce more things into my 'way of eating....

I have a 4 people in my life that know I had surgery. And my BF and I decided not to tell his parents because like yours they are very thin by nature and don't believe in surgery thinking it's the lazy way out. When the holidays roll around and I'm forced to be with them, I'll do exactly as @GreenTealael stated. They already know that my BF and I started our Keto lifestyle at the beginning of the year and my weightloss was much slower than his. So, hopefully it won't stir up any questions. As Charlie75 stated; you need to do what's right for you. This is your journey, not theirs. My only words of advise to you are: be prepared, while we all want the surgery to be a miracle thing and pop out of the hospital at / near our goal weight, that's not reality. Follow the forums, research as much as possible because there will be tough times ahead post surgery too with stalls, not feeling 100%, having doubts or regrets, etc. But remember it's all a part of the process and you need to trust it. In the long run, you will be much happier and healthier. Good luck to you, remember you have an entire web of support at your fingertips.

here's an article about it. It lists both headaches and dizziness as symptoms: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/keto-flu-symptoms#symptoms

Thank you for sharing. I’m going to try a few things. Strongly considering Keto

@hermione53 I lost all my weight with walking for the most part for the first 9 months. I added in Yoga, I did CrossFit for a little while (really just to meet men), and I do weights at home. I found I can't do a lot of really vigorous exercise because I can't eat enough calories to support it, plus it stresses my body out and I cling to weight (everyone is different so you have to do what works for you). Walking 2-5 miles a day is enough to lose weight. Anything that is really going to make you sweat or burn a lot of calories before 6 months is pretty dicey imo. Just because you can't drink water fast enough to replace it and you are still healing and it is hard to get enough calories in to support an increased calorie deficit cause by exercise beyond the deficit you are already running because of decreased intake. If you want to do something intense I think you should wait until you can consume at least 1200 calories a day and drink water at a pretty decent pace. That is going to vary for everyone. Dr Matthew Weiner is a bariatric Dr I respect. One things he talks about is working out and injuring yourself, you end up back tracking. So instead of having your normal level of activity, now you are hurt so not only are you not exercising, you also are not doing your normal level of activity just moving around the house or the office. At Minute 8:57 he talks about injury. I think being active is really important, but I think people can lose a lot of weight with walking, something simple. It has a lot of benefits and if you like that is great. I hate being inside, I will run, walk, play any sport, swim, anything if I am outside. I can't stand being in a Gym longer than an hour, but I will walk outside 10 miles at a time. So you have to find what you like. The goal in the first 6 months should be healing and learning your sleeve, not burning calories to the max. I hate personal trainers too. LOL I'll never pay for one, and most of them look like they need trainers themselves. I lost my weight with keto and walking with a little yoga tossed in here and there. I think you will like what Dr Weiner has to say, I hope you watch the whole video. Edited to Add: I am watching this video now. I love this guy. I have never heard of him until this video. He is right and I like his logic. I need go walking before it gets dark but I am going to watch this whole thing and reply. What he saying about fat brain and skinny brain is totally right. He might be my new Dr crush, lol.

I use monk fruit sweetener. Tastes sweeter than sugar but is recommended for those who are diabetic, on keto and low carb diets, and have had bariatric surgery. I love it, and I use it very sparingly, so it lasts a loooong time.

Hello! Thank you for talking about Keto diet! B4 my surgery i bought a keto diet cookbook but i only tried some of the smoothie recipes. I am now a 7 wk post op sleever. I still love to have my cup of decaf coffee with flavored non dairy creamer. I use International Delight. But in order to get my protein in first thing i added 1 scoop of Isopure zero carb protein powder in my coffee with a Tsp of coconut oil (ie: Rocket Fuel). Im unable to drink it everyday just on the days I dont go to the gym. Thats because the coffee is like a laxative for me! I like the keto diet idea but measuring Macos or calculating my fats & calories seems so confusing! I think the easiest thing for me to do is just to follow the recipes in the Keto for beginners cookbook & log what I can eat on my FitnessPal App & let it do the macos thing for me! By the way my 1 of my daughters started doing the Keto diet again @ 5 months post op & is doing great with her weight loss! She had the Gastric Sleeve also! I would like to continue following this topic to learn more about keto dieting after WLS! Thanks again for opening up this disscusion! Sent from my SM-T530NU using BariatricPal mobile app

https://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ That is the one with the pie charts and projected weight loss Here are a few others so you can compare. https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/ https://ketogains.com/ketogains-calculator/

I love carbs and sugar. I still crave both just as much, immediately after the surgery. My plan is everything in moderation, one day at a time. If I cut something out of my diet completely, I usually end up giving in and over doing it. Right now Saturday is my "cheat day" which means higher calories and a treat. I am pretty much low carb the rest of the week. I don't know what this will look like long term, I'm pretty certain I will be a complete failure 3 years out. Apparently the only way to be successful at this, is to become a body builder, or marathon runner and eat a lifelong keto diet. But, I don't want to eat only chicken and cottage cheese for the rest of my life, and I sure as hell haven't noticed an increased desire to run marathons post surgery either.

Ah I see I have only had 2 and never had the chance to get them tested to see what they were made of. I know that is a key in stones so you can figure out what excess minerals are there. We're your stones Calcium? Is that what you mean by the levels going down? So were you on medication to help prevent kidney stones? I am glad to hear you haven't had issues. Stones are the worst! I seemed to get mine around the time that I was following a keto diet. So that could have been the cause.

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).

So of course every surgeon is different. For me they did not want us to go into that keto flu. So we were told to avoid those protein shakes with no carbs. instead they recommended a certain one which i forget how many carbs they have in it but had a decent amount (not 50 of course) also to not avoid caffine as that would make the diet even harder. But yea it sucks. Gotta get use to it. After surgery your carbs will need to be a bear minimum. Currently at 4 months post op according to my guidelines max i can have is 30 and its no longer an issue.

Keto flu is temporary, it can last anywhere from 3 days to a week.