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So I'm actually enjoying working out!!! Who knew?? lol I work out twice a day. I do 20 minutes on the treadmill on speed 3.5 (running is 4.0 and I'm not there yet lol ) then I do 15 minutes on the bike at speed 12 (most resistance is 15, but again, not there yet) and 10 minutes doing sit-ups and stomach crunches. Those are the hardest, so I only do 5 minutes of each, but it's a decent start, anyway. I just finished my work out and even though I'm tired, I feel GOOD. Really accomplished and actually have energy. And even though the scale is moving slowly, I see a real difference. My size 26 clothes are too big now and I almost fit into size 24!!!! I haven't been in a size 24 since I did keto a few years ago. The lowest size I got to was 22. I can't wait to hit size 20 and know I did it!!! I beat my keto size and weight and this time it'll stick. This has been the hardest, greatest, most frustrating, wonderful journey I've ever been on lol

If you're in to low carb eating...like Keto...you can make some cheese chips. Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app

I was originally considering the sleeve, but my surgeon was concerned about the reflux so we opted for the bypass. I'm so sorry to hear you have to go in for a revision, but I sure hope it brings you some relief. I have a standard two week liquid pre-op diet, nothing special. But I'm modifying my Keto Chow protein to use almond milk instead of heavy cream during that time. Last night I made fluff for the very first time using the SF jello and greek yogurt - it was very good. So experimenting with recipes to see what I like/don't like cause I know I might too tired or need a family member to help

I got a few bariatric cookbooks with my Amazon digital credits, and I wasn't impressed. You can find plenty of recipes online for free -- Pinterest is a goldmine. You don't really need special bariatric recipes (except maybe in the initial liquid/pureed/soft food stages when you can't eat "regular" food yet); just look for recipes that meet your nutritional guidelines. Some "keto" and "low-carb" recipes fit the bill, but a lot of them are way too high in fat. I usually search for "skinny" or "ww" (Weight Watchers") recipes, or adapt recipes by making substitutions like riced cauliflower for rice, spaghetti squash for pasta, sugar-free condiments/sauces, etc.

It’s always best to follow the diet you were given as it will be to follow their post surgical plan. As @liveaboard15 said different surgeons require different diets. My surgeon would put different patients on different diets based on the amount of weight they had to lose, their weight loss history & their medical history. So my friend was on all shakes, her friend was on two shakes & a meal & I was on keto. You can always ask your surgeon why he requires you to follow the all shake diet. The first five or so days are the hardest as you break some addictions & dependencies. You may headaches, low energy, etc. almost like withdrawal symptoms but better to get past this before surgery than after. Some people slip on their pre surgical diet. A slip is okay but regularly going off plan isn’t. The diet is required so you lose some weight to improve your health, reduce fat around your liver so your tummy can be seen more easily during surgery &, as above, break some habits & food dependencies. You can do it. It’s only two weeks. Some have to do it for three or more weeks.

So I can't stand light mayo or light salad dressings and I'm not sure I'll be a fan of Greek yogurt in its place. I get to start week 3 tomorrow and I'm so dang excited becuase I plan to make egg salad (I raise backyard chickens so can't wait to finally get back to eating their butt nuggets! 🤣), chicken salad, and tuna salad and I was planning on using regular mayo. My question as a new post bariatric patient is future plans with this eating lifestyle. My nutritionist said I won't be eating carbs for a while and even when I do start to introduce them, she said a lot of bariatric patients don't tolerate much of them. I was thinking low carb would be best for me as I have done it before but how would that work if I need to do low fat too? I've done keto before and to me, it's sooo much easier than low fat so I'm curious what others are doing successfully. Is there a way to find a happy medium between low carb and low fat?

I was on metformin at one time, but it made me violently sick and passed out several times while on it, so I'll never agree to be put on it again. It also caused an issue with my pancreas (already had an issue, but it enflamed it?) I can't do keto/low carb because I literally stop losing weight, but my diet is mostly protein/veg with a little bit of sweet potato or a couple of tbsp of quinoa or brown jasmine rice, depends on the meal. I've noticed the 2 weeks I was below 35g carbs after surgery I not only had issues with low blood sugar, but I also didn't lose any weight during that time. I was low carb for years and never lost weight, no one can really explain why since my blood work does show insulin resistance. I don't take any medicine for hashimotos. Many people with hashimotos thyroiditis get put on thyroid medicine. I was on Leothyronine (NP thyroid did not work for me, caused major weight gain), but since surgery we've done the labs 3xs and my provider said not to take it and we will re-test in 90 days unless my weight loss stops completely. Hopefully that means I won't need it at all in the future. I'm still AIP-ish in eating, which is what helps the most with hashis symptoms. Luckily, eggs don't cause a flareup and most fermented dairy doesn't either. However, milk-based products and casein does.

You’ll notice lots of differences in pre surgical & post surgical plans all the time. I know my surgeon puts different patients on different pre surgical diets. He considers many factors like weight loss history, health status, how much weight they have to lose, etc. in his decision. He put my friend on all shakes. He instructed a friend of hers to do two shakes & a meal. Me, he put on keto. You just have to follow your plan. Your surgeon likely recommended it for a reason. You could always ask them why.

May be it’s the type of carbs? From purée stage I was allowed carbs: rolled oats & vegetables (not potatoes), then fruit later on. So instead of saying ditch the carbs I should have said reduce the carbs & look for more nutritious complex carbs like in multi & whole grains (low processed), seeds & vegetables. If you’re able to eat bread & pasta on your plan look for the low carb, high protein & multi grain versions. And of course leave them to last when eating: protein first then vegetables & then carbs if you can. But maybe it’s a case of discovering what works for you and it may be reduced carbs or only complex high fibre carbs. Ketosis didn’t last for my whole weight loss phase, just in the beginning. (Thank goodness - those bad body odour, bad breath, keto flu, etc. side effects are awful.) You don’t have to be in ketosis to lose weight. That’s just one way. Continuing to be calorie deficient will enable you to lose weight. I haven’t eaten pasta, rice or bread since before my surgery three years ago. I go out often including to Italian & Japanese restaurants & haven't felt like I’m missing out yet by not eating rice or pasta. Plenty of other options on the menu. As for bread - I have 7 specialty bakeries & patisseries within a 2 km strolling radius of my home. Don’t feel I’m missing out with them either. It’s just how you look at it. But that’s me. You have to discover what works for you.

So today is my weekly weigh in day, and I weigh 349!!! It's the first time in 2 years I have been below 350 (1st time was when I did keto, but as soon as I hit 320 it literally came back up and I never lost a single pound after I went back to my original weight). I'm figuring out the food portions, timing, measurements and I think I have it down!!! You guys have all been so amazing with all the meltdowns, crazy questions, doubting myself, etc I've done on here (I know, I was a bit loco lol ). But I seem to be losing at a nice steady pace (5-7 pounds per week) and I have to say, I'm really liking it. I feel like this is much more sustainable and maintainable than when I was doing keto (and surprisingly, a lot less restrictive! ) I'm 7 weeks post op today and honestly, other than my scars on my tummy, I would never know I had surgery. No pain, no more limitations, no problems at all. I still have to be mindful of how much I eat and how often, because as I have said before, I never lost any of my hunger hormone. But I make homemade smoothies with fruit or I drink a protein shake if I need a little extra protein, or I just keep busy until I can teach my stomach and body that I'm NOT hungry and I HAVE eaten enough and I will NOT be eating anymore because I had my allotted amount and that's it. It's harder when you're still hungry, but it CAN be done. Especially when I see the progress on the scale. So so glad I had this surgery. I don't regret it at all. Not even a tiny bit. I just wish I had done it sooner. But I guess we all do, don't we? lol

With my nutritionist's approval - I've started my breakfast and lunch with Keto Chow protein powder. So I'm slowly getting used to more liquid and less food. It's beginning to affect the food portions when I eat dinner, so I think that is a great plus!. I'm adding Orgain college peptides wot my water to make sure I'm getting enough protein prior to surgery as well. I'm down 14 pounds towards my 20lb goal before the surgery. So far so good

Thank you for the support! I appreciate the ideas and support. I think what I'm really whining about is that have to get rid of carbs, when I'm doing everything else right! I do walk as much as my body allows, I have physical issues which keep me from doing 3 miles a day like I'd like to. Still I'm eating very little compared to the average person. I walk everyday, plus weights, yoga, etc. I eat a small amount of carbs and throws me into non keto and I stall. I guess my body doesn't care about all this, it is what it is! So I've gotten back into just healthy eating, lots of protein!

Even though I don’t eat pasta, rice or bread, I don’t think as it as being on a ‘diet’. It’s just how I eat now. Just like people who become vegetarian or vegan, etc. Yes, those foods don’t sit well with me but I think I would still have chosen not to eat them again from a nutritional perspective & I feel better (not as gluggy, bloated, etc.) than when I did eat them & I used to eat them every day. I’m certainly not following a keto diet. I eat plenty of carbs from vegetables & I eat rolled oats & multi grain crackers every day. It’s just they aren’t highly processed & are whole & multi grains. And yes I can still eat at Italian & Japanese restaurants. How you chose to eat in the future is your choice. It has to complement your lifestyle & never make you feel like you are missing out.

I think it would be a safety precaution too - putting you in a better & healthier place for your surgery. My surgeon puts his patients on different diets based upon their weight, eating habits, weight loss & medical history. Some are on all shakes or 2 shakes & a meal (under the hospital’s weight loss clinic) or keto with a dietician which I was on. I did the 2 shakes & a meal for a good 3 months some years ago. My meal was at night. It is hard to begin because you’re breaking a lot of habits & addictions (salt, sugar, caffeine, etc.). The first week is usually the hardest but you will lose weight. You got this. Watch the pickles especially the number you eat. Those extra calories quickly add up. If you feel hungry, try a green or herbal tea. Also see if they have soups as well as shakes. (The hospital weight loss clinic program offered soup & shakes mixes as did the pharmacy brand program I followed.) Drinking soups can seem more meal like & can be more satisfying.

Fortunately, my insurance did not make me have to lose a ton of weight prior some like plans. But I'm working on losing as much as I can prior to the surgery with a low carb keto diet

Had my rny on 5/16, no complications or issues. The first two weeks of recovery went great, and I went down 20 lbs pretty quickly. Unfortunately I ended up in the hospital after 2 days of vomiting and nausea with diabetic keto acidosis and dehydration. I was in the hospital for 2 days and it threw me off my recovery a little. Since then I’ve been trying to get back into walking every day again as I haven’t lost anything after the initial 20 lbs. I just had my first post-op appointment on Wednesday and spoke to the nurse practitioner about some lower abdominal pain that has remained since getting sick, and she suggested that I switch the brand of water I’m drinking to something less acidic. I feel lucky that I’m not having any bigger issues. I seem to be tolerating each new food without a problem and have no issues getting my protein and water in everyday, I’m just frustrated that the scale hasn’t moved in 2 weeks. ☹️

I'm so frustrated. I lost 30 pounds the first 2 weeks after surgery. Then I hit a stall for 2 weeks. Lost 5 pounds when the stall broke, and then literally lost nothing else. Stayed at that weight for a week, and now I'm gaining weight!!!!! I don't understand it. I bought a food scale and I weigh everything. I check the labels on everything to make sure Protein is high and carbs and fats are low. I work out once, sometimes twice, a day. I never have restriction, so I make sure to set alarms for when I can eat so I don't graze or eat too much (I eat 3 meals and 1 snack per day). I'm always hungry, but I do my best to ignore it and stick to the diet and eating schedule. I did a journal of what I eat and I sent it to my dietician and she said "it looks good, you're doing what you're supposed to. It might be that you have PCOS and it's holding on to your weight and even putting some back on. We see this a lot in PCOS patients." Wait....what??? I lost 100 pounds in 8 months on Keto, but I can't lose more than 30 with WLS??? And it took 2 months before the weight came back with keto, but I can't even make it to 6 weeks post op before the weight starts coming back with WLS??? I went down from a size 30 in clothing to a size 22 before the weight came back with keto. I haven't gone down any clothing sizes with WLS and my clothes are still fitting pretty much the same (I've gained 6 pounds back from the 30 I lost). I can drink as much as I want, eat anything I want, don't have to eat slow because there's no restriction and nothing to make me slow down, I could only eat 1/3 of a burger a week or so ago, now I can eat a whole one with no issues and not quite feel comfortable yet (I still stop, even though I'm still hungry). I know everyone says my stomach is still healing, but I never lost my hunger hormone, I never had food aversion, I never really had any restriction. After the first 2 weeks (my stomach was still very sensitive and I had to crush pills and be careful what I ate because PAIN), I never had any other ANYTHING that would even indicate I had surgery. Literally nothing has changed. So I follow the diet, weigh my food, eat only at my designated times, work out, journal what I eat, stay hungry, gain weight back, and basically just live miserably every day.

I'm so frustrated. I lost 30 pounds the first 2 weeks after surgery. Then I hit a stall for 2 weeks. Lost 5 pounds when the stall broke, and then literally lost nothing else. Stayed at that weight for a week, and now I'm gaining weight!!!!! I don't understand it. I bought a food scale and I weigh everything. I check the labels on everything to make sure protein is high and carbs and fats are low. I work out once, sometimes twice, a day. I never have restriction, so I make sure to set alarms for when I can eat so I don't graze or eat too much (I eat 3 meals and 1 snack per day). I'm always hungry, but I do my best to ignore it and stick to the diet and eating schedule. I did a journal of what I eat and I sent it to my dietician and she said "it looks good, you're doing what you're supposed to. It might be that you have PCOS and it's holding on to your weight and even putting some back on. We see this a lot in PCOS patients." Wait....what??? I lost 100 pounds in 8 months on keto, but I can't lose more than 30 with WLS??? And it took 2 months before the weight came back with keto, but I can't even make it to 6 weeks post op before the weight starts coming back with WLS??? I went down from a size 30 in clothing to a size 22 before the weight came back with keto. I haven't gone down any clothing sizes with WLS and my clothes are still fitting pretty much the same (I've gained 6 pounds back from the 30 I lost). I can drink as much as I want, eat anything I want, don't have to eat slow because there's no restriction and nothing to make me slow down, I could only eat 1/3 of a burger a week or so ago, now I can eat a whole one with no issues and not quite feel comfortable yet (I still stop, even though I'm still hungry). I know everyone says my stomach is still healing, but I never lost my hunger hormone, I never had food aversion, I never really had any restriction. After the first 2 weeks (my stomach was still very sensitive and I had to crush pills and be careful what I ate because PAIN), I never had any other ANYTHING that would even indicate I had surgery. Literally nothing has changed. So I follow the diet, weigh my food, eat only at my designated times, work out, journal what I eat, stay hungry, gain weight back, and basically just live miserably every day.

I have thought about weight loss surgery for a few years and seriously for a year now. I've been overweight for over 20 years, and in the last nine years I have gained around 44 pounds. Currently I'm around 80 pounds overweight with a BMI of 37. Like so many here, I've tried so many things to lose weight. Meal replacement shakes, weight loss club, exercise, different kinds of low carb eating etc., with diminishing results. The last time I lost any significant amount of weight was almost decade ago, when I was pregnant with my son. I lost about 22 pounds from before I was pregnant, but I gained it back double in the years that followed. I was at my highest weight in 2019, and since then I've managed to lose and gain the same 10-15 pounds several times. Before I was a mom, I used to exercise regularly, but as a new single mom with a full time job, I didn't have the time. I started with a low carb diet four years ago and started exercising in a gym a year after that, but then covid came and all the gyms closed. I started having blood pressure problems at the end of 2019, and it has gotten worse since. I'm now on two different medication for blood pressure, plus Metaformin for blood sugar. I got covid last winter and after that my stamina is a lot worse, so I feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle I keep losing. I have the money to pay for surgery, if I go overseas to have it. I'm in northern Europe and am considering two private hospital in Eastern European countries. I guess I'm afraid of complications, of dying and of not getting the desired results. A part of me feels I should just be able to exercise and do keto to lose the weight, but I've tried it so many times and failed. As I said, I'm a single mom and want to live a long and healthy life for my son, who does not have another active parent in his life. I've only told one friend that I'm considering this surgery, but I hesitate to tell my family. I'm the only overweight person in my family and I'm not sure they'll be supportive. Did anyone else struggle this much with deciding to have surgery or not, and what finally helped you to decide?

Hey all! Woah, I didn’t mean to make this so long, but I’m a rambler. This is my first post and I'm not sure if it belongs here, but it’s going here lol. I’ve been battling depression and obesity since I was a child. I hit 200lbs when I was 12, and although I was an active dancer in highschool and walked so so so much (my friends and I were mallrats with no cars) and saw a nutritionist in my junior and senior year, I was probably around 215 when I graduated. For a 5’2”, 17 year old girl, that was already morbidly obese and it just went up from there. I was definitely in survival mode for the next few years, on a few antidepressants, working and going to school, just trying to live. The earliest data I have from my FitBit and MyFitnessPal has be at 275lb in 2016, and I know I went up to the 290s in 2017, because 2017 is a blank on my trackers, and knowing me, I was too ashamed to record it. The next I have is 273 in 2018. I went off my antidepressants around the end of 2017, and while I was mentally “white-knuckling” it, I started losing weight. But it was very much a lose 10lbs, gain 15-20 cycle. Then my birth control made it worse. At the beginning of this year, I was stuck in a plateau of 231, and I talked to my doctor about my disordered eating, and she got me a therapist and I got myself a personal trainer. At that doctors appt, I almost asked for a referral for surgery, but chickened out and asked for a therapist and a nutritionist instead. Love my therapist, but the nutritionist wanted me on a 1200 cal diet that didn't mesh with disordered eating at all. An important note here, is that my mother, who has passed, had the RYGB circa 2002. So surgery has always been in the back of my mind. After a series of unfortunate events in March, I lost 10lbs rapidly and realized my bmi (40) was at the cut off for surgery with no comorbidities. At the beginning of April I asked my doctor for a surgery referral. She offered me Wegovy or Saxenda, but I really can’t see myself using injectables for the rest of my life, so she went ahead with the referral. Had the first consultation a little over a week later, did a few zoom classes, completed forms, did the psych eval (actually awful), and today I got an email saying my insurance approved me and my program would contact me soon for a date. My reasoning is that I see my trainer twice a week and my therapist and I are working on my relationship with food, but I’m getting older and I have that historic lose/gain cycle, and my weight has been a source of unhappiness literally my entire life. Surgery isn’t going to fix everything, I know that, I’ve talked to my therapist about that, but she and I agree this would be a great tool for me in conjunction with the other changes I’m making. My trainer, who is a family friend, doesn’t like the idea. But she’s only known me as an adult, she doesn’t see that a lifetime of yo-yo dieting and trying to stay active isn’t cutting it when I’m still carrying an extra 100lbs. A close member of my family wants me to do keto again, because that was my biggest diet win, but that also didn’t mesh with my disordered eating in the long run. Since my consult, I’ve lost about another 6lbs, firmly putting me where I was when I was a teenager, which is a surreal feeling, but it’s being used as proof that I can “do it on my own.” Honestly, my mindset is that I’m eating less in preparation for surgery. There’s been memes shared on instagram stories of people who I know must know I want to get wls done, calling the surgery “body mutilation” and how “surgeons regret performing bariatric surgeries because it's unnatural.” It makes me doubt myself, like is this just my depression wanting to “mutilate” myself, or is this me trying to overcome my depression and finally do something for myself? What was it for my mother? I was too young to ask her these questions and now I can't. This is a very long post to ask; I’m doing the right thing, right? Am I being rational and making sense? I know I can lose the weight, but keeping it off is constantly clawing and if I slip now just a little, the lose/gain cycle could catch up, and I'm so tired of it.

Forgot to mention, I cant seem to stomach the premier protein anymore too sweet. I can tolerate Fairlife but prefer the whey protein isolate zero creamy vanilla powder. That is alot better for me as far as getting past the sweetness. I do and have bought the ratio protein yogurt....those things pack a powerful 20-25g of protein. It is thicker tho so as long as you can tolerate that it should be good. I also buy the keto protein of the same brand not as much protein but still a decent amount. Cod, Tilapia and Mahi Mahi fish are good (no strong fishy taste) and dont forget you may hate fish before surgery but after you may like it. I eat mine (after cooking) with fresh mild pico de gallo. I actually eat more fish now than I did in the past and I have put the fish on a small handful of baby spinach.

I used to burp occasionally in the beginning, but not excessively. Re: smell, are you sure it is the burps, or is it keto breath (or a combo of the two)? I was seriously stinky for the first couple of months. It got better as my diet normalized.

Are you looking for just protein or do you want all of the vitamins/minerals that typically come with most protein drinks? If you just want the protein, buy unflavored whey protein concentrate on Amazon (I buy the Bulk Supplements brand). I add it to my morning coffee -- tastes like a very weak skim milk. If you mix it with anything that has any kind of strong flavor, you won't notice the taste. If you want something unflavored that has the vitamins/minerals, buy Keto Chow Base Powder. It doesn't have the protein (mixing it with the Bulk Supplements whey would solve that problem), but it has a ton of necessary vitamins/minerals.

Not imo. It works for some people but I think you need a certain psychology around food I just don't have...not to mention guts of steel haha I did keto like 2 years ago in one of my many pursuits to lose weight. I had diarrhea every single day all the time. I did lose 10 lbs in 3 weeks but when I stopped, I gained it all back plus more! Not my proudest moment. Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

I’m over society shaming people for being overweight and then when they decide to do something about it that isn’t diet an exercise, shaming them for their decision to “take the easy way out” and have surgery. I am tired of the average Joe or Jane suddenly becoming a nutritionist and a medical provider doling out useless advice we have all heard a million times before. “Just eat less!” “ Exercise more!” “Do Keto!” “Cut carbs!” THANKS NEVER THOUGHT OF IT. The amount of men going in on Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit cover model calling her obese is ridiculous. Dad bods are celebrated but a woman that doesn’t fit the classic American beauty standards are “disgusting.” And it’s always under the guise of “bUt It’S uNhEaLtHy.” No, you just can’t handle a different body type. Don’t sit there and pretend you care about health. And then the “surgery is the east way out.” Uh no. No it’s not. Not with the amount of consultations and evaluations and testing i needed to undergo. This also was my last resort; i tried for years to lose on my own and couldn’t-not with the over 100 lbs i needed to lose. Add in pre diabetes, PCOS, depression/anxiety and it feels insurmountable. If the general public thinks surgery is the easy way out or thinks it only works for people on My 600 LB Life, they should do the liquid liver shrinking diet for a week and see how long they last. They should undergo the evaluations. They could google the requirements before saying it’s the easy way out. But it’s easier to sit there and judge because fatphobia is more than acceptable, especially when it comes to women.