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Here are some of my questions. I will see him next and will post the answers to these as well as any other questions I think of between now and then. Bariatric Advantage Vitamins (1 pill,4x a day) When should I start birth control How long before I can work out? Weight training? Kick boxing or Strength Training? Can I do Rugged Maniac in May or November? Is the Keto diet a good plan to follow after surgery ( High protein, High fat) or should I stick to high,lean protein and good fats only in moderation? Can we have lemon/lime juice (Fresh)and when? *For teas and to flavor water* Can I use Proteu water (Lift) instead of propel? Is it possible to have a Binder for recovery?

I do high protein, limited fat keto. So I aim for 60 or more grams of protein a day and limit to 30 or fewer carbs per day. I don;t really worry about the fat because I'm not eating foods that are particularly rich in fat. I have lost 84 pounds and have kept it off, so I know it's working. I started this modified keto plan at about 3.5 months out. It's easy for me to stick to and I'm always full.

Hey! I’m in Georgia too... Near Augusta. My insurance required all that and I am finally having my surgery a week from today. During my 6 month observation I went up and down, finally ending up right where I started. I only really started losing weight after the first of the year. I went on Keto to lesson the effects of the Keto flu when on liquid diet- it worked! As as far as your question- no I wasn’t turned down. But as my doctor explained it’s prob because they try to rush everybody through at the end of the year so they can leave for the holidays. This isn’t helpful to you in your situation, I know, but stick with it. Pray about it. And most of all, love yourself. You didn’t get here overnight.

Keto is great for losing, but can you eat that way for the rest of your life in maintenance?

This. I avoid carbs like the plague, because I have a terrible carb addiction and the only solution for me was to purge them from my life almost completely (outside of cottage cheese and green vegetables). That being said, I agree with what @OutsideMatchInside has said. I can eat in a keto fashion long-term, so that is what I do. The difference between a diet and a way of life is sustainability. Find what works for you and stick to it. The important thing is that you are making progress toward your goal.

Sorry I meant to say make sure you are getting at least 60 g of protein. Protein helps you feel sated so the hunger pangs won't bother you, especially if you go into keto.

I never reached my final destination of 'goal weight'. I am 4 years out and I too began slowly adding sugar/carbs back in to my diet about 2 years post op. I regained a lot of my weight and felt terrible. Last November I began Keto and have lost about 40 lbs on that- losing all of my regain except a few pounds. I'm a believer that sugar and carbs in general are not what our body needs. There have been many randomized controlled trials looking at the results between caloric deficit diets vs low carb diet and the low carb has better results, every time, hands down. Different approaches work for different folks, so find what works for you and stick to it. Good luck

Yeah I think in Europe, they use the term LCHF more than Keto, in the past to use an app that had settings for it, Lifesum. The yearly cost was too high last year (I just checked and they lowered it if you buy a year at a time) so I switched back to LoseIt. The Developers of Cronometer have settings for Keto also. I think I might spend the evening taking another look at Cronometer. I used to use it to make nutrition labels for my custom recipes.

No you don't. I won't be doing low carbs either. Hate counting anything as well. And I have my reservations about Keto too. I agree with everything you've posted in regards to it, I choose not to say much about it cause then you get a some folks jumping on board, almost as if you're wrong. You're not. Do what works for you. If a Keto isn't it (definitely not me) than that's okay too.

Protein Prioritized Dirty Keto

@PaulaUSN Dr. Westman (low carb doctor at Duke Univ) recommends plenty of water, a cup of bouillon (I use Better Than Bouillon--so good!) and a teaspoon of MOM (for the magnesium) for the keto flu/headaches. You should google him! But you are on the downhill slide of it now!! Congrats! @Luisajfc The sleeplessness is a well-documented side effect of going super low in calories and carbs. You get pumped full of "feel good hormones" and almost a euphoria with tons of energy. It's temporary and is also kinda part of the keto flu. I drink lots of water, then take my calcium, vit d, and MOM before bed. It helps me relax!! Y'all are rockin' it!!

It's pretty normal to hold more food after a year or two from being sleeved. Makes it a challenge to lose weight and maintain. The weight loss is also painfully slow. Cravings are tough. Once I have carbs/sugar I crave them more. I have to get my discipline back to get the scale to move. Many people go back to basics. Logging, protein and keeping calories down. This may be more information than you want - Feel free to ignore it. The calculator below helped me out. It calculates specifically to you. (sex, age, height, weight, activity level) After you enter your information you will see three tabs (maintaining) (cutting) (bulking) Click cutting to get your macros. enter the numbers into myfitnesspal or food log of your choice - Yes, you can have carbs - It will give you carbohydrate levels low moderate high. Start with moderate and see if you go into weight loss mode...If not go to low carb ratio. This works with any type of diet you are into (palo, keto vegetarian etc) https://tdeecalculator.net/

I'm happy to join in too. I'm 7 yrs post op. Had some regain at 18 months post op. Went Keto and lost regain plus some, but have fizzled out and STILL have 25 lbs to go until ultimate goal as current BMI is around 30 (need to change my profile info still). I remain on a tight diet and am essentially still keto, but I'm considering putting Keto to the back burner and focusing more on high protein-low carb-lower fat which is more of a 'bariatric' type diet long term. I am desperate to make the scale move in the next 3-4 weeks and see some good losses. I will ALWAYS identify as a bariatric patient and sadly this will be a lifelong battle for me. But I have all the tools I need. I actually just spoke to a NP today from my clinic to suggested I start FIERCE tracking which I haven't done in about 6 years.

No, I don't, and my surgeon agrees. She says that her experience is that people love keto while they're losing, but eventually a lot of them start letting carbs creep in and they don't stay on it for the long haul. She thinks a more moderate approach is the most sustainable. She agrees that sugars and simple carbs are absolutely problematic when trying to lose weight, but complex carbs are good for most people to eat. The scientific data shows that the program that works is the one you'll stick with. There are a number of reasons it appeals to people. Some find that eating carbs, especially the breads and grains, is a slippery slope and they have to avoid it entirely. Some find that shifting to a paleo/keto diet feels really good for them. They might have a slight gluten sensitivity that they are treating by shifting their diet away from grains. Some find that it just works incredibly well for them in terms of weight loss and that keeps them motivated. So I don't want to slam keto. A *LOT* of bariatric programs push low-carb/keto, and you'll find a LOT of proponents here for it. I get what most people recognize as the "carb flu" but instead of being over in 3-5 days like most people, I stay in that miserable state and it doesn't seem to ever resolve. Granted, I've never been able to last more than 2 weeks in ketosis (and that was post-op) but it definitely seems that my body hates it. So I have to find what works for me, and so far that's complex carbs in the 80-100g/day range. We'll see if it works long term, I may have to tweak that. That was exactly what I was feeling. The "carb flu." I would rather avoid it if possible. Sent from my iPhone Most people get over it in just a few days, so it's worth it to them. At this point we don't know if I would EVER get over it. So I am going down a different path, and my surgeon is cool with it.

I never eat sugar or cereal but I dump daily on regular food. Doesn’t matter what it is...I still dump. My dumping consists of being nauseous, and sleepy. It usually lasts for half hour to 45 min and then I’m new again. I tried keto frozen yogurt (only had 1/4 cup) and dumped big time that lasted hour plus. I guess this dumping keeps me in check...I don’t know.

I am 4 yrs post VSG. I have regained a good amount of weight- I got back into drinking soda and I really believe it is a major culprit. Unfortunately i'm really struggling in that area, and I work a night shift job which goes against every grain of my being ( I DON'T sleep days, I have a terrible time staying awake at work, but only have about 15 months left because i'll be moving into a different career path after my post-graduate education is done). Anyway, my hubs and I both have about 40 lbs to lose. I tried doing a 'bariatric' type diet, with lean proteins and veg. didn't work too well, I was starved and only lasted 3 days. I tried going back to shakes- I have developed lactose intolerance and vomited from the smell/taste of whey even when I used almond milks. I tried doing a 'low carb' type approach which worked decently (only lasted about a week before I had to go back to work and that blasted soda grabbed hold again). I tried just stopping the soda but it didn't make a huge dent in my weight loss either (I drink mostly diet). My hubs would like to try Keto. I am very nervous about it. I definitely buy into the major science behind it, but i'm scared with all the fats that i'll be in misery. I am very leery of dumping syndrome and think that the high levels of fat might have me bent over in pain. I don't have a gall bladder so dumping is a definite concern. while most people dump from sugar, my body is actually pretty tolerant to sugar, and I get dumping from fat and dairy (milk and ice cream only). Has anybody had any success with keto, specifically for regain? thanks

OutsideMatchInside I think pinned it down with talking about people's body composition. I rarely find people suggest that everyone benefits equally or everyone should do this diet, because everyones tolerance, discipline, comorbidities, genetics, etc. are not the same. But that isn't the issue, the issue is suggesting the keto diet has no scientific basis, which is 100% wrong.

Easy with the high horse. Some of us currently hide behind said academic walls with dubiously obtained doctorates in Epidemiology. I suppose that in 'T.A-ing' 2 nutritional Epi courses, I must have passed along tons of 'crappy science' to students right? That's irrelevant to this topic anyway. I don't know why you're going on about Keto not being a fad, as if I said so somewhere. I just repeated what some studies said. On another post when I mentioned contrary study findings, you deemed them to be wrong, because they didn't agree with your "undoubtedly lengthy, and peer reviewed" research. oh well, I have said my piece.. moving on....

THANKS A LOT! IT IS VERY USEFUL!!!!!!!!!! I thought I would share this with those of you that need Protein drinks and different options :crying: I had this emailed to me a long time ago, and while cleaning out my inbox of the 2000 emails I stumbled across it again. I do not know the original author/creator/inventor or I would give proper credit. pumpkin Protein shake This is a wonderfully decadent way to get in your protein! Spicy, creamy and icy-thick.�milkshakes never had it so good! 1/4 cup pumpkin puree 1 cup skim milk or soymilk 1 scoop vanilla Protein powder (such as Matrix Simply Vanilla) 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 t. cinnamon, 1/8 t. cloves, 1/8 t. ginger) 2 tablespoons Splenda Granular 1/4 cup Cool Whip or NSA Vanilla yogurt 1 cup ice cubes Place pumpkin, milk, protein powder, spices, Splenda, cool whip or yogurt, and ice cubes in blender container; process until slushy. Makes one Meal Replacement serving. Per Serving: 230 Cal; 28 g Protein; 5 g Tot Fat; 13 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 2 g Sugar; 115 mg Sodium banana PROTEIN NOG 1 scoop Matrix Simply Vanilla protein powder 1 cup skim milk A one inch chunk of banana 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Banana/Peanut Butter Shake (12 grams protein) 8 ounces fat-free milk 1 tablespoon creamy Peanut Butter 1/4 - 1/2 banana Blend until smooth in blender. Orange Dreamsicle (28 grams protein) 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (20 grams protein) 1 scoop (individual serving) sugar-free Sunrise Orange Crystal Lightâ powder 8 ounces skim milk Alternatives: substitute 4 ounces orange juice for 4 ounces milk; substitute 4 ounces yogurt for 4 ounces milk; add 1/2 tsp. orange zest to shake. Sunrise Smoothy 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1 cup orange juice (or orange tang) � banana (peeled) 1 carton Low Carb Vanilla Yogurt 1 tablespoon Splenda 4-5 frozen strawberries Mix in blender until smooth Cherry Vanilla 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 4-5 maraschino cherries 2 scoops low carb vanilla ice cream 1 cup cherry sugar free kool-aid Mix in blender until smooth Peach 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1 cup Crystal Lite peach tea 4-6 frozen peach slices 4 ice cubes Mix in blender until smooth Strawberry-Lemonade 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1 cup sugar free lemonade kool-aid 4-5 frozen strawberries 4-5 ice cubes Mix in blender until smooth Cherry Vanilla Coke Float 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 2 scoops low carb SF ice cream 1 cup diet coke 4-5 cherries Mix in blender until smooth Apple Pie Frosty 1 1/2 scoops HDT 5+1 vanilla protein powder 1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced (or 1/2 C no-sugar-added applesauce) 2 packets Splenda 1/2 t cinnamon 1/4 t nutmeg 3/4 C Water 8-10 ice cubes Blend thoroughly and drink up Butterscotch Pecan liquid Pie 2 scoops ProScore 100 vanilla 8 oz cold water 2 T sugar free butterscotch pudding mix 4-5 ice cubes 1/4 C pecans Blend protein powder, water and pudding mix. (The pudding mix thickens the liquid considerably). Add ice cubes and blend till ice slivers. Add pecans and blend again for a few seconds. Pour into nice huge parfait glass and enjoy. (about 300 calories). Cherry Vanilla Protein Shake 1 scoop vanilla powder 1/2 cup SF cherry yogurt 4 ice cubes splash water vanilla extract (to taste) cherry extract (to taste) Put all of it in a blender and hit liquify! Enjoy Choco Mint Shake 1 1/2 scoops HDT 5+1 chocolate protein powder 1 packet sugar free hot chocolate mix 1 teaspoon mint flavoring 1/2 cup of soy milk 1/2 cup of water 6 large ice cubes Put all ingredients into blender And mix to desired consistency. Serve cold. Chocolate Almond Shake 2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate 1 cup of soy milk 2 T Sweet N Low chocolate syrup 1 t almond flavoring 1/4 cup of almonds 6-8 ice cubes Blend all ingredients, Except almonds and ice cubes, Then add nuts and cubes and blend again Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter De-Lite 3/4 c. cold water 1/4 c. Toasted Marshmallow s/f syrup 2 scoops PS IOO Chocolate Protein Powder 4 packets. equal 1/2 small banana 1T. low sugar Peanut Butter 1T. s/f White Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix Put everything in blender And whirl till smooth. Scrape down sides if necessary And whirl some more. Chocolate Banana smoothie 1/2 cup banana Fat-Free NutraSweet Sweetened Yogurt 1/2 cup Non-fat Milk 1/2 cup ripe banana peeled and sliced Dash of Vanilla 1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Powder of Choice Put all ingredients except ice in blender, Blend until smooth. Add ice and blend To give it a frozen smoothie consistency. Chocolate Coconut Shake 2 oz Coconut Milk 6 oz Cold Water 2 scoops Chocolate protein powder 1 tsp Chocolate or Banana Sugar-Free pudding Hand Shake well. Chocolate Covered Banana 1 scoop Chocolate Isopure 1/2 c 1% milk splash of sugar-free chocolate syrup 1/2 banana 4 maraschino cherries 2 handfuls ice Blend Chocolate Covered Cherry Shake 1 1/2 scoops HDT 5+1 chocolate protein powder 1 cup soy milk 2T Sweet N Low chocolate syrup 10-12 cherries - (no pits please) 8-10 ice cubes Put all ingredients into blender And mix to desired consistency Chocolate Frosty Shake 1 rounded scoop Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex Chocolate Protein Powder 1 rounded tsp. fat free sugar free French Vanilla International coffee 1 rounded tsp. fat free Creamora (non-dairy coffee creamer powder) 10 ice cubes Use a blender to get a shake-like consistency Chocolate Fudge Shake 2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate 2 T chocolate fudge sugar free pudding mix 8 oz water 5 large ice cubes, tiny silver spoon (optional) Blend ProScore, pudding and water, add ice cubes, Blend till crushed with ice slivers still un-melted, Pour into insulated cup (makes about 16 oz) And eat it with a tiny silver spoon. Chocolate OrangeSicle 1 1/2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate 1/2 Scoop OrangeSicle protein powder 8 oz water Shake very well Chocolate Peanut Butter Death 2 scoops PS100 Chocolate Protein Powder 8 oz Cold Water 2 tsp Chocolate SF Pudding Mix 1 packets Splenda 1 Generous splash (probably 1 1/2 ounces) of SF DaVinci Peanut Butter Syrup 1 Generous splash (probably 1 1/2 ounces) of SF DaVinci Cookie Dough Syrup 1 Heaping Tablespoon (Daloop) of Fat Free Cool Whip Light 1 Heaping Teaspoon of Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter approx. 6 oz of crushed ice Mix until entirely smooth - pour - sit back and enjoy pure indulgence Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake 1 scoop chocolate protein powder 1 tbs. peanut butter 1 cup skim milk 2 handfuls ice Blend thoroughly Chocolate Raspberry Shake 2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate 8 oz water (or skim, lactaid or soy milk) sugar free raspberry syrup Blend and enjoy Chocolate Vanilla Swirl 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder splash Vitamite splash water ice Blend thoroughly Chocolate-Banana Shake 1 scoop chocolate protein powder 1/2 banana 1 cup skim milk 2 handfuls ice Blend thoroughly. Hint: if you can't use a banana, Try banana extract...tastes good! Coco Loco 1 1/2 scoops 100%Whey Vanilla Protein powder 4 oz Vitamite 6 packets Splenda splash Luzianne Peach Mango Ice Tea flavoring 2 drops Coconut extract 2 drops pineapple extract 1 drop Rum extract (optional) 5 ice cubes Blend and chop ice thoroughly Cookies & Cream Splash of Cookies & Cream coffee Splash of Vitamite Splash of water 1 tsp. Sugar Free DaVinci Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Syrup (optional) 1/3 scoop ProBlend 55 Mocha/cappuccino 1/3 scoop Pro V60 Chocolate Thunder 1/3 scoop Pro V60 Vanilla Cr�me ice Blend Creamy Peach Melba 6-8 frozen peach slices 4-6 oz water 1 tbsp peach mango Luzianne Tea Flavor 1 tsp DaVinci Raspberry flavor 2 packets splenda 1 tbsp heavy cream 2 scoops Keto Peaches & Cream Protein Powder Blend peaches, Water, flavorings, & splenda until liquid. Add protein powder. Drizzle in cream last. Blend well. Donna's Delicious Protein Smoothie 6 to 8 oz sunrise orange crystal light (premade) 3 ice cubes 3 frozen raspberries 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder Optional: tablespoon of light cool whip Mix crystal light with the ice cubes and frozen raspberries, Add the scoop of vanilla protein powder And mix only for a few seconds (mixing the protein too much causes it to foam) Double Chocolate Fudge � cup skim milk 1 packet, no sugar added hot cocoa mix 1 scoop Chocolate protein powder 4 ice cubes (or � - 1 cup crushed ice) Mix in blender. Egg Nog 1 scoop of Vanilla HDT 5+1 vanilla 1 cup of soy milk 1 teaspoon of rum extract 1/2 teaspoon of all spice 4-6 large ice cubes Put all ingredients into blender and mix to desired consistency.

@whitesale Sounds like you are doing all the right things. Im going on three months post op and have had no less than 4/FOUR crazy long stalls. That's crazy, right! It happens. Trust me it will get better. I did the Keto diet starting at about a month ago to jumpstart weight loss again after an almost three week stall. It's not for everyone but it works for me. I was hungry as hell everyday until last week now I've suddenly lost all hunger. The one thing I've learned is that your body will react to this sleeve differently from week to week. If you stay on your plan you will progress eventually! I promise. I'm going to start working out on Tuesday and can't wait!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Great discussion but no one described how to adapt the pre op liquid diet to a keto or very low carb diet. Also the post op diet. I am considering being sleeved but I need to still keep my good fats and very natural healthy diet. What would one drink etc? Thanks.

Your having issues being compliant. I would quite soda continuesly. Also try going back to the plan you're team gave you. Keto works but not for chopping and changing.

Woo! Huge shout out to keto here! I did keto for a year and a half and despite not having good results, I cannot speak highly enough of it. I lost 40lbs in the first 3 months. I suddenly slept better, wasn't getting sick, had more energy and felt amazing. I was never hungry since my body was burning fat instead of carbs, which meant I didn't get hangry anymore. I felt inspired in the kitchen again, learning substitutes for sugar, flour and high carb items. I'd eat a steak with creamed spinach and feel guilty that something so good worked for my diet. I say I didn't have good results because my body is broken. I did keto under medical supervision and my doctor eventually figured out what was wrong with me and why I couldn't lose more weight. I lost 40lbs in the first 3 months...and nothing else for the following year and a half despite adjusting macros. I kept doing it because I liked how I felt. Eventually, my husband saw my struggle and how miserable I was denying myself pretty much everything with nothing to show for it. I went off of keto and switched to low carb, going from 20g of carbs a day to maybe 80-100 on heavy days. I gained it all back at a ludicrous speed. In 2 months it was all back. It was absolutely devastating. Still, despite my story, I definitely recommend keto. If you have questions about it or recipe requests, I'm one of the people to ask!

Just one more thing. Fruit seems like a healthy food. But look up the number of carbs in them. A banana has 27 carbs! On a low carb Keto diet, they suggest approximately 20 grams of carbs PER DAY. Even now, I am surprised sometimes at the carb count in seemingly "healthy" foods. My nutritionist told me that cutting out the fruit was something to consider to keep loosing. We have all had to re learn what "healthy" is for us. Start reading labels for everything you eat. I spend extra time in the grocery store reading labels every time I go. It is an eye opener. I am glad you posted here and are interacting. Don't give up. You will get lots of advice for what works for each person. Find what works for you.

Keto was great, it got me to the required # for wls. I saw a lot of people in the Facebook groups go nuts with the fat bombs and sugar free candy and wondered why the scale didn't move down. It's not a free for all with the fats lol Paleo is also great, but one needs to be wary of those paleo sites with 23984923874 'paleo' baked good recipes. Those treats will get you on the wrong path quick. Whole30 is my favorite thus far. It confirmed those pesky grains were doing all sorts of bad stuff to my intestines and made me feel so much better. Keto/low carb with mostly Whole30 rules works best for me.