Search the Community

My standard *lie* was Keto/ Low Carb because it was the food plan closest to what I followed immediately after surgery BUT if I had to do it over I would confidently say :

@@Cervidae I got a dog. It has helped me so much with my stress and isolation from living and working alone. The dog is the best comfort available. I realize everyone can't afford or wants to take care of a dog. I comfort myself right now by shopping. It isn't always about purchasing items, it is more about trying on clothes, seeing what I can wear and also seeing myself in a different environment. Even though there are mirrors and full length mirrors all over my house, I find that I can see my changes better outside the house and trying on entirely new clothes. That helps me stick to plan and also validates my struggles with head hunger. Doing your nails, deep conditioning your hair. Okay on to food. Comforting myself with food, is something I worked through before surgery, before I even considered surgery. I gave up sugar, I gave up alcohol. I learned to work through my problems and I always removed a lot of stress from my life. Now to be real, I Keto. That is more comforting than most diets. Fats satisfy a lot of needs. Low carb and low fat is just fail to me, and it doesn't seem to satisfy anything. So I have healthy fats, very few carbs and meet my Protein goals. That is satisfying and comforting to me every day. My food is high quality and delicious. I had filet mignon for almost a week straight, at 4 oz at a time, it is affordable yet still decadent.Totally on plan, totally delicious. I am savory kind of person. I would rather have fried chicken or fried fish than chocolate or any kind of sweet. That being said, it is kind of easier to get "treat" like foods that are sweets since most people are sugar fiends. I think that if sweets are your trigger then you should be really careful. I can eat these items and not care about them. They are mainly convenience more than comfort. Protein Brownies. Looking they are protein brownies and they taste like protein brownies, but they do taste good. They also aren't cheap, so you might not want one every day. Found on instagram, a real life saver, added bonus, they are moderately filling. http://www.eatmeguiltfree.com/ Protein Peanut Butter The chocolate is delicious. https://wildfriendsfoods.com/protein_plus/ Quest Bars Low carb cheesecake (just google a recipe. I get these at Trader Joes for $1.99 or 2.99 a bar, I forget the price. cheaper than Lily's I have one square at a time as a snack http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Lite-Chocolate-Cacao-3-Ounce/dp/B0049UDYHI These from trader joe's, fi you are going to buy them, weigh/measure out all the servings and put them in individual baggies as soon as you get it home. Only take one serving at a time. The calories are high per serving for those of us on 1000 calories or so a day so plan accordingly. I stopped buying them because they aren't worth the calories to me, but they aren't a terrible option. http://i.imgur.com/jWCaYT1.jpg Again I am going to state I can eat this things because sweets are not a trigger for me. If they are for you, don't do it. Food though is fuel, not a comfort device. We all need to work past seeing food as a comfort. It doesn't even work post surgery at least for me. Being full is super uncomfortable, it isn't soothing, it doesn't make me numb or sleepy, just miserable. Cooking a complicated keto or paleo recipe is soothing to me. It takes me out of my own thoughts and I have to focus on what I am doing. I find that relaxing. Recipe sites.. http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/ http://www.ruled.me/ http://cavemanketo.com/ https://ketodietapp.com/Blog I am not familiar with what RNY people can eat so if all of these are things you can't tolerate. I'm sorry.

Good morning everyone. I am nearing 6 years post VSG I have never made it to goal. I have many regrets in life but my children are not one of them. My starting weight was 488.5 and I managed to make it down to 350lbs my first year. the second year post op I found out I was pregnant and gained 83lbs. I lost a little weight after pregnancy, but 10 months after having my first child I was pregnant again and gained 15 pounds. and 6 months later was pregnant again but lost that pregnancy. I was dealing with a rough time, 5 months after my miscarriage my second child was diagnose with type 1 diabetes and the weight has just been pouring on from there. I tried keto the past month and gained 10 lbs and now I am adding more activity in my day with a 30 day fitness challenge. I am on day 2 and feeling like wanting to give up. maybe I wasn't meant to be smaller?. I have never known a day where I weighed a normal weight for someone my height or age. ok enough with the pity party, I guess I am just curious to know if there are others like me who have a high BMI and have more than 150lbs to lose? Or a High BMI that has never made it goal and having some regain issues? Sent from my SM-G920V using BariatricPal mobile app

So i had my pre op nutrition class today and they specially said no premier or fairlife. This is what was in the powerpoint they did. What if I want to use a shake not listed, such as Premier, Fairlife, or Atkins? Most of these have less than 5 carbohydrate grams per serving. Therefore, we do not recommend using them for your pre-op diet program. You may be HUNGRY and/or experience the “keto flu” caused by dropping your carbohydrate intake too quickly. The “keto flu” causes unpleasant side effects such as nausea, lightheadedness, shakiness, sweatiness, irritability, headache and stomach upset

I have been struggling and have experienced a gain - that for the first time since surgery, I'm unable to shake off in a decent amount of months. I'm 3.5 years out and it's astounding how much has changed. So, my answer has been to enroll in a medically-supervised diet program so that I can have accountability and a very specific nutrition plan. My insurance happens to cover it (all but the cost of food), and I'm committing to giving it a number of months - both to reset my habits and to continue on my weight loss journey. I don't know if this type of thing might be of interest, but I thought I'd mention it. Otherwise, I agree with posters above about Keto, or other specific plans like that - where it keeps us in check and closer to a pre-op diet. I know some people who've had a lot of success with Whole 30 or Paleo as well. Adding exercise might be an option for you, and definitely keep the snacking in check (one of my biggest issues). Best of luck!

Was gonna say much that was mentioned above, skewers with various meats and veggies, (sugar free) BBQ chicken, Italian Sausages & Peppers, Kielbasa, burgers and hot dogs should be fine too. Aldi has some great Keto bun options if you want to have buns for others and yourself. There is pasta made of lentils, chickpeas etc. that you could use to make a macaroni salad. Fruit tray. Veggie tray. Lots of options.

If you are counting total carbs you need to be under 50 grams total carbs to maintain ketosis. If you are counting net carbs you need to be under 30 grams net carbs to maintain ketosis. They aren't interchangeable. Some believe fiber and sugar alcohols don't impact blood sugar so they can be subtracted and net carbs followed, but that doesn't apply to everyone. I can't eat any of the high fiber "keto" products like breads. For me, carbs are carbs and keto bread will knock me out of ketosis just as fast as a chocolate bar. 🤣 I am not the norm, but it is incredibly annoying!! And I know others like me. Regardless, my dietician said we should count total carbs because net carbs are not a recognized measurement by whatever association decides these things. LOL Most fruit is high in carbs, yes, and so most people watching their carb count choose coconut and berries as opposed to citrus or bananas. Same with veggies, green beans would be a better choice than a sweet potato. Keep in mind this state of ketosis is not intended to last forever, so what might not be the best item to eat right now will fit perfectly later on in your nutritional picture when you can increase your carb count.

I agree. At this point, you should be following your clinic's plan. There are WLS patients who do follow Keto, but they're quite a ways out from surgery. stalls are a very normal part of a weight loss journey. If you stick to your eating plan, they WILL break.

Originally posted on 3/30/2014 Link to original post http://www.bigfatloserblog.com/2014/03/back-to-drawing-board.html So, a big blow to the morale! Back in January I got call from Michael at AR Rehab congratulating me for being approved for the Gastric Sleeve through a state program that would pay for my surgery. This came after 2 years of work. Doctors appts, food journals, sleep studies, psych evals, and much much more. He explained that funds would be available in March, and that I should call him back then to discuss it further. I waited until about the middle of the month to call him, and tried for over a week. He was either out of the office "temporarily" or on the other line, or a myriad of other excuses. Finally last week I received a call back from him and he left me this voicemail. (The name was distorted on purpose) I was left scratching my head after this voicemail, because it was pretty unclear. "Is he saying that they aren't going to pay for it?" I was unhappy with the voicemail, and so I called him up. I could tell by his tone he was immediately on the defense. I asked him to elaborate what the VM meant. Michael: "You listened to it didn't you? I said everything in the voicemail" Me: "Well, yea, but what does it mean that you are re-evaluating spending? Are you saying you are cutting the program." Michael: "Look Ronnie, I could have just told you no back in January, but I went to bat for you. You are being ungrateful" Me: "No Sir, I was very grateful when you told me I was approved. I told my entire family, I blogged it, and I have been expecting this surgery ever since. I would have rather you told me no in January than to congratulate me on something that wasn't a done deal." Michael: "I feel like you are being rude." Me: "I feel like you lied to me, and my whole family." Michael: "I can see that this conversation isn't going anywhere, so I am going to let you go and get back to work." That was all she wrote. I stared at my phone for a minute. I literally felt like I was punched in the gut. My next call was to Blue Cross Blue Shield. I would have to be out of pocket 4 Grand, but I was confident that I would have support to help me get the surgery. I explained that I had a packet put together already with everything they would need to approve me. Doctor's notes, medical records, (about 60 pages of information). The rep said that they would not be able to accept that from me, but instead would have to receive it from each perspective doctor. I explained that it took over 2 years and thousands of dollars to gather this information and I can't afford to go back to the doctors and get the same paperwork I already had. They insisted.... So here I am, back at square one. 400 lbs, and no closer to surgery than I was 2 years ago. So unless I squat and lay a dozen golden eggs, and shell up $16k, I'm starting over. However, I am not going to be stagnant while waiting for this to come together (if it ever does) The fact is, ever since I learned I was getting the surgery I have let myself go. Red Bulls, fast food, alcohol. All because I thought, what the hell, I'm getting the surgery in 2 months anyhow. NOPE NOPE AND NOPE. I immediately regret that. Starting tomorrow, I am going to give the Keto Diet a shot. A real shot. It is a little controversial and defies common knowledge of how diets work, but I have seen a lot of success stories revolving around this diet. And, it's gaining popularity among medical community. However, it is expensive. Let face it. Meat, Cheese, and fresh veggies are high. My health is more important though and I need to make sacrifices elsewhere so I can afford it.

I’m kind of in the same boat as you. I’ve tried keto and i do love that you get to eat bacon all day long but it’s not for me. My body doesn’t need all that extra fat and it also loves healthy variety so good carbs like beans and squash and lots of fruits are fine with me. i guess you could say i do the meditternean diet to an extent but i don’t like to view it as a diet. I eat what i want but i cook everything anf watch my portions, carbs and added sugars. I eat plenty of lean protein, fruits, seafood, veggies, almonds, beans, and lower fat dairy like fair life milk and lots of cheeses. I use things like grass fed butter, olive or coconut oil, but in moderation. I even do some meatless days. I love it because it’s not restrictive so i never feel deprived. My body physically feels the best when i do this, i have more energy, no extreme cravings, and it’s something i can stick too. Plus i feel lighter all the way around. I do add supplements like fish oil pills, and mct oil pills but that’s about it other than a multi. Best of luck to you.

I am 5 months post-op and down 80 pounds so far. I am jogging on the weekends and hitting the gym for 4-5hrs a week. I am still slowly dropping 1-3 pounds a week. I feel as If I can do more and better if I focus more than I am on my diet. I am not following any certain type diet (low carb, keto, weight watchers...) but I do try and stay away from carbs as much as possible. I want to eat healthy and as clean as possible but still be able to not be tied to an app and a calculator. I am really bad at tracking my food via apps, to be honest I probably haven’t done this in two months. What are your favorite diet plans? Why do you like them? I have 60 pounds left to reach my goal and I would like to get there well before my 1 year point I am looking for something that can get me to my goal and that I can maintain after I reach my goal. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Most of the "protein infused keto friendly" alternatives to that sort of thing taste awful and have a weird texture. No joke I would rather slowly nibble on one regular Dorito than eat an entire bag of those Quest chips.

These are some treats that I've tried and LOVE! I hope they work for you... if you decide to try them. Salty cravings: Quest chips are high protein & yummy. Sweet cravings: Go Better Keto sugar-free chocolate sea salt caramel cups, sugar-free pudding, sufar-free jello, sugar-free Cool Whip in the freezer tastes like ice cream. You CAN do it! I hope you find something that works for you.[emoji173] Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

I wouldn't make assumptions.. just because she lost weight and doesn't eat much ..just because you have had it. I lost 50 lbs in three months a year ago by not eating and keto. I lost the same exact amount after wls 50 in 3 months. Sent from my Vivo 5R using BariatricPal mobile app

A lot of people lose and look younger. I'm not 45 plus, I am 40 ish and look 28. I regularly am approached by men age 26 or 28 who assume I'm their age. If you don't want to look old, don't go the bare minimum on protein of 60, shoot for 100 plus. Get you calories up ASAP. Take your vitamins and drink lots of fluids (I run off coffee, not water). Also I notice the ladies that Keto like me, eating high fat low carb seem to age a lot better.

Hi everyone! My name is Tiffany A good friend recommended this forum and I’ve been reading and it feels so supporting and welcoming! I was given my surgery date today and in 15 days I’ll be getting the gastric sleeve! I’m terrified but I really need help getting rid of this extra 200 lbs! But I’m a little worried about the liquid diet. I used to fast a lot (religious reasons) but never just liquids. I work at a very stressful clinic and while I’m currently on the Keto and loving it, I was hoping y’all had advice as to how to handle temptations or avoid feeling weak and such. Also, can I take vitamins during the pre or no? Thank you so much! Please send the good vibes over because I am freaking out! But I’m also excited. So excited! I look forward to finally being able to control PCOS. I know there’s no cure but a chance at controlling these symptoms would be great! Xoxo

Speaking of fad diets ... everyone wants me to try the keto diet. Fad diets don't work - they come and go. The real success is actually with people that have used surgery as a tool. The keto diet ain't real good for you either - it's terribly high in fat. The studies point to about a 65% success rate. That's a little bit more than 1/2 people keeping weight off long term. I am done with the fad and the yo-yo.

Thanks for the honesty ! Theresa lot to be said for tracking then food, the calories and the type of food you eat! I can stay below 1000 calories a day, but if those calories have any sugar or bread in them, I stall out for a week or two. I'm about 2 months out of the surgery. Sometimes I think, maybe it isn't working on me like everyone else. I'm certainly not in the "I can eat whatever I want and still lose weight." I know I do best on keto diets, but that's so hard to stick to! If I think I will still lose by eating only 1/2 of a sandwich and still sticking to under1000 calories a day, it doesn't work that way for me. The bread stops the weight lost. Not being able to eat salads right now (my surgeon says no raw vegs for 6 months) its really challenging eating out and staying away from any carbs. I admire people who can do it. I've noticed, the further away from the surgery, the more my hunger comes back. I'm only 2months out! Is anyone else dealing with this? At the same time, if I'm not hungry, at least a little bit, I'm not losing weight!

I have Hashimotos and I am eating LCHF or Keto. I am limiting my carbs to 30-35g daily and I feel like I am doing well. I don't crave carbs anymore at all. I eat about 1-2oz of veggies at lunch and dinner and it seems to be enough. I also take a probiotic and that has helped tremendously with keeping me regular.

I too have Hashimoto which makes it difficult to loose weight. I had the sleeve a little over 3 years ago and I've gained about 15 pounds back. It started when my medication and levels got out of whack! I've been struggling every since. I'm thinking of looking into the Keto diet. Don't know much about it. Thanks for sharing.

What I’ve noticed from reading posts on this board is that nutritionalists offer a lot of conflicting advice. It can be confusing. I would tell my dietician if I disagreed with her advice or if it wasn’t something I could follow in my life & I’d ask for alternatives. What is your goal weight? Does your nutritionalist know what it is? What do they say to explain your lack of loss on the higher calorie diet? Sure, as you get closer to your goal your weight loss does slow but not losing any weight over 2.5 months at your weight sounds like maintenance to me. How active are you? Keto was my recommended 2.5 week pre surgery diet. My personal view is Keto is good for kickstarting your weight loss but not as a long term diet. There’s research about the risks from the high fat component of the diet & also that it can cause issues for diabetics with erratic insulin levels because of the low carb aspect. Just something to consider. I’m all for a balanced diet. I eat about 2 serves of carbs a day (rolled oats & multi grain crackers only not including naturally occurring carbs in other foods), 4 serves of fruit/vegetables, 2-3 serves of dairy, 60g protein & am low fat. I avoid added sugar & artificial sweeteners wherever I can & have a glass of alcohol about once a month. I will have a protein bar if my protein is a little low. My portion sizes are about 3/4 of the recommended serving size or I have fewer serves in a day (like 4 serves fruit/vegetables not the recommended 5). I was told my maintenance protein level was 1.2g per kg of body weight because of being a women in her 50s. I don’t take multi vitamins. This is working for me. It took me a while to discover out how much I could eat in maintenance & I kept slowly losing for 12 months. You will need to work out what works for you in relation to the point at which you can lose & the point at which you can maintain. It will be different to other people’s diets. You may be able to eat more carbs or may choose to go down the plant based protein route. You may need more or fewer calories. You also need to work out what food choices allow you to live your life - dining out, having a glass of wine, travelling (whatever that will be like), work, etc. It may be time for some straight talking with your nutritionalist about your goals & what is achievable for you & your lifestyle. Good luck.

Thanks for both of your posts! It makes me feel better. My surgeon's PA (who is also his wife lol) also said the same thing about the 8 pounds a month. I love this board, so many helpful suggestions and people but I get anxious reading about people that stay below x amount of calories until a year out from surgery. Or those that have met goal (although a similar SW to myself) by 6 or 7 months. I definitely get the low carb thing but I paid for surgery with the hope that keto wouldn't be any part of my future. I've tried it and it's just so expensive and unrealistic for me personally. I wanted the switch and my surgeon said he thought I'd do fine with the less severe sleeve and promised no keto required. Lol. I'm hoping that slow and somewhat steady will win the race. Thanks again!!

I'm 6 days post op. I started the full liquid diet today. Had a keto fudgsicle was okay'd by my surgeon. About 10 min after, I started to feel light headed, flushed and heart racing. Yep.. dumping syndrome hit. Guess that's out. I'm struggling not to eat reg food. I want corn chips and cheese. 35 years of over eating, and eating junk when ever I wanted.. hard to adjust too. Anyone flub up and eat solids on the full fluid post op diet? And what happened??

You certainly don't have to do keto if you don't want to (I never did) as people have been successfully negotiating their WLS for years, decades, before keto was ever dreamed of, and will continue to do so once that fad has faded, lol. What type of test(s) did they do for your body composition and BMR? Some work better than others, and they all have some flakiness when it comes to measuring obese, or formerly obese, people, but they can give a ballpark estimate of things. I am a bit skeptical of the 1200 calorie minimum for a woman of your size (height mostly) as there can be quite a variation in metabolic rates (which the test may or may not pick up) and it's not unusual to see women of your height maintaining in the 1200 range (and some may do so at 1600 or so.) I do understand that there are differing hypotheses and philosophies regarding metabolic set points and going too low means you stay low, etc., but there is also not a real strong consensus on this issue, either. My inclination would be to keep the calories on the lower side of their range, if not a bit lower, and see how that goes. I did fine at a consistent 1100 per day, but I have a decent guy's metabolism, and was losing at a consistent 10 lb per month after the initial quicker loss of the first three months. I am also maintaining in the 2000-2200 calorie range, so I had a fairly large caloric deficit to work from, which I doubt that you have given your height and gender. There is a general tendency for our loss to decline as we lose weight over the months, simply because we aren't moving alll of that excess weight around 24/7, so a slowdown should be expected, but it also means that there is a danger of going into maintenance early if our calories are too high, or worse, increase them over time as some programs suggest. Good luck!

Mery's blood levels for protein are low. Until she can get those levels up, she needs to keep eating her protein. I had just come across a study that mentioned the increased need for protein in the absence of enough carbs... thus my thinking to increase carbs to take the pressure off the protein. Keto works for some people, but I'm not under the impression she wants to go that way.