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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.

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.

I wouldn't worry much about it. With only a seven day diet like you describe, it doesn't seem that your program is all that concerned with the "liver shrinking" aspect of it as some programs are, that do longer and more intense diets (some surgeons are seriously intimidated by that issue while others don't care in the least.)It sounds like they are mostly working to transition you to their early post op diet. While they probably don't want fruit in there owing to sugar content, raspberries are on the benign end of the scale there (which is why you may see them on a "keto approved" list somewhere. Which is another lesson here - just because something may be "keto" doesn't mean that it is right or good for your needs. Keto is not necessarily healthy or weight loss oriented (but it can be, if done right - as with many popular diets.) There is plenty of junk food out there that is "keto approved". Most here who want to do keto do something called bariatric keto, which is basically old school Atkins because the macro ratios typically seen in most keto references don't make sense with the small amount that we are eating during our loss phase (generally too low in protein.) Not to mention the dubious nature of being in ketosis - K specifically avoided that owing to its side effects and was still working to slow my weight loss after six months, so it really isn't necessary for successful weight loss, and generally a bad habit to get into for long term health and weight maintenance.

I understood weight loss is required for everyone though not linked to insurance requirements in Aust as it is in the US. Basically, the weight loss is to reduce any fattiness around your liver which allows the surgeon greater visualisation & movement around your stomach when they operate. It also shows a commitment to the weightloss program. You will be sent to a dietician who will put you on a diet & will monitor your pre surgical weight loss. They will guide you through the post surgical weight loss journey as well. I was put on a keto diet for two weeks prior to surgery & lost 4.2kgs. My BMI was 35. Your surgeon will have his requirements as will your insurance company based on your individual case. You can’t really compare. Treat this pre surgery time as when you begin to re-educate yourself & start your new lifestyle - how you eat, what you eat & new exercise routine. This is a life long change.

Hi all! I have a question that I just need input on until I’m able to reach out to my nutritionist or surgeon. I think I messed up!!!! I’m on day 5 of my 7day pre-op diet. The first 5 days consists of tons of water and SF electrolytes, 3 protein shakes , 1-2 boiled eggs, cottage cheese or low-fat string cheese, a lean protein meal with non-starchy veg and non- starchy veggies, SF jello, SF popsicles and broth as snacks or to quell hunger pangs. Think Keto and in fact I have reached ketosis (i have that telltale fruity, albeit, rotten apple flavor in my mouth for 2 days and I have test strips that confirm because I once tried to follow the keto diet). The last two days are protein and then clear liquids. So here’s the thing my mind was set on “keto, keto, keto” and I completely flubbed and ate some raspberries this morning!!!! Raspberries are keto approved but….. I don’t know if they are pre-op gastric bypass approved!! I’m tail spinning. I think I totally messed up! Input please! Thank you!!

I’ve been drinking lots of water. Also I’m hypothyroid so the nutritionist has me on lower carb but not keto. Do you think resistance would be better than cardio? Just worried about gaining weight due to muscle. Just wondering how to make sure I weight the lightest I can at my weigh ins. What did you do to lose the weight? Thanks so much for your help.

If you buy Premiere Protein at Sam’s Club and don’t like it you can return it. I loathed the peaches and cream...like couldn’t choke it down last year when I was doing Keto. Barf!

I think it was like keto flu. Good news is after 3 days it's stopped. Thank you for your advice everyone!! It helped a lot. Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using BariatricPal mobile app

I disagree with with Dabeyhive and RickM's comments above. Sure, keto isn't for everyone, but it's great for many people. I love the fact that it gives me some firm rules to follow and it happens to fit my eating preferences. First, I don't believe Keto is a fad diet at all. It's been around in various forms since the 1920's and became the basis of the original Atkin's diet in the early 1970's. It works very well both for weight loss and general health benefits. The problem is that some people don't really understand the diet or follow it correctly--and that's where people into problems. Following a proper Keto diet doesn't mean you should be chowing down on cheeseburgers without the bun eating bacon with every meal. While cheeseburgers and bacon are not prohibited on Keto, those aren't recommended either. You should stick to things like organic eggs, lean organic meats and wild caught fatty fish (like sockeye salmon). Stay away from fatty meats, since the fat is bad things the animals consumed are stored. You then add healthy fats to your food, like avocado, MCT oil, extra virgin olive oil, ghee etc. The idea is to "prime the pump", so you body burns off its excess glycogen stores and then converts stored fats into ketones for energy. This is important, especially if you're insulin resistant. For me, I am really happy with Keto and I can definitely stay on keto long term. My surgeon and nutritionist are on board with my keto choices. I just had my blood work done after 2 months on Keto and everything was perfect. I am no longer diabetic (A1C dropped from 6.3 on multiple meds to 5.1 on no meds). My triglycerides dropped to 54 (they were 450 this past summer on meds). My cholesterol is 190, but my good cholestrol is 97 (which is outstanding)--so that's good. Some of these may be from the surgery, but diet and exercise are equally critical. I suggest that you don't do keto on your own, but you do with with the guidance of a doctor or nutritionist that has a lot of knowledge about keto. I personally keep my net carbs down to approximately 20g a day and close to a 1:1 ration of fat to protein. At this point, I am 14 weeks post op (99 days). I am eating between 1200-1600 calories a day. Those calories are made up of 45% protein, 45% fat and 10% carbs. The carbs I am consuming are mostly from vegetables--even green veggies have some carbs. I don't eat any bread, starches, potatoes, sugar etc. I avoid high carb fruit, but I am allowed berries. I avoid processed foods to the greatest extent I can. I also work out daily--at a high intensity (and have been since I had all physical restrictions removed 1 month after surgery). I have lost 70 pounds since my highest weigh in. My pants size has dropped from a 44 to a 32. My body fat has dropped from 28% to 16.5%. Weight loss surgery is only a tool (a good one), but I would say it gives you a head start and helps prepare balance your body's hormones and stomach so people like me (morbidly obese, with a trifecta of co-morbidities) can lose weight like a normal person without insulin resistance/diabetes and other issues that get in the way. Once I had those issues, in check the rest of it was up to me--with keto and serious exercise making the big difference in getting me to where I want to be. I'll let my pictures speak for themselves: The was me on July 4, 2018 (weighing around 255-260) : This is me on the day of Surgery (weight 235): This is me on March 23, 2019 (weighing 190): As a 45 year old man with diabetes etc., no way I could have done this without VSG. However, I really believe Keto and exercise (45 minutes moderate to high intensity cardio 5-6 times a week and 1 hour of high intensity weight training 4-5 times a week) have changed my health and my life. I can't imagine going back to the life I had before surgery, nor could I imagine not living a keto lifestyle at this point.

OK guys!!!! I started Keto 2 weeks ago and would love to have a forum of just Fellow Ketoers!! We can trade recipes, stories, question, concerns etc. Keto stuff is all over the internet...but nothing about doing it after WLS. I use My Fitness Pal to track all food/drink, calories, carbs, fats. I currently stay until 12g carbs per day, 60g protein and 27g fat. I use Ketostix every morning to make sure I stay in Ketosis ( usually a 4) but I don't feel I'm losing quick enough. What is your experience so far with Keto and your daily intake of foods? It's just so hard for me to get in enough calories and protein.

Way of eating, I eat Keto

I am just in the initial stages for pre op my surgeon appointment is on Tuesday but as I go grocery shopping I want to fill my fridge with the pre op diet foods, and have read most doctors diet pre surgery is keto. I have been doing the whole30 and have lost 30 pounds in the past 3 months and can transition to keto if that's what I'm going to be put on, in my research I'm seeing that keto is listed as the worst diet of 2017 and whole 30 was right with it. My bariatric may require 3 months dietician, exercise and weight loss. My insurance doesn't, Just failed attempts and need. I'm curious about keto diet recommendations, how much weight are you suppose to lose before surgery? How many carbs do you eat to be in ketosis, how do deal with the side effects? Thank you

I did keto for a while and it’s really hard the first few weeks but then after you get in ketosis it’s much easier. You can’t have bread at all on keto. The only carbs you should eat are green, non-starchy vegetables, which are easily under 20g of net carbs a day (net carbs=total carbs minus fiber). Focus on meat, cheese, and green vegetables. I lost a good amount of weight with keto but it gave me gallbladder and stomach problems so I had to stop and ended up 20lbs higher than I was before. So I don’t know if I’d recommend it, but that’s how to do it.

Hi guys, I ran a search but not much popped up. I've been on a ketogenic diet (high fat, moderate Protein, very low carb - basically the induction to Atkins except you keep it up forever) for the last 15 months. I know it's not a very well-understood diet and gets a lot of flak, but it's been great for me. I'm healthier than I've ever been and I adore this style of eating so much. The only problem is I hit a wall hard in the weight-loss department, hence the surgery. I'm wondering if anyone has had experience eating this way post-op? I know low-fat gets pushed a lot in surgeon-recommended diets, but I'm not sure if that's because low-fat is part of the government's idea of a healthy diet, or if there's an actual physical purpose? I think some people have mentioned fatty foods made them sick, but are they talking about doughnuts, or ribeye? If it's not possible then I'll accept it and just stay as low carb as possible, but I would really like to stick with keto after surgery if possible and am looking for reasons it might not be a good idea.

I am 15 months post op (sleeve). I went to see my nut, recently, because I hit a wall. We spoke quite a bit about the Keto plan. She said that we who have had WLS not longer absorb the way we once did. She had the concern even though I take all my vitamins daily. She said that we as WLS patients need to have the protein over the fruit and veggies (think eat proteins first then the rest of the meal). If I keep up with the protein and reduce the fats, she is ok. Of course, this does change Keto a lot. So, I continue to investigate those who have had surgery and have done Keto without any issues.

I ate Keto pre-op and plan to resume after I am healed. I will do low carb, high protein, moderate fat. My husband (normal weight athlete) does low carb, high fat. We will be on similar eating plans which will be a lifesaver. We can cook one meal, and he can add extra fat to his plate only. We have found this to be a sustainable way of eating. And it is right in line with my NUT recommendations.

Keto is easy but because of the meat can be expensive but since we eat so little it won't be bad for us. I love it. I eat low carb, high protein, high fat. It's such a strange way to eat because it goes against everything I've learned but it works for me! It helps the appetite and fills me up. I am incredibly carb sensitive (thyroid issues and pre diabetic) and this way of eating curbs carb cravings. Look into it. I plan to eat this way long term!

Hi! I’m new to the forums. I am hoping to have WLS this year. Somewhat ironically, I work in Prior Authorizations for a health insurance company, so I’m very familiar with what it means to require auth. However, every company is a bit different. I’m a newlywed and my husband added me to his policy. This was planned as my previous coverage was not as good, and his plan covers bariatric surgery whereas mine did not. So we now have UHC Choice through T-Mobile. I have checked the coverage requirement thoroughly and have a couple concerns: A. They require a 5 year weight history. However my coverage before this has been fairly bare minimum. So I mostly only went to the doctor if absolutely needed. And the eye doctor, who does not weigh. How strict are they on having a five year history? Do I only need a couple weigh ins throughout that time? Or multiple a year etc? Also will they accept photo documentation or a written statement? I mostly gave up on getting help from my PCP’s previously as they’d tell me I “wasn’t trying hard enough” whenever I failed to lose weight. But I just established care with a great PCP in order to get everything checked out/ruled out prior to asking for a referral and recommendation for the surgery. B. I know when I’m ready for a consult etc. I will need to go through UHC Bariatric Resource Services through Optum. What is it like working with them? Do they actually help and guide you as if they’d like for you to get approved? thank you in advance! just to note: My BMI is over 40, and has been at least over 35 my entire adult life. I have attempted weight loss with phentermine multiple times, as well as keto, weight watchers, and CICO. I have hypertension, hyperlipidemia, exertions dyspnea, chronic back problems, and chronic muscle tension. I am active and I do watch what I eat, just fail to lose significant weight. When taking weight loss medications I lose up to 20 lbs, but then regain as soon as I go off the med even when sustaining my same lifestyle.

I had bypass on 4/23/18. My starting weight was 340lbs. I'm currently 221lbs. That's a total weight loss of 119lbs! I honestly can't tell you a time I remember being this small my entire life. I'm so happy! First goal: 250lbs [emoji818] Second goal: 225lbs [emoji818] Third goal: 199lbs ...*pending* Final goal: 160-170lbs I never worked out until this month. These last 22lbs until onederland are stubborn. I'm also doing keto and intermittent fasting. This surgery changed my life. I'm almost positive I would be closer to 400lbs by now if I didn't have this surgery. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thanks for the reply, [mention=382689]Pckeys[/mention]. I started a Keto diet July 9th so I'm surprised it took so long to drop, based on your explanation. Anyway, it was high again yesterday so I guess I just need to be patient. SG2020 HW 294 SW 270 CW 270

I am 17 months post-op, and still follow a keto way of eating. I have target macros and I keep everything in that range every day (less than 2000 calories, less than 25g of carbs, around 150g of protein). I don't eat sugar, pasta, bread, or rice and I don't drink soda (or really anything carbonated). I have eaten like this throughout my journey, and it is just what I do now. I have made food fuel, and I eat to live only. It has made my life a lot better. I can eat a little bit more at a time now (but I still don't exceed 3oz of dense protein at one sitting), but since I control what I consume so carefully, it hasn't made a difference.

OK. This is going to sound Keto-ish but it's the truth. Your body only runs off of burning sugars or fat. When we were babies, our bodies would burn fat first for fuel. Fat-burning bodies are like candles and slow-burning so you stay satiatiated longer, sugar-burning bodies are like microwaves...instant (carbs are also sugar), which is why you crave more sugar (feel hungry) quicker. Your body adapts to either way...like an addict. Our natural state is to use fat as fuel first then sugars. But, if you give it a quick fix with sugars long enough you will have to retrain it to burn the fat first. That's why we forgot to eat when we were younger and could go long periods of time without food. As we aged and leaned into our processed sugar addictions, we were told that we could still eat sugar and be thin if we just eliminate fat from our diets. This is such a backwards way of thinking, especially now that you have re-set your body and only have a small pouch in which to nourish it. Train it to burn fats and eliminate sugars/carbs from your diet. You have a one ounce stomach to pack full of nutrient, vitamin, mineral rich foods. Use it wisely. Good fats are healthy and necessary. Avocados, almond butter, butter, WHOLE cottage cheese, etc. Fat free is devoid of a lot of the beneficial stuff but still has processed stuff and sugar in it that your body feels freaked out and in starvation mode about. Your body will never have a chance to burn fat like that. Plus your skin will look dry and old. You need oils and natural foods. Don't be afraid of eating like a whole healthy person. You will stay satisfied and satiated longer and place your body in fat-burning mode (ketosis). Your skin and hair will look great and your body will respond better. No more fat-free. [emoji6][emoji173] Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I do a modified keto. My surgeon said to do 60-80g of protein everyday, less than 50g of fat, less than 50g of carbs, and little to no sugar. I do all of that except I chose to limit my carbs to 25 or less per day and I typically do 70-90g of fats (healthy, like avocado, not a lot of bacon and sausage and all that). I also severely limit my salt. I told my surgeon, and at first he wasn't too happy about it. But I've lost 103 pounds in almost 7 1/2 months, my cholesterol and bp are perfect, I'm no longer diabetic. So he said as long as I'm doing good and my numbers stay good, he's ok with it. I'm no longer on my bp pill, my 3 diabetic meds, or my Celebrex (really strong anti-inflammatory). I'm now able to work out 5-6 days per week and I have my full mobility back without my cane (I needed a cane at my heaviest weight).

I'm not telling anyone in my family either, besides my kids obviously, and my boyfriend. I am telling my co workers because they'll notice the obvious with me healing, and not throwing up anymore ha ha. They are close to me and very supportive though. As for everyone else, I'm telling everyone we're going to Cabo for vacation. They all have judged me for 7 years over "failing my band" and wasting the money. I'm not dealing with it again. I've been doing keto since March and have lost 25 lbs. So after my surgery I'm going to let them think that's why I'm still losing. I will still be eating keto. Just with a better tool.

Sometimes I think when people deny themselves constantly...they set themselves up for bad choices. I think you've been making some bad choices with the refined simple carbs. But I don't think the answer is to swing the pendulum all the way in the other direction and starve and create an unsustainable diet again. Something drove you to crappy choices. You need to find out what. If it's an emotional issue...therapy is a good thing. If it's a diet that's too restrictive and unlivable...don't go back there....do something new. Maybe try a moderate diet with some healthy unrefined carbs (beans/whole grains/fruit) and see if they will help control your carb cravings so you don't go overboard in an unhealthy direction with refined carbs. If I eat a carb restricted diet...I crave sugar like a lunatic. Makes me crazy. But if I eat healthy low glycemic index carbs.....I don't miss it much. I feel much better physically and want to exercise more. Different people approach this stuff different ways. Keto is the big trend and people swear by it because its' great for weight loss. But some people feel ghastly on it and it's unsustainable for them. Lot of ways up the mountain. If one path keeps getting blocked, maybe look at some of the other routes? Best wishes, and heartfelt hopes for better days ahead:)