BarrySue

Y'all are amazing and you can totally do it! Almost four years out from surgery now and I'm still going strong, don't let anyone tell you 300+ pounders will always fail/regain.

Doing Keto the CORRECT way is absolutely a great way to maintain/continue weight loss. Some very important things to consider though:

Keto, Atkins, Paleo, South Beach, most diets are actually very similar in that total carbs are reuced early on for weight loss, an then gradually re-integrated in healthier forms, with sugar and white flour/rice/etc never really coming back into the fold.

Long-term weight loss on keto can dimish over time, so cycling in and out of phase 1/extremely low carb is most effective

Base calorie counting should still be a part of your regimen

Lean meats and specific kinds of fat are needed -- this is *not* an all-bacon and steak diet.

Keto is a great way to teach yourself how to eat healthy, and as you progress along with various phases of the diet, how to recognize an incorporate healthy, high-quality carbohydrates and foods.

Work with your doctor/nutritionist and maintain routine check-ups and bloodwork, as well as making sure you're getting all the nutrients you need

Buy stock in avocaos. They are so freaking good, lol.

Research the keto diet in ALL its stages, not just the initial no-carb level. It's important that you not just diet, but rather learn to enjoy food in a way that will sustain you for the rest of your life. If it feels like punishment, restriction, and compromise, it'll be unsustainable in the long term.

Water-weight fluctuates wildly, and the scale is not a good indicator of the complex changes taking place on a metabolic and physical level in your body. Yes, you will lose weight because your muscle mass as a man allows for more rapid energy consumption. Yes, there will be peaks and valleys where you lose huge amounts, and lose nothing. It is fine, it is normal, and unless you are experiencing debilitating symptoms or your doctor is concerned, trust the process.

Our bodies aren't typically the problem. Our lack of knowledge in regard to how weight loss and our anatomy actually work are typically the problem, because we have fundamental misunderstandings about how everything works.

On 2/7/2019 at 4:03 PM, Kelise said:

@BarrySue That's invaluable info. How did you arrive at that number, 1200 calories? Was it through trial and error?

I had a resting metabolic rate test done, as well as other assessments/bloodwork/etc. Similar testing on metabolic output has been done on the previous contestants of Biggest Loser, and it's pretty much universal for those who go through extreme, rapid weight loss. It's a huge part of why regain happens. My body has changed significantly in that I am constantly cold, and my thyroid function has diminished (not to levels where I need supplements, but the low range of normal).

Short answer: It depends.

In extreme weight loss, your metabolism will likely function at a diminished level for the rest of your life. As in, eating 2000 calories a day may without regain may never be an option. There have been extensive studies on this, and you can actually work with your doc to gauge your nutritional needs as you progress. Nearly four years out, my metabolism simply doesn't operate the same, having spent my life over 300 lbs. If I eat more than 1200 calories a day, I will begin to regain. My needs are different now, and that's that.

chicken nuggets from Chil-Fil-A are very, very healthy and have only a few carbs. I still eat them regularly, and I love their chicken tortilla Soup as well! Going on four years post-op and it is still part of my regular eating, lol

It sucks. It sucks and it's terrible. It sucks, it's terrible, and some of us get these awful complications. I was miserable and ill for months after my sleeve, far worse than most people.

Three years out, every single minute of pain was worth it.

Time makes it better. The pain of surgery and the initial recovery grow more distant every day, and a healthy future gets closer AND longer.

Hang in there.

**Edit: I was completely unable to eat or drink at one point. The creative solution was Peanut Butter crackers, because I loved them, and I had so psyched myself out about vomiting that I threw everything else up except this snack I'd always loved. They used it to get me to tolerate food again. After that, I lived on fat free fairlife milk (they filter out the lactose and sugar, fortify with extra Protein and calcium) since NOT ONE Protein Shake worked for me. I mixed my milk with sugar free strawberry Syrup, diet hot cocoa mix, or PB2, that sugar free peanut butter stuff that I blended with fairlife milk and ice cubes to make peanut butter ice cream. For Water, I added sugar free hawaiin punch, and I'm still drinking it three years later.

I HATED Protein Shakes. They all had this whey flavor that made me extremely ill. I tried everything, and it simply didn't work. But what I did finally end up not only tolerating, but actually enjoying, was fairlife milk. It is filtered to remove much of the sugar and lactose, and fortified with extra Protein and Calcium. So, I could drink the fat free fairlife milk with either sugar free strawberry Syrup, or heat it up and put sugar free hot chocolate mix or sugar free hershey syrup in it, or blend it with some PB2 or other fun things. It was how I survived for a few months!

Love this topic! Started at 353 in July 2015, lost my first 100 lbs in six months, got down to around 185 in a year and just sort of went back to eating junk. I really liked how I looked and carried my weight well, but the pounds began to creep back on. In May, I found myself back at 215 and VERY unhappy about it. Been back on the high protein/low carb/no sugar thing since then, and now I'm actually lower than when I originally stopped losing! Only 29 lbs to go until I'm in the healthy BMI range, but I've got hips/thighs/boobs and wear a size 8/10, so I feel pretty good. Go on 12 mile hikes every weekend, currently training for 5k. It's so weird considering I've been above the 300 lb mark my entire adult life!

Just make sure you connect with people who live a healthy life or do activities with you! The hardest thing was having to distance myself from people who constantly pushed food/alcohol/unhealthy stuff despite my protests, and folks who ONLY wanted to hang out when food was involved. Get you some fitness buddies and you'll be good!

It took you a lifetime to put the weight on. It's a long journey to get it off you. Also, the scale never, ever tells you the entire story. I promise, you are not broken. Your body is not going to defy physics. Your metabolism may be different, but it does not run on anxiety and air -- eventually, expending more energy than you consume will take off the pounds. Hang in there.

Between 10-18 weeks, I started having severe pain, vomiting everything up, and stopped being able to eat entirely. They suspected a stricture, but they also felt like I had such deep anxiety and food issues that I was psyching myself out and vomiting as a reaction to severe stress. I couldn't keep anything down, and Protein drinks were useless. I ended up hospitalized and they couldn't release me until I could eat. So, they gave me Peanut Butter (the regular sugary kind) and crackers, because it was a snack I loved as a child, and they hoped the familiar/nostalgic taste would trigger good feelings and prevent me from throwing up and relearn how to eat without panicking. For awhile, I was told to eat ANYTHING so long as I could keep it down. Priorities at that point became survival, not weight loss.

Also switched to fat free fairlife milk with sugar free strawberry Syrup or heated up with diet cocoa mix. That was how I got my protein for a long, long time until I was able to start eating regularly again. But my nutritional path was different from others, and that's okay.

Just do you, follow your docs, listen to your body, and take a deep breath. Your journey is your own individual thing and that's okay, the destination is still the same as the rest of us. You'll get thee.

Because I had trouble tolerating everything, my doctor put me on completely dissolvable children's Vitamins, and I simply took twice the recommended dose. It worked just fine for me, I simply mixed them into my drink!

As a nurse, I CRINGE hearing that. As medical professionals, we need to stay in our own lane, know when to speak, when to listen, and when things are none of our business. She is supposed to be a supportive presence, not a demoralizing one.

Close and trusted family yes, but only if you feel they can keep your secret. I genuinely don't feel that ANYONE is entitled to private medical information about your body unless you desire it. Additionally, kids talk. Telling anyone means you need to be comfortable with the reality of news getting out.

He is saving you a boatload of pain and complications down the road. I did not have this procedure done, and definitely wished I did. It will not interfere with your weight loss. It will, however, help mitigate reflux/heartburn, which are big issues for many of us post-op.

Everyone in my life has been really supportive, but honestly, most of them have no idea I had surgery. If I did, I definitely feel like there would be a lot of negative feelings. I was always a pretty big b***h, with a lot of hard edges and walls up due to my insecurities. Wirth the weight loss, I've definitely softened up and learned that it's okay to be vulnerable/less defensive. I think that's why I haven't dealt much with jealousy -- folks are more relieved I'm becoming a decent human being who cares for others instead of lashing out.

Got my sleeve three years ago. Still carrying extra weight, but its in very flattering places, and I feel sexy in clothes.

Out of clothes, my body is a damn mess. I have to wear a body shaper to contain the sagging skin, and no amount of toning/compression garments/non-surgical intervention can fix the amount of skin hanging from my arms, stomach, thighs, and I'm even getting a turkey neck. My facial skin is a little loose. It's rough.

That being said, it was still the best decision I ever made. It's gonna suck saving up for plastics while I shed these last 30 lbs. Post-weight loss skin/body issues are the luxury tax we paid for treating our bodies like trash for so many years. I have collarbones. I can ride rollercoasters. I no longer look at tiny cafe chairs, bathroom stalls and airlines seats going OH GOD WILL I FIT. Like suddenly, you *fit* into the world.

I paid 13500 for mine (plus some extra for testing), but if I could re-do, I would go to mexico and save the extra money for plastic surgery

Between weeks 3-12, a lot of folks go through a stage of general intolerance, plus residual inflammation/stricture-esque issues that don't always happen immediately after surgery and take time to manifest. I got off whey Proteins and that was the only thing that helped resolve my issues. I switched to fairlife milk + sugar free strawberry or chocolate Syrup to replace Protein Shakes, and it made all the difference in the world. Under my doctor's orders, I also ate Peanut Butter covered crackers for a couple of weeks. Because I was getting anxiety/stress over eating and anticipating the nausea/vomiting/aversion to come, he felt like the familiar taste of a snack I always liked would help me re-learn to tolerate food. He was right.

Staying in touch with your doc and working with a nutritionist is always best.

I have always been a stomach sleeper, and it took me two months to be able to return to that. I just used a million pillow to prop myself into a reclined position on my back, and dealt with it until it passed.

I was supposed to go home the day after, but they kept me an additional 24 hours due to pain control issues (which were never resolved, just one of the unlucky ones with debilitating pain for 6 weeks).

Please don't reply if your offended by what I'm about to say.

I know I'm not the only person who followed their post op diet to a perfect T. I don't understand why someone would cheat post op and risk their lives for a piece of food. Maybe it's because I don't see food as a crutch? The majority of my life I've only see carbs, fats and Protein. I'm not addicted to it, and it irks the hell out of me when people use that as their excuse. I know I snapped at a newbie on her post a few weeks ago, but I really had the best intentions. My husband, who is a slim guy and very health conscious about food, would chew me out if I even so much as looked at something I'm not supposed to have. He only has the best intentions for my success. I believe everyone going through surgery should have that sort of jerk to keep them in line. Which brings me to my second issue, why would you consult with a forum first, instead of your surgeon about your screw up? Knowing how people are on the Internet and how harsh and rude they can be, wouldn't you rather be reemed by the person who did your surgery and make you feel guilty, rather than a group of strangers? All of our post op diet plans are different, mine for example: Clear liquids for a week, full liquids for a week, my puree stage is 4 weeks long, then I move on to soft foods for 2 weeks after that. Then it's all maintenance from there. I've seen some people where they only need to puree for 1 week. So of course someone like me would have a heart attack thinking about someone eating solids during purees. People don't use their brains, and don't have any self control. And that's what bugs me the most. Our surgeons should make sure someone is mentally competent to handle the diet before the surgery to make sure they don't put their lives at stake over a sandwich, or a pork chop.

Sorry, I really needed to vent that. I'm just so tired of seeing the same posts over and over again

Not offended because I'm pretty similar in my methods/approach to you, but I definitely think it's important to keep perspective that people have different wounds, different problems, and different needs.

Food isn't your crutch. Be grateful for it instead of condemning others for not fitting the same mold. The amount of people on this forum who struggle with eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and a host of other legitimate mental issues is high. If you wave off someone with depression as being weak and not needing to be "coddled," you do a hell of a lot more harm than good. The same can be said for someone with binge-eating disorder. It's so easy to dismiss and marginalize people instead of understanding that there are many deep-seated issues, complicated neurological processes and genuine mental issues that can't be willed away, wished away, or reduced to being fixable by mere choice.

You say your husband chews you out for looking at food? What is helpful to you may be absolutely destructive for others. Some definitely don't need "a jerk to keep me in line," as that kind of harsh vitriol and constant judgment is what contributed to fucked up feelings about food in the first place.

I've been guilty of snapping at people, especially when they pull the old "listen to your body and screw the surgeon" act (listening to your body got you to 300 lbs, your body didn't go through twelve years of college and extensive training, your body craved 5000 calories a day for much of your life, your body is an idiot). But sometimes *I'm* the one who needs to step back, reevaluate my purpose for being here. Why do I post? is it to offer support and advice? Or is it to be a holier-than-thou snark queen who would rather be right than be helpful, constructive, and encouraging. You can absolutely disagree with someone and warn them against idiocy, but it's important to do it in a constructive way. If it ends up with cheap quips and insult, then be honest with yourself about why you're posting. If you can't contribute in a way that will be helpful, then keep scrolling. Because those who agree with you (aka me and many others) totally get your frustration, but all the new folks don't, and get intimidated, resentful, and end up refusing to accept any legit help/advice from us in the future.

Congratulations!

I lost quite a lot of boob. Previously, I was 52 DD, now I'm 36 -something- can't really tell what. I mean, all the loose skin fits into a D cup, but really the breast itself is much, much smaller. It's the price I paid to eat whatever I wanted for three decades, so it comes with the territory. They look fine in a bra, anyhow!

WONDERFUL! I just got back from Paris Disney where everything is teeny tiny, and I could also fit comfortably into everything. Best sort of NSV are the ones that let you enjoy the magic too!