fatty2fitty__

I have followed a Keto way of eating for almost 2 years now (pre-op diet program an 16 months post-op). I lost all of my excess weight, am below goal, and have been maintaining for months. Additionally, my labs are perfect and I have no health consequences from eating this way. I have the complete support of all of my medical professionals.

I'm a sleeve, I hit goal in 6 months. 254 to 133 maintaining for three and a half years.
My plan was low carb. I was getting in 1100 to 1300 calories. 80g to 100g+ Protein in weight loss mode. (My instructions may be out of date)
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How far out from surgery are you? Did your dietician give you clarification on how many calories, protein and carbs to get in each day? How many carbs are you allowed? Are your carb sources coming from vegetables? Are you allowed potato, rice, Pasta, bread?
Your question...Well I want to learn to eat healthy so I can carry that on after surgery. My question is, is keto okay to do after surgery? Or even low carb?
The only person that has to be happy with your surgery outcome is you. Your decisions are yours....
trust the professionals to learn the basics in weight loss mode. The goal is healthy, lose weight and keep the weight off long term.

One should always take conversations about which diet is best with a grain of salt. This choice is as personal as they come.
Diet is a hot button issue and we're still learning a lot about it.
In particular, we're learning about the kinds of bugs different diets grow in your GI tract and how they contribute to defense against disease and weight maintenance. I think those bugs....our gut microbiota....will hold the key to future developments in nutrition and the treatment of dozens of illnesses, including obesity. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5433529/
Did you know that you have about the same number of bacteria cells in your GI tract as human cells in your body? We're complex symbiotic organisms who count on those bugs for our health. Half man...half bacteria....here we come:)
Keto works. You lose weight fast, and it helps to control your appetite.
However...diets high in animal Protein and fat are correlated with increased risk of cancer and increased mortality from other causes. Keto does a spectacular job of wiping out your gut microbe diversity. This isn't a good thing. Thinner people, and healthier people...are documented to have higher gut bug diversity. People who die young and have chronic illness...have low gut bacteria diversity.
The people in cultures who live the longest on the planet, with the lowest rates of cancer and heart disease....eat diets high in complex carbs, dietary Fiber, fruits, nuts, legumes and vegetables...and are more sparing in Proteins and fats. People in these cultures also exercise. And again...they have highly diverse gut microbiota.
If you want to look at it from an evolutionary perspective...what diet have millions of years of adaptations prepared us best for? Look at the natural diets of the great apes. They eat a ton of fruit, veggies, and very fiberous foliage. They eat legumes and insects (a terrific source of fiber)....and only opportunistically and sparingly... eat eggs and meat. Their fat sources and most of their protein comes from plant sources. Their gut microbiota is also very diverse. And they exercise. Interesting pattern, no?
My personal feeling is that keto is an effective tool that can be used for short period of time because the benefits outweigh the risks....sort of like chemotherapy. Ketotherapy? Being morbidly obese carries risk.
But for a maintenance, lifelong diet......I am convinced that a diverse gut microbiota is the key to good health, and will eat a diet that supports it.
At this stage in my obesity recovery...for me...I believe that keto carries more risks than benefits.
Best wishes to all...and respect meant for everyone's choices. Everyone has a right to eyeball this choice on their own and make the decision that makes the most sense to them.
food for thought: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273533.php

There are two phase to weight loss surgery: the Weight Loss Phase and the Maintenance phase. The weight loss phase tends to be short. I had RNY gastric bypass and I transitioned into the Maintenance phase at around 7 months. Sleeve patients lose weight at a much slower pace and sometimes enter Maintenance at 2 years.
So during the Weight Loss phase I advise that you adhere to the meal guidelines given by the surgeon and nutritionist. In the Maintenance phase, you have more freedom and go with what works for you.

I’ve been doing Keto for a year, I’m 18 months post sleeve. I’ve really turned off meat and chicken though. I have a piece of fish most nights. I do like bacon but it has to be really crispy for me to enjoy it. I find it very easy to eat salads, with egg or avocado and spinach leaves. And love nuts and seeds. So I make my own nut granola and if I want bread or a sweet treat make it myself Keto friendly. I tend to eat the same things every day. I like Keto because it reduces my appetite. I still have a lot of restriction though so that helps too. The sleeve has made it easier for me to stay Keto and give up bread and potatoes as they are hard for me to eat.

I find that sort of doing both is a good option ... i.e. a nice mix of high Protein and lower carbs.
I aim for a ratio of Proteins:Carbohydrates of 5:3 at best and 5:4 as acceptable.
It's generally working for me.
With exercise, every loss I make at my weekly weigh-in is a 9:1 ratio FAT:LEAN ...
It may not be best for you but worth a try if your dietitian and/or your surgeon agree.

I was dead set on doing Keto after surgery and my surgeon and nutritionist are not totally supportive. They both explained that our bodies do not absorb the nutrients in food the same after surgery and because we take in smaller portions we do not want to exclude healthy food groups. They believe a well balanced diet is a healthier option. But of course number 1 rule eat Protein first.

Me personally I believe whatever works for you and makes you happy healthy and successful on your journey is what is right for you.

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Fatty2fitty, I was taken off my blood pressure meds in the hospital (I was on a diuretic type med, so they were worried about dehydration) and my BP improved so quickly I never had to restart it. It’s crazy how quickly you will start to see your health improve!

@Creekimp13 thank you for that. I can't help not being scared, but I'm not gonna let it stop me this time. I know I need this to help me.
And wow, 20 years ago is a long time. But better late than never, right? 🙂

@James Marusek thank you for the advice. Only thing I need to work on is the walking more. I already have tons of pictures of me now and I haven't had a soda in almost a year, so I'm good there.

@kakatlady612 I am 24. I have type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, polycystic ovarian syndrome and I get chronic yeast infections. I'm down to 310 from 362, but have been yoyo'ing back and forth from 330 to 310. It's like I can't lose more than that and I can't gain more than that. It's frustrating. I'm tired of being unhealthy.
So yes, let's do this together 🙂 we got this. No more putting it off. This is our year to be healthy and happy!!!