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There is reddit keto forum that has tons of information and helpful members. The current recommendations over there is to limit fat intake and eat more protein. They no longer seem to think that protein is turned into glucose. So yes, you can absolutely do a high protein, limited fat, keto. I'm currently trying to do low carb in order to increase weight loss from abdomen as that area is being stubborn. Best of luck.

Hi y'all from the big ol' state of Texas. I'm a long-time reader, first time poster seeking long walks down the meat isle and gentle laughter in the produce department. I'm new to the whole WLS gig and am trying to wrap my head around new possibilities for living a successful, healthy, cancer-free life. I'm a 6 year breast cancer survivor who battles with stage II lymphedema in my left arm, a lovely parting gift of cancer treatment/surgery/reconstruction, so I no longer do much on my old blog. I was a very active writer | blogger specializing in low carb keto living. Now I'm just a noob, grateful for the information, knowledge, and wisdom of fellow WLS losers (veteran and newbie alike). I look forward to participating here and getting to know each of you. TIA by the way! (BTW, I'm not really seeking a date with ya --so don't be "skeered" I might be a letch or anything. I'm in a very happy 17 year relationship with my SO, Mr. Fluffy .)

Thank you so much for your input! I’ve been itching to reply all week but was having trouble logging on to BP. Anyway, I decided to follow your advice and consult with my Doctor. As I said they arent as great with giving detailed information on nutrition but this time they took their time with me on the phone and explained everything. They said if I’m going to be spending more than 300-400 calories per day on exercising (and I definitely burn 2-3x that amount accordinf to my fitbit), I definitely needed to up my calories. So they cleared me for 1,600 calories when working out,140g of protein (as long as I drink a lot of water to protect my kidneys), and the 36g of fat but said absolutely no more than 100g of carbs/day which made a lot of sense to me. My trainer said she can work with that. I’m going to try it for a week and see how that goes but will follow your advice and monitor closely. If I start to gain weight I’ll go back to keto for sure.

But what about the sound nutrition advice given via lifestyle bloggers on YouTube who have this amazing cleanse to sell you?? Or a raw vegan paleo high protein keto diet consisting entirely of lemon water? It sounds so legit. 😬 All kidding aside, great advice. And I think it also bears to mention that although you should follow the advice given by a credentialed professional, there are bad and good doctors out there and the same follows for dietitians as well. If you feel strongly that you’re getting bad advice, you might want to seek out another opinion.

I should also point out that before surgery, I was averaging between 3000-5000 calories a day, and wasn't gaining or losing weight at that amount. So for me, even 1200 is a profound reduction and I figure if it takes me 3000 to maintain (at my previously higher weight,) 1200 is probably still low enough to lose. I've found the post-bariatric diet to induce ketogenesis fairly constantly. I've confirmed it with those Keto-sticks you can get at the pharmacy. Given the way the reagent strips react, I figure my body must certainly be breaking down fatty-acids for fuel. Maybe you get some of those and see if you are in a ketogenic state.

Here’s a link with some info: https://www.tasteaholics.com/keto-diet/what-is-keto-flu-how-to-help/

It could be Keto Flu, I haven’t done the sleeve yet but from what I’ve read, the Pre Op diet is low carb. As a result, Keto Flu can happen which mimics Flu like symptoms, which is also a characteristic for us Fibromyalgia sufferers ☹️

Also, do you guys count your carbs by the full amount on the ingredients list, or do you deduct the fiber & sugar alcohol content, like people do who do Keto (counting macros)... When I say I eat less than 20 carbs - I am calculating it with the fiber & sugar alcohol subtracted.

So I'm pretty much at my goal weight and, as most of us are… I'm saggy. So now I want to build some muscle and lift weights more intensely but my trainer says I have to eat carbs. Carbs build muscle. My problem is I've taken three weeks off from working out basically just to let my body settle after 85 pounds and my mind and now I have very little motivation so if I eat carbs in the morning and then I don't work out do the carbs turn to fat? I think carbs will turn into one of two things fat or muscle. Is there a way to eat carbs right before I work out so I know they're going to the right place? I don't know. I'm afraid to eat carbs after 10 months almost of no sugar no carbs I'm very adept at the keto thing and it's easy for me. Any help is appreciated

I appreciate your consise response. It's been over a month since I created this post, this is a little update on my situation. Since then (I started March 1st) I have been strictly in a Low Carb Diet, giving up wheat, bread and sugar. What started me to "recommit" to weight loss was reading a book called Wheat Belly. Read it, it's amazing. But I did not lose weight with the Lap Band, I have lost weight by incorporating a Low Carb diet. I think many people, if they made the decision before they did the surgery, were to give up wheat, flour, sugar - they would within a couple weeks lose cravings for those foods, they would feel better, and they would lose weight. I only lost 10 pounds in a month and a half, and I have a long way to go, but I don't think I should of had this surgery. I should have just sucked it up & gone low carb. Paleo, Keto, Caveman, Hi Protein, High Full Fat, Low Carb, Atkins, Southbeach, plus many more books and diets that preach this stuff... This is the way to go folks, try it first before you get surgery. Just my opinion.

While I think the study is vague and poorly designed, I think breakfast is still hugely important for WLS patients. I know theres a reason that many weight loss programs usually include something along the lines of avoid going more than 5 hours without eating/drinking. Considering that if youre sleeping and eating dinner at reasonable times, youre probably looking at a solid 10-12 hours of not eating from the time you had dinner to waking up. I think balancing your macros/nutrition adequately after WLS becomes substantially more difficult if you dont have breakfast. Even if its just a protein shake. Otherwise its going to get you into a cycle of starving and binging to catch up, which cant be good for the long term success of your WLS, and thats in addition to the previous mention of getting adequate and optimal nutrition. The argument for/against breakfast in non WLS patients is probably far more complicated, especially once you factor in all these gimmicky things like IF KETO and all that ****. But with WLS patients I think the benefits of having breakfast are clear cut

Many of you probably don't 'know' me from these forums, but I have been around for several years. i'm almost 4 years post VSG. I have struggled through many chapters in my life since my surgery and have regained a good amount of weight. since I carry ALL my weight right around my middle, I look horrible and my self esteem has tanked. Since my surgery I changed jobs and moved, lost a parent, had to change doctors, and gained a master's degree. I'm currently in the final few classes to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. on top of all that, I had managed to lose enough weight initially to be off all my medications-GERD and BP. Now i'm back on both. My GERD has worsened with the weight gain and i'm at the point where I can't lay on my left side if I've eaten within the past few hours because the food and acid will backwash into my throat. i'm miserable. I have been to the psych doc, the NUT, to the surgeon, and to my GP. none of them can give me an exact direction of what to do. my GP says they simply don't know enough about bariatrics to guide me. The bariatric team trialed me on Contrave, I got so sick I had to stop. I tried Keto and spent two days in misery from all that fat. My brain is the issue and I don't know how to get it back under control. I am taking straight Welbutrin for the time being to see if that will help with behavior AND with appetite. my surgeon is very concerned that from the GERD, i'll need a revision. I don't really WANT a revision, I know that the GERD has worsened because I carry ALL my weight in my waistline and it's pushing up on my sleeve- badly. I have an EGD this week with my GI doc which will look at the GERD and also the condition of my sleeve. I have no excuse, the regain is completely my own doing. One day about 20 months ago, I thought that drinking a diet ginger ale at work would be ok, and it has spiraled out of control from there. I am trying badly to get off of soda again, which I think is really the first step. As I walk this very difficult road to get back on the path where I belong, I ask for your prayers, positive thoughts, and vibes.

I wish you the very best in this difficult part of your journey. Remember to not eat at least 2 hours before lying down for bed, and stay away from spicy foods. I have found that taking 2Tbsp. of Apple Cider Vinegar every morning has helped to the point to where I don't need Prilosec anymore. I have been taking it for about 6 weeks now. Maybe it could help lessen your symptoms. Also, you don't need to do a keto diet to start losing weight. You just need to let go of the soft drinks and junk food/processed food/fast food. That should help you. Try to get some lean protein and veggies each meal followed up by some healthy snacks. I like to make my own P3 snacks, like raw almonds, Monterey jack cheese, and turkey slices. If you really want to get the weight back off, you are going to have to change your lifestyle and relationship with food back to something more healthy and balanced. Not an easy thing to do, especially with the added stress of school. You can do it though. Just take it 1 day at a time. If you still have your restriction, your tool can still help you. I hope that you are able to solve these problems without the need for another surgery. I believe that you can do it.

The problem with keto as it was explained to my by my physician was the fact mpact on the liver can be bad and cause damage. So while you can adopt much of the keto principals going full keto was a going to be a problem if it was done for an extended period of time. It also worked for me in years pre op period but so did the diet that my dietitian had me on at the end.

Welcome to ketosis. Stronger body odour, bad breath, smelly urine, etc. are renowned side effects of ketosis. It’s like all our natural body secretions suddenly reek. We want to be burning fat but it’s a shame the side effect can be quite offensive. Regularly apply deodorants, pop breath fresheners, shower more regularly. I purchased some body wipe towelettes so I could freshen up a little in the toilet at work. https://hip2keto.com/tips/keto-common-side-effects-smell/

Stopping ketosis? Yes and no, depending upon how one defines it. As far dropping ketones that are detectable in a urine test, that is a normal result of burning off your fat stores - which is what we are trying to do - irrespective what diet is used. All it takes is a suitable caloric deficit, so that is pretty much unavoidable if you are losing the weight that you want to lose. If one is aiming for high numbers or pretty colors on a keto stick, and gushes about how the bad breath and body odors that they are getting is a sign of burning fat, then no, that is not at all necessary. I followed a very strict "no fad diet" regimen - no Atkins, Ornish, Paleo, South Beach, Zone, Keto, etc., and had to work to stop the loss when I approached goal weight. I quite specifically avoided symptomatic ketosis (along with other classic low carb diet symptoms such as fatigue, lethargy, brain fade, hypoglycemia, etc.) by maintaining as balanced a diet as reasonably possible within our post bariatric protein and low calorie requirements, though ketones were detectable in the normal urine tests - that is normal when metabolizing the fat. One does not need to go overboard on consuming excess fats to drive one into ketosis - that is just part of the keto fad and has nothing to do with burning your fat stores in losing weight. The protein in your urine may just be a passing thing (no pun intended...) or may be indicative of something else. I have often passed detectable amounts of protein in my urine, even well before WLS, but that's just me. It can be a sign of possible kidney problems, or maybe not - it is something that we monitor. Our post bariatric diets are not so much high protein, as they are adequate protein bur low on everything else; in a year or two when you are much lighter and maintaining your weight, your protein levels should be about the same as they are now, but everything else will be higher to fill out the extra calories that you need to maintain, and to provide the nutrition that you need. If you look at bariatrics historically, you find that dietary style (low fat, low carb, keto, paleo, etc.) makes very little difference to overall weight loss, as that is primarily determined by the caloric deficit created by eating so little for that first year or so. Indeed, if you look back 20-30 years ago, patients were often advised to "eat like you always have, just less...." and it worked. Of course, what didn't work was them maintaining the loss as they never learned to eat sustainably to maintain their weight. So, it is entirely reasonable to eat a basically healthy diet that, for a time, is protein biased (we can supplement most everything else) and not worry about whatever the fad diet of the day happens to be - eat with an eye towards how you should be eating five years from now. Those who follow the fad diets have the same problem that non-WLS dieters have - learning how to eat sustainably once they have lost the weight and no long have to "diet".

Is anyone familiar with the Keto diet? Is it good or bad for bariatric sleeve surgery?

Making sure you get enough water and magnesium helps with keto stink. Epsom salt baths or foot soaks are a relaxing way to get extra magnesium in.

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.

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 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.

Keto is a little different than just low carb high protein because you are keeping a balanced ratio of fats, carbs and protein. The balance works better than a low fat or a low carb diet.

I have been keeping up with several groups on Keto diet and there is information on intermittent fasting to promote weight loss. I have tried this ( fasting 16 hours a day and consuming all meals within 8 hours) but with the limited quantity I can eat at one meal, I have found that I can’t get all the calories in an 8 hour period. I don’t get hungry (a good thing) and will eat till “full” but I would have to eat every hour to get 1200 calories in 8 hours. This frustrates me because I know from past experiences that I go into starvation mode when my calories drop under 1000. Has anyone else tried intermittent fasting post sleeve?

I am an old timer. I was sleeved January of 2013. I am short at 5’2” and my sw was 205. My lowest weight was February 2014 at 112. I have been up and down since with my highest weight post surgery at 161. I’ve been doing Keto since 1/7/2019 and am back down to 142. I’d like to get down to 125-130. Keto has really helped with the cravings and I don’t worry about calories. I eat lots of eggs, meats, taco salad with lettuce, ground beef, sour cream, salsa, avocado, etc. I always feel full after eating. I also try to skip breakfast and not eat after dinner. Basically I try to do 18:6 fasting where I stop eating at 6:30pm and I don’t eat again until 12:30 the next day. This seems to be helping. I do drink coffee with heavy whipping cream.

Thanks, I am typically like that too. But for some reason I have not been having any trouble following this high Protein diet for 8 months now. I don't feel hungry and don't seem to be having the uncontrollable urges that I used to have. I also am very aware that I am addicted to food and can fall off the wagon at any time. (That is why I am constantly reading BariatricPal to keep me motivated and for the support.) I wish you well on your journey. Is Keto a special program?