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I know several people who swear by Weight Watchers (easier to sustain for longer periods of time than Keto is, because there are fewer restrictions), but some just go back to the way they were eating that first year. Not all the way back to shakes, but how they were eating around months 6-12 - protein first, then non-starchy veggies, and then, if you have room, maybe a small serving of fruit or whole grain carbs. If you're no longer tracking your food intake, than start doing that again as well. not everyone recommends calorie counting, but I really monitor my calories if I'm trying to lose a regain. I can maintain my weight if I eat in the 1500-1700 calorie a day range (but that's going to be different for everyone - you'll have to experiment to find your range). If I need to lose weight, I'll eat at the lower end of that range, or just below it. And I step up on my exercising. It's slow, but it works.

I'll be 7 years post gastric sleeve in December. I never reached goal, but lost 80 lbs. I managed to keep most of it off for about 4 years and slowly the carbs crept back into my life and the weight gain began. I gained 35 lbs back and I'm so disgusted with myself. It took me so long to get the courage to finally have WLS. I was so nervous and afraid that I swore if I put myself through surgery I would never gain all my weight back. I've tried Keto, and did really well for about a year and a half until I was no longer losing and just couldn't commit to the lifestyle. It seems I've lost any will power I may once had and I really don't want to get a revision if I can help it. How do I restart my weight loss? I know I've probably stretched my pouch. Do I go back to drinking shakes? Has anyone had any success in losing their significant weight gain without having to have a revision, or is a revision in my future?

I can relate! I have been off of this forum for a year but really should have stuck with it. I kept the weight off until March when my husband got COVID but then I ate every cookie and every chocolate bar I could get my hands on. The damage was 10-12 pounds, thankfully, but I'm finally psychologically ready to get back on track. I kicked myself in the ass for gaining weight, but that didn't fix the problem and I had to remember why I had the surgery in the first place. So I started in KETO two weeks ago and have lost 4 lbs and feel like I'm headed in the right direction, even through the holidays I feel confident that I can do it. You can too!

Well, to be fair, it was all my fault. The sleeve did it's job. I was really struggling with COVID and the racial tension in this country (no excuse) and Depression and I was eating two giant Hershey bars a day and cookies. Sweets are my weakness. Once I quit eating the sweets, the weight started coming back off. I can't eat very much at a time. The sleeve cuts off 3/4 of your stomach so you end up with a teeny tiny stomach that can't hold much. Therefore you can't eat much at any one sitting. That being said, if you ate or snacked every few hours, it's possible you could still eat too much, but if you stuck with three meals a day and maybe one snack you'd drop the weight like crazy. On the bright side, I was able to stop myself at the 10 pounds and not gain back 20, 30 or 50. So in the long run, I've learned my lesson, I didn't regain all of my original weight, and I caught myself before I got in too deep and I'm back on track. Hubby and I are now doing the KETO diet and it's amazing how little I can eat due to the stomach size restriction. Like I said, it's a Godsend.

It's tough, isn't it? It's a lifetime struggle for many of us. I can highly recommend the Sleeve Surgery as I had it just under two years ago and lost 60 lbs or so. That being said, this year with COVID, I gained 10-12 of it back, but I just got back on track again two weeks ago and have already lost 4 lbs on KETO. What's different about dieting post-op to pre-op is that your stomach is smaller so you can't eat as much. It's your best friend and aid in dieting. As long as you're choosing the right foods with the focus on protein, the portion sizes take care of themselves and that's a huge impact on your success. I can't speak from experience as to a revision because I never had the lapband.

Hey guys I really need some help from "real people with real experiences", my weight is increasing despite having a lap band in and I need to do something to stop it in its tracks. I have been dieting forever but this year I have done about 7 different diets, from Keto, SW, Calorie Counting etc and I am now heavier than I was on January 1st and what worries me is what my weight will rise up to if I don't do something. My history: - Starting Weight before Lap band: approx. 17 stone (size 20) - Lowest Weight after Lap band: approx. 10 stone (not for very long, comfortable weight was about 11 stone) (size 10/12) - Current Weight: 13 stone (steadily increasing weekly) (size 14) - I had a gastric band in April 2010, everything was fine overall, but the last few years haven't been so good, I developed a pouch in oesophagus so I only have 6.25ml in my band, this isn't really providing me with much restriction at all, I do have a little reflux however. I have also suffered with constipation for about 20 years! As I said above, I really need some help from "real people with real experiences", I am considering what my options are, revision surgery from the band to: Sleeve, Bypass, Mini Bypass or anything else? I have spoken to a few surgeons this week and they have all given different advice, so it is even more confusing. My questions are: - Has anyone had a similar experiences and what did you decide to do and was it the right decision? - It worries me if I have the sleeve or a bypass, will I be in the same situation in 10 years time? - Would anyone recommend a particular company or surgeon? - Has anyone had the band deflated and maybe had the balloon? I don't know if this is even possible? I thought this would mean surgery wouldn't be needed? Any advice would be welcomed, thank you all for your time 🙂

Cheese Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf with homemade Keto ketchup (BFF made the ketchup for me and it tastes just like ketchup - actually better!) One slice (as shown) is 301 calories. I had a whole slice, with about 1 tsp of the keto ketchup (I have no idea what the caloric count of this is, so I'm just going to guess maybe 15 cals per tsp). This meatloaf was crazy filling and I probably ate too much as I am uncomfortably full. Was very yum though!

For everyone balling on a budget He focuses on keto but mostly on clean foods so perfect for people transitioning to post WLS lifestyle/diets

I use an App that is great for the keto diet or any meal plan which you want to calculate macros, like...carbs, fats, proteins, sugar. The app is “ Carb Manager” it tracks all foods including restaurant items. You can record water consumption and exercise. I hope this helps?

Gentle reminder that just because something is KETO, doesn't mean it may be something one would want add to one's diet when in weight loss phase. Case in point: Keto Sans Rival Cake (cashew meringue layered with french buttercream and chopped cashews). I just free-handed the meringue layers so they look kinda wonky. Next time I'll use a form or pan, or maybe a piping bag... My slice pictured below, and even with using a zero-calorie sweetener, it still measured out at 205 calories (about the size of small-ish lime). Ate it all.

Almost-Keto Apple Fritters Adapted from an Actual-Keto Apple Fritter recipe (I didn’t have any “vital wheat gluten”... whatever that is! So i used 1/8 cup wheat flour + 1/8 cup psyllium instead. Also, I skipped the glaze and used cinnamon and granulated monkfruit instead; as well as added baking powder) These things turned out MASSIVE (miscalculation on my part) and just one is the size of BOTH my hands! A regular serving should probably be less than half this size. 161 calories for each ginormous fritter (11g fat, 19g net carbs). Ate 1/4 of one, and the fam wolfed down the rest of them before they even cooled down (shhhh...don’t tell them there wasn’t any actual sugar in them!)

I was sleeved in 2016, lost 87 pounds, gained back 25, keto constipates me.

I am 1year 3 months post vsg. I’ve lost 70 pounds. I did low carb/keto for majority of it. I have 20 more pounds to go. I was losing very slow for month 11 and 12. I think I lost 3 pounds total for those 2 months. I never counted calories while on keto. I switched to a low calorie intake and have lost 2-3 pounds every week for the last month. My calorie intake ranges from 1000-1200 a day. I eat 4 small meals a day. Exercise. No snacking. I still use low carb tortillas and other lower carb foods. I just try and eat balanced and healthy. Hope this helps.

The holiday season always comes up faster than expected. That is even true this year when so many other things have been different. It is time to start thinking about gifts for the people you love. If they include bariatric surgery patients who are pre or post-op, we have the perfect gifts for you. First up are something your loved one is sure to love: favorite desserts. If they are missing creamy, starchy, sugary foods, you can be the one to give them their faves without guilt. Here are just a few favorite desserts you can gift this year! Gingerbread Cake Mix Nothing says, “Happy Holidays!” like gingerbread, but can your bariatric surgery friend really afford to be eating gingerbread this year? Yes, she certainly can if you give her a high-protein, low-carb version such as BariatricPal Gingerbread Mug Cake Mix. It has 130 calories, 12 grams of protein, and 1 gram of sugar. Even better than giving ready-made gingerbread cake or cookies, giving Gingerbread Cake Mix lets the recipient make it herself, which means the delicious smell of cinnamon and ginger can waft through the house. It is easy to make just by mixing a packet with water and microwaving it. Each box contains 7 packets. Creamy Cheesecake Cheesecake is not the standard choice for a smart dieter, but BariatricPal High Protein Creamy Cheesecake is no standard cheesecake. It has about half the calories, saturated fat, and sugar as the same size serving of regular cheesecake, along with 12 grams of protein to make it more filling. If cheesecake isn’t cheesecake without the graham cracker crust, you can easily make your own without adding the 20 grams of carbs per serving that a traditional one has. Just crush sugar-free Catalina Crunch Keto Cereal - Honey Graham instead of graham crackers to use in the crust. Each serving has 10 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. You can make an entire cheesecake using 7 servings of Creamy Cheesecake mix, or make your cheesecake in muffin cups for single servings. Each box has 7 servings. Pumpkin Spice Blondie A bariatric surgery patient could feel a little down after an entire autumn of passing up pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes, and pumpkin muffins. How about giving a gift of a pumpkin dessert that comes without guilt? Eat Me Guilt Free Pumpkin Spice Blondie knocks the socks off the competition in taste and nutrition. The entire blondie has only 170 calories and 4 grams of sugar, or 90% less sugar than a slice of pumpkin bread from a bakery-cafe. With 22 grams of protein, it has as much protein as chicken and can be eaten for a meal, snack, or dessert. They come in single and 3, 6, and 12-packs. There is no shortage of desserts that are suitable gifts for bariatric patients and anyone else who is on a weight loss journey. By the way, remember that your favorite bariatric surgery patient can be...yourself! Go right ahead and give yourself the gift of weight loss and pleasure all in one with your favorite low-carb desserts!

Hi all, I'm just starting the journey so I've been reading and researching a lot! I attended a seminar and I have my first individual consultation later this week. My concern right now is with my husband. He's technically overweight on the charts, but has never been obese and hasn't gone through that experience--he can shop in regular stores, sits in middle seats at concerts, and actually prefers booths at restaurants. My experience is pretty opposite, as I've been big since I was 15 (25 years ago lol!), and have ballooned up to a BMI of 51, the highest ever. When I first brought up the idea of WLS, I positioned it as a tool to give me a head start on the weight loss and to give me some time to develop healthy eating habits without starting so far behind. I think he's really nervous about surgery in general because he started tearing up and said that he's really scared, so we talked about the risks of surgery vs the risks of staying this obese, and so on. I thought he was coming around to the idea since he said he supports it, and when I talk about going to the "fat people clinic," he corrects me and says that it's just a tool. It's super sweet actually! Now he's started offering new diet suggestions instead. He's seen me go through a number of diets in the last eight years, though I'll admit I've given up a little in the past couple of years, but he hasn't seen the whole history. He thinks that because I do really well with losing weight when I stick to a diet, I just need to do a better job of sticking to one, but I keep telling him that if it were that easy for me, I would have done it already! Just today, he suggested "what if you do the keto diet but this time cut out all artificial sweeteners? I really think that's why you had trouble before." I understand that he's scared, but it's making me question myself a little. Do I really need to try every different variation of all the diets out there? I've also never really tried any of the prescription weight loss drugs (outside of some bronkaid/coffee stacking experimentation that was super unhealthy in a number of ways). Is there more due diligence before I give surgery such heavy thought? The other part of this is that he thinks that the doctors are only interested in their profit and won't give me accurate information, and while I believe that they deserve to earn a living, I have some trust in the hippocratic oath. I do understand that when you have a hammer (or scalpel?), every problem becomes a nail (or surgery lol). Anyway, I know this isn't a relationship advice site but I thought others may have encountered a similar situation! I'm venting a little but would appreciate your thoughts!

Good luck to everyone with upcoming dates ! Skin tip: keep skin moisturized. Right after shower oil body up or use body butter. Dry brush. Massage your body. Exfoliate 2 - 3 times a week. Food: keto ideas (when cleared for solid food)

As Tek indicated, do you really want to go down the dieting road again, and then learn how to maintain a healthy weight? keto will work as well as any other diet out there - about a 95% failure rate beyond a year. The usual problem with these diets is that people get tired of them and quit, or they reach their goal and go back to their old habits because they never established the healthy dietary habits that help maintain their weight. There is such a thing as "bariatric keto" which tailors it to WLS needs - basically higher protein and lower fat. It is essentially old school Atkins, but people can tell everyone that they're "doin' keto". The problem of all the other diets still remains which is what do you do once the fad fades - keep on with a "so yesterday" diet or jump onto the new latest thing? If you do want to adopt keto as a lifestyle, I suggest that you do just that - take is as a serious iifestyle and learn how to live with it and minimize the nutritional deficiencies that are inherent in it. Think of it as similar to those who chose to go vegetarian/vegan - if one looks at it simply as not eating meat, then trouble is lurking as one needs to learn how to get adequate protein, and the right kinds. Likewise, with keto, one needs to learn how to get all of the vitamins and minerals that we normally get from carbohydrate rich foods (all of our fruits, veg and grains.) At least, if one is really serious about it, our Covid19 days are a good time to try it, as with our normal social distancing protocols, one will be less likely to offend others with their keto bad breath and BO.

I don't think it makes a difference, in the end so long as you have a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. Though it *may* take a little longer this far out. In maintenance, I had a couple times when I gained like 5-6 lbs after a period of eating too much or a period of decreased activity. The first time this happened was maybe 11 mnths post op and it took me a week to lose it. The last time it happened, it took me almost 2 months (at almost 2 yrs post op). It was much easier to go low cal before than it is now, probably cuz I'm used to eating more now? Anyhoo, its not impossible, Keto/low carb or not. Good Luck!

4 years PO from GS. Would like to lose about 20lbs. Do sleevers need to do anything different when it comes to keto/low carb lifestyle?

The hungry feeling only goes away after 3 days if you're on a "keto" style diet. My pre-op diet was proper food all specified by the dietitian and included carbs. So the hunger didn't go away and I have been starving hungry for over 2 weeks. I have managed to control myself by knowing that if I haven't shrunk my liver enough by the op date they will start but not be able to do the procedure. I've been drinking lots of calorie free fluids to try to fill up but it only helps a bit.

There are some decent low carb pancake recipes out there using almond flour. They aren't just like the real thing, but they aren't terrible either. I got in the habit of making them during a 7 month run of doing keto and I still make them now because my kids seem to like them. But yes to echo some of the others trying to avoid food for comfort is a great way to keep yourself out of trouble. I struggle with that plenty myself. I've actually taken to carrying a "challenge" coin around with me that I grab when I'm thinking of going for something to eat and not really hungry as a reminder of what I'm trying to accomplish. It doesn't always work, but I think it works more often than not at getting me to refocus and direct myself towards a healthier activity.

Hello, I am new to this and also new to the by pass group... my surgery was oct 22, 2020. I have felt this feeling you are talking about, I call it "the twilight zone" it feels disconnected and my bp would be low also. I started feeling it some when I changed my diet, I thought it was keto brain, but when I did the pre op 500 cal shakes only for 2 weeks it got much worse. Now that I'm (almost) 3 weeks post op I feel it less often but add being extremly exhausted. I worry after reading your post that this could be a long term problem. I lost from 365 to 273 pre op, I wondered if I should put the surgery off and do it on my own but I could only imagine regaining what I had lost, like I always have. Sorry this is so long. I wonder if your bp is low during the times you feel you could pass out?

It’s from lack of carbs. In the Keto world they call it the Keto Flu. Your body will adjust as it gets rid of the glycogen. Hang in there! It will all be work it!!

I think negativity about high protein intake is related to the negativity about the keto diet. I was told to aim for 60 grams during my weight loss. When I reached maintenance I adjusted to the 0.8 per kg of my weight. But my dietician said it should be 1g per kg but because I was a woman in her mid 50s I should be getting 1.2g but that seems too much. I aim for 50g a day but I don’t beat myself up if I only get in 40g on the odd day. It’s a bonus day when I get in 60g. I think you should just follow your plan & the recommendations from your dietician & surgeon.

I can tell from my husband's experience.. He also had some troubles before the surgery itself and he was about to give up but I told him to not even think about. You cannot leave that big and hard road behind you just because a minor obstacle right before the final result! So, he believed in himself and had the surgery with positive thoughts only! Afterwards we had a long road of recovery with the help of https://kitodiet.me/ as he was on the keto diet. All in all, your thoughts are real and they affect the reality, so be as positive as possible!