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My insurance only covers it if your BMI is over 35 with comorbidities or over 40 without. My personal opinion is that, barring any serious medical issues from those 35lbs, I wouldn't have my stomach removed and make SUCH a major lifestyle change for it. I should have considered it at maybe 75lbs too heavy or 100. Instead I waited to almost 150lbs overweight... but it honestly wouldn't (and didn't) cross my mind 35lbs overweight... and I personally would not have done it even if it was suggested to me. I would have told that person they were insane for suggesting I chop out my stomach for 35lbs. I was able to lose 65lbs on my own with keto, and if I stuck to it it would still be off... but I went off the rails, hard. If you can stick to something like keto, maybe try that if you haven't? I would exhaust ALL AVAILABLE OPTIONS. My surgeon's office offers medically managed weight loss for people below the BMI thresh hold. It's the Optifast diet coupled with weight loss medication and a strict routine of followups and accountability. Maybe looked into medically managed weight loss programs?

I have not heard of this but I did " paleo " for a month just to try it out and see how easy/hard it was. Lost 25 lbs. The hardest thing is no dairy or grains.. i love bread.. but its something you can look into if the full on carni does not work for you. My sister is type 1 and does Keto. says its the only thing she tried that keeps her blood sugars from really going wonkey

I’m trying to drop weight prior to probable surgery, I’ve started basic,y a keto diet, per my doctor, I’m wondering what anyone’s thoughts on MCT oil is? Does it actually help, should I take it?

Here’s where I break from the pack. I was essentially raised Atlins/KETO. (My mom just didn’t know what it was called.). Margarine was a “fad”. Low-fat, non-fat products were a “fad”. We didn’t eat those. Never had a weight problem. (Mine manifested in my 30’s). The only manner in which I deviate from my prescribed eating program is that I refuse to use low-fat products. Now, 7 weeks post surgery, I’m not going back to KETO right away but I’m building my fats toward that end and my primary is on board. It’s not a fad, it’s yet another lifestyle. It’s not for everyone. However, some folks thrive.

If you have thrush it'll get better when that clears up. But I bet you are spot on with keto. Increase your carbs above 50g/day, and that will knock you out of ketosis. (I did it by drinking lots of milk when I got to full liquids).

When I started this in 2013 weighing 258 lbs. The most I ever weighed and after diets worked (I was down to 175 in 2008 for a little over a year) they never were permanent. I'm going to burst a lot of bubbles now, neither is the sleeve BUT IT IS WHY I CAN NOW KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF. Let me explain. It is now 8 1/2 years later and I am down to 178 for well over a year now. A year before that I was up to almost 230 again. Not because of how much I ate, but what I ate. I was a carbohydrate addict. I've been living 2 1/2 years on Keto. I have NEVER CHEATED even on vacations, and we take a lot. It is so easy these days to be on Keto and eat what you want since just about everything is made low carb with the exception of good bread, my favorite. Now, here's how the sleeve comes in to this. Many ways. First, I was pre-diabetic and all my family, parents, siblings and uncles are, or were diabetic. The 20 lbs just after I took on this adventure at least kept me out of diabetes. The best thing was that it kept me from eating too much at a time. I could eat all day but not a lot at a time. I have had no problems eating anything I was told that I could never eat again before the surgery. Now, I was actually fluctuating from 230 down to 200 but would eventually get back up to the 230. Here's the thing. I have an eating disorder, didn't know it until a year ago. It's called Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). My symptoms are that I've NEVER tasted or eaten, poultry, seafood, most vegetables and no steak, pork chops, in fact the ONLY meats I eat are sausages and cured meats. I will not eat a sausage unless I know that it's only made with beef or pork or both together. I love pizza and pasta and of course bread, so those are the hardest things that I have to avoid with Keto, but here's how I do it. I will order a pizza and always say extra sauce because I'm not going to eat the crust and need to scrape the toppings off the top (so it doesn't cook into the bread). Here's the thing, the crust flavor bakes into the pizza, so I never really miss the crust other than with my eyes. Anyway, 2 1/2 years later I live with it and like I said I don't cheat and the urge to cheat is driven away with this thought. Everyone tells me you have to have a cheat day once in awhile. You know you've told yourself that on each of your diets. Here's the problem with that. Next week I'll think, I didn't gain weight on the last cheat day, I can do it again, and so on. I still truly live for food, but now it's 90% sausage (good hot dogs) or ham, bacon and salami. Just think, you guys can have all the chicken, fish and steaks you want. Load them up with butter. Since I limit myself to 40-50 carbs a day, I eat a dinner roll at a restaurant and load it with butter. Anyway, here are photos of before and after. I'm now 71, very healthy OH, and because of the sleeve and Keto (and some pills) my blood numbers have all been perfect for the last two years. I mean perfect when my Cholesterol and Triglycerides were always high. My glucose is 94 and A1C is always around 5.4.

:thumbup: Well what can I say? I have to try to focus now as I am getting back to the basics! LOW CARB diets work for a person with the band. I want to lose about 15 lbs more before my daughters wedding in October. So I started on Low Carbs or almost NO Carbs yesterday for three days, that tends to work to get me into Ketosis. I checked my urine this morning after one day, and absolutely NO ketosis there! HA, what a waste of a Keto-strip. But just another day or two or after the weekend, I will try it again! I want to just burn fat really burn it up from now until 10-10-10. My daughter and I have to order our dresses for the wedding soon so they have time to arrive, I am going to get one size larger than I need and PRAY I have to take it in. The hardest part of getting back to the basics is sticking to the plan, but I will do it! My husband is working this weekend so that makes it easier for me cause I don't cook then. I am going to hit the Gym tomorrow too! Gonna be a good productive day! God Bless You all, have a great weekend!:thumbup:

I’m avoiding all bread products as long as possible but I think there’s some options for this. Cauliflower crust as bread? Or that no carb bread they sell on this site, might work for you. Google keto stuff they’ll be the ones wiith 15 ideas

Awww thanks (blush). Keto is too high maintenance for me. I have always done very low carb to low carb and I don’t worry about fat, don’t track it don’t eat low fat versions of things. Yes my triglycerides are low (can’t remember offhand but definitely under 100) and while my total cholesterol is “high” (in the 240’s usually) the ratio is, according to my doc, the best he’s ever seen. My “good” cholesterol (LDL) is 3x my “bad” cholesterol (HDL).

My surgeon recommends low carb, low fat, high protein. I know protein is most important for us, but if we have the room after eating our protein (at this point I hit my protein goal easily each day), what about fats? I'm wondering because there are tons of awesome keto recipes I'd love to try, and after trying a few, my body feels even better and I'm still losing weight at the same pace. But I want to make sure I'm not making some huge mistake if I do this. Edit: if it makes a difference, I'm about 3 months out from surgery and dealing with sugar cravings something fierce, and being able to have peanut butter or something would be awesome for staving off the cravings.

Quick article on plant based Keto Anyone attempting this? https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/vegetarian-keto-diet?mbg_p=amp&mbg_ref=search_related

I've got one person in my office that has had similar responses. She is also large and is on the keto diet now. I'm happy for her that she likes doing the keto plan, but she's in her 60s and she has yoyo dieted for years. If it was that simple, we would not have the high obesity rates we have. I just let her blather on. She means well but is misguided in thinking I am interested in another diet plan like keto.

Nothing as severe as yours but I get horrible hypoglycaemia when I eat carbs/sugar. But it’s addictive and the world is full of it so October succumb - sometimes accidentally but often just through weariness! Anyhoo - for me low carb works. If I’m eating Keto I’m fine apart from cramps and palpitations. banana’s definitely spike my sugar and set off cravings - I try to stick to berries and yogurt. hope you get some help with this - hypo can be terrifying and feeling ill all the time is what we wanted to leave behind!!!

My nutritionist and doctor are 100% on board with my diet. I'm not on my own...everything is monitored and approved. When I was selecting a bariatric surgery team, one of my criteria was to find a team that did not stress keto-only and had more flexability with people who prefer vegetarian diets. My research university serves an international population that has a lot of culturally vegan and vegetarian people.....so my dietitians are more experienced with adapting a healthy bariatric diet to different diets. Both my doc and nutritionist are enthusiastic about my choice of Mayo Clinic Diet, (they also like Mediterranean, DASH and Japanese...which are similar)...so we have a lot of options:) I think it's important to get professional input, support and help through the process.

Hi, I had a gastric sleeve done in 2013. I lost 110 lbs and was at goal. Then my mom passed unexpectedly in 2014. I gained 75 lbs back. I have struggled trying to lose it. I have tried Noom and Keto and low carb...failed all. I'm contemplating a revision or a lap band. Any insights out there?

So I've noticed that sometimes it feels like there's pins and needles in my hands and throughout my skin...almost like there's bugs crawling in there. Obviously it's not a full-blown hallucination or anything like that...I know it's just a strange feeling. Thus far, it doesn't seem to correlate to blood glucose...my blood sugar is very consistently right around 100mg/dl (exactly where it is healthy) Additionally, it sometimes happens when I've eaten, and sometimes not...doesn't seem to matter. Time of day doesn't seem to matter. It just comes and goes. The only thing it seems to be consistently correlated with is byproducts of ketogenesis in my urine. I buy those "keto-sticks" and whenever I feel the "pin-prick" feeling, I also notice those sticks turn dark purple quickly. I know that means my body is in a ketogenic state, and that's not inherently bad...it's burning fat for fuel. But I have this lingering feeling that it might be a sign of something wrong....Does anyone else ever get the "skin bugs" and what did you do about it?

I've been following a ketogenic diet for the last 3 months and have been pretty successful. My surgeon originally wanted me to lose about 30 pounds and I have lost 25 and he has been happy with me so far. My nutritionist did not suggest keto, I kind of just took it in my own hands to follow keto instead of the high protein low fat diet they recommended. My main question here is, if you followed keto up until you got close to your surgery date what did you do when you got close to surgery? Did you go back to high protein low fat, or follow keto right up until the pre op liquid diet? I'm not sure what I wanted to do. My surgery isn't officially scheduled yet but I'm probably looking at early October. High protein low fat and actually eating carbs is going to be so weird for me and I'm afraid I'll gain or stop losing if I start eating carbs. I know it isn't likely but when you do keto for so long you understand. So please anybody with any advice or peace of mind to give feel free!! Tell me what you ate when your surgery date got closer and if you began following keto at maintenance after surgery or if you did not go back to keto. Thanks!

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)

Hi Guys- I am about 2.6 yrs post vsg surgery. I had my baby 3/7/18...,.... 9 months ago. During the pregnancy I lost quite a bit of weight...which is typical for me...I lost about 25lbs with my earlier 2 pregnancies as well so this time around was no different, its just how my body reacts to being pregnant. I loose weight during the pregnancy and gain weight after. This time around the weight gain seems to be worse. At the beginning of my pregnancy I weighed in at 156. A month after I had baby, I was 143. I am now 173!!!! A little history. The day of my vsg surgery, I weighed in at 229. My lowest weight, 143 was right after I gave birth. Has anyone experienced this or any weight gain at all? I keep hearing "Oh its just your horomones!" My baby is 9 months, though im still nursing, I don't think my hormones have as much to do with this. I am hungry ALL the time!, I crave junk. I feel extremely heavy to where I am uncomfortable all the time. I HATE looking in the mirror and at photos because I feel as though I look the same way I did prior to surgery even though I am still about 55 lbs less...I don't see it. My husband argues that's its all in my head. I argue back that I don't think the tight clothes are lying to me. I cant even fit the clothes I wore during pregnancy. After I had baby and was at my lowest weight I felt great! My family thought I didn't look well and said I had lost too much. I on the other hand was very happy inside and out. This is really taking an emotional toll on me physically, mentally, I am scared that I will be back at 229 in no time if I keep this up. Ive tried dieting (keto, low carb, intermittent fasting etc etc) I cant seem to kick the hunger. I can also eat ALMOST a normal size plate of food. I don't feel any restriction unless I'm eating meat. Thoughts? Ideas? Pleeeeaaaase :)

I am a sleeve to bypass revision. When I had my sleeve I went from 260 to 220 within 6 months. I followed my program to a tee. I then developed extreme GERD. At the time I had no idea what it was but it got so bad that about 2 years ago I was burping up water and feeling gross from the GERD that I asked for a revision and got it almost a month ago. i honestly don’t know why I regained my weight back. No one knew I had the sleeve but everyone knew me as the dieter: I did Atkins, Keto, you name it. You would think I would feel full from Keto cause of the heavy protein, but nope. I felt no restriction. But I felt myself slowly losing the restriction as time went on. I had my sleeve for 7 years before revising. I have also seen where some sleevers develop GERD and the only food that seems to settle is the bad food. That didn’t happen for me but I have read it on some forums.

If you are counting total carbs you need to be under 50 grams total carbs to maintain ketosis. If you are counting net carbs you need to be under 30 grams net carbs to maintain ketosis. They aren't interchangeable. Some believe fiber and sugar alcohols don't impact blood sugar so they can be subtracted and net carbs followed, but that doesn't apply to everyone. I can't eat any of the high fiber "keto" products like breads. For me, carbs are carbs and keto bread will knock me out of ketosis just as fast as a chocolate bar. 🤣 I am not the norm, but it is incredibly annoying!! And I know others like me. Regardless, my dietician said we should count total carbs because net carbs are not a recognized measurement by whatever association decides these things. LOL Most fruit is high in carbs, yes, and so most people watching their carb count choose coconut and berries as opposed to citrus or bananas. Same with veggies, green beans would be a better choice than a sweet potato. Keep in mind this state of ketosis is not intended to last forever, so what might not be the best item to eat right now will fit perfectly later on in your nutritional picture when you can increase your carb count.

Hi Danie! I am only a few weeks ahead of you so I can offer my thoughts on what the first couple of weeks will look like for you. The first time I went to a restaurant was 15 days post op. If I'd gone before that, I'd probably have been super annoyed because there'd have been nearly nothing I could order. Though, depending on the situation I suppose you could (not that you'd want to) go to a Panera and order something like chicken soup and then only eat the broth. It would just be a real bummer. I ate out with a friend that does not know I've had the surgery just two weeks post surgery. We went to a breakfast place and I had coffee until my food arrived, the just set it aside and never took another sip. No one seemed to notice this at all. For food, I ordered a scrambler (scrambled eggs, veggies, cheese) and asked for cottage cheese instead of hash browns. When they asked what toast I wanted I just said wheat, knowing full well I'd take it to go & crumble it up for the birds. At this stage, it just felt like the easier option than refusing toast. Food arrived, I probably ate 1/4 or 1/3 of the eggs. And honestly it wasn't a big deal. I said to my friend I went low carb & was cutting back. She ordered a pile of sugary crepes and enjoyed them. It didn't bother me in the least to see someone else eating something yummy. Already at this point, eggs and cheese is heaven for me. I've heard people mention that waitress will be like "is your food okay" when you eat less than half of it. It's fine. So much of it is your body language and how you handle it on your end. For me for this meal, I probably had my fork in my hand for a good long while as we were yapping and eating & I was pacing myself. But also, it probably looked like I was still picking at it. Eventually the waitress asked if I wanted a box. No big deal. At one point my friend was like, oh wow I just ate this entire plate and you've not eaten nearly as much. I super casually was like "oh I had a protein shake this morning." Honestly the girl had no clue and I flat out told her many times last year that I wanted to have gastric sleeve. Admittedly, I'm sure I said it flippantly and she didn't take me THAT seriously, but the thing is... no one pays any damn attention to anything but themselves most of the time. Example, even when she noticed that she'd cleared her plate & I hadn't. That wasn't about ME, it was about her. She was (I'm assuming) thinking crap did I just wolf that down? So for sure, you can fake it through a meal if you don't want people to know. Say you just ate or you've gone KETO. Whatever. As far as trying to make you eat more - there will ALWAYS be situations. It's really up to you to say no. My own damn mother (who knows I had this done & how hard I'm trying) showed me a recipe last week for something she loves that's low carb. I looked at it and said "looks great, but too many calories for me at this stage." Today she stopped by my house and brought me a container of the same thing I just last week told her no on. I told her to take it right back out the door with her. When you're in a 500-700 calorie a day phase, you will guard those calories fiercely.

I had to follow my Weight management center's "New Direction" shakes, soups, bar or sloppy joe meals only for 12 days and then clear liquids for 2 days. I just counted off everyday as one day closer to my surgery and new life. Everyone survives but it is not easy. I used a lot of healthy self talk to keep going. I have to admit when my husband made pizza the good smell was over whelming but I did not cheat at all. Because all the foods I had to use were very high protein I experienced the Keto "flu" by day 3-4 but it went away. Keep your head up and maintain a good attitude. This to will pass. 😁

AFAIK, until your diet improves, which can be a little while early on when we can't get much in, and even longer for those who are seriously into the low carb/keto thing.

If you're not trying to eat keto, then you have WAY more options at keeping this at bay. Biotene spray is magnificent. All of the Biotene products are great. High protein diets just naturally cause rank breath too. Dehydration on top of all that makes for one stanky combintation LOL Electrolytes are soooooo important at keeping hydration in check when you can't just chug water anymore. Even if do drink a lot of water, but aren't eating much salt, you aren't replenishing the vital electrolytes your body needs quick enough before you're flushing them right out again. You'll feel sluggish, get muscle cramps and charlie horses, get heart palpitations, jitters...just overall, you'll feel like crap. Drinking a Powerade Zero is just not enough to replenish what you're losing. Gotta supplement, like everything else