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Apologies for my part in derailing the topic!! I can honestly understand and appreciate the different perspectives on some of the sensitive and important issues raised. We do need to be sensible on the internet. I think I'm probably going to remove my face from any photos I use here. Back to the original topic, I'm low carb. Definitely not full keto, because I do have sweet potato and banana or a couple of times a week (and there are net carbs in dark chocolate). I have noticed that my weight loss is faster when I lower carbs. I haven't had bread (other than a bite to see I could tolerate it), pasta or rice since before my surgery. I know that fast weight loss shouldn't be the goal (if anything slower weight loss will help with the loose skin) but I want results and low carb has worked for me so far!!

The Week 3 stall is real! I stalled and gained 6lbs back between weeks 3 and 5, and just now lost it back in the last week. I've had several people tell me weeks 3-6 will generally have a stall and a slight regain due to your body panicking over the rapid weight loss, and readjusting its baseline, so it is part of the process. I've also been told a second stall/regain will occur around the 3-month mark, and last up to 4 weeks, so prepare yourself for that. I'm bracing for that coming up soon. Keep in mind the weight loss won't be like a straight line, more like stair steps with the occasional bump back up before dropping again. Just stick to the diet, and switch to weighting weekly to prevent obsessing over it (like I did haha). Also, several months from now, as you approach your goal weight, remember that gaining muscle through exercise will make the number on the scale go up, but that's a good thing. Muscle weights 1.5x as much as fat, so as you gain it, you will continue burning off fat, which is the "bad weight". About 1 year out, you won't worry as much about the scale, and will celebrate the wins in smaller clothing sizes, more energy, and better endurance/stamina! Regarding the caloric intake, my surgeon and team recommended I keep aiming for 800-1000 calories per day, but I am a 6'1" male, so my base caloric rate may be higher than yours. I would check back with your doctor or nutritionist to be sure, but I think 1200 is closer to the target after 1 year. Also prioritize water and protein first, followed by unsaturated fats, then try for any carbs/sweets/starches/breads and saturated fats last. My plan has me targeting less than 50g of carbohydrates per day, not low enough for keto, but enough to keep the sugar cravings and fat retention down. You may need to check your macros as well. Best of luck to you on your journey!

Rhythm Superfoods Beet Chips Just the Cheese Baked Cheese Bars, Grilled Cheese Jimmy! Keto Macadamia Nut Protein Bar Organic Valley Egg Bites with Feta & Chives

I agree. I am very strict less than 20g of carbs. A cheat day for me is still under 50g (which is still keto) and I had blood work done two days ago with great results. The only bad marker I had was low HDL but since my LDL and Triglycerides are so low they didn't seem too bothered by it. My nurse was impressed with the numbers since they came from a guy with a 38 BMI. Last night I had a baconator lettuce wrap from Wendy's and today made full egg scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon. I LOVE KETO Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

We're all different, we all handle things differently, we all have feelings, whether they're right or wrong, we all have to choose what works for us. And we SHOULD all be here to encourage and at the right times (when asked) offer constructive criticism. for ex: I have reservations about the Keto diet. It's not my choice, but I do hope it works out great for those who choose it. I'm not wrong for disagreeing with those who choose it. I will also not go into a debate about it either. Just becomes a mess. Each to his own...

I'm a clean keto eater. I almost never make recipes. They are expensive with a lot of replacement products. My grocery list is Steak Pork chops Bacon Fish Sausage Heavy cream Cream cheese Butter Olive oil Spinach Zucchini Coffee Liquid stevita

I tried the keto diet in college, and like many others, lost weight rapidly, then gained it back even faster. A girl I follow on Instagram who had the VSG a year before I did (in August of 2015) raved about keto and how it had aided her in losing weight as someone who started out with a low BMI for WLS. My pre-surgery stats and goals were similar to hers. She does still recommend the keto diet, but cautioned that it must be followed diligently, and with a resolve to never stop it. She reached her goal weight in 2015 and maintained it for months, then in 2016 tried keto again to lose a bit more. She lost the weight she wanted, but then gained far more back very quickly when she stopped following it, and was back in the overweight BMI category. For me, the keto diet just isn't sustainable. It also makes me obsessive about carbs because I feel deprived, and to feel like I'm living to eat instead of the other way around. I've lost and kept the weight off by following a lower-carb, but not low-carb diet. I try to keep it under 80 net carbs a day. I've followed a plan from The Insulin Resistance Diet Plan & Cookbook by Jennifer Koslo. I checked the book out from the library, read it, and then just followed the guidelines. I don't literally follow the menu suggestions for each day. I recommend it, especially for any women with PCOS.

Nope. Although Atkins was close to Keto. The original Atkins diet by Dr Atkins, the diet has been really bastardized since his death. All those trash products they sell in the store are pretty against his teaching. Keto has a lot of science and studies to back it up. I feel like if people can't process or understand the science of running the body on fat they shouldn't even bother. I see so many people making bad choices on Facebook etc and they don't understand the science. If you understand the science it is so easy to make the right choices.

The oils I buy are olive, coconut, peanut, and real butter. Milk, yogurt, cottage cheese are all full fat. I plan on settling into a low carb lifestyle... not really full keto, but will aim for 65g/day. I've tried before, but feel my sleeve will make it possible.

Yeah I notice in a lot of the keto groups on facebook people go nuts on the fat. like I eat bacon but in moderation. Most of my daily fat just comes in the form of cream in my coffee, other than that I am pretty lean.

I was stalling for about 6 weeks and started Keto 2 weeks ago. It helped me with satiety and I broke the stall and lost 3 lbs. I feel very satisfied eating keto. But I am still reading and weighing the types of fats I want to include. Keto emphasises a lot of saturated fats. And new evidence has come to light that saturated fat is not as bad as we were led to believe, although many reputable sources encourage a higher percentage of poly and mono unsaturated fats. Still researching, but I think there is definitely something good about adding fat to our diet. I look forward to hearing others' thoughts and experiences. Sent from my SM-N920V using BariatricPal mobile app

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".

@@ChunkyChicTrying I really disagree with all these you are on a diet and you have to watch what you eat for the rest of your life, people posting in your thread. I feel like that the kind of attitude that sets people up for failure. If you feel like you are on a diet forever, you will be willing to cheat and worse. I completely changed my attitude towards food. I don't eat my feelings. I don't reward myself with food (lipstick is a far better reward). If I am stressed I go for a walk or do jumping jacks. I eat in a way that I find enjoyable and do not at all feel deprived (keto) and it is a way of life not a diet. I can eat anywhere, and make easy choices. If for some reason I eat off plan it is a one time thing and that is it. My suggestion is to find a way to eat that you like, that doesn't feel like punishment and fits into your lifestyle. Which might require some real soul searching.

I did modified keto for almost a year before I had surgery. I lost 15 lbs initially then went off it when my father died. I utilized modified keto in the 6 months prior to surgery and lost 30lbs on my own.

I am 6 months postop and knew I would go keto as soon as I was 4 weeks postop. There are so many successful vsg'ers on Instagram and youtube who are strict keto. It helps with hunger and inflammation. Check out vsgtanya2011 on youtube. She is 5 years postop now and I can't think of a better example. She started to struggle with regain in August and went keto and she has been a huge success. My experience has been wonderful so far and I feel great with a high fat intake. I carefully measure everything and record all the calories. It's important that we are still restricting calories for lots of reasons. The higher fat literally burns fat. If you record everything on myfitnesspal it will show your macros on the nutrition button. I shoot for 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbs (good carbs only) for my macros. I am 2 pounds away from my original goal.

That's the problem with "diets" in general.. people go on it for a while, get positive results, then go back to the habits that got them in trouble. There's no discipline to stick with what's working. This is a lifestyle change. If one doesn't wish to permanently change their eating habits they shouldn't even bother with WLS, it's not gonna help whatsoever. One should find a healthy diet that's both conducive to their health goals and something they can plan on doing indefinitely. Keto is just one idea of many.

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

To preface, many moons ago I played soccer in college and despite my weight gain, I still identify as an athlete. Exercise is not punishment for me, it’s something I’m excited to do again and to have more successful with. That being said, I recently hit 4 wks and doc cleared me for cardio. I downloaded a couch to 5k app and for the last 5 days have been going on hour long run/walks for about 3-4 miles. Combined with daily activity I’m getting in 5-6 miles/day. Problem is that I get really tired in the afternoon and am constantly hungry. I’m eating about 800-900 cal/day but wondering if I need to up that? Also following a keto diet. I’ve been doing soft foods for a couple weeks and am capable of eating more but have been trying to stay less than 900...for no other reason than most people on here are eating so damn little after 4 weeks and I’m trying to follow suit. A typical day may be: 8am - Decaf coffee w/ half premier protein 9am - 2 scrambled eggs 11am - Half serving ground beef noodle-less lasagna 2pm - other half lasagna 5pm - Greek yogurt 7pm - 2 oz Smoked Salmon, one soft cheese wedge 9pm - 1/4 cup cottage cheese 11pm - Decaf coffee w/ half premier protein I’ve been keeping track in MyFitnessPal and you can see the breakdown. Questions - for those that exercise, how many calories are you consuming? Any suggestions on why I’m hitting a wall in the afternoon and need a nap? If I don’t eat every 2 hours my stomach starts grumbling and I get light headed. Should I be eating more at meals? I’ve been hesitant to because I’m nervous that I’ll still need the snack and will go too high on calories for the day. I’ve also been in a pretty major stall over the last 3 weeks. 10 days with nothing, then 5lbs in 2 days, now another 6 days with no loss. Thanks for any help! Sleeved 3/12/18, HW 270, SW 253, CW 238, GW 160, 5’9”

That's a great question for your surgeon. I know most stomachs are cut to bougie sizes from 32 to 60 fr. But most surgeons do them around 36/40. Print the photo and ask during a consultantion. Another alternative for you is a Gastric Ballon, coupled with a strict keto diet. You wont eat much as you lose weight and its temporary

Thanks! I do eat a range of things but honestly I make a lot of substitutions when possible like: regular bread when eating out but always keto bread at home (never was going to give bread up), regular fries when out vs airfryer fries at home, and yesterday I ate grilled chicken tenders vs fried tenders because the calories made more sense (even though I wanted the fried ones). Oh and I am dead serious about picking desserts over salads when the calories are on par 🤣 so I do watch calories (and sugar) more than what appears to be the “healthier” choice.

I've had good luck with electrolyte drops, Keto Chow brand, ordered online. Years ago, a doctor unofficially recommended 8 oz tonic water 30 minutes before bed for cramping legs (because of the quinine). Worked like a charm. Of course that's carbonated, but maybe you could shake it up and let it "flatten" first?

unless someone is willing to eat "keto" (i.e. 80% fat) the rest of their lives, going on keto for any amount of time is an incredibly stupid and self-defeating idea.

The end of 2021 is upon us! I can't believe how FAST this year went. Anyone here planning to 'get on track', 'refocus', 'reset' etc in 2022? I fell off the rails a bit in the last several months and looking to get myself back on track. I've been doing very traditional keto level eating for the last 5 years but I would really like to go back to a more traditional 'bariatric' style eating with lower fat etc. Would like to keep my carbs low but really focus on protein again and I honestly don't really remember what that would look like-having been so submerged in traditional keto for the last several years.... Anyone have any good resources for this? I never reached my ultimate goal (came within 20 lbs). Had a health scare and although it's under control I do have some weight that I would still like to move off.

I took protein drinks, could never quite reach the required water level. Once 8 got past the first couple of months I followed the keto diet which is very high protein and it was really good and easy. Now eat what ever I want but very small amounts.

The bickering and outright insults have no place here and are an epic fail for helping anyone. The arguments over various forms of keto, paleo, original Atkins, Atkins 40, Dukan, South Beach, Weight Watchers, etc are never going to end. Many studies trying to prove or disprove them are seriously flawed models with no controls or double blind studies and often with unmeasureable variables. Each person has to eat according to his/her health issues, and body's needs and find livable balance. The medical community can't even agree based on their own research. And weight loss aside there are benefits for lowering insulin levels that are achieved with avoiding simple carbs/limiting carbs. Keto is NOT the same as doing just carb restriction. Each of those 'diets' listed above have their own models they follow and some may be similar. Personally I don't lose if I consume above 80 carbs unless I am extremely active. In Weight Watchers iteration #5,436, I did not lose on the 'free fruit' version if I ate 3 fruits a day. I lost best if my one 'starchy/grain' carb was at the morning meal, one fruit a day, low starch vegetables and protein for all meals, and kept my hard cheese to one ounce a day. VSG is amazing. The physical restriction with the metabolism reset and careful nutrition is the trifecta for me. I am a slower loser at the moment but that does not matter. I am not at the mercy of food cravings.