Search the Community

Ha! It's a blessing and a curse for her. She calls me "her little rule follower" cuz I try very hard to know the borders of my parameters and explore to find out "is this in or out of bounds"? LOL. I'm sure I drive her crazy! And I have written books. I used to keep my low carb keto blog. I just haven't posted to it in about 2 years (or more) cuz my lymphedema has gotten so bad in my left arm, that doing the meal prep, photography, and then the recipe development and blog posts were just too much and made my arm, side, back, and neck swell too much. So I quit. Hanging out here is ok, cuz I can sit in my recliner with my left arm on pillows and type on a lap top, one handed. It allows the arm to keep the fluids more drained. I'm stage2 so that means, that gravity will still allow partial drainage. Here's my old blog Fluffy Chix Cook http://fluffychixcook.com/ There are a lot of low carb recipes that would be good for us, but sadly, the quantities are all wrong for post surg and you'd be eating some of the recipes for years. LOL. But some of the fiber "bread-type" stuff would/might be good. Here are the books I've written. I specialized in recreating low carb analogs of food I grew up with--particularly for "feast" or celebratory meals. http://fluffychixcook.com/fluffy-chix-newsstand/store/

I'm looking into therapists. Not sure if it's a food issue or a trauma issue since I had a horrific childhood. My surgeon's office said not to worry about calories, also. They said to do 60-80g of protein, less than 50 carbs per day, and less than 50 fats per day. I'm more obsessive with the labels now than I was when I was on keto. It's also frustrating because in the 9 months I was on keto, I lost 100 pounds with only 1 short stall about 3 months in. It was so much easier to lose the weight back then than it is now. I'm fighting tooth and nail for every pound and hitting stall after stall. I worked out then and I work out now. But since it's such a struggle now, I'm finding I get panicky and start REALLY restricting what I eat. I've upped my work outs in both length and intensity, I religiously watch the labels and count every carb and fat in everything that goes in my mouth, and I not only don't eat junk but I don't think I even eat enough PERIOD. Yet here I am, day 4 of the same weight again. No matter what I do, I lose 5-7 pounds, then sit at a weight for a week, then lose 3 or 4, then sit another week, then lose 2 or 3 and the sit again. I have no issue with doing the work, but somehow I thought it would come a bit easier with only 20% of my stomach. It's harder to lose weight now than it was before the surgery!!!! Just freaks me out and my mind goes to not so good places.

Well...here goes... My husband knows....and a coworker (inadvertently) because they saw me in the hospital. I do not plan on telling anyone else currently. Perhaps in the future I will be more open about it. So the question becomes why.... A small preamble: Diet, obesity, food, exercise etc has been a really big interest of mine for years. I have spent so much time researching so many things when it comes to this topic. I feel I am reasonably well versed in this topic. The problem is...most people are not. Many people are still knee deep in the billion dollar diet industry that will argue about Keto, CICO, Southbeach, Atkins etc etc. Many people also believe that you can control your own weight...and if you are over the amount you should weigh, it is your fault. Many people don't think about the factories that make "food". Many people don't think about so many things that so many people deal with. Lots of people think having surgery is cheating. My obesity is still very much tangled up in emotionally abusive things from childhood. The very last thing that I want to do is have a conversation about that with people I don't know, or only know professionally. This has been a long hard road to get here, but I don't need to explain myself to anyone. Did it occur to you that maybe people shouldn't be commenting on people's bodies? Why would it be my place to ask someone about their weight? There are going to be many people that don't agree with surgery for whatever reason....frankly, it's not my job to enlighten people on what they should do with their lives. If someone wants to know the 'secret', then they can do the research and figure out what is best for them and their health issues. I hate to tell you this....but the surgery stigma is alive because of the rhetoric of the billion dollar diet industry is alive and well in most people. The stigma isn't alive because a few people 'lied' about having surgery. I also really hate the explanation: If you needed surgery because you broke your leg, you wouldn't be hiding that from anyone! But really...medical ailments and treatments can be embarrassing and private or shameful. If I needed a colostomy bag, I wouldn't put out a newsletter about it. Jesus.

Don't be in awe of me lol I've had my fair share of ups and downs in this, but I found what works for me personally. Take what you want from my suggestions and toss the rest. But for ME, I noticed that I'm sensitive to carbs. I tend to respond better when I am at lower carbs. I don't eat bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, sugar, little to no salt (and when I do, it's pink Himalayan salt), or fruits high in sugar and carbs (grapes, bananas, and I limit apples). I'm not a fan of chocolate (if I eat it at all, it's in the form of keto brownies and I eat 1 small brownie every 2 days or so). I avoid Starbucks now (didn't used to and noticed my weight would stall a lot more). I avoid cow's milk (almond milk has more calcium and nutrients in it) and if I want ice cream, I get Rebel ice-cream from Walmart (2g or less of carbs for the whole pint of ice-cream, lactose free, 5g of less of sugar for the whole pint of ice-cream depending on the flavor). There's keto bread and keto bagels that I eat when I REALLY want something that requires those (my avocado toast is something I have 1-2x per week, or I have a keto bagel with sausage, egg, and cheese on it maybe once a week). If I want pizza, I get the ones that have cauliflower crust (omg so good), I have cauliflower rice, and mashed cauliflower if I'm wanting mashed potatoes (cauliflower has almost no flavor so it takes on whatever flavors it's mixed with). If I want sweetener, I use monk fruit sweetener (doesn't raise the blood sugar at all and actually tastes sweeter than sugar). If I want a nice flavored coffee, I buy the coffee shop coffee and make it at home, add almond milk, and put in Jordan's Skinny Syrup (no sugar, no calories, no carbs) in any flavor I'm wanting (they basically have every flavor you can think of). If I want fruit juice, I go to Walmart and buy the sugar free mango splash or sugar free fruit punch. Absolutely DELICIOUS. I drink a lot of flavored water with the sugar free powders, Gatorade zero, and Propel waters. For me, the trick has always been to eat within the boundaries of my diet while not feeling like I'm depriving myself. Everything tastes delicious and feels like I'm eating like everyone else, but I'm keeping to what I can eat without having to cheat to feel satisfied. I like sugar free tropical popsicles for a treat while my husband and daughter eat the regular stuff. We can all have popsicles together and I don't feel deprived or left out, yet I'm not breaking any of my personal dietary rules. I also make sure to change up what I do in my work outs. If you do the same things in the same order every time, your body gets used to it and the exercises stop being effective. If you do different exercises in a different order periodically, it will "confuse" your body and everything you do will have a greater impact. For me, not only does exercising help me lose weight, it also makes me feel good physically and mentally. I was 421 pounds and needed a cane to help me get around. Being able to hike 10 miles with my son means more to me than I can even express. So if you're working out, try to confuse your body as much as you can. I hope some of this helps you out. I never want anyone to think that my way is the only way to do things, but maybe something in here will give you some help with getting out of your slump and back to losing weight at the rate you're most comfortable with

I don't tell anyone unless I absolutely have to. My s/o doesn't even know--we met post-op so I didn't feel the need to tell him. He's noticed the weight loss but figures it's just because I'm working hard to lose weight (which I am!). I say I'm doing the keto diet and exercising 3+ times a week... which isn't a lie, just omitting the part where I had surgery haha. I say I had acid reflux/hernia repair surgery if I need to explain that part--laparoscopic fundoplication leaves similar scars. Make sure if you tell a story that you're consistent with it though; I've had the same coworker ask me on 4 separate occasions what I did, I think she's trying to catch me in a lie Soooo nosy.

The premise of the keto diet aligns quite well with "keeping carbs in check". I'm not much into the "high fat" aspect of keto, but I am okay with moderate healthy fats, high protein, and 0-4g of carbs a serving. Yes, it rules out a lot of the crap I used to eat, but it also depends on the purpose.. for me, it's merely to stay alive and be healthy. One needs very small quantities of carbs for energy, that's all the liver can store and make use of anyways before converting to fatty acids and distributing it. Given my extensive liver damage from garbage foods I'm almost excessively aware of the implications of reversing this course.

My liver was normal sized as well prior to surgery, but I wasn't going to over indulge in the weeks leading up surgery. And my food funeral was very minimal (breakfast burger, keto pizza for lunch and steak for dinner). I still stuck to my low carb regimen. I've heard too many horror stories of people having their surgeries canceled because they didn't follow protocol. I wasn't going to be one of those statistics.

So.. similar to a keto diet. When you're intake is less than a thousand calories a day, to attain that amount of protein means __________. The way the body burns off fat is through ketosis. Body produes ketones when deprived carbohydrates to tell the body to use other sources of energy, called gluconucleogenesis -- this is especially healthy in obese people. It's no surprise when people find themselves eating sliders like bread, rife with wheat at that, they retain water and find themselves stalling or retaining fluids as @her1981just emphasized as I was typing this up. The only reason during weight loss to up their caloric intake, and carbs, is if they're body building or doing significant exercise. For the vast majority of people on sites like this who are sedentary or low active, carb intake is proportionate to chances of failure.

I can! I love how it makes me feel and the results I get following a ketogenic diet. I actually prefer my keto meals. Grains and sugar make my joints hurt and my feet swell.

My doctor/nut plan for the first 2 months was 3 oz protein + 1 oz vegetable. In month 3 i was allowed to add fruit. I was definitely in keto back then - I can tell by the gross bad breath!! It was in month 4 or 5 that I ate bread and pasta at a party and bam, I spent the next 3 days fighting head hunger. You have an open mind about exploring and inquiring so I know you'll do great and find what works best for you.

I'm a pretty picky eater, but I've always loved most veggies, Broccoli, green beans, etc., no problem. I had gotten off the cereals a couple years ago trying to lose, knowing I'm insulin resistant/PCOS. I lived on Atkins/keto 20g net carbs daily for a year and a half and only lost a small amount and that's when I knew I needed bariatric surgery. A week post op, now I am lower than I have been in years.

What is keto Sent from my LGLS665 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm confused. Are your surgeons and NUTS recommending keto? Why would you have weight loss surgery and then go on what is basically a fad diet? I had surgery to stop letting fad diets get in my head. Yes, they work. Fad diets always have. Until they don't. If I follow the guidelines my surgeon and NUT gave me, I'm ultimately eating low carb anyway. They don't recommend simple carbs, and I admit like everyone else, they don't work for me. But I shake my head at all of these post op people following keto plans. It sounds to me like keto is to lose weight. Surgery should accomplish that on its on. It did for me.

Hello guys. Keto has never caught my attention. I've been able to lose weight eating healthy carbs. Anytime I did do carb cycling, where I would have to eat low carb, I just felt terrible. Now please don't take this as "oh wow she's unmotivated to change her lifestyle". Doing Keto literally contradicts all the knowledge I've gained on macronutrients all my life. (I also talk about this in reference of way after the 6 weeks. Maybe 6 months from post-op)

Just responding to my own post to have everything in one place. General Down almost 60lbs after surgery on May 18th. No complications. I followed the rules exactly on the diet, but continued to push the exercise because that's my personality. In fact, I would say I've become a little obsessive with the exercise, walking/running/biking everyday. I have also experienced a lot of ups and downs since the surgery. Food The first week after surgery I was fine with the limited clear liquids, however, near the end of the first week I was sick and tired of the clear liquids. The second week was the same. First part of the week was good because of new liquids, but near the end of the second week I was sick of the limitations. Basically I was excited every time I got new foods, and was sick of it by the end. This was not so much because I was having cravings for fatty or sugary foods, I just needed variety. Now I'm opened up to try whatever I want, except carbonation. I'm still not trying bread, but have had really small tastes of pasta (really small) or eaten really small keto tortillas without issue. I'm still keeping a daily log of all food eaten and hitting my macros on most days. I'm really focusing on my protein (100+ grams a day; I've really been aiming for 130+ grams, but it's tough) intake as I don't want to lose any more muscle. I do notice that I get the hiccups when I'm full. Sometimes my nose runs when I'm full as well. I did get the "slimes" once. I was trying to eat a breakfast taco on the keto tortilla and I guess it was too dry. I only got half down (the tortillas are only about 3.5 inches across; really small) and it felt like it was stuck. So what do you do when food is stuck, DRINK! That was a mistake. Got the slimes and eventually threw up. That's the only time that has happened. Fortunately, it was like 5 weeks after surgery, but I was worried I had done something to my stomach. Went out to eat with the family a week ago and tried ghost pepper wings (which I'm normally fine with). I also put ghost pepper hot sauce on my refried beans, without issue. The spicy wings did not go well. It was much spicier than normal and I ended up drinking water and almost threw up. Prior, I had eaten 3 wingstop wings with blue cheese and was fine (mango habanero). We went out to dinner again last night and I had a few bites of salad, about 2 ounces of chicken breast with BBQ sauce and a few bites of sweet potato and was stuffed. I used to get a 16 ounce ribeye with mushrooms and onions, mashed potatoes, veggies and a couple of tall beers. I did not feel like I was missing out, which feels kind of weird. My kids got a dessert and I wasn't interested in it. Sugar free popsicles taste really good and are almost too sweet now. I was really worried about eating out (what I was going to eat; how it was going to go, etc). I feel more comfortable now for when we go out with friends. Bonus, I have saved a TON of money on food and alcohol. Like a crazy amount. I did have a glass of bourbon on the rocks last week. Drank it slow and it went down just fine. Zero issues. I'm not going to start drinking though, and will just stick to an occasional drink. Exercise I started walking very soon after surgery, 10K steps a day, and pushed it too far too early. I dialed it back for the first two weeks, but then picked it back up. Now I either walk for 15K+ steps a day or ride the bike for an hour. Every day. I get a more intense workout on the bike plus it's better on my joints. Walking seems to hurt my hips and back, but I'm powering through. I'm going to a physical therapist on Thursday to try to figure that out. As I said above, I'm definitely obsessive about my exercise. Sometimes to the point where I wear myself out and am exhausted for the rest of the day. Some of that is a mix of the intense exercise and limited calorie intake. I've also told myself that I was not going to obsess about the scale and I was only going to weigh once a week, because the weekly/monthly trend is the only thing that matters (my weight fluctuates up and down daily, but trends down weekly/monthly). However, I find it really difficult to avoid weighing myself multiple times a day. I'm obsessed with the scale as well. Mood Overall, I'm OK. Weight loss is really good. Hit a couple of short stalls. No complications, but my mood is really up and down, which is not normal for me. So much so, that I have scheduled an appt with a therapist next week (first time in my life). The doldrums are real, especially after VSG, so take care of yourselves, physically and mentally. Meds I'm completely off my BP meds and it's currently averaging 120/80. I have GERD with a history of Barrett's Esophagus, and I'm currently taking 40mg omeprazole daily. I was really worried about it getting worse after surgery, but I have had zero issues. I have a follow up appt with my VSG doc next week and I'm going to see if I can test 20mg. I would love to get off all meds. I tried the barimelts at the suggestion of my doctor, and they were OK the first couple of days. Then they totally grossed me out. I mean, like I was about to vomit and dreaded taking them every day. I only made it about a week before I gave up. I'm back on regular vitamins for now and tolerating them just fine. I'm going to ask the doc about that next week as well. Misc Because of the connective tissue disorder, my shoulders are really messed up. My right one especially. I'm glad it's not affecting my exercising. I just saw an orthopedic and she described my shoulder as "gnarly". Reverse shoulder replacement is in my future, but in the meantime, I'll have it scoped for labrum and rotator cuff repair, plus Bankart repair with the remplissage procedure. I am looking forward to relief from the chronic pain, but not the recovery. I hear it is brutal. TLDR Wished I would've had the surgery sooner. Plan for some ups and downs. Follow the plan. Take care of yourself. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

I don't know if this is normal, but it doesn't surprise me. You are getting probably fewer calories than you're used to. Many people talk about feeling really terrible with headaches and other symptoms when they start the liver shrink diet due to "keto flu." I know when I first started eating only 1200-1400 calories in preparation for surgery I started being cold and tired all the time, but that is pretty normal for me when I'm eating less. Also, I wanted to go to bed early because I didn't want to eat any more. I don't have trouble getting up in the morning because I'm a morning person, but that's just me. I would give it a few days and see if it gets better, then maybe call your surgery center to see if they have any recommendations. The good news is that most people say they have loads more energy a few months after surgery (once their body recovers!) than they did before surgery.

My stall broke and I'm down 2.2 lb. this week. It must have been the pickles lol They always cause me to gain water weight for a couple of days. Causes a lot of weight fluctuation in the past and present. I've really been craving them or even a swig of pickle juice. I read it is common to crave salty things when our carbs are low. I eat a balanced diet, not keto but because my calories are low at the moment, so therefore, so are the carbs. I am rooting for all those on a stall as I await my next one... Not many things are certain in life but stalls are inevitable for me. Interesting read here: "High carbohydrate consumption has caused your body to retain water and salt up until now. When you eliminate carbohydrates from the diet, you begin to expel pounds of water" https://www.theartofketo.com/crave-salt-on-keto/

In my puree stage I was lucky to get anything at all in.. carbs are a big no no especially on Keto (which is my way of eating) but I needed some source of calories, so the soupy stuff is what worked for me.. Well, I had hoped! ha ha Now I'm 5 weeks post op and eat 20g or less of carbs per day.

With time there are quite a few patients that tend to go out of their own way to rationalize their diets and/or food choices, like a guy I know rationalized chocolate milk "because of needing protein". It's normal, as much of a problem it might be. You can see some hints of this on every WLS board and/or weight loss board: people are looking for substitutes for their beloved foods. Artificial sweetener, low carb breads, no-fat puddings, keto brownies, protein ice cream, so-called no-sugar chocolate etc. - the ingredient lists often read like chemistry class, yet people rationalize that these foods are "healthy" because they are low calorie, low carb, high protein or low fat. The notion alone of wanting to eat so-called "bad foods" is often frowned upon on weight loss boards, BP is no exception here. However, people do want to continue eating these "bad foods", hence the threads on what low-carb, high-protein, low-calorie foods people found in the supermarkets that mimic muffins, brownies, bread, pasta, chocolate. Basically there's nothing wrong with that. But what rubs me the wrong way is that too many people actually think they're eating the "healthier alternative" (most of the times they're not) while wanting and eating "the real stuff" is often frowned upon. It reminds me of the veg-crowd who is on the lookout (Hi there, fellows!) for vegan cheeses, mock meats, yoghurts etc. - different reasons for eating the fake stuff but same reasons why so many veg-heads are after these foods: we want to continue to eat this tasty stuff!

I had a full gastric bypass over 20 yrs ago and have struggled to eat any meat. I needed to lose almost 100 lbs because of heart issues and that worked out well, but have since gained just a few back. I am now losing so much hair because I can’t get enough protein. I am doing keto because it makes me feel better not to eat breads and beans. Anybody struggling with this that has had the surgery a while ago? I can’t drink enough protein. My family dr doesn’t seem to know much about more than broken bones and colds. HELP, I’m going to go bald if I can’t fix this. Any suggestions for my doctor?

Sorry to hear of your loss and challenges. We all deal with stress differently, so the thought of seeking assistance with that is good advice. I will say from the weight perspective, I was six years out from my sleeve and had gained back about 45 pounds. I found that what worked for me was to go on a 'time restricted feeding' schedule, and to eat a diet that was generally keto when I did eat. I skipped breakfast and only ate from Noon to 6pm. For those two meals I would have a serving of protein, and a green vegetable or salad. I was able to drop about 20 pounds in a couple of months. I stopped because my hiatal hernia had worsened enough that it had to be fixed with revision to bypass, but the diet program was working well. There is a nutrition doctor named Dr. Jason Fung who develops programs for insulin control diets, which is what I based my program on. You might want to Google him and check out his information.

How are you feeling? I start mine next Tuesday and I won't lie, I'm nervous. Mine is a "liver shrinking diet" so it looks like a protein-shake heavy keto diet. Should be OK. I'm more worried about the liquid and puree stages but one baby step at a time I guess!

I am so happy to hear that. I'm on day 7 of the keto preop diet and although it has gotten easier exhaustion-wise and foggy-wise, the headaches are still not gone. I agree about the higher energy levels though and am also so excited for my body to change. Keep up the good work. Happy to be on this journey together!

Right now? 30-50g a day because I'm on the liquid diet, lol. Post-surgery, long-term, I'll probably be at 65-70% of my diet as carbs because I'm a vegan. (Those carbs will be from fruit, veggies, beans, oatmeal, potatoes, bread, rice, and other whole grains, and very few if any from sweeteners or processed food.) That's way more than most post-WLS patients, who tend to severely restrict carbs, so this might not be the answer you're looking for. I recommend reading How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger or watching Forks Over Knives on Netflix for some info on how plant foods like I mentioned above help you maintain a healthy weight and protect you from disease. You can also check out Dr. Matthew Weiner on YouTube, who's a bariatric surgeon who promotes plant foods ahead of the standard protein diet. Just thought I'd share my opinion in addition to the many keto and low-carb comments you'll see on this thread. *makes angel face*

Well, I had my one month check-in with the nutritionist today and in just over four weeks I'm down 13 pounds. She'd initially told me to limit my carbs to just the morning except for veggies with lunch and dinner, so I pretty started doing the keto diet on my own and apparently it's working quite well. She told me to just keep doing what I'm doing, come back in a month and by the end of April we'll be ready to schedule the surgery. It's starting to feel real...