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@JohnnyCakes Keto is just another fad diet. There are so many fad diets and all have one common denominator: they all fail long term. I am determined to do one thing and that is track what I am eating for the rest of my life, like taking the vitamins. Hell, I even made index cards to remind me to eat slow, chew 20x, liquids 30 minutes after eating, etc.

Yesterday, Saturday, Dec. 7 Maintenance : 5'2" / 1yr PO Sleeve / 116.1 lbs ---------------------------------------- Warning: Look away. I had a snack attack yesterday. And it all started from an innocent Advent Calendar: Since its already a week into December, advent calendars are on sale of course. So I bought one. Now, we had to catch up so there where 7 days of chocolates to eat as of yesterday. Mr. and the Kid were able to polish off 5, but didn't want any more cuz they where too sweet, so I figured I'd help them out and eat the remaining two. Big mistake. Those two tiny Kinder chocolates unleashed the snacking-Kraken, and it was all downhill from there... ...on another note, I am still not back into my running routine. As I type this I am telling myself, I will go after I post this. Though I am also telling myself, "ya, right"... ---------------------------------------- 9:00am - coffee w/ stevia 12:30pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + pumpkin seeds + 1/2 oz cheddar cheese + 1.5 slices bacon + tuna salad (tuna, mayo, green onions, spices) + 1.5 beef jerky 3:00pm - 1 cup cottage cheese + 1 oz blueberries + 1 oz almonds 6:00pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + cucumber + tuna salad (tuna, mayo, green onions, spices) + 1/2 cup Mao Pao Tofu (ground pork + tofu + sauce) + 2 Kinder mini eggs. 7:00pm to 1:00am - cucmber 1.5 oz cheddar cheese 1 oz brie 2 oz blueberries 3 oz beef jerky 1oz pumpkin seeds 5 chocolate covered coffee beans 2 Balsamic & Sea salt Kettle Chips <<< I consider it a personal victory that I after i measured out a 50g serving of this stuff, ate 2 chips, then decided it wasn't worth the 250 calories and 31g of carbs and put the rest back in the bag. Though I can't say the same for the rest of the evening's snacks 🙄 2 tbsp nutella on cucumber 2 Choco-coconut Keto Fat Bombs 1 KIND blueberry-Vanilla Cashew bar 3.5 oz candied ginger ---------------------------------------- Totals: 2922 cals - 165g Protein - 205g NET carbs - 144g fat

Yesterday, Sunday, Dec. 8 Maintenance : 5'2" / 1yr PO Sleeve / 115.5 lbs ---------------------------------------- I was feeling bloated yesterday, which I suspect was from the snack overload the day before that, so I made a conscious effort to cut back on carbs and drink lots of water. My abdomen still feels pretty firm this morning though, so may have to do a rinse and repeat today...will see how I feel when its time for first meal of day. ...or maybe I am just due for a good poop. LOLOLOLzzzz ---------------------------------------- 10:30am - chamomile tea w/ stevia + 1 Grande Starbucks Blonde Soy Americano Misto w/ 1 pump SF Vanilla Syrup 2:30pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + cucumber + 1 oz almonds + 1/2 an avocado + 4 oz grilled chicken 6:00pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + cucumber + 1/2 oz cheddar cheese + 4 oz grilled chicken w/ 1.5 tbsp cranberry-balsamic pan gravy + 1 Love Good Fats Keto Coconut Macadamia Bar 9:00pm - 3 garlic & roasted red pepper chicken wings + 2 tbsp blue cheese dip + carrots + celery + 3 gin and sodas ---------------------------------------- Totals: 1830 cals - 93g Protein - 22g NET carbs - 102g fat

Saturday, Nov. 23 Maintenance : 5'2" / 1yr PO Sleeve / 114.9 lbs K, logging in another semi-indulge "meal" for yesterday. Went to go see Frozen 2 with BFF and our Kids, so naturally we stopped by Bulk Barn to put together some custom snack packs to munch on in the theatre. No diarrhea this time, but I did get really tired and weak...but that may also be because the movie was BORING AS eFF. 10:00am - earl grey tea w/ stevia + coffee w/ stevia + chicken broth 12:00pm - salad greens w/ vinaigrette + cucumber + carrots + crispy onions + 4.5 oz grilled chicken 3:00 pm - 3oz brie + 1 oz white cheddar + 1 oz almonds + 2 oz turkey breast deli meat slices + 1 Love Good Fats Keto Coconut Macadamia Nut bar 7:00pm - 3 peices Takoyai w/ sweet sauce & bonito shavings (aka Japanese Octopus balls) + some parts of the Kid's ramen (1 tbsp corn + 1 slice pork belly + 1/2 an egg + 1 tbsp black fungus + 1/2 cup pork bone broth) 9:30pm to 11:30am - Movie Snacks: 2 oz candied ginger + 7 dark chocolate covered almonds + 4 dark chocolate covered coffee beans + 3 oz cashew nuts + 3 fl oz pumpkin seeds Totals: 2270 cals - 101g Protein - 123g NET carbs - 144g fat

So sorry about the GB stuff. ((hugs)) But FYI, you can be in a "keto" state without doing fat. I just eat low carb and low fat. Works for me. If I eat high fat stuff, I get so sick. Miserable!

Yesterday, Tues, Nov. 19 Maintenance : 5'2" / 1yr PO Sleeve / 115.9 lbs ...ok, so I haven't slept yet. Minor crisis last night and the girlfriends rallied to support one of our own at my place. We stayed up all night with her and of course I had a food spread laid out (because it is ingrained in me to provide endless food and drink to everyone who walks through my door...why is that?!?). And I picked at said food all night. And I feel so unbelievably icky right now, like I need a cleanse or something. Or maybe I just need to sleep. Warning: yesterday's food log is not for faint of heart. I was considering not posting it out of concern of setting a bad example, but I decided I'm going to stick to full transparency. Look away if you have a tendency to judge or are prone to suggestive snacking... 8:00am - earl grey tea w/ stevia + coffee w/ stevia 11:30am - salad greens w/ vinaigrette + 2.5 oz apple + 1/4 jalapeño pepper + 1 tbsp fried onion topping + 4 oz grilled chicken 4:00pm - salad greens w/ vinaigrette + 2 oz apple + 1 oz almonds + 1 fl oz pumpkin seeds 7:30 pm - salad greens w/ vinaigrette + 1.5 oz apple + 1/4 jalapeño pepper + 1 oz almonds + 2 oz ginger beef + 2 oz green beans w/ butter 11:00pm to 7am this morning - 2 Chocolate Coconut Keto Fat Bombs 1 Love Good Fats Keto Chocolately Almond Bar 1 Love Good Fats Keto Coconut Macadamia Bar 1 tbsp almond butter 1 oz almonds 1 fl oz pumpkin seeds 4 oz candied ginger 6 Toffifee candies 2 x 1/4 cup Haagen-Dazs Coffee Ice Cream 4 oz Brie cheese 1 oz Parmesan cheese 3.5 oz smoked turkey breast Totals: 2880 cals - 143g Protein - 179g NET carbs - 165g fat

5'2" / 29 months PO/ CW 173.6 Friday jan 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Breakfast: coffee with milk / Keto cookie Lunch: 1 cup frozen strawberries, 4 oz Greek yogurt, .25 cup oats Snack: 1.5 oz salmon Dinner: .25 cup quinoa with 5 oz beef Snack: coffee with milk/ dark chocolate ------------------------------------------------------------------ Totals- 1105 cals / 67g protein / 69g net carbs / 56g fat ------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday jan 11 Headache from hell not much of an appetite ------------------------------------------------------------------- Breakfast: coffee with milk / keto cookie Lunch: less than half beef sausage/ salad Snack: zucchini soup Snack: dark chocolate Dinner: 2 eggs with jalapeno peppers/ coffee with milk Snack: coffee with milk ----------------------------------------------------------------- Totals- 953 cals / 43g protien / 39g net carbs / 67g fat Sent from my SM-G950U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Tuesday jan 7, 29 months PO sleeve ‐----------------------------------------------------------------- Today was just not my day started out as a fast. Felt great throughout the fast no cravings I ate the following after 18 hour fast 6:00- coffee with milk 6:30 blended zucchini soup 7:00- keto cookie 8:00- 2 oz salmon 8:30- protien bar and soup broth Here's where it all went wrong TMI ALERT: I started feeling sick and projectile vomited for 10 min straight. I briefly felt better, than started getting terrible cramps which led to a massive bathroom explosion [emoji90] !!! Not sure what caused this as I am thankfully feeling loads better now. Was it the fasting? Or something I ate? I doubt it's a bug since i feel better so fast. I'm now scared to try another fast. Anyways this is my totals though I probably had less from all the vomiting -------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals- 731 cals / 46g protien / 36g net carbs / 40g fat Sent from my SM-G950U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

No, I don't, and my surgeon agrees. She says that her experience is that people love keto while they're losing, but eventually a lot of them start letting carbs creep in and they don't stay on it for the long haul. She thinks a more moderate approach is the most sustainable. She agrees that sugars and simple carbs are absolutely problematic when trying to lose weight, but complex carbs are good for most people to eat. The scientific data shows that the program that works is the one you'll stick with. There are a number of reasons it appeals to people. Some find that eating carbs, especially the breads and grains, is a slippery slope and they have to avoid it entirely. Some find that shifting to a paleo/keto diet feels really good for them. They might have a slight gluten sensitivity that they are treating by shifting their diet away from grains. Some find that it just works incredibly well for them in terms of weight loss and that keeps them motivated. So I don't want to slam keto. A *LOT* of bariatric programs push low-carb/keto, and you'll find a LOT of proponents here for it. I get what most people recognize as the "carb flu" but instead of being over in 3-5 days like most people, I stay in that miserable state and it doesn't seem to ever resolve. Granted, I've never been able to last more than 2 weeks in ketosis (and that was post-op) but it definitely seems that my body hates it. So I have to find what works for me, and so far that's complex carbs in the 80-100g/day range. We'll see if it works long term, I may have to tweak that.

(putting nurse educator hat on) just wanted to clarify this. Ketosis or ketogenesis (sometimes called keto) is the state when you are eating low carbs (generally below 50g/day) and your body starts using protein and fat as fuel instead of carbs (sugar). You do not have to eat high fat to be in ketosis. This condition is not dangerous to most people, and in fact there is a large number in the medical community who think this is the best state to stay in, unless you have a medical condition that makes it a problem. You can "burn fat" without being in ketosis, many of us do. I get very ill in ketosis, and generally am eating between 80 and 100g of carbs a day. I'm losing weight and the SECA scan shows that most of it is fat tissue. Ketoacidosis or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the condition diabetics move into when their sugars get too high, and it is life threatening. DKA happens mostly in Type 1 diabetics. Generally speaking, people without diabetes cannot get to DKA just by eating low carb. You will show ketones in your urine for both ketosis and ketoacidosis. The levels indicate how far along you are toward ketoacidosis. Here's some more information http://www.healthline.com/health/ketosis-vs-ketoacidosis#Diagnosis7 It's confusing because all of these words sound the same, but it's important to understand the distinction, especially if you want to be on a ketogenic diet. So...you don't think maintaining ketosis is necessary for major weight loss? I do not like the way ketosis feels. Doesn't make me sick I just don't like it. Good info you posted. Sent from my iPhone It's not necessary, no. I have not followed a ketogenic diet and have lost 177lbs over the last 9.5 months (333lbs to 156lbs) Not saying you should or shouldn't, just saying it was definitely not necessary for me. I should mention I avoid ALL refined carbs. I eat no bread, Pasta, rice or sugar. All my carbs come from fruits, vegetables, Beans and legumes.

sorry i been slackin friends. i have literally taken months off from working out. my weight is still fluctuating between 145-140. i'm eating mostly all keto tho i've been having some carbs lately. my weight isn't being affected more than that 3 or 4lbs. i decided to start weight training today. gonna go hard and see what i can do. i literally have no ass right now and it's really bugging me so i need to get going on that big time. so that's my main focus. hope you all are doing great! xo

Also, a huge shoutout to keto! I did it for a year and a half. It wasn't successful for me since my body is broken (thus the need for surgery), but it was such a wonderful diet. Let me know if you ever want some recipe ideas or need help with that stuff.

Short answer: It's pretty much completely up to you. Long answer: "Keto" means almost nothing in the bariatric community anymore, I feel... in my pre-op phase I would tell my RD about my diet which at that time included things like oatmeal with berries for breakfast, tuna on whole grain bread for lunch, banana and string cheese snack, burrito bowl with rice or chicken with rice for supper, etc. Definitely protein-focused but not really low-carb and certainly not keto. She would nod and smile and encourage me and then my notes would say "Pt is following keto diet and will continue to do so." What????? LOL! Edit: I found the exact quote I was thinking of: "Commended pt on her weight loss, meal planning, and will continue to follow ketogenic diet." Yeah all that bread, oatmeal, and rice is really keto! A keto diet to me has a very narrow definition of restricting carbohydrate intake to fewer than 20-50g per day with an emphasis on high fat intake - 70% or more of the diet coming from fat. Most bariatric plans recommend moderate- or low-fat (20-35% of the diet) so to me they are inherently not keto regardless of the carbs. But the word is used generally in our community to mean low-carb, high-protein. High-fiber, complex carbohydrates - and fruit - are good for you. Period. They are healthy foods that support your cardiovascular health and protect you against cancer. Plenty of bariatric patients cut them out entirely in the interest of low-carb living so that's certainly an option and in that sense your diet can mirror a keto diet. Personally I'm not willing to give up the health benefits of carbs, so the "keto" guideline of 20-50g per day is not something I follow.

Hi Lindy, I have actually done that before via a diet called Keto. It’s quite successful and yes, the withdrawals are crazy and the migraines even worse. It is def worth it. So..... I had my bypass on 10 July everyone. It’s the 27th of July and I’m still in hospital. A day after surgery, I had major tummy pain. All obs were done however, nobody picked anything up because everything (blood pressure, ecg, oxygen etc) were normal. So after 3 Medical Emergency Team calls at my bedside, fainting, bed hopping in between ICU and normal wards, it turned out I had leaky gut. So in for surgery I went again. I came out with drains, nose time down to my stomach and loads of everything else into my arm. I have a pick line which all my meds go through and been fed nutrients the same way. If anyone is un familiar with a pick line, it is a mega canula that goes to the main artery above your heart. I have been nil by mouth for 2.5 of the 3 weeks I’ve been here. And guess what. I put 8kg on in a single week of fluid. Then I lost it. And yup. It sure as hell went that I didn’t not lose any weight doing that either. Lol. No food the whole time and i lost nothing. I have to say this though, the reason I didn’t show any signs in the obs was because I was so healthy. Losing weight at this stage is the last thing on my mind. I need to get healthy again to be able to lose weight properly and not be because I am sick. I am more appreciative of carrying that little bit extra because it got me through. Basically, even. The doctors were very concerned. I’ll be here a while still however I appreciate my body so much more than I ever have.

Hi everyone. Thanks for replying. I don’t disagree with you all however my sweet tooth probably came across as a little exaggerated than I actually meant it to be. Yes I have a major sweet tooth however I don’t hog into a block of chocolate topped with sprinkles and donuts each day (although I could easily go that lol.) I generally eat quite healthy. I eat lots of protein and of recent times switch in and out of keto dieting which allows me to balance. I’m Also quite active. If I didn’t I would be the size of three play boy mansions put together complete with an Olympic sized pool and field. For me, that means strict keto is done with no sugar and low carbs, two weeks at a time and the feeling of being in ketosis is great. I use this to maintain so although I go through periods where I am addicted to sugar, I can also stop with some real will power. Is it my weakness? Absolutely. I do need a detox every now and then as suggested and possible some counselling. I’m not choosing an easy way out. However, I do know how I feel. I feel it is more. I haven’t lost any weight even when first operated on. That’s a strict diet I followed. I have severe GERD since the moment I was sleeved, I felt it in hospital. I also felt immediate hunger when I woke up. I am able to eat as much as my friends but not more. My fizz test proves that too. I think Frustr8 has made some very valid points. I don’t know but things you state sound so familiar to me. I’d never even have considered an ulcer which is highly possible. I have had severe pains in my lower left side of the stomach since the op in the form of cramps, I push my fingers in or go into the foetal position. Hunger is a constant feeling and I noticed this only the surgery as I was never this hungry before surgery. Ever! I get a sensation of severe heart burn if I don’t eat. Frustr8, I used to take nurofen plus for years as I have chronic migraines which I’ve stopped. Been off them for a year. I didn’t even know about gastritis and excessive acid. It’s all new to me. It’s not my go to excuse either but one thing is happening that isn’t right. The doctor has not gone Into that either but I’d like to investigate that. Thank you for allowing me to giggle Frstr8. In the last few months, (please excuse this bit.. frustr8 tell me if u had this...) my stool has gone from normal to well very soft. I don’t have diarrhoea however it ends up looking like that with blood now. This is why I wonder if I have an ulcer... with the cramps... Thank you everyone for your replies. It is all taken on board and I’m able to dissect and re assess what is happening. All in all, if it isn’t that and just the sugar then I am willing to make that change. I’m not counting on the dumping, in fact I was surprised to hear people hoping to have more of it. I was actually scared of that. Like shit scared. But you guys have educated me a little more and I now know what to expect.... :)

I am 5'2" tall and 180 lbs, looking for an advice which procedure best and safest. I spoke to my family doctor and suggested the balloon but my worry there, can I maintain my weight after taking the balloon out after 6 months or gain back? I did Keto for 4 months and lost 20 lbs but gained back when I traveled somewhere for 2 weeks as I used to do exercise and cook my keto food. Until I slowly feel that my weight gained back and can't keep my keto routine and exercise. My family doctor says Gastric Sleeve surgery is irreversible and if there is an infection and something wrong or not for me, I can't put it back. And later on, there must be a serious side effect. And now I am here, I don't know what to do. Please drop advise and opinion and encouragement here please!!!!!!!!!

I use Carb Manager. I use to use MFP but i didnt like the set up. Even though Carb Manager is more for someone who is on the Keto diet, i think it works well for the average person too.

Haven't been doing well the past 5 weeks..no weight loss. Letting calories sneak in during the day. COVID is driving me nuts especially with a spouse home 24/7 eating carbs and many trigger foods that they used to not eat in front of me. Getting back to business as I still have so much to lose. Down 175 lbs from highest weight ever but lost 60 lbs of that in 3 years doing keto off and on before surgery. My 1 year 'anniversary' was yesterday (7/25) so from the date of surgery I lost 115 lbs. If I had stayed on track, that # could easily have been 10 lbs more but that is not something I can stay hung up on.

I was told 2 weeks on liquids (basically liquid keto, but low fat). I can include meats the first week.

Many of us have regain after year(s) out from surgery. Nothing wrong with experimenting with options that help you find your weight loss mojo again.(examples Weight watchers, Going back to basics, Keto, pouch rest Ect) Whatever helps to get to a comfortable weight range. I indulged and maintained fine for the first few years. My weight gain was in my third year. I became accustomed to higher calories and carbs while distance running. Life also carries on after you get in maintenance mode all my tried and true ways to get my weight down stopped working (yes, I tracked food and worked out two hours five days a week) Fourth year magically basics started working again. I'm back to my maintenance weight.

Quick update! I was getting really frustrated with all the "last suppering" I was doing, and also with friends who wanted to eat with me one last time before my life changes... so I pretty much started the liquid diet on Saturday rather than today. I've stuck to it pretty faithfully except for one small bit of cheese last night to satiate some ravenousness. It's been going pretty well so far all things considered. I've dodged some of the worse "keto flu" symptoms... mostly I've been pretty spaced out, and dealing with mildly fitful sleep and a bit of nausea. I feel like I'm over the hurdle today, but we'll see - there's still a lot of day left to get through! Welcome to all the new folks, and keep up the awesome work all of you lovelies! I'm rooting for you all!

I have said this many times and it should be a pinned post somewhere....You are detoxing from Carbohydrates and you will feel like crap for approximately 2 weeks. Once your body recognizes that the carb storage has been depleted, you will then go into ketosis and start burning body fat for energy. You will begin to feel much better, most likely better than when you were eating tons of carbs. This is also why it is important to keep up with your protein intake, so you don't start to lose lean muscle mass. Feel free to google "Keto Flu". Hang in there, you'll get through it. Keep drinking water and protein and if you're getting headaches, replenish your electrolytes. I drink some pedialyte from time to time.

No, I don't, and my surgeon agrees. She says that her experience is that people love keto while they're losing, but eventually a lot of them start letting carbs creep in and they don't stay on it for the long haul. She thinks a more moderate approach is the most sustainable. She agrees that sugars and simple carbs are absolutely problematic when trying to lose weight, but complex carbs are good for most people to eat. The scientific data shows that the program that works is the one you'll stick with. There are a number of reasons it appeals to people. Some find that eating carbs, especially the breads and grains, is a slippery slope and they have to avoid it entirely. Some find that shifting to a paleo/keto diet feels really good for them. They might have a slight gluten sensitivity that they are treating by shifting their diet away from grains. Some find that it just works incredibly well for them in terms of weight loss and that keeps them motivated. So I don't want to slam keto. A *LOT* of bariatric programs push low-carb/keto, and you'll find a LOT of proponents here for it. I get what most people recognize as the "carb flu" but instead of being over in 3-5 days like most people, I stay in that miserable state and it doesn't seem to ever resolve. Granted, I've never been able to last more than 2 weeks in ketosis (and that was post-op) but it definitely seems that my body hates it. So I have to find what works for me, and so far that's complex carbs in the 80-100g/day range. We'll see if it works long term, I may have to tweak that. That was exactly what I was feeling. The "carb flu." I would rather avoid it if possible. Sent from my iPhone

Is this the end? i'm not sure. i hit a size 6 and that was my goal. so am i done? i doubt it. it's a lifelong thing i think. it's been a long 9 months but so worth it. still 100% (well 90%) keto on my diet. i'm going to try to start toning hardcore now.

I will check it out for sure! Thank you for sharing, best of luck with your surgery. If you can do keto before your surgery, you are going to nail this.