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Thanks, Apple, for answering. I missed the inquiry. I believe keto should be good for hashimoto sufferers. I've read about a possible link to gluten sensitivity, so keto + gluten free make a nice combo to try...

I would say most bypassers are not on ketogenic diets once they're a few months out. Many are at first, though. The only time my diet was ketogenic was during the liquid phase. Once that was over, my clinic promoted a more-or-less balanced diet (although I know many clinics recommend a low carb diet until you're in maintenance). Most of the WLS patients I'm friends with have been in maintenance for awhile (sometimes a long while). Some do Keto (or IF....or Weight Watchers) when they want to lose a few pounds, but otherwise their diets are fairly balanced. (btw - when I want to lose a few pounds, I count calories and watch my portion sizes - but different strokes for different folks...)

Hi everyone, New to this group! Glad I have found it. I had WLS back in 2004. I have regained alot of weight. I do suffer from Hashimoto which is such a journey in itself! I tried Keto not long ago and loved how I was feeling. However, because of the weight loss surgery I cannot eat alot of meat. I loved the good fats and how they make me feel and the low carb really help with getting down the inflammation that I suffer from..... I was working with a gal and her team that had great success on Keto diet and was hopeful, however they cannot relate to the WLS. While I was loosing, after a bit of time I became VERY constipated, to the point of worry. I was taking stool softener & laxatives and wasn't able to go!!! So with that said I need another plan. I think the combo of WLS and hashimoto means I need a bit more carbs .....and not so much meat. So I am thinking of pulling out the protein shakes again. I remember when I really enjoyed them for awhile. However, I know I cannot live on them... Anyhow...thoughts, stories to share? Thanks! (I also have a thread on this group about how I now see I am malnurished....getting tested next week....I can tell my vit levels are low!)

Do they actually taste like hot dogs? I really like the taste of Beyond Burgers. To me, they're as good as a burger or better, but they have so much fat I don't use them. Your hot dogs are pretty low in fat for a hot dog. Edit: Also, do the buns taste like buns? I've had some bad luck with keto bread.

I lost 30 lbs on keto in 2 months. I am still pre-surgery, I definitely plan to stay keto after I get my sleeve done on the 19th.

I appreciate what you guys are saying, and this is going to sound funny coming from me, since I am a marriage and family therapist as well as a pyschology professor, but the tension/hyperness I've been feeling is not emotional, it's physical. I think it might be a by product of being in ketosis, because it started right after the diet got suddenly easier on day 3. Also, I have a diabetic kid, and I was curious if I was passing ketones, so I used some keto strips and sure enough when the pee strip was reading more ketones, I was having both the easiest time on the diet, and having the weird tension/hyperness. It's not really bad. It's totally physical, and I was wondering if anyone else was getting this. Just sorta curious. Now as far as emotions go, I was so anxious and terrified before, but I haven't been at all in the last week. Just trying to get things together at work, so I could have the time off, and also really looking forward to it. Previously, I was so nervous, I wasn't experiencing the hope and happy anticipation much. Now I am. I feel like this week on the diet is actually easier than last week, worrying about the diet. LOL

You know, I never even considered Keto flu!!! You may have hit the nail on the head there. I did LCHF for about 8 months a couple years ago (and dropped 45 lbs), and was in ketosis but never had keto flu because I was taking magnesium. I did call the doctor who checks all the meds before surgery, and he said I could take Celebrex, but would still have to stop before surgery. He suggested opioids, but I don't want those. I'll just deal for now. Thanks for your response as well, Suzy. I definitely don't have a fever, just generally achy and whiny. Lol

See - you have many victories! You can ABSOLUTELY do this. It also takes bravery to be honest on a WLS forum about cheating. I admire your honesty. I hovered on these forums since late in 2017 and didn't actively post until April of this year (2019) so I have seen many many ppl just start to give things up (cigarettes, caffeine, soda, carbs, etc.) at the start of their pre-op diets and I always feel for them as it can be a bit overwhelming especially if they start to feel what some call the low carb/keto flu. Yes, you are close to my youngest's age so age is on your side which is GREAT!! Please don't think I was giving you a failing grade on your pre-op diet or trying to judge you. The only thing that kept me on mine was being older and like I said...being scared. That does not make me better than you. And I always, always defer to a person's individual doctor unless a poster posts something that sounds hideously.um..dangerous. You WILL be ok! I do hope you can do whatever his/her directions are for the rest of your pre-op (I say this as I couldn't drink anything after 10 PM the night before (so not even 'liquids' on my liquid pre-op) as I was up first at 6 AM the next day as it will also help prepare you a little bit for post-op...without the feelings from having had anesthesia, and some of the bloating and gas pains you may or may not have to deal with. Most of the ppl that I have participated on their topics that have cheated, I'd say about 95+% of them go on to sticking to whatever their pre-op plan was and they took pride in that even though it wasn't 'the whole time'...meaning they didn't have to be perfect, they could take pride in what they did do. Focus on what you can do from here on out. No matter what happens in the next few days though, I AM rooting for you! Us women are STRONG. Whether we are 24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, or 84+...we are STRONG.

I am new here, this is my first post. I am in the process of getting approved. My surgeon has not asked me to lose any weight but I want to start anyway. I have a BMI of 70 so I am in no danger of disqualifying myself by losing too much weight prior to surgery. I won’t be submitted for approval before mid-may after my last nutrition class. I want to try and prepare myself for the lifestyle changes WLS will bring on by adapting as much as I can pre surgery. I am thinking of trying a Keto diet but I am open to any tips or suggestions. I am not sure I could do the liver shrinking diet for several months but I am thinking I could cut carbs and increase protein. It looks like that will be my post surgery diet from what I can see. Is that about right? Any advice welcome. Cheers, Artinthebox

I currently do Keto and it helps but I struggle with maintaining I dont drink Soda at all. I have a friend thats had the surgery and shes been preparing me. I'm ready not to have to think about my weight every day and feel bad for not getting to the gym. i just need the help first thank you for replaying I really appreciate it!

Start with committing yourself to small changes or if you have the willpower...drastic ones. I started my journey pre-seminar with seeing if I could handle a liquid diet for 2 weeks. I figured if I couldn't do it before the surgery was even a possibility than how could I do it later. Once I got that under my belt, I started a modified keto plan, which I actually enjoyed. I also started behavior modification regarding physical activity right away. I just started walking a little and kept building on where I started. By the time I had surgery (I had a 6 month pre-op program) I was walking 5ks. I did my first walk post surgery at 6 weeks. Today, I am 7 months post op and training to RUN a 15k. All things that I couldn't have done had I waited. Good Luck!

Fat is not the problem, your body (especially your brain) required fat. Sugar is the problem, in any form. As a matter of fact, a lot of people who suffer from seizure disorders are placed on a high fat, mid Protein, extreme low carb diet and they either have remission of seizure or a remarkable decrease. Fat was demonized in the early 90's with the low fat diet craze which was a complete failure for so many of us. I would gather to say that the fat in the Atkins shake is very acceptable. What are the calories of the shake? What is the sweetener in the shake? I think those would be the more important issues. If you are tolerating the Atkins shake with it's high protein, I say good for you and keep up the good work! Believe it or not you can drop a lot of pounds on a high fat, mid protein, extreme low carb diet. Problem is it's boring and hard to keep up. I lost 24 lbs in about three weeks on one, then lost all control to carbs as I missed them and was bored. Gained every bit back and then some. (reference Keto Diet)

I remember my second month with VSG, and I had lost only 4 lbs. I remember feeling disheartened as well but the weight loss continued steadily every month. Unfortunately, a person's body mass is the main determinant of one's metabolic rate. The heavier you are, the higher your metabolism, more calories you will burn. Although lower carbs and protein are important, the fact is If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. People on keto, for example, won't lose weight if they are eating too many calories. I would talk to your team and surgeon about your concerns as well. Perhaps they need to rule out other reasons, like water weight gain (I'm familiar with that one hehe). The weight will come off. It just may not be as quick as someone who is 600 lbs. Hang in there. Things will improve.

Congrats on your amazing success! You look great! If your bg wasn't a fasting one, what does it matter? 119 is fine if you ate less than 2 hours before that test. If you ate longer than 2 hours before the test, then 119 is a little on the high side. But it depends on what you ate at that meal and what you normally eat in a day--specifically how many carbs you average. If you typically eat a low carb diet (<50g of carbs a day), and have a cheat meal that is high carb, then you can have a HUGE spike that may not clear in under 2 hours. That doesn't mean you're diabetic, it means you've been low carb for a long time. Many of us WLS peeps are calorie restricted and keto by factor of being low calorie (even in the presence of carbs). So our bodies have a skewed response to a high caloric/high glycemic load meal.

Yep, ordering appetisers are the way to go though I used to struggle to eat those too. I opt for seafood whenever possible. Oh & make sure you keep to the no drinking before of after. I made that mistake out of the habit of ordering a pre dinner drink when out & I could barely eat two or three bites of what I ordered. Don’t be afraid to mention to the staff (privately if you prefer) that you’re on a medically restricted diet otherwise you may face the wait staff asking if something was wrong with your unfinished meal. My biggest difficulty is needing time to eat. When everyone else eats quickly, the wait staff are wanting to clear plates & you’re not even half way through your meal. Since we’ve opened up a lot more here in Australia, I’ve met friends for lunch a couple of times but some places only offer tables for 45mins. By the time you read the menu, wait for your order to be taken, prepared & served, there’s little time left to eat. I had 10 mins at a cafe last week. My friend devoured her lunch. I got three bites in & took the rest home for dinner. Are you able to take a small cold bag with ice bricks with you when you travel? I take frozen keto frittata muffins with me & refreeze the ice bricks overnight. There are some decent protein bars around too. Just ensure they’re low in carbs, sugar & fat. You may to try a few first because some can be too gluggy & my tummy complains. Easy to grab a high protein yoghurt from a corner store too.

I am 6 months out and i get that feeling. Its maddening because it feels like i cant eat enough but at the same time i know im stuffed. I have never had a problem with restriction. In fact sometimes i feel like i may have more restriction that a lot of other people. Reading how much you can eat at 8wks out makes me wonder if my sleeve is extra small. I can barely get in 2oz of dense protein. Forget adding veggies after. I would literally have to have veggies on the fork with my protein to get both in. But i do have days that i eat things that are unfavorable. Cookies and candy have been a weak spot for me lately. So im starting back on keto or just low carb. I noticed the less carbs and sweet beverages i have the less i want them. If i drink just water and my shake i wont want juice. But soon as i start sipping juice (even just crystal light) i want more and more then it goes to soda and thats when i have to pull back before it gets too hairy. Its a slippery slope. My nutritionist doesnt think i should be so strict but giving myself an inch is what got me to and kept me over 260lbs for years. I cant afford to let myself slip up during the best time for me to be changing my habbits and mindset. Maybe you can try strict keto for a bit and see if that helps. Having dense protein is the ONLY thing that will sufficiently fill me for a signficant amount of time. I dont need the other stuff. Fruit is really a filler/slider because of the water. It will give the illusion of fullness but for me it passes relatively quickly and im left upset that i have to now eat again. Same with breads and similar carbs. I know its just mental because physically its not that comfortable for me to eat it so it makes no sense that i even bother. Definitely if nothing else try to make dense protein the bulk of your meal. If you can, go for the veggies but if you have enough protein in then the fruit and other things wont be an issue. I know this went on for a while. I hope i gave you some ideas and a little help.

Even some keto/high protein-low carb related foods are high in sodium. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water.

Before surgery, I was missing that thing that tells me "hey, not hungry anymore so stop eating". I ate mostly keto, or super low carb, but it seemed like once a week or once every two weeks I would binge on off plan foods. The occasional dalliances were enough to stop my weight loss from a week or two of good eating. I'd lose 10 lbs then gain it back over 1 or 2 days. This went on for 2 years. I seriously never felt full. I could eat a 24oz steak, finish all my potatoes and salad and still drink 2-3 diet cokes on top of it. I could eat 12 tacos in a sitting and not walk away feeling full. My father is much the same way, except that he has more self control and spends a lot of time feeling hungry. I'm now in my 6th week post op and I have no hunger whatsoever. I won't eat just for the sake of eating, and I'm usually eating 1 meal a day now. A meal is a couple of bites of meat or salad. On liquids, pre and post op I was still feeling hungry. On full liquids I could drink quite a lot of broth or creamy Soup, certainly more than a few mouthfuls like solid foods now.

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.

@@reachbree I'm lucky that most of the people I know have good manners and don't ask me stupid questions. When people see me they just usually comment that I look pretty (not tooting my own horn, or that I look great. People really rarely ask me how I lost weight. Most of the people I know are thin and they don't care. The 2 people that asked I told them low carb/keto and walking. I'm lucky that most of the people I know have good manners and don't ask me stupid questions.

I went to Mexico with Dr. Illan. Had a wonderful experience. My BMI at time of surgery was 45, so I wasn't quite in your shoes. The best thing to do is contact each surgeon you are considering and ask all your questions. Being turned away would definitely be for your own safety, if it were to happen. In order to make the process as safe as possible, I would recommend you start a low-carbohydrate diet immediately. Every pound you lose now will get you closer to goal, and make surgery that much safer and the recovery easier. The diet would be as much as you want of the following: protein: eggs, beef, pork, chicken, fish, seafood, tofu nonstarchy vegetables: such as green beans, spinach, broccoli, summer squash, raw tomatoes, lettuce, raw carrots, etc. Butter, oil, vinegar and herbs can be used on the veggies. Add a few starchy vegetables or fruit (potatoes, beans, berries, melon etc.), but keep the carb count below 50. Under 20 is a ketogenic diet. If 50 doesn't have you losing weight, 20 will. Going keto can have unpleasant side effects, so I recommend 50 as a start. The diet would change to whatever your surgeon recommends, closer to surgery. You need a minimum of 2 months to really prepare for the surgery (many believe it is more like 3-6 months). You need a passport, plane tickets, and self education. I spent 2 months of constant research before going under the knife (I'm talking 8+ hours a day of research). Because by going to Mexico, we miss all the nutrition classes, psychological evaluations, counseling, and the like. There is a huge adjustment period post op, hormones go crazy, the diet is strict, and everyone handles these things differently. Bariatric surgery is truly a life changing event.

During the time leading up to surgery I had started the Keto Diet. - I personally loved it, I loved the way I felt everyday, unfortunately the high proteins from redmeat caused my uterine fibroids to return. And some of the items perfect for Keto - caused issues with my Hypothyroidism. But Keto wasn't all bad. - I learned that I had an intolerance to gluten. And in learning this, I found out how my body reacted and learned that is something that I cannot afford to have in the future. I also learned about my sugar intolerance as well as how much total carbs my body will accept before I stop losing weight. I had two weeks of a liquid pre-op diet. I over did it with protein shakes and come post op, the last thing I wanted was a protein shake. So, protein shakes are great meal replacements, but too many of them too soon just makes it harder post op. Learn to eat healthy ahead of time. Don't substitute shakes until you have to.

I'm only 3 1/2 months out, so my experience with sleeve is limited. My experience with dieting is not. I started young and was *never* able to lose more than a few pounds. The weight always came back and usually brought friends. The deck was kind of stacked against me - as it is for many. Severe food allergies (almost all veggies and some fruits) meant I was chronically malnourished. Severe hay fever limited those easy outdoor walks and bike rides. Skin allergies, eczema, and asthma meant even indoor exercise was challenging. As an adult I sought medical help, traditional and alternative, but I was already broken - overweight and clinically depressed with a trashed metabolism and busted joints. And my weight kept going up. Fortunately about 20 years ago (after wrecking my personal life, too) I ended up marrying one of my best friends. School, work, and two very difficult kids on the autism spectrum later, we've both put on far too much weight. Ten years of high stress and no sleep tend to do that even without help. I'd though about the band for years, but just didn't like the complications and my hands were full with therapy and homeschool. We tried to eat clean and healthy and be active, but at best we maintained. Two years ago my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and it was officially too much. My kind-of-stable weight starting climbing; my blood pressure shot up; my blood sugar spiked; and my hormones went bonkers. I was 43 and my body had had all it could take. I had researched gastric sleeve off and on, but after spending time caring for him in the hospital and a year of watching him balk at all the doctors orders, I felt like Chrmow - why can't he just follow directions to care for himself? Followed by the awareness that I was doing the very same thing. I researched, prayed, and researched some more. My husband and I were both scared of complications, but math says the odds are no worse than a lot of other surgeries. And I had control over my own choices post-surgery and knew I could be compliant and follow directions, which can minimize post-op complications. Surgery is scary and I've had plenty of minor non-surgical complications, but have healed really well. And the amazing thing is, for the first time in my life, I longer feel like I'm starving to death. I still have to make good food choices and I still have a long way to go, but I've lost 40 lbs since surgery and that really does help everything. The reduced weight on my joints means I'm able to do more physical therapy for my bad ankle and hip, for instance. The reduced stomach means I'm able to eat Protein and largely be done instead of looking for filler. The therapist sounds like a great plan, for both evaluating "food addiction" and for monitoring/getting a handle on depression. I seem to be one of the few people who hadn't had "buyer's remorse" after surgery, but a) I did intense research into all aspects of the surgery; I had already dealt with a lot of food-as-comfort issues; and c) I'm 45 and was ready to really change. I've eaten enough pizza, cake, and Cookies for a lifetime and am largely fine with never being able to eat those things again. I've seen people on forums who freak out when they realize they'll never being able to eat a whole pizza again for comfort. I've seen the people who "can't" do liquid post op diet and try to eat steak a week after surgery. And I've seen people who realize they can still eat a box of crackers, do so, and can't seem to stop. Don't worry about the actual surgery itself -- worry about whether or not you're truly willing to change your life. Because the last few months have been life changing for me, but even at this point, it's a lot of work. Having said that, my husband started doing Keto concurrent with my surgery, partially to support me and partially as his last ditch effort to not have to. He's lost as much weight as I have eating eggs, cheese, and grass fed meat - which was basically my pre-op liver shrink diet. Assuming you're medically capable, you can always try that first. The first week trying to get off sugar and carbs is really hard, but improves a lot after that. If you can handle that, it might help on its own. Or it might end up preparing you for surgical pre and post op diets. I know - really mouthy for a total noob . But my big regret is not finding a way to do this ten years ago, when my kids were still little. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Nope. I was 100% faithful and I think that is why I have done so well. My doctor scared me at the workshop last summer. He said he had opened someone up the week before and didn’t do the surgery because their liver had not shrunk.... that’s why he does a keto liquid diet. I. Was. Terrified. He also said he has had to do emergency surgery on someone who had an obstruction 3 days post op.... they are PIZZA! Seriously? Anyway.... you will feel better if you follow your doctors advice. oh and WALK AS SOON AS YOU CAN. I can’t emphasize that enough.

I had DS in 2014 and have been lazy these past few years, with the scale slowly climbing to a good 20-30lbs over what has been my "normal" weight for most of my post-op time. So many of my colleagues are doing Keto or eating low-carb and seeing such amazing weight loss results (and other benefits). Has anyone tried dieting like this or have any insight. Google results are 99% RNY so I'm unsure. Also, I've taken up intermittent fasting as a tactic. The 16/8 plan where I fast for 16 hours, and have an 8 hour eating window. I'd appreciate any insight from the veterans out there!