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I'm a sleeve, I hit goal in 6 months. 254 to 133 maintaining for three and a half years. My plan was low carb. I was getting in 1100 to 1300 calories. 80g to 100g+ protein in weight loss mode. (My instructions may be out of date) _______________________________________ How far out from surgery are you? Did your dietician give you clarification on how many calories, protein and carbs to get in each day? How many carbs are you allowed? Are your carb sources coming from vegetables? Are you allowed potato, rice, pasta, bread? Your question...Well I want to learn to eat healthy so I can carry that on after surgery. My question is, is keto okay to do after surgery? Or even low carb? The only person that has to be happy with your surgery outcome is you. Your decisions are yours.... trust the professionals to learn the basics in weight loss mode. The goal is healthy, lose weight and keep the weight off long term.

One should always take conversations about which diet is best with a grain of salt. This choice is as personal as they come. Diet is a hot button issue and we're still learning a lot about it. In particular, we're learning about the kinds of bugs different diets grow in your GI tract and how they contribute to defense against disease and weight maintenance. I think those bugs....our gut microbiota....will hold the key to future developments in nutrition and the treatment of dozens of illnesses, including obesity. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5433529/ Did you know that you have about the same number of bacteria cells in your GI tract as human cells in your body? We're complex symbiotic organisms who count on those bugs for our health. Half man...half bacteria....here we come:) Keto works. You lose weight fast, and it helps to control your appetite. However...diets high in animal protein and fat are correlated with increased risk of cancer and increased mortality from other causes. Keto does a spectacular job of wiping out your gut microbe diversity. This isn't a good thing. Thinner people, and healthier people...are documented to have higher gut bug diversity. People who die young and have chronic illness...have low gut bacteria diversity. The people in cultures who live the longest on the planet, with the lowest rates of cancer and heart disease....eat diets high in complex carbs, dietary fiber, fruits, nuts, legumes and vegetables...and are more sparing in proteins and fats. People in these cultures also exercise. And again...they have highly diverse gut microbiota. If you want to look at it from an evolutionary perspective...what diet have millions of years of adaptations prepared us best for? Look at the natural diets of the great apes. They eat a ton of fruit, veggies, and very fiberous foliage. They eat legumes and insects (a terrific source of fiber)....and only opportunistically and sparingly... eat eggs and meat. Their fat sources and most of their protein comes from plant sources. Their gut microbiota is also very diverse. And they exercise. Interesting pattern, no? My personal feeling is that keto is an effective tool that can be used for short period of time because the benefits outweigh the risks....sort of like chemotherapy. Ketotherapy? Being morbidly obese carries risk. But for a maintenance, lifelong diet......I am convinced that a diverse gut microbiota is the key to good health, and will eat a diet that supports it. At this stage in my obesity recovery...for me...I believe that keto carries more risks than benefits. Best wishes to all...and respect meant for everyone's choices. Everyone has a right to eyeball this choice on their own and make the decision that makes the most sense to them. Food for thought: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273533.php

I made a keto/lowcarb pizza for my guests (many still on New Year resolution diets). For the dough I used Cast Iron Keto's dinner roll recipe which is composed mostly of mozzarella, cream cheese and almond flour. For the sauce I used the Atkins pizza sauce recipe (added more herbs and onions than it called for). For toppings I put all the proteins! Sausage, ham, pepperoni! Reviews from my tribe: delicious! It came out a lot like a deep dish Chicago style pizza. I could only have one small bite of this though, because I had ham and turkey before. The other keto/lowcarb friendly snack that was a hit for our party was bacon wrapped pickles. Sounds weird, but everyone loved those!

I’ve been doing Keto for a year, I’m 18 months post sleeve. I’ve really turned off meat and chicken though. I have a piece of fish most nights. I do like bacon but it has to be really crispy for me to enjoy it. I find it very easy to eat salads, with egg or avocado and spinach leaves. And love nuts and seeds. So I make my own nut granola and if I want bread or a sweet treat make it myself Keto friendly. I tend to eat the same things every day. I like Keto because it reduces my appetite. I still have a lot of restriction though so that helps too. The sleeve has made it easier for me to stay Keto and give up bread and potatoes as they are hard for me to eat.

I was dead set on doing keto after surgery and my surgeon and nutritionist are not totally supportive. They both explained that our bodies do not absorb the nutrients in food the same after surgery and because we take in smaller portions we do not want to exclude healthy food groups. They believe a well balanced diet is a healthier option. But of course number 1 rule eat protein first. Me personally I believe whatever works for you and makes you happy healthy and successful on your journey is what is right for you. Sent from my SM-J327T1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Okay, so I was doing keto. I went to see my dietitian and she advised me to stop keto and to eat balanced meals with veggies, protein and a starch. Well, I've started doing that. Been tracking my calories and I stay under 1400. The past 2 days, I've had about 120 carbs a day. Now my ankles are swollen and I'm bloated and just feel ewww. Well I want to learn to eat healthy so I can carry that on after surgery. My question is, is keto okay to do after surgery? Or even low carb?

I was very lucky to have a nutritionist who was used to serving a diverse populations of people with very different nutritional preferences and cultural diets. (Kosher, Halal, Vegan, Vegetarian, Etc.) She asked me what my favorite diet was....I said Mayo Clinic/Mediterranean....and we looked at some key factors of the diet and made a few adjustments to prepare for bariatric surgery, but mostly I was able to stick to my preferred plan....and even praised for it. (I do hit a higher protein goal than I was used to, but I do half of it in plant protein) I also reduced my carb side dishes to 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup. If it's a Vegan main dish, that's different....but a side of rice or potatoes with a protien is a much smaller portion now....and often omitted. I'm discouraged when I hear about dietitians who only offer one approach and doctors who believe Keto is the only way to go. It works very well...but it doesn't work for everyone. I think patients are more compliant with plans they are comfortable with, and can maintain for a lifetime. Glad to be working with a group that offers more than one way up that mountain! Jersey, I'm a big fan of apples with natural peanut butter, too Had some for a snack tonight. LOL...I understand chicken fatigue! Maybe try to switch things up with fish or turkey? Congrats on your 14 pound loss!

Our bodies have hundreds of thousands of years of evolutionary defense mechanisms to cope with famines and bad hunting seasons. Too much weight loss, too fast, and these mechanisms kick in, our metabolisms slow...and we just have to grin and bear it. Eventually the stalls break. It's incredibly frustrating when you're dieting, and incredibly useful when you're trying to survive famine. A possible concern I have about keto diets (I have many, actually, which is why I don't do keto) is that a keto diet can destroy the diversity of your gut microbiota. A higher ratio of Prevotella-to-Bacteroides bacteria is associated with better weight loss outcomes....and a diet high in animal protein reverses the ratio and decreases diversity. Some ideas for you... Each day, include a sampling of as many foods as possible, particularly those high in fiber (which helps propogate Prevotella) I'll take a quarter cup scoop and put all sorts of weird little thing in there....a bit of pepper, onion, corn, pickle, an olive, a raisin, half a strawberry, a grape, a tiny cube of potato, cheeses, whole wheat biscuit, a teenie piece of brocolli, a few chopped pecan pieces....you're not looking for volume, you're looking for diversity. Teenie bits of everything wholesome in the kitchen. Try adding a probiotic drink or yogurt instead of your protein bar. Add exercise. But most of all.....just be patient....you're not gonna change evolution. You will eventually lose more weight:)

I was losing weight 42 pounds oct-December doing whole 30 Transition to keto . On 1/17, I started the 3 month required Nut diet and since then, I have not lost or gained a pound in 3 weeks. Any tips or meal plans you had while you were on the 3/6 month diet before surgery. The biggest change is the increase of protein and lowering of fat. Nut diet is low carb, low fat, night protein What I eat, nearly the same every day I still have coffee but change to half caf 2 hard boiled eggs 1/2 cup of fruit apple or orange Romaine salad with chicken, blue cheese lite balsamic dressing Carrots Adkins shake 100 calorie nut pack or 1oz of cashews Mashed cauliflower with beef and center cut bacon crumbles with cheese (Either a sf pudding, sf hot cocoa, or yogurt) Sometimes an Adkins bar

Keto breath.. unfortunately breath spray or similar is the only thing that seems to help. Hopefully you don’t also get the keto rash, which is no fun!

I was sleeved on 1/3. I am 5’7, was 255 at surgery and I’m down to 226 in 4 weeks. I had a rough 2 week recovery, but feeling fine now. I had a slew of health problems for the last 8 years after gaining 90lbs very quickly. I am happy to say ALL traces of the edema I had are completely gone, I’m off lasix and all my blood pressure meds. I don’t have reflux anymore either. I have 4 more weeks on the mushies stage until I can eat regularly, but I don’t feel restricted on my food choices right now anyway except for anything seeded and raw veggies. I am only able to eat 2oz at a time, but I supplement with two protein shakes a day. I have a few expensive bags of bariatric advantage left that I can’t stand anymore, but I really like the muscle milk with the 32g of protein in it. I tried Isopure drinks 🤢. Still on the hunt for a protein source I can add to my water that isn’t whey and has a milky taste. I have the flu, so I haven’t been exercising but still able to drink and eat “normally” I had a craving for something sweet, and i found a bunch of keto recipes on Pinterest that were sugar free and low carb obviously, my favorite are no bake energy balls made with almond flour and peanut butter. Crystal light is my drink of choice. No alcohol yet, no desire which is weird because I used to drink often. Not in large quantities but often.

I started my journey at 397 pounds. I lost 99 pounds during my six month insurance-required pre-op diet program, weighing 298 on the day of surgery (September 28, 2016). I met my goal of 180 pounds on October 2, 2017, 1 year and 4 days post-op. I currently weigh 173 pounds. The surgery helped me, yes, but I have followed a keto way of eating since the first day of my six month pre-op diet program. I eat less than 25 grams of carbs per day and keep my calories below 2000. I plan to continue to eat that way long term. That's what has helped me to achieve my goals. Good luck!

Hey Cindy, i noticed your post is two years old. How’s the running?? I currently have a band and have run a few ultras with it. I’ve learnt a lot. Looking to have my surgery revised to a sleeve and am keen to know if there if anyone with a sleeve has done an ultra? Or a multi day race? Anyone run ‘keto’?

I was 397 pounds when I started, and I weighed 298 six months later on the day of surgery. I started at 2000 calories; a month later, I went to 1800; a month later to 1500, and I ate 1200 calories per day the last 3 months. I had less than 20 carbs every day. I wrote down everything that I put in my mouth (including water) and kept it in a food journal. (I still do that 22 months in, by the way.) Your BMI is about what mine was when I started, so maybe that calorie strategy will work for you. The keto diet isn't for everyone. It works for me because I like meat and cheese, and it is sustainable for me because I like what I eat. You need to find an approach that you feel like can be sustainable for you. Why don't you try tracking your food and seeing if you see some results? You may be one that has a harder time losing weight, but you might be taking in more calories per day than you realize... Good luck!

Honestly, I haven't tracked this week at all. Protein I get about 70g. I do eat carbs, but normally just rice and not much of it. Calories, I'm honestly not sure. Maybe that's where I'm messing up, probably getting more in than what I'm thinking. As far as exercise, I work out 3 days a week at the gym and then one night a week of pole fitness. I have tried Keto before and was in ketosis, however, I still didn't lose much. I honestly kept losing and gaining the same 8lbs.

What does a typical day of eating look like for you? How many calories? carbs? How much protein? Do you exercise at all? Do you track everything you consume? I ask all of these questions to try to help you get underneath why you aren't losing any weight despite efforts to do so. I lost a lot pre-op myself, but I diligently followed a keto diet and exercised religiously for the entire six months...

@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.

Also...both of these meals are heavy on the meat for me...and are more rare. The diet I follow is more like the Mayo Clinic Diet. Lots of whole grains, beans, legumes. Tons of veggies and fruits. Much less meat. I don't like Keto. I know most bariatric patients follow keto for rapid weight loss and I did a lot of research to find a group that had different ideas. We still have a protein goal of 60-80g per day....but my group works with those of us who like to include more plant based proteins, fresh produce and whole grains. We eat a lot of carbs. I say that and people freak out. LOL. But it's true. What we don't eat...are refined carbs. Anything high glycemic is a no-go with the exception of natural fructose in whole fruits. Exercise is a key part of my plan.

I've been studying keto a lot too and discussed it with my doctor. I'm not going to do true keto. I did very low carb, moderate protein for a long time. I lost 132 lbs, reversed my diabetes and sleep apnea and got my labs to normal. The only thing I'm going to do differently this time is increase my fat intake a bit. Nothing substantial (definitely not LCHF) and the fats I'm going to add are good ones like coconut, avocado, some olive and I'm adding in more fatty fish like tuna and salmon. I want to keep my Omega 3/6/9 ratios in balance. And like I said, my doctor is on board. I stopped the fad diets a long time ago.

Peanut Butter was approved by my nutritionist about a month out. I try to get at least half of my protein from plant sources, so nuts and nut butters are a regular part of my diet. (Many folks here avoid them completely...and that's cool...to each their own. I'm more of a Mediterranian diet follower, and some here are more into Keto and other plans...lots of ways up the mountain!) If you want peanut butter.... 1. Wait for it to be approved by your nutritionist. 2. Low or zero sugar natural peanut butter is best. 3. Watch your portions. One Tablespoon has 100 calories (roughly) and about 7 grams of protein. it's also high in fat...but good fat. All things to pay attention to, though, when creating your balanced menu:) Best wishes! Here's an example of how peanut butter could fit into a healthy day's eating:

I'll chime in... First, I abstained from alcohol for the entirety of my six month pre-op diet program and the first 3 months post-op. I just wasn't willing to derail the progress I wanted to make on the front end of the surgery (where I lost 100 pounds by surgery day) or the first few months post-op. I took my ex on a monthlong tour of SE Asia at the 3 months post-op point. I spoke with my surgeon about alcohol on the trip, and he told me that I would be fine. His only recommendation was to take it easy and test things out at home before I went out in public with it. I am now 16 months post-op, and it has been 22 months since I started this journey. I follow a keto way of eating and am really particular about what I put in my body. I have lost 225 pounds, am below goal, and have maintained beautifully for several months now. Do I have alcohol? Yes, I do. I mostly have red wine and I mostly only have it when I am traveling for work or on the weekends. Drinking has always been a very social thing for me. Yes, there are statistics about WLS and alcoholism just there are statistics about losing more weight with a bypass than a sleeve. But, I'll same the same thing about the alcohol as I did about the bypass vs sleeve weight loss issue in a thread the other day. It depends on the person. If you were inclined toward alcoholism before, you will be now. If you are eating and exercising like you should, a few drinks (especially with low- or no-carb mixers) probably won't cause you a problem. I had a sleeve and have been more successful than many bypass patients. It just depends on each person's story. But if your alcohol calories outnumber your food calories, that is an issue. Something to think about. To each his own. I have no issue with it, and never have gained one once from it, but I am also crazy obsessed about what I eat and how often I imbibe. It's all about balance, in my opinion. Good luck!

i have done a lot of study and self-experimentation with ketogenic diets going back 8 years. i highly, HIGHLY suggest you not start any sort of keto dieting. just kick the liquid calories. also realize that a bit of rebound pounds is normal.

Thanks! I'm up about 8 lbs but I'm getting ready to start keto (my husband finally agreed to do it with me!) so it should come back off pretty quickly. Plus I kicked the Coke (the brown liquid, not the white powder LOL) habit I let sneak in on me. Back to my water.

I don't get along well with Keto. I did Mayo Clinic diet during my 6 months and lost 30 pounds:) It's very similar to Mediterranean...which is the diet of the people who live the longest on the planet, and have the lowest rates of cancer and heart disease. There are a lot of ways to customize your diet to your goals. I like slow steady weight loss and I want a Forever Diet that is balanced and includes most foods. Some folks prefer rapid weight loss, and Keto certainly accomplishes that. Best wishes whatever you decide:) Lots of roads up this mountain!

Thank you. I have had success before on Keto but I wasn’t sure yet if you could do Keto post op with a sleeve or bypass.