Good Morning!!

I am in the last month of my 6 month supervised diet. I have lost about 23lbs, but it has been a very long and hard journey. I went out of town for a week for work and gained 10lbs! 10!! How crazy!! I'd like to work on getting even better at my nutrition. I have seen a lot of people do a Keto type diet after their surgery. I was wondering if anyone has done Keto and kept going through surgery. Has it helped? If so, what are your macros, any website info you can share, any recipes would be awesome as well!!

Thank you

I do low carb, not "keto". I make that distinction cuz I am old-school. I don't do a bunch of fancy gyrations and artificial stimulation to get my fat high. My keto comes by simply doing no more and no less than dropping my carb level to <50g per day. That gets the body into ketosis. But to be fair, most of us who are eating <800cals per day are probably already in ketosis by proxy of a VLCD (very low calorie diet). So we're already producing ketones for fuel--unless you're consuming a butt load of daily carbs in that 800 or less per day diet.

It's can be a good and healthy diet. I do low fat; choose low fat proteins and reduced fat dairy, but my fat still falls in about the 40% range.

Anyway, it works for me. But if you over-consume carby food, you WILL see a jump from glycogen stores refilling with water and it takes 2-5 days to re-empty them. That's anywhere from a 2-8lb weight gain overnight. It can be brutal psychologically.

But I truly believe this is the way that will maximize my weight loss period. For me.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/low-carb-diet/art-20045831

Benefits and risks from Mayo Clinic.

Fluffy has amazing recipes if you choose to follow a low-carb diet.

Thank you! Do you know how many grams you eat of carbs, protein, and fat? Did you have a certain formula or website you used to find this out?

MissLindsey, these are great questions for your nutritionist visits. Each bariatric group likes their clients to follow a diet that they approve and guide. They'll have good recommendations for you on the macros they think are best for your particular situation. Best wishes!

Honestly, no. It's pretty organic. I follow my RD and surgeon's advice and leave it there. And it naturally falls to around 20% carbs (from low glycemic veggies + very small amounts of low glycemic fruits), 40% fat, 40% protein. I eat around 650-750 cals per day working toward 800cals/day. I get between 68-74g protein per day aiming for 74g protein. I eat healthy fats (avocado, almonds/walnuts/pecans/low fat nut butters/other nuts & seeds), olive oil, butter, ghee. My main protein source in this order is eggs, fish, shrimp, chicken breast, turkey, pork, venison, lean natural beef from TX--in that order. I eat VERY tiny amounts of lentils and other beans along with the seeds, but I don't look to them to give me my main source of protein. My main veggie sources are: leafy greens (baby spinach, baby super greens, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, rbp, red onion, grape tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, garlic). My main sources of fruit when I eat it is: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, GS apple WITH peel).

I eat VERY cleanly with VERY little crap and almost no "treats" like sugar free things like Halo Ice Cream, yogurt bars, protein bars (aka candy bars), etc. I'm a puritanical little putz. It works for me. Keeps my body well-nourished without extraneous carbs or "fictitious play" calories, gives me enough fiber to keep my gut biome happy, and me happy. I poop daily now with a little help from my "friends" lol.

So my meals look like this:

B1: 1/2 Premier Protein in decaff coffee as creamer

B2: 2-2.5oz lean protein + 1-1.5oz veg + healthy fat

L: same as B2

AS: same as B2

D: same as B2

BS: 1.5oz Premier Protein in decaff or decaff hot tea as a bedtime drink

If you want a NON-bariatric excellent book on low carb - then go to the masters: Drs. Stephen Phinney and Jeff Volek in The Art And Science of Low Carbohydrate Living available on Amazon.

Edited May 9, 20188 yr by FluffyChix

22 minutes ago, Creekimp13 said:

MissLindsey, these are great questions for your nutritionist visits. Each bariatric group likes their clients to follow a diet that they approve and guide. They'll have good recommendations for you on the macros they think are best for your particular situation. Best wishes!

Thank you! I didn't know they would do that. I will ask them!

12 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

Honestly, no. It's pretty organic. I follow my RD and surgeon's advice and leave it there. And it naturally falls to around 20% carbs (from low glycemic veggies + very small amounts of low glycemic fruits), 40% fat, 40% Protein. I eat around 650-750 cals per day working toward 800cals/day. I get between 68-74g protein per day aiming for 74g protein. I eat healthy fats (avocado, almonds/walnuts/pecans/low fat nut butters/other nuts & seeds), olive oil, butter, ghee. My main protein source in this order is eggs, fish, shrimp, chicken breast, turkey, pork, venison, lean natural beef from TX--in that order. I eat VERY tiny amounts of lentils and other Beans along with the seeds, but I don't look to them to give me my main source of protein. My main veggie sources are: leafy greens (baby spinach, baby super greens, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, rbp, red onion, grape tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, garlic). My main sources of fruit when I eat it is: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, GS apple WITH peel).

I eat VERY cleanly with VERY little crap and almost no "treats" like sugar free things like Halo Ice Cream, yogurt bars, Protein Bars (aka candy bars), etc. I'm a puritanical little putz. It works for me. Keeps my body well-nourished without extraneous carbs or "fictitious play" calories, gives me enough Fiber to keep my gut biome happy, and me happy. I poop daily now with a little help from my "friends" lol.

So my meals look like this:

B1: 1/2 Premier Protein in decaff coffee as Creamer

B2: 2-2.5oz lean protein + 1-1.5oz veg + healthy fat

L: same as B2

AS: same as B2

D: same as B2

BS: 1.5oz Premier Protein in decaff or decaff hot tea as a bedtime drink

If you want a NON-bariatric excellent book on low carb - then go to the masters: Drs. Stephen Phinney and Jeff Volek in The Art And Science of Low Carbohydrate Living available on Amazon.

Amazing advice!! thank you, I'm going to check that book out!

I use the same macro ration as @FluffyChix (that puritanical little putz ) -- or at least I try get close. Its the same ratio that my RD required for the 2-week pre-op period: 20% carbs, 40% protein, 40% fat. Back then, I ate 1,200 kcals per day, now (weeks 6-12) I eat 600-800 kcals per day. I actually have no idea what happens on week 13 - ! I'll meet with the RD before then, tho.

1 minute ago, Apple203 said:

I use the same macro ration as @FluffyChix (that puritanical little putz ) -- or at least I try get close. Its the same ratio that my RD required for the 2-week pre-op period: 20% carbs, 40% Protein, 40% fat. Back then, I ate 1,200 kcals per day, now (weeks 6-12) I eat 600-800 kcals per day. I actually have no idea what happens on week 13 - ! I'll meet with the RD before then, tho.

You asplode from your gut biome shooting off C4 in your guts because you're eating all that protein and not enough soy and beans! I will attend your funeral and speak of you well...but since I'm ahead of you on the surgery timeline, my puritanical putzy ass will already be in heaven. I'll keep a cloud warm and the light on for ya! See ya soon!

Thank you! Do you know how many grams you eat of carbs, protein, and fat? Did you have a certain formula or website you used to find this out?

You can buy keto strips from amazon to test they you are in ketosis. Usually anything over 20 carbs A DAY will keep you from being in ketosis but with the strips you know for sure if you have wiggle room to up carbs or go lower. Unless you are exercising vigorously it’s usually 20 and under though. Hope this helps.


Yo-Yo Girl from New York City

Flip side....

I've been eating Mayo Clinic Diet for about a year...which has a ton of fruit, whole grains, beans, potatoes, brown rice, veggies, protein, etc. (I also eat protein bars and frozen yogurt bars in moderation and love them)

I eat 1200 calories every day and have since week three after surgery.....and at support group, my progress has been as good or better than people eating Keto and very restricted calories.

In the end...it's best to work with your nutitionist and do what works for you.

Best Wishes:)

PS...don't forget that exercise is critical to weight loss. My doctor writes my exercise recommendation on a prescription pad.

Edited May 9, 20188 yr by Creekimp13

Just now, Yo-yo girl said:

You can buy keto strips from Amazon to test they you are in ketosis. Usually anything over 20 carbs A DAY will keep you from being in ketosis but with the strips you know for sure if you have wiggle room to up carbs or go lower. Unless you are exercising vigorously it’s usually 20 and under though. Hope this helps.


Yo-Yo Girl from New York City

Sadly, this isn't really the best advice. The ketones you pee out are the wrong kind of ketone your body MOST uses for energy. That kind of ketone is measured in the blood only. The kind you pee out may or may not show on keto sticks. For instance, my blood shows a pretty steady 1-3. When I used to use keto sticks when I was young and just starting in low carb, it barely ever registered over trace. Now after 18 years, the pee sticks never register. But I am in ketosis.

Also the level of carbs may be anywhere up to even 100g depending on the individual. Performance athletes like @jess9395 and @jenn1 and others might still be in ketosis at 50-75g of daily carbs or more even! It's highly individual.

I think it is super duper important to know your unique body needs when choosing a diet you can honestly stick with and enjoy for life. After 18 years of this low carb lifestyle, this is now simply the way I eat. But I do still call it a diet. I always will.

I have very severe metabolic disease. Even now, my fasting insulin level is still on the high end of normal at 14. I have a HOMA-IR score of >3, which means I am very hyperinsulinemic. (Google HOMA-IR). Most women of normal weight average somewhere between 3-5 I think?

Were I to adopt Creek's Mayo Clinic Diet, I would be on Metformin and Invokana faster than you could say Jacky Robinson. That's the cold stone truth. Instead, even though my fasting insulin still being high, my A1c is now down around 5.3 (from 6.9 when I ate SAD). So something is CLEARLY working for me. Also, my triglycerides are a little less than 100 and HDL/LDL profile is gorgeous and textbook perfect.

So diet is highly individual. We must eat the way our body will function the healthiest.

I love Mayo Clinic Diet.

We all have our prejudices about diet...and believe the diet gurus we choose. it's all controversial.

Eating Mayo Clinic Diet...in less than a year I have:

*Improved my blood sugar from pre-diabetic to normal.

*Got off blood pressure medication and have normal blood pressure

*Got off diuretics and no longer have any fluid or swelling in my legs.

*Got off antidepressants.

*I sleep great again. Which is extremely important for weight loss.

*Have perfect cholesterol numbers

The only medication I take is thyroid medication now. And bariatric vitamins:)

Lot of ways up this mountain. Pick the path that's best for you.

9 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

I think it is super duper important to know your unique body needs when choosing a diet you can honestly stick with and enjoy for life.

So glad you're eating in a diet that is great for you Creek! Congrats!!!