Keto?? Go!

Anyone out there following a keto type diet? I am very interested but a little concerned with the amount of fat involved which translates into calories. It still focuses on proteins and low carbs but what about fat? I'm really trying to settle in about 4 months post-op and seem to have stalled for a couple weeks despite getting full liquids protein and low calorie.

You really don't want to be increasing calories at this point.

I've never done true keto. I eat mostly protein, keep my carbs low, and I don't care where my fat numbers end up, high or low.

fat is not the enemy . Carbs are the enemy, including sweet potatoes, wraps, corn, white flour products potatoes.

I ignored carbs and fats while losing (still do...) as with the minimum protein and low caloric levels we are working at, all diets are low carb and low fat - which is why WLS doesn't care what kind of diet you use. If one is trending around the common 800 calorie level, one will be "in ketosis" by virtue of the caloric deficit that is requiring you to burn your fat stores - no need to add extra fat and calories that will just slow down your loss. Indeed, high fat, low carbohydrate diets are often used to minimize weight loss and regain unwanted lost weight after a gastrectomy, so you still need to watch your calories if you want to lose (this is where most of the keto folks fail longer term.)

Overall, it is no better or worse than any other diet that has come and gone over the years - without WLS, 95+% of people on the diet will fail after a year like any other diet; with WLS the results are better but still no better or worse than any other diet. Sustainability is the key - if it is something that makes sense to you and that you can live with for the next five, ten, fifteen or more years, then go for it. Don't do it just be cause it is trendy now and other people do it - in five years it will be as forgotten as Zone and South Beach diets (remember them?)

My plan is to eat keto once I'm cleared for normal food. I read a good quote about keto for weight loss recently, something along the lines of:

"when it comes to HFLC (high fat low carb), if your body is already high fat, then forget about the high fat part, and focus on the low carb"

From my reading, if you're eating keto to lose weight, it's best to focus on getting in enough protein and keeping your carbs low. Don't worry too much about fats one way or the other (don't actively try to restrict them, but don't try to boost them, either ie forget about all those "fat bomb" recipes you'll see). And being a WLS patient, we need to keep to appropriately small portions too.

Hi, there!

Speaking only for me, at 6-wks out I?m sticking to low carb, low calorie and low-fat until I?m out of my weight loss phase. This is because my nut and I want to throw every tool in the arsenal at losing as much as I can during the golden window (first year or so) where it will be the easiest to drop weight. I think that healthy fat isn?t something to be afraid of, but at this point it would raise my calories?and I calorie deficit is one of my weapons right now. This isn?t to say I don?t dabble in avocados, etc right now, but it is in small amounts (because could not eat more even if I wanted to). I?m sure I?ll work in more days when I get below goal and shift to maintenance.

Calories count. Keto is not a bad WOE, but too many people use it as an excuse to eat tons of fat calories and then wonder why they don't lose weight.

Keep it simple - carbs from vegetables and a bit of dairy and you can call yourself keto without adding butter to your coffee or ingesting llb of peanut butter in a fat bomb!!!

Stalling for a few weeks is not a reason to completely change your way of eating. First, you should examine your current way of eating and see what's going on. How much protein are you getting a day? How much liquid? How many calories?

I do true Keto (strictly) but I'm 4 years post op. At 4 months you should still be focusing on the basics of bariatric surgery.

Once you are ready to move into a maintenance type eating, Keto is great for bariatric patients. But, there has to be a change of thinking as far as what fat, calories, etc mean to the body. There is definite science behind the state of nutritional ketosis and it's not as simple as 'fat=calories'. There are some fantastic published meta-analyses, correlative studies and longitudinal quantitative studies online. Definitely worth taking a look.

Good luck, Keto is a fun adventure

I agree with Gwen, stalling is not a reason to switch the way you are eating. I don't agree with any "diet" anymore, because diets don't work, we all know that from our histories.

If, however, you are permanently changing the way you eat, then Keto can be a great change. I will heartily disagree with another poster who said that "fat doesn't matter" in Keto. It matters very much. If you are not eating low carb, medium protein, and high fat, then you are not eating Keto, you are eating low carb. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! I recommend a low carb way of life for everyone, because it's just healthier. But Keto is a particular way of eating that not only includes low carb, but definitely includes high, healthy fats, and a whole food approach that focuses on how foods affect your body. Eliminating foods that cause inflammation (like legumes), only eating veggies that grow above the ground, with a couple of minor exceptions, and eliminating sugar and foods high in natural sugars (most fruit) because of how they affect your glucose levels. All these factors, not to mention eliminating grains, processed foods, starches, etc., all factor in to the successful Keto WOE (way of eating).

I have been Keto for 15 months, and it is the way I eat. I've never felt better, and I am very happy with my new lifestyle choice. Personally, I follow the guidelines and recommendations of Ketovangelist.com. It is a great site to get information on the Ketogenic way of eating.

Best of luck, and KETO ON!!