Ketogenic Diet and Duodenal Switch ( DS ) weight loss journey

spacedog1111

I had the DS in 2009. As a 5'10" female, the DS helped me go from 325lbs to 150lbs and I felt great. I was working out, running, eating well, active, happy. In the last two years my weight has been creeping up, simply because I stopped working out and have been eating lots of sugar and carbs. I have gained about 40 lbs and need to lose it because it is making me miserable. I have no doubt that I am a sugar addict and that sugar triggers me, and in the past when I have gone paleo I have felt better, lost weight, and my sugar cravings were gone. Since Keto shares more similarities to paleo than not, I am going to give it a shot. I am hopeful that it will help me feel more satiated and help me to lose the weight more quickly. Very thankful to have found this forum.

flamewerks

I know this is an old thread, but I'm hoping some DS/Keto folks are still out there.

I had a DS in 2008 at 300 lbs. Lost 140 pounds and maintained that until a year or so ago because, ya know, life. I started the keto WOE in mid-October this year and have lost 18 of the 30 regained pounds I want to lose.

Because I had already cut most grains and processed foods from my diet due to adverse gut reactions, I found it to be a relatively simple process to convert to keto. Sugar wasn't quite as easy to eliminate, but eventually I was able to cut it from my diet completely. I can't stand the taste of most non-sugar alternatives so "sweet" things are a very small part of my life now.

If anyone is still out there reading this, how are you doing today?

jnlwright37

I'm loving low carb (but not necessarily keto). I had the DS in 2005 at 280 lbs. Got down to 160 by the two year mark, and my body likes to hover around 175 when all is well. After having kids it has become harder to for me to keep the weight off (health/fitness has taken a backseat to family and work). My highest in the last year was 190 and my lowest 150. I've done keto numerous times in my life. It works great to get my weight down, but I personally find it hard to sustain. I DO maintain a very similar eating style though. I avoid processed sugar and breads, so many days I naturally eat 20-30 net carbs. Here's my personal pros/cons list for keto:

Pros:
- fat loss (duh)
- doesn't take long to not miss carbs
- I love meat!
- Heavy cream in coffee and cheese are amazing (now a Con for me... thanks lactose intolerance, ugh)
- the Keto community is fantastic! I loved the /r/keto subreddit (and even still read it semi-regularly).

Cons:
- On strict keto I struggle to find a good balance with fiber, potassium, and magnesium
- as mentioned above, I love dairy but my body doesn't, so if I do dairy (which is some of the best parts of keto) I have digestive issues
- I no longer consider myself a carb addict, so occasionally I want to be able to eat a quinoa salad, or plate of pasta without feeling godawful the next day. And I enjoy being able to be social and not worry quite as much if a social situation involves non-keto-friendly activities.
- if you try specifically to add more fat (like fat bombs), it can make bathroom life unpleasant.
- I think sometimes its hard to get enough calories in with malabsorption. I worried about that a lot. And my husband noticed a large difference on days I ate "lots" vs days I was very sub (what I estimate with absorption) 1,000 calories. Not necessarily in energy, just in things like snappiness, old injuries more prone to act up, and even things like my sleep.

On strict keto I find I'm constantly overthinking my macros and minerals (and who has time for that?!). Some people don't naturally overthink it, but I'm not one of them.

I'm finally finding a happy balance with an eating style that focuses on whole foods. I do keep it low carb (sub 100ish), and when I add carbs I try to keep them to "healthier" carbs (sweet potatoes, flaxseed, quinoa). It is not uncommon for me to eat 20-30 net carbs, which some people would consider keto... but I think ketosis is often offset for me by an overabundance of protein, and also all the fiberous carbs (which I think can still kick you out of ketosis if you eat enough of em). Plus, many days I eat closer to 90g carbs, so I can say bye bye to maintained ketosis and true fat adaptation, which is the goal of keto. Long story short, I love keto but I personally have a hard time not overthinking it, which makes it difficult to sustain. I find a meat n veggie with a little fruit diet to be more intuitive for me (and personally keeps me feeling full longer). I also ended up having to cut out diary, which sucked a lot of the fun out of keto... but many people don't have dairy issues, so I can see why that would also be a plus for sustaining keto! In the end, its more than what you eat. Its lifestyle, time, how your body reacts to things, and your own personal taste. Keto is awesome! Healthy eating is awesome! I'm happy to report I've found something that works for me and where I'm at in my life I hope others can report similar!

one last note: keto DSers... keep posting! When I was doing keto I searched high and low for info and people's experiences specific to DS and keto. Threads like this were super helpful. KCKO!

Pugluver73

DS done May 2017. I lost 130lbs but have gained back 30lbs. I'm on long term disability. Looking to start keto fht am not sure about what my macros would be. Can anyone help me?

sarahep85

I'm on keto and would love to be friend some of you guys who are still doing keto! Definitely need the motivation

lleeann2001

Pugluver73 wrote: »

DS done May 2017. I lost 130lbs but have gained back 30lbs. I'm on long term disability. Looking to start keto fht am not sure about what my macros would be. Can anyone help me?

Honey, I would like to know myself. MFP puts my carb macros high

lleeann2001

Pugluver73 wrote: »

DS done May 2017. I lost 130lbs but have gained back 30lbs. I'm on long term disability. Looking to start keto fht am not sure about what my macros would be. Can anyone help me?

hello. what exactly is the duodenal switch?. I am so uneducated on that. I has gastric bypass on December 20th 2017. I want to lose 57 more pounds. I have lost 73. I absolutely wasted half of last year because I wasnt doing my duty by my pouch. But I am back on track. It truly is a tool and it works if you work IT.

lleeann2001

Also I am on SSI have done limited exercise recently because of knee problems

zeejane03

You may find these groups helpful

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto

cheryldumais

Here's a macro calculator that's free and you don't have to sign up for anything: https://ketokarma.com/keto-calculator/

wbharris

I am so happy I found this thread. I had BPD with DS surgery in 2002 (17 yrs ago) and originally lost 123 lbs, down to 190. Since that time and the honeymoon ended I have tried Weight Watchers and lost 75 lbs, but 50-60 came back and did Keto once before but wasn't well educated on how to do it with my weight loss surgery history.

I don't have a Dr anymore to monitor labs as he passed away and at that time there was not a nutritionist that he had us see for support. All I was told was after 18 mos out, up my protein from 40 gms a day to around 90 and I would continue to lose. I also had zero sugar, carbs didn't matter during that 18 month honeymoon period. I couldn't even eat veggies except spinach and mushrooms as there is sugar in veggies too (although naturally occurring). It was very strict.

I started this week on Keto again, wanting to make this a lifestyle choice and get off carbs for good. They do a number on my intestines (phew). I am looking to lose ultimately 80 lbs but would be VERY happy with 55.

What I am gathering from above comments is to keep my carbs around 20g, protein 90-100g and fill in with fat to meet calorie goals. That way not adding extra fat will force my body to burn my fat instead of what I ate. I realize I can't have zero fat and that eating low fat typically means high sugar (which is a no no). So I have to find that sweet spot for fat.

Thanks again everyone for keeping this thread going. I'll check back here for updates from people but I love that I finally found a place for very very post DS surgery.

psychod787

yadda78 wrote: »

Okay, I never reached out to anyone online so this will be my first post ever! I had the duodenal switch ten years ago and lost 130 lbs. My lowest weight was 183 pounds and I was “good” with that number. Then, life ills began to happen in which I was losing family members and friends back to back.
In addition, last year I experienced ds hell! My vitamins ADEK was extremely low and I could barely move. I had my DS in California so I had to fly there to get help since the doc’s in NC was not getting my issue. The doc gave me a shot, put me on a strict regimen of eating fatty meats, no sugar or carbs, and drinking plenty of water, I felt better within a month time. However, when the smoked cleared I weighed 225 pounds. Somehow, I managed to lose 14 pounds without thinking about it but I am still in the uncomfortable, I do not want to be here again range.
I would like to know how you all are “key toeing” How are you setting up your macros using my fitness pal. Do you all have any issues (runny stool and bad gas) after consuming veggies and fats? Recently, I discovered Dr. Eric Burg and I am thinking about taking his supplement for Gaul bladder and electrolytes. Have any of you heard of him? Have any of you tried his supplements?
Any assistance would be great at this time. I am so tired of battling my issues with weight.

Why would you take nutritional advice from a chiropractor? Many better science based nutritional advocates. If keto is your intention, check out Dom d'agostino. He is a real keto scientist.

Annie_01

I didn't know about this surgery so I went and read here...

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/bpdds-weightloss-surgery

One of the statements that I read was this...

It reduces the amount of fat that your body will absorb.

I guess my question would be...If you have had surgery that reduces the amount of fat that your body can absorb how can you go on a high fat diet?

I also read this...

If you do eat fatty meals, you may have stomach cramping and loose stools.

Are you still under a doctors care since this is a procedure that is supposed to be monitored for life especially due to not being able to absorb a lot of your micros through food.

Personally I think anyone advising you to go KETO or any high fat diet doesn't understand this surgery. I think you should talk to your doctors to see what they advise.