CAN USE SOME ADVISE
You are in ketosis and that is a good thing. You kind of just have to live with it. I hope the mints you are eating are sugar free otherwise you will come out of ketosis.
It is normal. Keep mouthwash around and keep doing that frequently. There isn't a whole lot you can do about it.
I don't recommend it right now, but when you get farther out, you can try sugar free gum and mints, but right now its not a good idea for a couple of reasons. One chewing gum forces air into your stomach and two sugar free gum and mints have a significant amount of sugar alcohols in them that ferment in the gut and produce a fair amount of gas which can be uncomfortable and of course you have gas, so you can figure the rest out.
Once you get to full foods eating leafy greens will help because the chlorophyll helps to clean your breath.
Certainly any simple carbs (think refined) so yes sugar, bread, flour. Most complex carbs (whole grains) should be ok as long as you are sticking to your under 20 or 40 depending on your plan. I am research ketogenic diets and one report I read suggest that when eating high fats one guy was able to eat up to 150 carbs but he was also exercising a lot. Just to qualify that they did not specify what those carbs where I am going to guess it was a lot of fiber (which is not digested or only partially digested) and they did not specify exactly how much exercise or what type) I would guess 60-120 mins of cardio so think long distance runner.
You should be ok with VSG and veggies as you will run out of room before you can eat enough veggies, but certainly avoid carrots, corn, beets, any veggie that tastes a bit sweet, probably beans (although I eat a lot of beans and I still spend a fare amount of time in ketosis). Green veggies are your best bet.
Certainly eating more fat while keeping your carbs very low will keep you energy levels high and will keep you in ketosis longer, remember ketosis is the process of turning fat into energy so it makes sense that providing your body with readily available fats will accelerate that process.
It is a down side. Hit the drug store on your way home there are a couple of natural products. There is one that has been heavily advertised lately I believe it is called thera breath that is supposed to help. Certainly any breath products containing chlorophyll will help.
Mints won't get rid of it and be careful how many you eat in a day they can actually emotionally trigger you like candy and don't forget about the sugar alcohols fermenting in your gut. You could end up with bad smells coming from more than one place by the end of the day.
Go to your pharmacy and ask for chlorphyll tablets--they WILL take the odour away, gaurenteed. They will also turn your tongue incrediblly green! It's a matter of choice- Ugly breath or shockingly green tongue. Good luck!! Oh, and lest I am perceived as dispensing md advise (altho it's an over the counter product) Check with the pharmacist first about use.)
goal!!! August 20, 2013 age: 59 High weight: 345 (June, 2011) Consult weight: 293 (June, 2012) Pre-Op: 253 (Nov., 2012) Surgery weight: 235 (Dec. 12, 2012) Current weight: 145
TOTAL POUNDS LOST- 200 (110 pounds lost before surgery, 90 pounds lost Post Op.diabetes in remission-blood pressure normal-cholesterol and triglyceride levels normal! BMI from 55.6 supermorbidly obese to 23.6 normal!!!!
It lasts for as long as you follow a very low carb diet. If that is your goal, you will just have to deal with the breath. If you are not trying to go super low carb, you can get out of ketosis easily by eating a small amount of healthy carbs, like whole fruit. Just make sure you are still getting enough protein.