chaya

Need advice from vegetarian or mostly vegetarian sleevers out there. I met with the Dr yesterday and he said that I should research vegetarian diet compatibility with VSG. liquid Protein is fine for the first 4 weeks but he feels a SOLID protein like a bite of chicken that will basically sit in your post-Op stomach for a long time is what helps people feel full and not overeat. Vegetarian substitutes like Beans or tofu or seitan apparently just get processed by the stomach acids and move into the intestines fast.. Making you feel hungry again. I am mostly vegetarian. I eat eggs, dairy etc. Will occasionally eat chicken or fish in restaurants but I do not cook meat at home. For the weight loss phase when I am losing weight, I am willing to do what it takes to get the protein in but I would prefer longer term diet to be mostly plant based. Is this unrealistic with the sleeve?

That is a good strategy about not watching the scale. I am considering doing the surgery in California. My Dr has 10+ years doing vertical sleeve and has done thousands. His experience is that his vegan/ vegetarian patients struggle with hunger and weight loss. He does not want people to rely on smoothies and shakes post-op and move to real food and get Protein from real food sources. He was the one who asked me to post here and seek experience of others and come up with a eating plan that I can enjoy and live with for rest of my life. He does work with a nutritionist and I will be seeing her in early Jan. I have found that if the nutritionist is not familier with vegetarian diet, they often do not have suggestions beyond tofu and protein shakes. I need at least some of my meals to be similar to what my family will eat. So rajma with greek yogurt and cauliflower subji is fine for me but I know I will not eat tofu and drink protein shakes every meal. I think you get that. I just want to eat smaller portions and feel full. So do you avoid rice and wheat completely - No rice or rotis? 85 lbs is just amazing and your approach and attitude to food seems so .so.. rational. Are you still losing or are you more in maintenance mode. Did you have any medical issues that got resolved with your weight loss?

That is a good strategy about not watching the scale. I am considering doing the surgery in California. My Dr has 10+ years doing vertical sleeve and has done thousands. His experience is that his vegan/ vegetarian patients struggle with hunger and weight loss. He does not want people to rely on smoothies and shakes post-op and move to real food and get Protein from real food sources. He was the one who asked me to post here and seek experience of others and come up with a eating plan that I can enjoy and live with for rest of my life. He does work with a nutritionist and I will be seeing her in early Jan. I have found that if the nutritionist is not familier with vegetarian diet, they often do not have suggestions beyond tofu and Protein Shakes. I need at least some of my meals to be similar to what my family will eat. So rajma with greek yogurt and cauliflower subji is fine for me but I know I will not eat tofu and drink protein shakes every meal. I think you get that. I just want to eat smaller portions and feel full. So do you avoid rice and wheat completely - No rice or rotis? 85 lbs is just amazing and your approach and attitude to food seems so .so.. rational. Are you still losing or are you more in maintenance mode. Did you have any medical issues that got resolved with your weight loss?

Hi Puja, My surgeon feels that without a solid Protein like chicken etc., that basically takes a long time to digest, I will feel hungry often. Did your hunger change after the surgery. I know that with removal of the fundus in the stomach, the main source ghrelin is gone, but I am not sure if in reality, that translates directly to lack of hunger. What was your weight loss like immediately post-op? I agree with you that it is a tool but lifestyle change is an issue. Like most vegetarians, my issue is that grains like rice and wheat is the main source of calories. I am OK with eating dal with Greek yogurt etc..but right now I feel too hungry after that.

Puja --> I am glad you posted. Can you share more details please? What has your weightloss been like? Did your surgeon or Nut have any concerns about your vegetrian diet or provide any guidelines for what to eat? How has your hunger been post-op? What is your daily diet like? Can you share some meal plan details for Breakfast, lunch, dinner etc? We mainly eat an south asian/ indian diet diet at home and I don't know how to make it work and not make something separate for myselft for every meal. And there is only so much eggs I can stomach?

Bumping this as I am interested in this topic too.

Hi, I am a newbie here and this is my first post. I have been reading a lot of the posts here and researching VSG. I would like you all to give me some honest feedback on whether I am a suitable candidate for VSG. I feel that others I might ask have a strong bias one way or other --> The doctors are all for it as after all it is what they are selling. My family and friends are all against any kind of surgery .. seeing it as either weak will or me making a mountain out of a mole hill or worse commiting body mutiliation. You are all a group of strangers but you have walked in these shoes and been there.. I would be very grateful for your candid advice. So Am I a candidate for VSG 40 yr old female 5ft 2in Currently 194 lbs. Never been lower than 125 lbs. Life long issues with weight PCOS for 25 years with related issues (infertility, hair loss, dark skin in under arms and neck, hirsutism, cystic acne) Diagnosed as Diabetic 3 months ago (A1a of 6.3) High Cholesterol (Triglycerides - 215 / HDL - 3 /| Cholesterol to HDL ratio - 6.4) Most of the weight I carry is on the mid section. Family history of diabetes, High BP, and cardiac issues Have had 2 surgeries prior which resulted in some keloid scarring - C-section and breast reduction for medical reasons (nerve issues, back pain) Am considering VSG as I really really do not want to do a lapband and have that foreign object in me. I eat healthy at home with organic foods, whole grains, made from scratch stuff. But when I do eat out, it is harder. I do have a sweet tooth. Vegetarian --> Protein is going to be an issue. I eat dairy and eggs. I do have 100% coverage via my insurer. This should not influence my decision but I am reading it as medically supported proof. Exercise - I exercize at least 2-3 times a week. Last 6 months I have been working with a trainer on resistance training. I love to hike. I really really do not like to take pills. I am tired of being fat, too sick to do stuff, not finding nice clothes, not being able to keep up with my kid, avoiding photographs and generally feeling like I am going to be miserable till I die.

Thank you for all your perspectives. I realized that I should explain my assumptions or logic as it were. Are my assumptions invalid? Assumptions- The VSG will help with appetite control.This is the MAIN REASON I am considering this option. Right now my problem is I can eat a lot and before I feel full. I expect with VSG, I can feel full on a LOT LESS. - The initial phase will involve a lot of Protein shakes and such. I can do this in the weight loss phase but cannot sustain for rest of my life consuming processed shakes. My expectation is that I can eat NORMAL food in life once I am in maintenance phase.. just much much smaller portions of it. This includes salads, and some whole grains like quinoa, brown rice etc. I can eat with my family and not have to make separate food for myself always. This is the reason I am choosing VSG as it is not a malabsorbtive procedure. We cook most things from scratch and for most part make healthy choices. Ms Skinniness --> I made a mistake in the A1c number. It is 6.6 which is now considered diabetic. I read that study as well. One of the points made was that it is more likely to prevent diabetes if the surgery is done in early stages of diagnosis when the beta cells in the pancreas are still working OK. So I am interpreting that as if I have to do surgery, earlier is better. OTR Sleever --> We have already checked with insurance and we are covered. amazon13 --> A lot of very good soul searching questions.. I have to think about this. The ones i have most trouble with are (a) Ready to eat protein with only a little veggie. I need to be able to consume vegetables. This is the primary source of my nutrients as I am a vegetarian. (b)Ready to possibly give up Pasta, rice and potatoes forever. Am I unrealistic to expect that I can do this in moderation in life? Say 1/3 cup of pasta or rice?