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Did you ever end up starting a flexatarian, vegetarian or vegan diet? Let me know how it's going. I know a couple people mentioned with how little we can eat they are worried about not getting the nutrition we need - but think about it - all we really get from animal protein is just that protein. We aren't really getting a lot of other nutrients from it if you aren't incorporated the vegetables & fruits. I figure I'd be getting MORE nutrients on a vegetarian or at least a flexatarian diet from whole foods than I get right now. I do take my multivitamin every day as well. Anyway - just wondering how it's going. I'm 6.5 months out and I've really been thinking about this as well. It was something I wanted to do before I ever had surgery - but every time I tried I just couldn't stick with it because I'd get too hungry. I'm thinking for the summer doing 1 day a week as a raw food vegan day, another day as a regular vegan day and at least 2 days where I eat meat and the other 3 just being lacto-ovo vegetarian and see how that works out for me. Connie

i have two options - 50 total carbs a day or meal replacement shakes and one small meal a day. talk to your nutritional consultant to have a vegetarian preop diet to shrink your liver.

I went to one bariatric surgeon who said I'd have to go on the keto diet after surgery. I'm a vegetarian, and I have no desire to go on a diet that doesn't allow beans, complex carb grains, and minimally sweetened yogurt (the kind recommended by bariatric surgeons). If I tell another surgeon that I will not go on a keto diet after surgery, are they likely to deny my surgery?

Protein can be an extremely complex subject requiring advanced degrees in chemistry and nutritional science to understand. I am not an expert by any means. But the following might help give you an idea of what's happening in the protein supplement world. As near as I can determine, "proto whey" is a marketing term, not a scientific one. Whey protein can be processed a number of different ways. "Denatured" protein involves the use of heat or acid or both to change the molecular structure of protein and make it more easily absorbed. "Ultra filtration" produces whey concentrate - about 70%-80% pure protein. Concentrate still contains fair amounts of fat and lactose giving it what some consider a better taste. "Micro/nano filtration" removes virtually all fat and lactose and is used to create whey isolate - about 90%-95% pure protein. Isolate may be the best choice for folks who are lactose intolerant. Whey isolate can be even further processed or "Hydrolyzed". Hydrolyzed whey protein is even more pure than isolate and is assimilated by the body very, very quickly. It also is very expensive, tastes extremely bitter and loses many important benefits provided by biologically active peptides that are destroyed in the hydrolyzation process. Sometimes the protein of choice by serious bodybuilders but probably not appropriate for the rest of us. Ion-exchange whey protein is the purest form of whey protein on the market today. It contains almost none of the vital peptides and is biologically inactive. I have no idea who buys it or why. So in my opinion, the age old adage "the less processed your food is, the better" is true when it comes to protein. If you are not lactose intolerant, many doctors consider the additional purity of whey isolate vs. whey concentrate to be insignificant. And most would agree that concentrate tastes better. Egg protein is another animal based protein that is excellent. For many years egg protein was considered the gold standard of protein. It has only been relatively recently that whey has taken the number one spot. But that is likely due more to lower costs, easier manufacturing and more options for flavoring than any significant advantage as far as protein goes. If you're a vegetarian, soy protein is a complete plant based protein and is readily available. Stay away from collagen protein. Finally when choosing a protein supplement, always consider the protein calorie to total calorie ratio. I drink Pure Protein shakes for Breakfast which have 35g of protein for a total protein calorie count of 140 vs. the total calorie count which is 160 or 170 depending on the flavor. So the protein calories are roughly 85% of the total. And I like the taste. There are many other good options. Hope that helps and have a great day!!

I've been banded for 2 months and a vegetarian for 2 years, I am having difficulty getting all my protein in without using shakes. Not a lot of variety, kind of in a rut! :smile:

Hey Tex! Thanks so much for the info. I have been looking on YouTube for bloggers who have had this procedure done and they are very few, but there are a lot of regular sleeve bloggers on there that show how they are making it work for them. I am not sure if the surgeries are comparable or not? I called my doctor today and have now got ESG set up for March the 6th. I just hope I don't chicken out again. I am a vegetarian and actually do eat pretty healthy, my problem is portion control and sweets. I LOVE SWEETS and it is my biggest downfall. It seems that I gained weight after I quit smoking over 6 years ago and when I hit menopause I just ballooned up quick. Thanks so much for taking the time to replay and I will check out your other posts. Thanks Shelia

Since March 26th when I started my pre op and then banded on 4/4 I am done 30! I have been walking 2 miles a day then on my feet all day at work. Eating wise I am using a lot of lap band freindly reciepes. Here is one of my favorite breakfast ones. It keeps me full for at least 4 hours! "Love Your LAP-BAND®" Blueberry pancakes </IMG>Recipe submitted by Tricia Morrison </IMG>Rated: </IMG> (5) Difficulty: Medium Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 15 min Good for: Breakfast, Solid, Low Fat, Vegetarian, Family Favorites Serving size: 2 pancakes Recipe makes: 5 Ingredients 2 eggs 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese 1/2 small ripe banana 2 Tablespoons Splenda 1 cup uncooked quick one-minute oats 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup blueberries frozen or fresh sugar-free Blackberry Maple Syrup (recipe can be found in LAP-BAND® recipes) Directions 1.) In a food processor or blender, add eggs and pulse to beat. (Unfortunately a hand-held mixer will NOT work! Only a food processor or blender will smooth down the batter into a pancake consistency). Next, add cottage cheese, banana, and Splenda, processing or blending until cottage cheese is smooth. Then, add the oats, baking powder, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Process until well-combined. Stir in blueberries. 2.) Heat a flat skillet or griddle over medium heat. Coat skillet with nonstick cooking spray. 3.) Using a large spoon, ladle, or cookie scoop, pour in about 1/4 cup of batter for one pancake. Cook each pancake about 3 minutes per side. Serve with Sugar-free Blackberry Maple Syrup, or your favorite sugar-free syrup. "Love Your LAP-BAND®" Blueberry Pancakes also taste great on their own! Serving Size 2 pancakes Recipe makes 5 servings Amount Per Serving Calories 150Calories from Fat 35Total Fat 3.5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gCholesterol 90gSodium 250gTotal Carbohydrate 21gDietary Fiber 3gSugars 6gProtein 10g Enjoy....my 17 and 12 year olds like this one too!!

I want to start incorporating more protein in my diet to ease the transition (I hope to.get sleeved in June)- would love to hear advice about which stores/websites have the lowest prices. I am vegetarian so shakes and powders would be especially helpful. Also, are there ways to sign up for free samples or coupons? Thanks!

I was writing a response and it disappeared. For a long time I’ve wanted to eat less meat and add in vegetarian protein. But for some reason whenever I try adding vegetables my weight goes up. I lost a lot of weight before but as I wanted to add in vegetarian foods and vegetables my weight crept up. I still don’t know what happened that I needed up on the road back to square one and over 200lbs. at some point I want to try vegetarian protein but with various food allergies I have to be careful. I know that losing weight won’t help my chronic illness, at least not my main medical condition I’ve had since I was a child. But I also know that any burden I can take off my body, by treating what offshoot medical conditions I can or by being a healthy weight, will at least ease some of the burden on my body. Less of me to carry around so I can move around a little easier. Especially as my health declines in ways I can’t control or stop. It’s just exhausting constantly battling my weight. And that the things that makes a normal person better, actually makes me worse (ie. Exercise) I can’t remember what I meant to say in my response. But when I can I buy BariatricPal protein, like in soups. I recently got their pancake and it’s pretty good, 100 calories and 15 grams protein. What gets my weight going down isn’t always consistent. But then my weight tends to crawl and stall for two weeks then go down. I was worried my last surgery would cause gain but thankfully it didn’t. It’s slow going now and I find myself struggling to change to regular foods and add soft vegetables.

Vegetarian here. Being sleeved April 2nd. Thank you for starting this!

I got it at whole foods. I haven't tried it yet. I put it in the vegetarian jello that I made so as soon as its cooled and firm ill try it. Well ill make my husband try it first

I have been moving toward a vegetarian lifestyle. Not ready to fully give up meat yet but definitely want a cleaner, less-processed food lifestyle. Well, until I got my labs back and my doctor told me that I absolutely HAD to keep eating meat. My ferritin level came back at 4. Any lower and I have to have iron infusions. My b12 is on the low side and d3 is very low. I've been eating meat but incorporating other sources of protein the last few months- beans, quinoa, amaranth, tvp, etc. I feel I am eating healthier than I ever have. I don't want to supplement with oral iron (I am so freaking constipated from it!). Why is my iron so low? I'm wondering if I don't absorb it for some reason. Can I continue to move toward a vegetarian lifestyle and have healthy iron stores? Do any of you struggle? I'm almost 11 months post-op. Any advice is appreciated.

Im a lacto/ovo vegetarian, and get by fine. Lots of Beans, low fat cheese and dairy, meat substitutes... what do you eat now for protein? There are several other posts on this board that go into detail. I would google vegetarian protein sources, and see whats out there.

ok, so i'm beign banded monday morning and this weekend wait is killing me. too much idle time to let my mind wander and it's affecting my sleep (or lack thereof). doesn't anyone else post about their freak-out stage or am i alone on this? list of random ramblings: 1. must eat everything in sight before sunday morning. once awake i'll be on liquids until i reach the mushie stage. 2. i am terrified of the unknown me. my size is my identity (we'll leave it at that because it would take until monday to get into all my therapy history.) What will i look like at a normal weight? what kind of clothing style do i have? i've shopped so long and chose what I liked/fit me versus what i would choose if i could wear anything i wanted. (i'm leaning toward the LL Bean - eclectic yoga/herbalist look ). 3. i know i'm going to go through a HUGE food mourning stage. the hardest will be ice cream and sweets. fortunately, i like vegetarian cuisine and mediterranean foods. food is my friend, dammit. i'm very curious to see how i handle stress sans food. thank goddess i've learned to meditate! 4. mega afraid to say something stupid while under.:speechles my surgeon is rather hot! 5. not too worried about the dying on the table thing. however, i will be paranoid for a few days about slippage, erosion, gremins eating my band ( ), etc. i have a tendancy for the dramatic! Ok, now for some routine questions: 1. just how naked are you on the table? can you wear socks? were you able to get into jammies once in your room? 2. do you get a cath before anesthesia? 3. does the iv stay in overnight or just a few hours after surgery? thanks for reading this let alone answering any of my ramblings. aaaarggghhhhh.....i wish it were 6:00am monday morning!

Has anyone gone vegan or vegetarian after surgery?

I went in asking for bypass, and my surgeon talked me into VSG. So glad that he did. Two reasons: -I am a vegetarian so already have to be careful about nutrient absorption, especailly B12--and RNY as a malabsorptive procedure would have made that even more difficult; 2. -I wanted to be able to take NSAIDs, and while my surgeon allows RNY patients to do so with a PPI after a waiting period, I wanted to be able to take them more liberally if needed, and VSG allows you to do that (I will always take a gastric-protective med though)

My doctor's clinic has two in-house nutritionists. I do think it's very helpful. I would have had no idea how to navigate meals and supplements without their guidance early on. The sleeve is just so different from anything else one has experienced prior. But, I would be very sure to find a nut that not only has sleeve specific experience, but vegetarian sleeve also. I am a "flexitarian" and used to eat 50 - 75% vegetarian. I found that very difficult to continue with the sleeve and Protein requirements of 75-80 grams a day. It can be done, but your options are limited. If you search on here, there have been threads in the past from veg sleevers that I'm sure would be helpful to you.

I make a lot of bean based soups because I'm vegetarian. I also made a really tasty, but not so pretty dreamed spinach soup. I used veg stock (either my own or low sodium Amy's), a container or premade Orgain organic protein drink (vanilla flavor). I pureed a can of low sodium whit beans with 2 cups of spinach and some roasted garlic. Mix it all together, salt & pepper to taste, a dash of cumin. If you want I you could add some chicken, but I don't eat chicken I added some shredded blanched spinach for garnish.

Girls, I know.......I have been battling getting back on track. I did start eating fruit instead of junk. That has helped my sweet tooth. Oh, I went to support last night. Dr. Davis' wife made a healthy pizza. She grilled two kinds of squash, peppers, onion, and eggplant. Then she chopped it up and put in on a whole wheat pizza crust slathered with roasted garlic hummus. she topped it with goat cheese. It was delicious. I will definitely make one. He wants us to go vegetarian. I am not there yet. I still like a steak twice a month, not to mention chicken. I am working on it. He said if all I ate was veggies , fruits, and nuts I wouldn't gain weight. I am not training for Iron Man triathlon like he is...... get real.

I think a lot of eating meat after surgery involves getting past the hurdle that it might hurt. I make sure that I have some kind of sauce/moisture for meat and that I cut it into small bites and chew well. My sleeve (Rex) still won't tolerate anything remotely spicy, but I can now eat almost any meat without issues. As Meg said, there are many alternatives for Protein without eating meat. We have quite a few vegetarian sleevers around here. I love to check their group for new ideas. I personally eat a lot of cheese to help boost my protein intake, and I like a babybel in the morning before my Vitamins so that I don't get nauseous. SleevedMom, if you're getting nauseous from just putting the meat in your mouth, do YOU think it's a head issue or do you get sick once you chew up and swallow the meat? If it's a head issue, it may be time for a chat with your nutritionist or doctor about whether you're really ready for meat. It might even be a good idea to talk to a therapist about the meat issue. If it's a physical issue, for instance your tummy gets upset when you eat meat, you may just need to eat more vegetarian for a while. I've seen people who have continued with only protein bars/shakes long-term, and they do lose weight. IME, though, those people are the ones who never transition back to "normal" life. My late friend's sister in law is one of those and the sister in law ends up in the ER regularly because of malnutrition and dehydration. The sister in law says it's "too hard" to get in her Water and to eat normal food. Each time she goes in the hospital, they work on getting her into a routine where she's eating regular food and drinking water. She will comply long enough to get out of the hospital, then she's right back to only eating protein bars and drinking very little. Personally, I think the woman now has anorexia or something similar. It is really important to try to transition to getting your protein from food, but you may need some softer Proteins and some guidance from a nutritionist or therapist to get to that point. I think that is a very natural reaction since we've had such restricted diets before and after surgery. Add in that none of us want to damage our new sleeves and leaks are a terrifying complication, and it's a wonder that any of us ever manage to transition back to "regular" food after surgery! Good luck!! Please let us know how it goes.

I am a vegetarian and have food allergies. Not all my friends are vegetarians. I almost always check menus before I go. it's just part of what I need to do in order not to get sick. I'm pretty good at it so I have a handful of restaurants I frequent that I know are safe, and I'm pretty good at talking to wait staff to make sure I get something safe to eat. For the most part it doesn't really complicate my life.

I don't know what you'd need to take Vitamins for that you wouldn't want to take extra anyway. Other than B12 (which really we should all be taking regardless), you can get everything from plant sources. And that's if you're vegan. If you're just vegetarian, it's even less of a problem.

I was always under the impression that Vegeterians or Vegans had their weight under control. Most that I have known have always givien me the my body is a temple speech. Or that I am unethical because I enjoy tastey animals. Could it be both alternative diets substitute animal products with sugar and high carbos? Just curious not being judgemental. Being honest, I can fully understand the benifits to being a vegetarian, but the vegans I know drive me nuts and dont have a clue when it comes to the science behind nutrition. I personally know a Vegan that is forcing her dog to be one also. Luckly her mom sneaks the dog meat.

I got VSG on 12/17, so not two weeks just yet. I have had little to no problems. Sent home from the hospital a day early due to no need for pain meds and I was walking a ton. I did have two days at home where all I did was sleep on and off all day. By 12/23 I felt back to normal and was able to sleep and walk a few miles each day. I know I am lucky after reading through other's posts. My concern is what to eat. My doctor's office told me anything soft enough to cut with the side of a fork. I am vegetarian so meat is out. I am craving salads but they said not until month 2 at the earliest. Currently I am getting about 500 cal per day due to the protein shakes. Only a few bites of homemade runny refried beans and ricotta bake. Just cleaned out my closet for the second time. I lost 50 lbs prior to surgery and got rid of many clothes but more needed to go. I have also pulled out the sewing machine to help get a little life out of some of my shirts and skirts.

Pork is wonderful if you are doing low carbs. I have a love/hate relationship with pork. My father cooked nothing but port for 1 whole week. Breakfast was bacon or sausage and for dinner he cooked pork chops, ribs, pig feet and to top it off pork roast. By the end of that week I was sick and disguested with pork. That was several years ago so I am over it now. But now my 12 year old wants to be a vegetarian. I wasn't buying that much pork because we primarily do turkey everything. Turkey burgers, spaghetti, chili and so on. Now I have to get my pork with an attitude, like I've done something wrong. I WANT A BIG FAT HAM FOR THANKSGIVING.....it's too big, I need help eating it....