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You rock babygrl, it is sooo hard to go grocery shopping and not by meat, dairy, eggs, etc.....I know. I did it today. I'm not going vegetarian, but I think I'm cutting out dairy, for now... And Stefanie, gotcha, no more nasty dairy talk. It is quite disgusting!

I am walking 5 miles a day (we have a inside cork inside of my job) that is 1 mile long and on my breaks I walk around it twice, I drink 80-100 ounces of water daily and 80-90 grams of protein a day. I was originally a vegetarian but I have added seafood into my diet. I eat eggs, and a piece of cheese for breakfast w a protein shake and dinner and lunch could be fish, shrimp ect w steamed veggies, quinoa ect. I can only have 2-3 bites so far. I try and eat every few hours? I take all of the required vitamins and papaya enzyme!

No, I don't eat any red meat, chicken or fish at all. For protein I eat eggs, cheese, TVP, Beans and nuts. I never really counted protein grams, so I couldn't say exactly how many grams a day I eat. When I eat out I usually just order from the vegetarian section of the menu (99.95% of the places I eat at have this) And when there isn't a Vege menu to order from, there is usually something that suits me. I didn't become vegetarian for any ethical reason (I don't have a problem with seeing other people eat meat) I was just never a big meat eater, and I found that I was eating less and less meat as time went on and just thought to myself "why not just become vegetarian?" and within a couple of weeks I had eliminated meats from my diet all together. I am what's call and ovo-lacto vegetarian, meaning I still eat dairy, eggs and honey. There are other types of vegetarianism that are far more restrictive in what can be consumed, but I love my cheese and yoghurt, so I don't see myself becoming vegan any time soon.

Moderation is healthy and I dont eat meat for personal reasons. I usually eat 2oz of refried black beans for lunch. Great option! Here's my vegetarian soft food stage dinner from the other night. 1.65 oz of impossible meat balls, .85 oz of protein Chickpea pasta, a sprinkle of parmesean and about a tablespoon of suace. Went down like a charm. Total protein: 13 grams. I think it's good for such a small amount of food and doesn't upset my stomach at all. Don't mind the kids plate LOL Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm vegetarian. I do low carb, I do not do no carb. Instead I look for complex carbs and avoid processed, "white carbs" that you get from breads, pastas and rice. I try to eat whole foods as much as possible.

I had my galbladder removed in January. At times when i was having an attack i thought i was having a heart attack. They were very sudden and sharp and right in the middle of my chest under where i assume my band is. I did an ultrasound for stones (none appeared) and a barium swallow. Both were ok but i knew something was wrong. Very gassy, had to be in the bathroom very suddenly and frequently, and these sporadic chest pains (middle of night/early morning were the worse). I pushed for a HIDA scan and it popped up in the 20's so a lap chole was scheduled in the following weeks My symptoms were def not normal and my NP was reluctant to believe it was my galbladder. Her nurse had had the same symptoms and had her gallbladder out months before so her nurse helped push the HIDA scan. I would push for a HIDA scan (which are long, boring, and uncomfortable btw) and if it comes back normal my next route would be an EGD to rule out erosion. Erosion scares the bejesus out of me too. If left to long it can cause necrosis and that just makes my heart beat all funny just thinking about it. I actually spoke with my NP about this very thing this morning and she said if you catch it early (which usually shows up as irritated tissue ont he EGD) they just unfill and watch the irritation and wait for it to heal on its own. It is when it isnt caught that it turns ugly. Which made me feel a little better but not much Let us know what you find out and i would def push for more tests. You are your best advocate and I KNEW something was not right and wasnt going to give up until someone sorted out. Also, eat as low fat as possible; fatty foods will trigger an attack like nothing i have seen. After i found out it was my gb i ate a lot of rice and Beans. Now I eat as many low fat vegetarian meals as possible because fat wrecks havoc on my digestive system still to this day.

Well, I can't say enough good things about the whole procedure and everyone involved. The supervised diet doctor is Dr. Garza next door, and she and her staff are also wonderful. Dr. Garza's office sells the unjury brand protein powders but I was not required to buy it. I just did because it was easy. Dr. Cribbins' office sells the Celebrate Vitamins, but they were not required. I bought them because I figured why not, but I grew to hate them and then I believe I developed an allergy to them so no more of that! Basically, my food plan was: Very low fat and vegetarian for two weeks prior to surgery. I got my surgery date less than two weeks out, so I didn't even have the whole two weeks of pre-op diet. Clear liquids for three days following surgery (I was in the hospital those three days, no problem) Full liquids/thinned pureed foods for five weeks. I think at four weeks I was allowed to add crackers to Soup and that was pure excitement! lol After that, I got to introduce regular foods gradually. I was terrified of the pre-op diets that I had read about on this site. I didn't think I could comply with full liquids for several weeks pre-op (post op was a piece of cake - did I just write that?). I was so relieved to find out, after I was almost through the process, that Dr. Cribbins has an easy pre-op diet. I would just double check, if you call, that everything is still the same because things might change.

I am able to eat breads (in moderation) I find that those fill my pouch up more and sometimes you don't realize that your eating such a small amount of bread that you eat too much and it can also make your pouch hurt so I tend to try to stay away from breads just because it takes up too much space in there. Salads......oh yes but I wasn't allowed to eat any type of lettuce until I was 6 weeks out and the nurse said that sometimes people don't react great to lettuce and some can only have iceberg and some can only have romaine so you really have to be careful the 1st time you eat lettuce because you may eat iceberg and your tummy may not like it. Tomato sauce like the kind with peppers and stuff added just give me the runs, as well as tacos, and onion....but that could all be due to the fact that I had my gall bladder removed when I had my surgery. I myself never ate the baby food because I have tried it when my kids were babies and ew ew ew that's all I can say about that. And those cravings that you are having are totally normal for the stage that you are at now, in the beginning you do have a lot of head hunger I know I craved hot dogs if that makes any sense but I wanted it not because I was hungry but because my head was trying to tell me to eat everything in sight because it was just that head hunger and nothing else.....I still am like that to this day, grocery shopping is the worst I just pick up things I know I can't eat and won't attempt to and the kids or hubby eat it lol but I just pick it up because the packaging looks good and I'm like oh I could eat one of those even though I really can't. Mac and cheese was touch and go it went down smooth, but I'm still at the stage where I'm trying to figure out when I'm full and when I can eat a little more that's an issue I've been dealing with and it's something I think all of us go through because you just don't know when to stop and when you can eat more because the full feeling you have with gastric is totally different than with your regular tummy.....they say once you are on solid foods all of your meal should fit in 1/2 cup.....well my pouch gets full way before the 1/2 is empty so you just have to try amounts to see what is right for your pouch, if I do eat mac n cheese I eat about 4 bites and that is it although I know I could probably do 6 bites I would rather stop at 4 then have my pouch overfull...and girl that hurts like a bitch! Here's some ideas of soft foods that I know were recommended to me by the dr: moist meats (canned chicken or tuna in Water only) ***use caution I ate tuna and it got stuck worst thing ever*** canned fruit (no sugar added in 100% real fruit juice) applesauce (no sugar added) hot and cold cereals (cream of wheat, cherrios, special k, any flavor oatmeal, grits) frozen or canned veggies egg substitute mashed potatoes fat free whole wheat crackers macaroni, rotini, or penne Pasta 96-99% fat free deli meat ***life saver, I heat up deli meat and cheese and roll it up eat it....great lunch idea*** tofu refried Beans (vegetarian) well cooked beans skinless turkey or chicken breast 93% lean ground beef fat free or reduced fat cheese fat free/light mayo fat free dressings fat free sour cream light butter fat free cream cheese whole wheat bread (dry, well toasted) whole wheat waffles (well toasted) Feel free to message me anytime you need advice, ask questions, or just need to talk!

There's actually a entire forum dedicated to this topic. It doesn't see a ton of traffic, but there are definitely folks doing this: https://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1101-vegetarian-or-vegan-eating/

Some traditional Mexican carne Asada in a corn tortilla and salsa !! Or vegetarian pizza from mountain mikes - maybe after six months I will but just eat in moderation !

I didn't know Whole Foods had that pizza crust...interesting. I was there yesterday (first time) to get some tofu "noodles" for my vegetarian daughter. I think they are called Shokateri or something like that and are shaped like spaghetti or fettucini noodles but very healthy. She hasn't tried them yet. I have no problem eating. Penny--you need to EAT! ~~anne

I'm glad I found and read this whole thread before posting. I will likely go with the 90%/90% approach. I have done all low carb before, and it led to a binge. I lost 100 pounds through low carb and Hcg, and eventually felt like I "deserved" cake and McDonalds, and of course, gained half back. I was SO tired of punishing myself. I LOVE healthy foods...all kinds of fruit, every veggie, some vegetarian options, wheaty/healthy tasting things, all of that. I can do without Doritos, but I think getting yelled at over a mango or oven roasted potato wedges or chick peas is CRAZY and SUPER unhealthy! I am only almost 3 weeks out, but I don't want to obsess over food anymore, eating it or not eating it. I want to focus on my family, friends, and living a life free of food addictions. For everyone who is relaxed and regains, I have seen the post of someone who was super-strict and then regains. I just wish everyone well. And remember, if you are super-relaxed, and it's not working, it's never too late to revert to Atkins induction-style eating!

Lifestyle issues: none. I went vegetarian back in 1989, and have been vegan for about 7 years now. Likewise my partner. I've always been a supplement taker, so I've never been anemic or had any issues (outside of eating too much junk food and carbs, of course, leading me here!). Post-op, my labs have been consistently good, so even with the malabsorbtion factor, I've been able to nourish myself well. The only thing any blood test has found was 8 weeks ago when I landed in hospital after a bike accident and the labs showed I was low in magnesium. So I've been taking a mag supplement since then which is fixing that. Never a whisper of kidney stones. It's tough recommending any protein drinks since I'm in Australia and we don't have access to the same brands as you guys over there. The best protein water I've found that's both tasty and not absolutely drowning in stevia is MyProtein's Clear Vegan Protein. I know you can get that one internationally. It's not as much protein per serve as a shake (it's 10g per serve), but since I have to drink a couple of litres of water a day anyway, getting 3 of those in means I've got over half my daily minimum protein intake plus water, so I love the double-up. Other vegan protein waters with higher protein counts that I've tried have either been too cloyingly sweet or just straight up revolting. The MyProtein one is like drinking cordial. Minus the sugar. The Apple & Elderflower flavour is the bomb. Also: vegan protein will absorb as well as non-vegan. I promise it's a myth that you can't get enough protein from plants. Plenty of vegan athletes and body builders can attest! 💪

I love sushi too but I think I will skip the rice part of it . I am not remotely interested in being a vegetarian I cant stand kale or quinoa. I prefer the Pure Protein chocolate shakes first thing in the morning. 35 grams of protein. My NUT told me to avoid the whey protein so I don't bother with it. I don't like anything raw and since my stomach is still suffering with this reflux, I wont risk it with raw food. I will be trying asparagus and cauliflower today so I will see how it goes.

Hi! You know, I decided long ago to join the ranks of a vegetarian, one person advised me to start, for my health and lose weight. Read more: http://happybody.tv/vegan-diet-and-weight-loss/ I'm just trudging on the fact that I do not eat fish, meat and seafood. I started to cook, for what I did not like before, and cooking is now a pleasure, and it turns out magically delicious.

I cannot beleive that you are forbidden protien shakes- I have done extensive research on all the weight loss surgeries both here and abroad before I had my band and sleeve done and NONE of the physicians ever said that as a matter of fact the ONLY Thing that all physicians I have found agree on is the fact that protein drinks are your new BFF afer any weight loss surgery- I also think that each program can be curtailed personally by a legitimate nutritionist for everyone- I have a friend with the same doctor as me who is a vegetarian.. she doesnt eat fish- so the only way she can get protein is through drinks.... But regardless- I hope you get over the hurdle and one day will appreciate what you have done instead of despise it... good luck

Hi Meshia, I had bypass on 6/21 too! I’m so sorry to hear you got sick on the purée phase. How are you feeling now? I’m vegetarian, so I’ve been sticking to cottage cheese, string cheese, low-fat yogurt and refried beans (soupy). No, it’s not weird to have cravings at all! I definitely have them, although I’m not really hungry. I’m dreaming of the day I can have a small slice of cheesecake again and a piece of pizza, probably on different days. Every time I really start thinking about food that I want but can’t have yet, I try to refocus on how much weight I’ve lost and how my clothes are getting baggier on me. I find this helps redirect my focus. I’ve lost 17 pounds since surgery so far. I hope this helps and gives a little insight to someone else’s experience who’s on the exact same timeline. 😊 Here’s what my doctor allows at this stage: • Thinly sliced deli meats such as turkey, chicken, ham • Low fat string cheese, Skim ricotta cheese, feta • Soft fish – not dry or overcooked • Canned chicken and tuna (you may mix it up with a bit of plain yogurt, mustard or low fat mayonnaise) • Boiled shrimp (try a little cocktail sauce but be careful of taking too much because the sugar in it might make you dump – see “Dumping Syndrome”) • Pan-seared scallops (lime or lemon juice is okay) • Real or imitation lobster and crab (no real butter, but try imitation flakes) • Egg salad (use plain yogurt, mustard or lowfat mayonnaise, or even salsa – the finely pureed kind) • Tofu • Low fat hot-dog (no bun) • Well cooked beans and legumes

in the cabinets I have fat free vegetarian refried Beans, low calorie soups, broth ( which I cant stand since surgery), enchilada sauce, canned tuna Freezer I have turger burgers patties, salmon, boneless skinless chicken breasts. Fridge I have diet cran grape, cheese, sliced turkey ( from the deli, not packaged), zucchini, celery, tomatoes

Ok so first of all "psychprof" No one has an issue with comprehension and yes I do take that as an insult. I believe that I am aka, HUMAN and like other people jump to conclusions when I hear certain things a certain way, my mind jumps to "Okay so, I'm going to get sick an die if I don't do it this/that way soon!" And no my surgeon did not set up my diet although he agrees as well with my nutritionist and the team that I work with in regards to my bariatric lifestyle. The nurses I work with highly advise against protein powders, so while you're trying to imply that I'm somehow full of ****..learn to becareful with your words. I'm not a liar, I exaggerate at times, or misinterpret things but I'm not going to make crap up, or do things based off another surgeons advice/rules because I for one believe in following my surgeons program, when I do things a little different its because I WANT TO. Like taking Protein powder for example, which was recommended against! And Yes I know the obvious, I get vegetarians get protein. I ment to the extent of a meat eater because for one I was a vegetarian for YRS and have veggie friends as well! To top it off even going back to meat, my family and I have never personally ate meat all that much, so once a day most of the time was enough.

I'm vegetarian and my doctor still required protein from day 1. I was given ProSource Nocarb liquid protein in the hospital. My doctor wanted me aiming for that minimum of 60 grams of protein from the very beginning.

You are correct that protein is in all food and there are many high protein vegan foods, but what I was trying to convey is that I do not track or prioritize protein. I could not tell you how many grams of protein I eat in a day. What I prioritize is eating whole plant foods that have not been processed or have added oils or sugars. And you are correct that our bodies need fat and I do not avoid fat but added oils like olive oil and canola oil are much like sugar. They are highly processed foods that have all of the other properties like fiber and nutrients stripped from them so I get my fat from foods like nuts, avocados, and nut butters. And you are correct that there is vegan junk food like Oreos and Swedish Fish but my diet is 90% of the time whole foods so i eat fruits, vegetables, beans, rice, potatoes, for all of my meals and with a few exceptions I will eat some vegan junk foods but even that is more whole food than not like air popped popcorn. And for me diets like Atkins or Keto do help people lose weight but I don't just care about weight loss I care about health and longevity and the evidence is pretty compelling that people that eat mostly plants live the longest, are the healthiest and are the thinnest when compared to people that eat other diets including vegetarian, paleo, keto and others. And yes vegans do need to supplement B12 which is something I do but I don't view that as a mark against veganism especially when you consider that many people that eat meat are also b12 deficient. But this is the way I have chosen to eat and so far my weight loss has been rapid and consistent and I have far exceeded the projected loss rate and I continue to lose. So it seems the human body is adaptable and there are many ways to eat but for me I have found what works best for me.

When my band was "deflated" as I call it- I gained about 30 lbs in the time until my sleeve date- However I lost about 18lbs pre op and have kept loosing since my sleeve- so No gaining has not been an issue for me- I do not exercise as much as I should- but I attribute my continual loosing to a strict vegetarian diet I now follow.

I really think exercise is key, and you will see great results if you are not doing it right now. I notice I drop weight more consistantly when I exercise than when I don't. I usually change up my diet somehow. I will do Atkins for a few weeks and drop 10 pounds, or I will count my calories and drop some weight. Most recently I have been on a vegetarian kick (almost vegan) and I have lost 16 pounds since the end of December. Mind you I have lost this eating anything I want that does not have meat in it. I actually feel a lot better than I have in a long time. I know it goes against the protien first concept but it is working out fine for me.

It's been kind of quiet here. Hope everyone's been doing fine and everything is okay at home and in your life. Still at a reasonable restriction but anxious for Wednesday to get here. I get my next fill which I hope puts me at that "sweet spot". WooWee. And Wednesday, is Ash Wednesday. What are you giving up for Lent, if you observe Lent. I'm giving up meat and eating fish/seafood 3-4 times a week, the other days vegetarian eating. Should lose more weight in addition to my being more restricted. Well, that's to be seen. Hope to read good news...

Thanks. I always heard the Protein was a big deal. But when all of them said counting protein was unnecessary and "malarkey" (their word lol), I was shocked. Other people were shocked when I told them my program. They said any fruit I want, any bean I want, but black Beans were best, and they didn't get into vegetables much, but I'm going to assume potatoes are a no, as I can't have white bread or wheat/whole wheat bread. Luckily, I'm not much of a bread eater, and Pasta is only on occasion. I assumed it was contradicting to several programs, which is why I had questions. But apparently from what I gather, he (the main doctor) has had lots of success with the program (he's vegetarian himself, but I'm still going to enjoy fish/seafood and a few other lean meats). I hope I do get good results. I mean, it will be nice to not have to count, but I had literally tons of low carb recipes saved up because that was my plan. Now I have to put time into researching this one. I just basically want to see if anyone else had heard of something similar to this. I did, however, get GENEPRO to add to fruit/veggie smoothies to cover my bases! Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App