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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.

my pre-op diet list only specifically says no potato, kumara or sweet potatoes. However I know sweet corn, pumpkins, and peas are also quite sweet. Maybe check with your nutritionist? Post surgery it will only be potatoes and sweet potatoes that I limit, most other veggies will be ok. I just picked up several cauliflowers on special to make some smooth cauliflower soup (which has a little sharp cheese and potato in it) to have frozen ready for liquids phase. Once I can have mushy foods I'll have my more usual chicken and vegetable soups - including the estimated 6g of protein in real homemade chicken stock, plus a scoop of bodie'z unflavored protein (15g) plus any soft bits of chicken I throw in, a simple bowl of chicken and veg soup will give me at least a third of my needed protein for the day. And I love my soups (as do my husband and son, haven't been able to convince my daughter yet) - the more fresh stuff included from my garden the better (herbs, garlic, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes mostly). I'll attach word documents of the cauliflower and cheese soup, and a nice-sounding mushroom soup that I plan to make for liquids phase. I"ll probably do a fairly thin basic butternut pumpkin soup with a little potato, carrot and cumin in it too. Cauliflower Cheddar Soup.docx Vegetarian Mushroom soup.docx

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....

Hey! I'm 4 days post op and trying to imagine whay pureed food is gonna feel like. I'm a vegetarian. I'm liking the idea of fat free refried beans with salsa but im also terrified to eat food again. I don't want to throw up or anything. Can anyone suggest vegetarian safe pureed foods for their new stomachs? So far I'm thinking refried beans, egg Salad pureed, hummus, tomato soup, red pepper soup, pureed broccoli cheddar, Silken tofu pudding....I would add protein powder to some of these too.. What else sounds good or worked for you? Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Well I was fixing to post on here as well. i must have the slowest weight loss ever!!! I will be almost a year in 2 weeks also, only down 26 pounds, but I have had fills, My dr put the band in empty and I have gotten fills little by little every 6 weeks. I reached restriction probably 3-4 months agao, but not helping much with the weight loss. I do exactly what my dr tells me. 1500 calories/day, workout every other day cardio and strength, drink all my water, 85 g protein per day. I eat super healthy, no junk! i am a vegetarian but I do eat seafood. I get my protein from fish, bars, and shakes. My sugar and carbs are always on point. I am so frustrated, I was a cash patient too, so I am still paying for this! I guess I should be glad though becuase I don't have to worry about gaining weight ever again. I don't overeat or eat bad the band has helped me with that. I started at 229 lbs and am now at 203. Been struggling to get the onederland!!! I would just love to be at 150...thats my goal...maybe one day!

Like I was telling Puja, eat for medicine if you have too, if not for pleasure. If you put sludge in your tank, your car will run like cr@p, or die! You can do it! I do love melted cheese and peanut butter too...... Are you a vegetarian?

Following bariatric surgery, it can be difficult to get the required amount of protein following from foods alone, so many patients supplement their diets with liquid proteins shakes. While this may surprise you, people develop sensitivities or intolerance to traditional whey protein drinks and don’t even know it. I was one of them! Following bariatric surgery, it can be difficult to get the required amount of protein following from foods alone, so many patients supplement their diets with liquid proteins shakes. While this may surprise you, people develop sensitivities or intolerance to traditional whey protein drinks and don’t even know it. I was one of them! It came to pass that I suffered extreme gas and bloating within 30-minutes of consuming a whey protein shake, even high-quality whey isolates. It took a while to this figure out because I’d consumed whey protein shakes for years without a problem. But I have observed that as time goes on, I develop more and more food sensitivities. As well, people have reported low-grade chronic head colds and stuffy nose or mucous-coated tongue after consuming whey protein shakes. These are possible symptoms of food sensitivities. Recently, I stumbled upon two really good protein powders that are not made from whey. They’re now staples in my bariatric pantry. Protein Powder That Repairs Joints, Too The first product is a collagen hydrolysate from Great Lakes — a powdered form of gelatin made from collagen with 11 grams of protein and 43 calories per tablespoon. I buy Great Lakes Unflavored Gelatin Collagen Joint Care on Amazon for about 50 cents per serving. Its also available to order from the Great Lakes gelatin website. Since I’ve been using this product as the protein base in my shakes, my knees no longer hurt when I run. I’m on my third container now and have noticed a major health improvement to my hair and nails, too. Read my full product review on MyBariatricLife.org. Protein and Amino Acids for Vegetarians and Vegans The other product is a vegan protein powder. It is low in carbohydrates and packed with amino acids. This is important because most plant-based proteins are void of certain essential amino acids that our bodies cannot produce. So what this means is that in order to get all the amino acids that are needed, plant proteins will have to be strategically combined. Read my full product review on MyBariatricLife.org. Garden of Life has done all the work for us with their Raw Fit Protein for Weight Loss. Each scoop packs 28 grams of protein and 12 carbs. I buy Garden of Life Raw Fit on Amazon for around $30 for 16 oz. It’s also available at my local health food store. Living life larger than ever, My Bariatric Life

Hey BariatricPal Members! Spring is just around the corner, and it’s time to shake off the cobwebs and plan a little spring cleaning. If your diet and exercise routine need a little cleaning up, too, you’re in luck. This newsletter can get you motivated to get back on your feet so you’ll be all set for spring break. Here’s what you’ll find this month. Polls ‘n’ More: Your Opinion Matters Member Spotlight: Meet TheRealMeIsHere! Something to Celebrate in March So, take a few minutes to read the newsletter. Then log on to BariatricPal so you can give your opinions about it and talk about whatever else is on your mind. An army of BariatricPal members is waiting to help you out on your weight loss surgery journey, so don’t be a stranger. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Polls ‘n’ More: Your Opinion Matters BariatricPal is a pretty busy place, between the polls, other conversations, and member blogs and photo galleries. Not sure where to start? Here are a couple of places where your opinion is especially valuable! Something to Help You Decide About Weight Loss Surgery We asked members about their complications after weight loss surgery, and it turned into a hot topic! This poll may help you make your decision if you’re still up in the air about getting weight loss surgery or if you’re not sure which type is for you. Hint: the answers are pretty encouraging! Interested in answering and reading other members’ answers to more polls? Go to the BariatricPal Polls Forum and chime in! Should BariatricPal Launch an Online Store? BariatricPal is here to help you through your weight loss surgery journey. The social part is a big deal, and that’s what the forums and other parts of the community are for. But the diet is also important, and BariatricPal may be able to help out with that, too. We are thinking about opening an online store to sell bariatric nutritional products at competitive prices. Before we do, we need to know whether you like that idea. Please let us know what you think and give us your suggestions! You can either post on this thread or PM Alex Brecher. Thanks! Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Exciting News – We're welcoming Unjury and Opurity to BariatricPal! BariatricPal is proud and excited to announce two new sponsors for our newsletters. The new sponsors are powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury, a supplier of wonderful tasting, highest quality protein supplements, and Opurity (from the makers of UNJURY), highest purity Vitamin supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Their support lets us keep BariatricPal newsletters coming to you each month. Unjury was founded by a master’s degree dietitian who has been helping patients since 1974. It is committed your health. You know the importance of getting enough protein after weight loss surgery, but you also know that meeting your protein goals can be challenging. Unjury makes your task not just easier but actually enjoyable. Product flavors include Chocolate Splendor, Chocolate Classic, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, chicken Soup Flavor, and Unflavored. These ready-to-use protein powders come in single-serve and multi-serve containers, and contain high-quality whey protein to keep you full and nourished. Launched in 2007, Opurity is dedicated to using the purest ingredients in its supplements. Opurity Bariatric Multivitamins have two unique big advantages: First, each Multivitamin requires only one tablet per day*. Second, Opurity is so dedicated to quality that it is unique in using no ingredients from China. Choose from chewable orange-berry multivitamins for gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients or for lap-band patients.Opurity also sells chewable Calcium, vitamin D and folic acid/vitamin B-12 chewables. All supplements come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. They return policy is: “Yes you can return it.” Support from Unjury and Opurity helps us continue to bring you the services you enjoy on BariatricPal, so please support these two brands! When looking for your bariatric surgery supplements, first visit Unjury.com and Opurity.com. Purchasing from these companies helps support BariatricPal. Thanks to Unjury and Opurity for your generous sponsorship, and thanks to BariatricPal members who support our partnership! *You still need calcium and sublingual B-12. Member Spotlight: Meet The RealMeIsHere! This month’s member spotlight is on TheRealMeIsHere from Ferndale, New York. She spent most of her life bouncing between 115 and 275 pounds. Life was great when she was closer to 115 pounds – she had energy and confidence. At her higher weight, she sat on the couch a lot, drank, ate, and talked on the phone. TheRealMeIsHere was not able to lose weight on healthy diets, and she developed eating disorders. She was anorexic and bulimic at times. When she gained weight, she developed high blood pressure and severe sleep apnea. She stopped breathing nearly 50 times an hour! Her orthopedic conditions kept her in pain and prevented her from moving much, turning it into a vicious cycle. When TheRealMeIsHere got health insurance, she researched weight loss surgery. She chose the gastric sleeve because of its permanence – unlike the lap-band. She also liked the fact that it did not cause malabsorption since she has ulcerative colitis. She got the surgery in 2012, as soon as her insurance covered it. TheRealMeIsHere just had her two-year surgiversary – and what a difference two years makes! She has maintained her weight at 115 pounds. Her sleep apnea and hypertension have diminished, and her energy has exploded. Other great moments have been realizing that she had the ability to get back to the weight she wanted, and getting a panniculectomy/abdominoplasty after reaching goal weight. food does not control her, but she still loves it and is able to enjoy in healthy ways. Instead of acting on every craving, she might make sleeve-friendly versions of her favorites. She loves salads and lean meats, and thinks of cauliflower as the “chameleon” vegetable that “can masquerade as Pasta, pizza crust, bread, or potatoes.” She delights in tricking guests with her healthy dishes. TheRealMeIsHere has figured out how to enjoy restaurant outing within her gastric sleeve diet restrictions. From the beginning, getting enough liquids and protein was difficult. She could not drink much without cramping, and she did not start hitting her 80 daily grams of protein until 18 months post-surgery. Her stomach was so small it was difficult to eat enough, so she had to stick to nothing but high-protein foods. TheRealMeIsHere was definitely grateful to be able to eat salads again! She mostly eats meats and vegetables now, and her sleeve holds about ¾ to 1 cup of food. She found out recently – the hard way – that eating too much still gives her severe diarrhea and cramps. Not worth it! TheRealMeIsHere came to BariatricPal before surgery to see success stories, learn about concerns, and look at pictures. Later, the site helped keep her focused on the goal and get feedback when needed. She also finds it helpful to answer others’ questions. TheRealMeIsHere has some tips for other weight loss surgery patients. Follow your surgeon’s and nutritionist’s guidelines. Keep your carbohydrate intake low. Stay hydrated. Stick with an exercise routine by being specific about your goals. Acknowledge and fix your mistakes. Use the surgery as a tool. Make one small change at a time. Enjoy the journey and the new you! Those are all great pieces of advice, and they are clearly working for TheRealMeIsHere. Congratulations on your weight loss surgery success, and thanks for sharing your story with us! Please let us know in the Member Spotlight Forum if you or someone you know would like to be in the member spotlight. We want to hear from you! You can also send Alex Brecher a PM to nominate yourself or someone else. Something to Celebrate in March In like a lion, out like a lamb. That usually does hold true, but it’s hard to believe that winter will soon be over when it’s been around for so long. Waiting for the sun to come back and the last bits of snow to melt can make March seem dreary, so we wanted to find something to celebrate. What’s special about March? Lots of things, it turns out! Here are just a couple of national food days in March, and some ideas for celebrating them. March 1: National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day Peanut butter…packed with antioxidants, Fiber, healthy fats, and 7 grams of protein per 2 tablespoons. And, of course, with a taste to die for. If you haven’t jumped onto the peanut butter bandwagon yet, this may be a good opportunity for you to do so! Of course, it’s high in calories, with 180, so don’t overindulge! Here are some peanut butter ideas. Make a shake with Protein powder, almond milk, and ice - and you can enjoy this when you’re still on your liquid post-op diet! Eat it with celery sticks or carrot sticks – lap-banders, be careful of the stringy celery and sticky PB. Spread it on a half of a whole-grain, high-fiber English muffin or some whole-wheat crackers. March 19: Poultry Day If you’re a weight loss surgery patient who struggles to get enough protein, you already know that chicken and turkey can bail you out. A 2-ounce serving of white meat has about 13 grams of protein and 60 calories. Vegetarian? Try soy bacon and low-fat vegetarian chicken! Add a serving of poultry morning, noon, and night, and you’ve already got 39 grams compared to the 65 to 80 you need for the day. Try: Turkey bacon with your egg whites for Breakfast. Low-fat white chicken chili with Beans and broccoli for lunch. Turkey roll-ups with low-fat cheese or fat free cream cheese and tomatoes for a snack. Ground chicken burgers in lettuce for dinner. March 28: National Something on a Stick Day You could celebrate this day with traditional fair food…fried Twinkies on a stick, corn dog on a stick, or cheese on a stick. Or, you could celebrate this day with something healthy and fun. The following can keep you on your weight loss surgery diet while you feel like you’re celebrating. Ham and eggs on a stick: Alternate slices of ham or any lean meat with quartered egg whites and cubes of melon. Grilled eggplant on a stick: Slice and salt eggplant, dip in a mixture of low-fat grated parmesan cheese and ground Fiber One Cereal crumbs, skewer the eggplant slices, alternating with low-fat mozzarella cheese, and grill. salad on a stick: Coarsely cut a head of lettuce. On your stick, put pieces of lettuce, grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, grilled chicken or shrimp, and whatever else you like in your salads. To enjoy, dip it in dressing. Of course, you can also celebrate non-food celebrations. For example, mark your calendar for Good Samaritan Day on March 13, and everyone deserves to celebrate National Everything You Do Is Right Day on March 16! And, to be honest, every day is a cause for celebration when you’re getting healthy, whether you’re dancing on the scale or congratulating yourself for a non-scale victory (NSV). Don’t forget to tell us about it at BariatricPal!

Just had the sleeve surgery done 6 days ago.. I've been vegetarian for 22 years without any problems with dairy. I've been using Premier Protein and am having the worst G.I. reaction to it ( like within 10 min of drinking it) Anyone else get the cha-chas from this brand? I'm going to see about switching to Syntrax nectar tomorrow with almond or soy milk. Oh.. I'm so afraid of being lactose intolerant. Any suggestions/advice is greatly appreciated!

here is the story, I had a Dr in November who recommended me for the surgery at that time i lost my insurance and my PCP is no longer with the practice. I am now 50 pounds heavier and 5 pounds away from not having to do the 6 month requirement. I have a new Dr who is a all natural person who pushes vegetarian on me all the time. I want to cry everyday all i want is this surgery so i can have a life with my 16 month old i cant even get on the floor with him. I need help is anyone in grand rapids who may have priority health *** and a primary care physician that helped them?????

I had my surgery the same day and I am down 20 lbs. I lost 13 during the pre op liquid diet. Today was my first dayof pureed foods. I have had half of a scambled egg and a few bites of refried vegetarian beans and I am completely satisfied. I think we are where we are supposed to be.

You are not a freak. I had this same concern and some kind soul put it to me like this: If you need a knee replacement so you could walk would say no because it is man-made? If you needed a new heart valve so live would you turn that down? Having this thing inside of you is what you need to have to be healthy, and it's made of a better quality material than Tupperware. You’re freaking because of nerves. Organic and all natural is fantastic. I was a vegetarian for years and certainly understand your point of view. But the flip side is we live in the 21st century and there is something to be said about better living through technology. (Bless tech's ability to get this message to you.) No one can question your commitment to environmental or sustainability concerns, or kick their asses if they do, because you have a lapband. No one is allowed to question your integrity aside from yourself, and it seems like you've weighed all the pros and cons and have determined lapbanding is the best option for you to gain control of your life. If anyone calls you a hypocrite let me know, I’ll kick their ass. You got people.

I'm vegetarian so I can't help you with the chicken/fish recipes. As for exercise, I got some light handweights 2, 3, 5 lbs. and did arm reps while sitting down. You want to start light and be mindful of your incision sites. I have poor upper body strength and it's one of my goals to improve that.

Sorry I didn't answer all your questions. Dr. Kelly's wife and Anaid picked me up from the airport, they have a large new van that they use for transporting the patients. Anaid is Dr. Kelly's assistant so she does a lot of the coordinating, making sure you get where you need to go, etc. My sister came with me, She was pretty bored. She brought her laptop so played games, read, etc. I was pretty out of it the first day. The one thing I would caution -- the cafe at the hospital is geared towards cancer patients, and it's an all vegetarian meal plan. Your husband might want to think about bringing Snacks for the room unless he is a very healthy eater, that's the one thing my sister didn't care for. There is a Starbuck's I saw nearby, and also a pharmacy where they might sell snack foods. Ana and the dr's wife will also take him out to get anything if he needs it. The day I arrived we were early, so Ana (Anaid) and Dr.'s wife took us to a nice restaraunt where I had broth but everyone else ate a great meal. It worked really well, they are very nice people and accomodating. Please feel free to email me if I can answer any additional questions for you. I am not trying to advertise for Dr. Kelly, but I did personally have a great, positive experience, and believe me I was as hesitant as anyone about having the surgery in Mexico.

My nutritionist is great. I had a lot of dietary issues to tackle. I'm a vegetarian and I have multiple food allergies. That means I can't eat artificial sugars, stevia, and food dyes to name just a few. Crafting an eating plan was challenging. Our sessions had to be very conversational as I needed to ask a lot of questions to figure out what I could safely eat. I also like that my program utilizes a patient email portal. When I needed to increase my calories or share info and it was not time for a follow up appointment I could shot an email and get a response either by email or a phone call within 2 days. The fact that I have no had an ER visit or hospitalization because of my allergies since surgery has a lot to do with how helpful my nutritionist has been.

Dear Kiwi, First be nice to yourself you havent failed until you have quit. I advise you to deal with your health issues and get those under control before worrying about your weight! Once that is all done and under control I would say two things: 1. Proably get a fill to reign in how much you are eating. 2. Beans are the cheapest best food for all humans and I think they are perfect for a bnder. Super high protein and kind of mushy and very filling. I LOVE the vegetarian refried beans in a can with some sour cream and salsa!

I'm no longer vegetarian either, but I tend to eat less meat still. I'm not allowed carbs at all, so on veggie days my diet has been lots of eggs, cheese (low fat sting cheese is my favorite), cottage cheese, beans/lentils, and Greek yoghurt. Looking at my food log, I can get 60-70 grams of protein those days.

If you don't eat animal Protein, then substitute the protein of your choice. If you are vegan or vegetarian you are should already be used to this.

:omg:I was banded in May of 2005. No loss until 2007. That's right no weight loss until May 2007. I was tortured with my sense of failure. I kept throwing up the protien--I followed faithfully what my nutritionist said to do. Then I began to think--this happened to me before I was banded. I followed Weight Watchers before that and I followed everything my nutritionist said and my doctors. Finally my heart doctors wanted me to go back to the surgeon and find out why I was not losing. I gave up and did not and kept praying and praying. I kept coming back to this site. I did contact the support person through my surgeons office and she kept encouraging me. I began to think radically. My health was in radical trouble and I needed radical change. I thought the band was that radical change but it didn't matter. I exercised every day. Soooooo I went total vegan. Yes Vegetarian. I have not lost my hair. I learned to eat the things my body needed especially protien in the form of nuts and veggies and since May 25, 2007 I have lost 25 pounds. I do not eat sugar, I do not drink any caffiene in any form, I do not eat dairy in any form, I do not eat soy in any form. I juice 5 pounds of organic carrots per day to receive nutrients that my body must have that translates to 1 quart ever two days. I follow the Hallelujah Acres Diet which you can google and get it for free. I truly know that my body was so dieted out that it could not possibly loose weight no matter what I did. I will never ever let doctors treat me like a liar again. I doubted myself for so long I lost hope. I hated myself. I was desperate. I am none of that now. But I will never buy into the doctor mentality that ignores my sincere efforts again. It takes consistent work and it will come around. The band works but doctors and nutrionists do not have all the answers. I juice or eat only one fruit a day. The rest is vegetables and 3 starch servings per week only. I love the band now it tells me when I am full but I do not throw up any more. Only you can do it. The band will help but you must participate in your care. Self hate does not accomplish any thing except keep you where you presently are. What I do is not a cure but another way to becoming the beautiful person God meant me to become. Do not give up hope ever. My heart goes out to those who don't dare to say they haven't lost. I was one of those people. Speak out now do not hide, I thought I was the only one who ever did not loose maybe I am not please speak out now.:clap2:

I have a pot of Penne Pollo cooking---Penne pasta with chicken ----a sauce with chicken & veggies. It makes a HUGE pot, inexpensively. I began making it probably 25 years ago, every Halloween, and everyone who come by would have a bowl, no one had to worry about dinner. Well, in the intervening years, the numbers have dwindled, and one would think with a vegetarian DD it would have been a memory only----but NO! The ones still around, still expect it! Becky and Gary hang out here on Halloween, their boys and their families make this home base, several people come by with kids, that come in for cookies, or a bathroom break. And Kinsey now thinks it is her special Halloween meal!! LOL She should be here in about 30 minutes. She trick or treats the places Manda takes her. They have done a couple of carnivals, and did Safe Treats down town---but she sold her candy last year. Local dentists do a Treats for Troops thing, they buy it for a buck a pound, and send it to the troops overseas. She is not a huge candy eater, it has always been readily available, so she doesn't see it as a treat....doesn't gorge herself. Our son, on the other hand seriously keeps the candy away from the boys, and when Connor gets it, he shovels it in---it is cute, but I try not to laugh and encourage it! I talked to him a little while ago, he was going to eat chicken, and then go Trick or Treat, he was very excited! We went and did some Christmans shopping this morning. We have 2 weeks to get it done to take to Texas for the Louisiana kids. Bought Garrick a little Step2 motorcycle!!! He loved the little 4 wheeler thing, just a push with your feet one, same as this is. We still have to figure Connor out. Got Lenny a new buckle, it is such a chore....the figuring out! Sizes for DIL are impossible for me to figure, so no clothes......she is not a jewelry wearer. Although I am thinking maybe one of the Mom necklaces, with the boy charms on it. She wears a cross on occasion. Well, better get things going----kids will be knocking soon! Need to put batteries in the witch and the skeleton outside, they are motion activated. Wondering how Izzy will do with all the craziness. Took her into Beck & Garys and they had their 2 dogs---a rotty cross, and a Rhodesian Ridgeback, and they are dog sitting for their sons boxer----and the dogs accosted her, scared the crap out of her (not literally thankfully!) she jumped on the couch with me! She never gets on furniture, she was shaking. Rick took her back to the van---poor thing was scared! Would have scared me too! Kids here----see ya!! have a SAFE and FUN night all!!!

Anyone else thinking of doing that? meat is getting pretty expensive (especially when you consider how much I waste), and I'm always paranoid about how well I cook it when I cook for just myself (for some reason, I'm not paranoid about it when I cook for other people) and wind up over cooking it, which isn't band-friendly. I'm trying to get to where I eat more vegetables and non-meat Protein like Beans and tofu. I'm not super-fond of the flavor of beans, but I don't have to worry about getting sick if I undercook them. And on the upside, I don't really have to worry about overeating with them, either, since they aren't exactly something I love, just something that I know I can eat. I still love meat, especially a very good steak, but I think I'm going to start limiting it to restaurants.

I buy smoky-flavored tofu at Wild Oats. During the pureed-food stage I blended Bush vegetarian baked Beans with barbeque sauce and I loved it. Later I tried it with the whole beans, but it didn't seem as tasty. If I liked to cook I would make dal, an Indian lentil dish. I do make a big pot of vegetarian chili (lots of beans) every so often and love coming home to a hearty meal that I can heat up in the microwave. I am usually really hungry when I come home and want to attack the easiest thing available. I love leftovers!

I am totally plant based now, for about 3-4 weeks consistently. I eat heavy on the complex carbs, grains, legumes, etc. I eat a good amount of veggies too. Haven't really gotten in to fruit, but I do incorporate it. It hasn't changed my weight loss, I'm still losing. My loss has taken the back seat in regards to my focus being solely on how healthy I will be/am on the inside. I could be a very healthy weight and be dying on the inside and I just cannot accept that. I even told my husband, if I stay at this weight, 212 now, and keep my plant based whole foods diet, I could be very happy knowing that I'm preventing disease and just darn healthy. But the bonus is the this point, I still lose weight. Kudos to your daughter for wanting to go vegetarian, it'll help her body in the long run and for starting so early.