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Stop stressing... While i haven't had to go through the supervised diet i have lost 40+ pounds in the first 5 months and i credit most if not all of it to a total change in my state of mind. Just like everyone else here i have a story of how i got to where i am, and despite the fact that i was big at birth, i still contributed A LOT! my first thoughts of the pre-op were that it was just a diet til i get to surgery, ITS NOT! in the last 5 months ive seen so many different doctors, and gone to therapy more then i ever have in my ENTIRE life. There are a lot of f'ed up things that have happened in my life, some things that i had to indirectly address due to the severity of the issue. Before starting the process to surgery i never even though that i would voluntarily deal with these things, but i have because i have (with the help of my doctors and therapists), I've come to peace with everything in my life. I am male carnivore, i never once in my live gone without bloody red meat (steaks) for more then a few days, i now eat no red meat and have no desire to, most of my diet consists of seafood and poultry and greens, and I would like to go completely vegetarian if i didn't have such a priority on Protein. I have literally changed my entire state of mind and its not been easy at all. im not saying all this because i want to boast, im saying it to hopefully stress the importance of the need to stop stressing. I would not have been able to accomplish ANY of this if my head wasn't in the right place, or if i were over stressed. As it is, i work multiple jobs and average 30ish hrs of sleep a WEEK (that works to 4ish hrs a day) and my stress level is at an all time low. Find a therapist, one that you like and can really talk to, i went through a couple but now have a great therapist. Stop worrying about numbers... sure weight is important, but its also a constant reminder of how your doing, and if you aren't doing to great then its only going to cause negative feelings. i never weigh myself, the only times im weighed is when im at the doctor. Sometimes (like the last time i was weighed) my weight loss was much lower then i thought, and sure i was feeling down that day, but it didn't affect the 3 weeks before the weigh-in where i was feeling great. Find your non-scale victories and think about those more then you think about any type of failure. Consult with your doctors, they're there to help. If you don't like your doctor, or feel that they aren't to helpful then change them. Im not sure of the area you are in, but hopefully you have options when it comes to hospitals and/or dr.s or medical professionals. Talk to a therapist, i dont think your crazy or anything but it really does help, specially though the rough times. Find the medical professionals that you feel comfortable with, don't go through all this feeling lonely or stressed. its my first time having this surgery, but this alone makes me feel like you aren't ready. I'd say wait off just a bit longer and get your head in the right place. I've also failed to address your unregulated thyroid, Its not helping any, thats clear. But i feel like it was brought up as a way to justify what you feel as your failure. By needing to justify it, it probly means you didn't try your hardest. Im sorry if this comes off a little hard/harsh, thats not at all how i wish for it to come across. I will however emphasize the importance stress plays in how well you do. I would like to leave you with some words that were sent to me, these words literally motivated me every time it got tough for me, the helped me through the days when i thought i should just quit. "You can and will do this!! I don't live in Chicago but I know that you are going to work out the struggles and be on your way to a better you!! I support you in all you do to better yourself!! The next song you play after you loose the weight will be music to your own ears!!!" -shrcumm LapBandTalk.com -- One last thing. I do want to let you know that if you need anyone to talk to you can feel free to pm me. i've had my share of rough nights during this long process, in the last few months ive gone through LOTS OF DHRAMA (thats drama with an extra h, just to add that much more drama) in my life, and i wouldn't wish it on anyone. if you need someone to talk to my ears are open (or since we're in a forum) my reading glasses are on.

Something nagging me. I am a vegetarian, I eat eggs and dairy too. There are quite a few Protein sources I use in my diet. Gluten, soy, milk/whey products, nuts, Beans, eggs….I am getting the sleeve in two weeks. My concerns are: -That I may become lactose intolerant….or not be able to eat eggs… and reduce my choices by a bunch. -Many of these choices are high in carbs. I hope I will have success in losing all my over weight, even though my carbs will probably be higher then some of yours. -Its always easier to eat meat when you eat out to get protein. If I can't eat dairy or eggs…..it will be impossible much of the time to find enough protein. I figure I can have a Protein Drink before going out… just fussing here….where there is a will there is a way…I REALLY do not want to go back to eating meat because my sleeve is fussy….

I remember the 5:2 site says the 5:2 is not recommended for people with Diabetes, but with you in remission, this might not apply.... I would think if you monitor, then it might be ok? I start with a 1200 limit on feast days, and add more as Myfitnesspal recommends with added exercise. I am also a vegetarian. I don't eat a very simple diet, my list is as long as my arm! I eat around 4 meals sized meals a day, averaging around 300+ calories each. I try and eat lots of veggies, in Soups, salads, stir fries and baked casseroles. I plan a sweet meal at the end of the day, and this helps me to avoid sweet snacking during the rest of the day. I try to eat more Protein and Fiber than MFP recommends, which is more in line with the 60+ recommended by my doc. My carb intake is lower than MFP recommends, but is NOT low. I try and eat very high nutrition foods, organic grains and veggies, good quality fats and fruits, and like I said, vegetarian Proteins. I can eat a lot. I make it mostly veggies. I can eat a 3 cup bowl of Soup, and the same sized bowl of salad. I try not to stuff myself, and quit before I get there. I do have good restriction, though but it shows up with some foods and not others. I can't eat much Pasta, go figure. I can make 1/2 serving, and leave most of it on the plate. (hurray!) Honestly, I don't see myself as a very good roll model, except for the eat lots of variety of high quality raw and cooked veggies advice. I even grow my own, and keep those local microbes going down the hatch! (I'm into feeding the gut microbes, pre-biotics and pro-biotics)

After my surgery I plan on returning to a vegetarian diet. I wanted to hear from anyone out there who is a vegetarian or changed to being a vegetarian/vegan after the op. I'm interested in how legumes and pulses go, passing through the band, if anyone's had any problems with it. Thanks. Michelle

Oops, I forgot to mention that I am 5 months out! Thank you for reminding me. I'm so glad that the egg plus cheese sounds like a normal meal for you! I've read that people on here 6 months out can eat about half an egg with some cheese. I've always wondered about it. So just to be correct, you stop eating because you feel satisfied rather than you feel pukey or some sort of pain? If so, that helps me feel more normal! I don't eat much junk, other than a little bit of chocolate here and there. I get a lot of carbs in, though, because I'm a vegetarian. So, most of my Proteins come from dairy products and lentils. I have seen how easy it is to keep snacking throughout the evening without feeling the satisfaction or fullness, though. It's very dangerous! Even worse if there is whiskey involved.

What Margo and Donna said! I'm a mostly-vegetarian and depend on Beans for Protein. I know they're high in carbs, but they also have lots of fiber and are a great protein source as well as other nutrients. Overall, I think they are an excellent food for us bandsters! Emily

I have a great recipe for a vegetarian "meat loaf", if anyone is interested. I have shared it with non-vegetarian friends, and they all love it. Gave it to one of my volunteers at work whose husband has heart problems, and he even liked it. It's one of our family favorites. Emily

I'm almost vegetarian. I had my surgery August 8 and when I !could eat whatever, meat went down fine. Now the smell really bothers me. I can certain things (one egg, sometimes, or a slice of bacon.) I eat a lot of smoothies, tofu and other things to get my nutrients. I do love all veggies so this really isn't an issue for me

Ok so I'm on the soft food phase, no meats. However, I decided to attempt bite a baked chicken and had no problems. So now, I pinch a piece of baked or grilled chicken daily (2-3oz) and have yet to have any problems keeping it down or anything (hopefully that doesn't change). I've never been a "junkfooder" so I'm not fazed by Snacks or sugar but being a vegetarian for a month is killing me. I know I should stop but it taste so good. Should I be ashamed, worried, slapped, happy (that I haven't have issues)? I don't know. Any feedback is welcome. SW 275, CW 255, 5'10"

After surgery I enjoyed a lot of curried dals... I would put spinach or greens with them and then puree them and eat with a little yogurt.. It was delicious. As far as the liquid portion goes.. you just get a Protein powder and mix it with the liquid of your choice. If you like, you can even get an unflavored Protein Powder and mix it with some lasse.. (the salty kind not the SWEET lasse with fruit in it) If you look at the diet your doctor gave you, you can see many vegetarian foods that you can cook into a healthy curry. As a vegetarian, you may find it more challenging to get in your protein at first, so you may need to supplement with powders for longer until your stomach can tolerate enough food for you to get sufficient protein from your vegetables/dairy/legumes. Talk to your nutritionist, she/he should be able to help you with some suggestions too.

Has anyone considered a raw vegan diet after surgery? I am a vegetarian and have been for many years and have thought about this recently. It seems it would be easy to transition into this after surgery. Any opinions on this?

I have been vegetarian on and off for a number of years. I am currently eating meat because I know the challenge of getting enough protein while recovering. That said, I am considering going back to being vegetarian, maybe 6 months post-op or so... Are there any other veggies here? How do you get all your protein? Do you feel like having a sleeve and being vegetarian can work well together?

i've seen threads for december 15th and 17th, but nothing for the 16th yet. the countdown begins! i started a low carb diet about a month ago before having the date scheduled and lost about 10 pounds. i'm vegetarian and so low carb is extremely difficult for me. that diet lasted about a week and a half and then i just went to an "eat less do more" mentality and have lost another 5 or so pounds doing that. i'm hoping that the loss will be significant enough to satisfy the surgeon and make the procedure safer. i'm aiming for 240 by Tuesday. any other 16th people out here?

Hi All just checking in. Still losing weight slowly, but still exercising. I'm going back to just eating mostly fish. I'm not going vegetarian but I am cutting back on red meat. I still eat chicken, for if I go to a resturant that doesn't have fish on the menu, I'll order some type of meat. I'm trying to incorporate soy products into my diet. This will take some doing for soy is such a bland product. I won't even say food. It's an acquired taste and texture. Especially since the person has already experienced eating meats. I agree that it'll take three to reach goal weight and to be maintaining it by that time. Some say you should reach your goal weight in 18mos - 24mos. That third year you should be maintaining it by that time. For next year my daughter graduates from high school and I want to be at my best. So, there is still time for us all to reach and to maintain our goal weight. I don't want to spend my retired years trying to lose weight. If there is a Bally's Fitness Center in your area, check them out. They have a one, two week pass to check out the gym. Also, a 30 day special at $19.99. Of course I'm look into the 30 day, for if I decide to join, I get a discount from my union. So, let's keep it moving and not give up.

I was also raised pretty strict catholic and every friday we would have fried fish sticks and tator tots and a can of vegetables. My dad hated/hates fish and the only kind he would eat was those damn fish sticks - of course they were fried and i LOVED them. The rest of the week we ate meat, potatoes and a can of veges - oh yeah and an iceberg lettuce salad occassionally. I didn't even know other veges existed until i was in college and also became a vegetarian - i was sick of meat and could easily be a vegetarian again. As a child I was addicted to sugary cereals as that was our daily Breakfast - i can't even have Cereal around me to this day - After reading sugar busters and eating macrobiotically for a time I tried sharing some info with my dad:heh: and u can imagine how that went over - he said 'all you kids ate cereal your whole life and nothings wrong with you" Well here I am - banded, my brother has had gastric bypass - my sister is on her 100th time at Weight Watchers - you get it! Today lapbandtalk has given me a valuable lesson and Bubble Butt says it best - rethinking what I always believed or I always justified. I am meditating on that and going to make some serious changes in my behaviors and take some different actions. Thanks again.

I did a keto-based diet during my 7 months pre-op, and ended up losing 110 pounds before surgery. My diet was different from the typical "keto" diet since I'm a vegetarian, but I did try to stay below 25 carbs per day. I didn't count calories or fat at all. Just Protein (at least 100g) and carbs (no more than 25). I'm pretty sure I stayed in ketosis most of that time, though I didn't have any way to measure it. I'm almost 6 months out from surgery now and still eat very low carb. I am so glad I started before surgery because it got all the cravings out of the way when cheating wouldn't endanger my healing process. I'm sure it made the first weeks after surgery easier since I didn't have to deal with the cravings. As for safety, my surgeon and nutritionist both recommend a keto diet post-surgery. He says ketosis really helps the weight loss during those first months where most of the weight comes off. I'm just now starting to incorporate some whole vegetables into my diet. My program guidelines say protein only the first 5-6 months, and no simple carbohydrates (bread, Pasta, rice) for a minimum of 1 year (though I probably won't ever add them back in, since for me they trigger the cravings to come back). Just had my bloodwork done for my upcoming 6-month follow-up and all of my numbers are good.

As for me - it is over 8 years sleeved for me now and things haven't really changed in the last year. I am down a little but still at least 14lbs over where I stabilised, which was another 14lbs where I set a goal weight! So, all in all I would still like to get rid of at least 28lbs! I've had to buy new clothes - that was really depressing! And I have zero energy to work out. School life is really stressful and my anxiety levels are ever increasing whereas my sleep is decreasing! This leaves me in a constant state of exhaustion. This is the last week in school before the summer holidays. We are going away Tuesday for 3 weeks and as much as I am looking forward to it I am dreading the whole swimming costume-wearing malarkey! It is gonna be three weeks of 'faking it, 'til I make it!' Plus a lot of sleeping and rest. On a plus note, I went back to being vegetarian last Sept and I have now fully transitioned to a vegan way of eating. This has been a really powerful move for me, not only for ethical reasons but for health reasons too. I initially looked into it to see if it would help my menopause - I have really been suffering with the symptoms for nearly 10 years and it is really getting me down (plus I am sure it has contributed to my weight gain). So, I thought I would see if changing my diet to a more plant based/vegan way would help. Although, I still get major hot flushes, they have generally decreased. My headaches/migraines have also improved. But, the biggest change is the digestion of my food. I have always been constipated - all my life - and since I removed dairy, especially cow's milk, I am no longer constipated! This has made me really hopeful that my gut is now working better and therefore my metabolic rate is improving. With time (and rest from work) I am hoping that my body will keep responding and I will feel more energised and therefore move more. I refuse to give up! I refuse to accept this weight that I am currently. I will keep on keeping on!

Thank you, everyone! Great responses! I am really trying to visualize my life 20 years from now, or (god willing) when I am elderly. Do I want to have a massive Vitamin regimen? No... For me, another concern is having to stay more strictly away from carbs as a DSer. I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian. While I can follow a reasonably low carb diet with ease, I can't do an extreme low carb diet because most of my veggie Protein sources also have some carbs (exception of eggs and cheese, but I wouldn't want eggs and cheese to be basis of my lifelong diet). I have to try to not get caught up in the evangelical DS culture. They make some great points, but some seem to have blind faith in their cause. Some are quite militant about pushing their surgery of choice. I'd rather end with a BMI of 30 and be able to take just, say, 4 Vitamins a day and eat my normal healthy vegetarian diet (just in much lower quantities) than have an end BMI of 22 and have to take 30 vitamins a day and subsist on eggs, cheese, and maybe even have to start eating meat to keep my protein levels up. Also, it seems many that have the DS see it as a bonus that they don't absorb much fat calories. That means they can enjoy lots of butter, mayo, heavy cream, etc. But to me, that isn't a bonus. I've never ever had a taste for high fat foods. So what some people may see has the best part of a DS diet, I honestly just see as .... well, "ewww." LOL!

Hummus, YUMMY! I love, love, love the Portugese soup I found in the Liquid Phases thread. It's got skinned mashed potatoes & mashed carrots, olive oil, garlic and vegetable broth (my variation since Im a vegetarian). Once you mix it all together the veggies break up in the broth but it gives a thicker consistency to the liquid soup diet I'm on right now.

If You Use Vitamins Or Protein powders, You Need To Read This...and Share It With Everyone You Know. by slojo67 Jul 10, 2012 9:35 AM Weight Loss Surgery Weight Loss Pregnancy Seniors Heart Health Vegetarians Cancer Patients Unjury Brand Vitamins, Protein Powder by slojo67 Jul 9, 2012 2:45 PM I just ordered 100 lap-band chewable vitamins and 15 unflavored protein packets from Unjur for 56.00. This is medical quality protein that can be added to my puree's, shakes, coffee (haha). I find this very reasonable price. I have to have packets for the plane flights to Mexico in August for surgery. Plan to add these twice daily pre-op and post op. This will equal 50g protein that I won't have to worry about achieving some other way... And the vitamins are chewable... (Read More) 5 Comments

The smells are hard for me! I usually try to eat when they're eating....unless it's outside of mealtimes. I try to eat approximations of their meals and since I shop...they eat pretty much what I shop for. I find myself gasping at their portion sizes...my husband ate some vegetarian sausage parties yesterday...but he had four of them! Yup that was me not so long ago! It's hard at restaurants....

The smells are hard for me! I usually try to eat when they're eating....unless it's outside of mealtimes. I try to eat approximations of their meals and since I shop...they eat pretty much what I shop for. I find myself gasping at their portion sizes...my husband ate some vegetarian sausage parties yesterday...but he had four of them! Yup that was me not so long ago!

Yesterday it was absolutely beautiful in my neck in the woods! So, I decided to start week 3 of c25k at the local outdoor track at the middle school. I did pretty good had to stop a couple of times, but I had the worse headache towards the end. I realized it's because I was tensing up my neck and shoulders and basically grinding my teeth. You run completely different when you're on a treadmill vs when you are off (well I know I do!) but the workout went by quick and it was just a wonderful way to enjoy the weather! And of course today is rainy lol. Work today is a little crazy it seems like no one knows what they are doing (ie doctor's offices) it's like I'm holding their hands, and this isn't their first rodeo lol. Tonight after work I'm going to make my baked falafels and General Tso's tofu and then figure out what I'm going to eat next week for breakfast lunch and dinner. I'm not going to lie I'm going to be in "vacation mode" that I may just lean cuisine the week lol. Well, we'll see. I have a TON of chicken recipes but I don't eat chicken anymore. I found these Quorn brand chicken cutlets, they are completely vegetarian, so I think I'm going to try to see how my chicken recipes taste with the Quorn "chicken". Yeah, I think I'll do that for dinner. Lunch may be a lean cuisine lol. Also I have never made recipes off the top of my head and I did the other day with my crustless quiche, and it tastes interesting---a little watery?? IDK the quiche I did the week before tasted a lot better may do that one again next week. Well I guess that's all to report today. Hope everyone has a great day!

When I decided to have the surgery I knew I'd have to eat a lot of meat. But I do wonder if there are vegetarian sleevers who get all their Protein in, because I'd much rather eat Beans, legumes, and lentils than meat. Anyone?

*boost* I am very interested in vegetarian recipies in the pureed and soft food stage. I have this strange gravitation towards it (vegetarianism) for some reason.