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Thank you all so much for your encouragement, it's definitely what I need right now. I've promised myself not to make any decisions about surgery until after the weekend. I'm going out with a friend tonight to have a meal and to go the cinema. Hopefully this will cheer me up a little and take my mind off things for a bit I was talking to my GP (local general doctor) today and she was saying that she witnesses more complications from patients having surgery, rather than actual benefits, and that I should try diet and exercise (AGAIN!!) It's that same old line every time, almost as if they're trained to say it. I've tried medication, diet and exercise with no success for half my life. This is my only option but I'm so scared of the future with the band. I'm trying to take in what you are all saying about the beneficial changes it will make to our lives, but I just can't get past the fact that this band will be with me for decades, and no one can honestly predict how it will affect me personally. I guess I'm scared of the unknown, like everyone. I need to find foods that I can live with eating in the future instead of rice and Pasta. I feel stupid talking about my reliance on food like this, but when you're a vegetarian, you have to be careful that you aren't cutting your food supply off completely. Maybe I'm so panicked that I can't see a way through this properly. I haven't told any family yet either, so I guess that is stressing me out too. I just know my mum in particular is going to talk me out of it. My mum was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes which is scaring me to death. She, like me, is very overweight and suffers with arthritis, severe asthma, depression etc etc. My biggest fear is ending up like her if I don't sort my weight out. I feel as though I'm on a merry-go-round of emotions at the moment. I'm really sorry for complaining. I'm sure you're all going through your own problems leading up to surgery! Sue - I would love nothing more than to travel to the US and catch up with you to see your band results thank you so much for your kind comment it really has cheered me up to know you're going through similar issues to me (including the breakdown of your relationship!!)

My Dr wants me to try to primarily eat my calories too. I don't eat but about 3/4 to 1 cup of food 2 or 3 times a day and being vegetarian, it really is hard to get in the 50plus grams of protein my nutritionist recommends for me plus the Fiber that I need for my IBS without eating too many carbs (still on a diebetic med and occasionally have to take a post-prandial med (after meals). A lot of people are "tight" in the mornings and can't eat so that is an acceptable time (via my Dr) to drink your meal, but otherwise he doesn't recommend it because it can make one more hungry. I'm never hungry and have to remind myself to eat my second meal a lot of the time. I'm older (51) and disabled now (I have a neurodegenerative disorder) and am so happy with the lap-band besides the slip (caused by being ill and vomiting). I was 300 lbs and now I'm below 220lbs in less than 6 months. Very happy indeed. Hoping that I continue to stay that way:) PS : Even totally deflated and on liquids only for over a week, I'm not hungry...

I wrote that in the heat of the moment. Let me clarify a few things. We are a family with two young boys, one parent that works full time and the other is a busy business owner trying to evolve. We are committed to being home with our children, so we never use daycare. Having time to myself is a very rare occurance. The children are too young to take to the meetings. Excercise happens early in the morning at the gym or during naptime at home. My infringing on his worktime creates an automatic conflict. And he's vegetarian. Nothing means more to him than my health. He has shown encouragement and support in his own way. I wish it was more. I wish he would try to be healthful along beside me, even if it has to be on his terms. It seems the further I get into this, the more he pushes away from that lifestyle leaving me feeling alone. Which makes me want to eat.

I've had a really bad few days. I just don't know if I can do this and I've been on the verge of calling up to cancel surgery. I have no doubt that this will benefit my life Healthwise, but will I be more miserable than I am now because my social life will be suffocated by not being able to go for drinks/meals with family and friends? I fear as well that I won't be able to cope on eating only certain foods. I'm a vegetarian, and I read it's difficult to eat rice and Pasta, basically my two staple foods right there! I just really don't know what to do

There are so many pre-op regimens out there. My surgeon only required that I eat very low fat and vegetarian for two weeks prior. My BMI was at 40. Oh, and nothing to eat or drink after midnight before surgery, of course! But if I were you I would do whatever I could to optimize the surgery. You'll never regret doing the pre-op diet.

Just ate some from my local Chinese place. I ordered it vegetarian w/ a little extra egg for Protein. Seemed I could eat quite a bit (maybe 3/4 cup) & I don't feel like I'm going to throw up, which is RARE for me!! So, experts chime in here.......CONS??? If there aren't any than I highly recommend it

So sorry you are feeling bad! Have you tried something different with your diet? At 5 months post-op I think your sleeve would be able to handle a bit of spices? I used to eat non-vegetarian food during my childhood, but for the past 12 years I have been a vegetarian/eggetarian (though I had some chicken 2 years ago when I was in US). I have now started taking fish(salmon). I feel that a bit of spices enhance the flavor and help me eat the fish without feeling nauseous. Sorry - not sure how much of help this is. But I hope you start feeling better soon!

Hello Everyone, My name is Teri. I am a 43 yr old mother of two. I have a 16yr old daughter and 13yr old son. I have been married 22 years and overweight all my life. My surgery date is April, 13th. Like all of you I have lost, only to gain more than I lost several times. Also, like most of you, I am afraid of failure with the band. When I tell people I am having the surgery I am usually quick to tell them it is only a tool and I can gain the weight back if I don't use it correctly. I try to be open with everybody because I feel it is easier in the long run and may help me to be more accountable in the future. I also hope by letting people know I may make a connection to someone else out there who is contemplating surgery and needs someone to talk to. I have been working with my doctors since August and have lost 63 lbs. I am happy with the weight loss so far but also frustrated with myself because the last month I have been +/- 3 lbs every time I weigh myself. I am not sticking well to my plan so I know it is my fault. I don't know if actually having the date scheduled has added to my lack of stick-to-it-ness (I just made up that word! lol) or not. I am looking forward to a liquid diet so I can start dropping again. Like Elizabethanne mentioned I am also good at sticking to a more rigid diet, but not long term. Unlike several of you I HATE to cook! I think this could be detrimental to me post-op. It is so much easier to pop a frozen anything (high in fat, additives, etc) into the oven. I am being a bad mother most days, when my kids ask what's for dinner I tell them I'm having....(usually some sort of vegetable or a salad). You can have whatever you want to make for yourself. I have a meat lover, a vegetarian, a husband and myself. Did I mention I HATE cooking? I'm not going to make 3-4 single dinners per night. We do keep things they can easily make for themselves, my husband cooks a lot of the time and I do help some, so I don't feel too bad. It's great to see that we have nurses in our group! I am not a nurse but keep thinking about going back to school for nursing or physical therapy (assistant). I did take a CNA class a few years ago but never took my state test to get certified. While I was taking the class I was offered my current job as a special ed aide (which I LOVE) and never went to take the test after passing the class with flying colors. Now that I have a daughter who will be starting college in a little over a year, I just don't see how i can go back to school financially. Sorry for my off topic rambling.

Precious, everybody's sleeve is different. I never counted anything (and still don't), mostly because I have to eat what my sleeve will allow--and, for good or ill, it doesn't let me eat foods that aren't good for me (can't tolerate fried foods, most flour products, sweets). However, it also doesn't let me eat good-for-me foods like chicken, eggs, tuna, etc., so it's a trade off. Since you're having such a difficult time trying to do the "standard" things, why not try something else? Maybe aim to get some Protein through vegetable sources--get some bean Soup and zap it in the blender and heat that up and eat it. Split pea with ham. Vegetarian chili that has TVP (textured vegetable protein) instead of meat--zap them up so they're smooth and try those. My point is, low-carbing will work for a good number of folks, but not everyone. If your sleeve won't tolerate a lot of the typical protein foods (tuna, chicken, whatever), you obviously can't eat those, and a lot of very healthy, non-animal-protein-based foods are going to come with some carbs. Since you can't keep a lot of solid stuff down yet, I say don't worry about your carbs too much and just try to find a set of foods you can eat that are tolerable. I lived for the first few months on yogurt, spoons of Peanut Butter, cottage cheese, and soup--literally ate soup every day. You'll be glad later that your sleeve is picky--right now, it STINKS, but as you heal and progress, you'll be happy to have that picky thing that keeps you from eating what you shouldn't. Hang in there, my friend!!

Hi I'm new to this forum so not sure if I'm doing this right... please re-direct if necessary. I've been considering (and researching) a band for two years now on and off, always being put off by what could go wrong and not having the money. I'm now able to afford the surgery, but I keep going through bouts of being on the edge of booking a consultation, then thinking I must be mad to actually put myself through this procedure and worry about the future with a band. I'm 28 and have a few illnesses which are all related to my weight including severe clinical depression, PCOS, asthma, eczema and intracranial hypertension (pressure on the brain). Every time I see either my GP or neurologists, they "remind" me that I need to lose weight. I've been overweight since I was around 10 years old, so that's nearly two thirds of my life which I find so sad. I'm even too scared to look at how much I weigh as it gets me into really low moods for weeks at a time. I've tried appetite suppressants, Xenical and Metformin with no real success. Also been to see a dietician a few times which to me isn't very helpful as I'm a vegetarian and don't tend to eat conventionally "fatty" foods. New years eve was particularly hard for me as I tend to assess where I am in life, and to be honest 2011 was a really crap year, particularly as I had split with my partner of six years because I couldn't stand him touching me the way I am. I really want to lose this weight for myself. My ideal situation is allowing friends and family to take a single picture of me! The last picture of me was from when I was in school!! I'm sorry that I'm rambling and probably giving too much information! I guess I'd just like to know if anyone else went through these same doubts or personal problems that I have? Thanks S

my banana flavored protein drink, protein pudding like 3 spoonfuls. church when I came home it was vegetarian soup. I had been so busy the day before that I went down for a nap, 4 hours later.................... hubby had make chicken stir fried veggies/pastas. My throat was still hurting from the night before (I think the smoke from casino didn't help) so I pretty much just chewed the flavor out the food and then spit it out. evening dessert is applesauce.

I'm not vegetarian, but I do have a strong preference for Beans and lentils over meat most days. I even substitute lentils for rice in many dishes, because they are that good. I don't read labels for carbs, I read for Protein and Fiber. I know everyone is not the same though. What I have found is that I eat so little of anything that if I can find just the right product, at any price, I go ahead and buy it. So if you have a way to get low fat cottage cheese, do it. If you don't, go ahead with the full fat. I really doubt you will be eating that much, and if you are, you can figure it out quickly and dial back the cottage cheese. Seriously, you won't be eating a cup of cottage cheese, maybe not even a half cup. I hope this is a little helpful. Best wishes to you, I am sure you will do great!

I am a vegetarian. I do eggs, cheese, beans, protein shakes. I add protein powder to everything. Hope this helps

Thanks for your advice, unbanded! I'll surely run it by my doc and get his advice before starting to eat chicken. I'm really apprehensive about reintroducing chicken in my diet too. The last time I ate chicken, it was 2 years ago and before that it was a good 8 or 9 years of vegetarian and egg diet. I'm considering chicken only because I dont know other protein rich vegetarian food. I'm going to do more research on that front!

There is a thread or two here from vegetarian sleevers about how they get in their Protein. You should really be concentrating on the protein and liquids, then worry about fats or carbs, although my doctor suggests that fried foods be a very limited part of my diet. Cottage cheese is an excellent source of protein and you should eat whichever one works for you. Check the protein content of the low-fat vs. regular versions and choose the one that is higher in protein/ Also, I can usually eat a chicken leg and thigh if I dont eat any veggies. I'm a little over 5 months out, if that gives you any idea. Very early post-op, I couldnt eat a full 4 oz chicken breast. It would make at least two meals for me, sometimes 3. Good luck on your journey!!

Great! The end of April is a lovely time to visit--Jazz Fest, beautiful weather, etc. There aren't a lot of veggie restaurants around here, honestly--tons of great seafood and creole/soul food places, though. I like Mediterranean places for the most part. In New Orleans, on Carrollton Avenue, there's Lebanon and Mona's Cafe, both excellent. There's a Zoe's out on Old Metairie Rd that is wonderful--my husband and I both really enjoy that. It's fresh, light, and really delicious; they make white Beans slow-simmered in olive oil and rosemary that will knock your socks off, plus it's the best Greek salad in town, I think, with just a light vinegar, oil, and herb dressing. Yum! Good thing I just ate Breakfast or I'd be getting hungry now. :-) Most of the Mediterranean places here do a version of moussaka that is yellow squash, onion, and tomato layered with olive oil and baked in casserole--it gets tender and delicious and is one of my favorite things ever. You can find hummus at almost any restaurant nowadays, so that's an easy one--I usually ask for cucumber slices instead of pita bread, since I can't tolerate the pita. On Magazine Street, check out Nirvana and the Whole Foods market--the market has a huge selection of prepared foods and a nice cafe area in which you can sit and eat. In the Quarter, it's a little trickier, but definitely check out The Green Goddess--yummy, yummy. Like all places on this list, they are not strictly vegetarian; most New Orleans restaurants will include seafood, if not all kinds of meat and dairy. Give me a holler when you're heading this way--would love to maybe meet up for coffee!

Hi, I will be starting solid food in 2 weeks (YAY!). And I need your valued opinion on some stuff. I want to try some food but I want to know if I'll get in the required amount of Proteins with these items. 1) Many have commented that they eat cottage cheese for Protein. I love cottage cheese but I'm a bit skeptical about it because of the fat content. I know there are some low-fat brands but I dont get many options in India. So, do you think it is advisable to have regular cottage cheese? How many grams of protein do you think it has in, say, 3 one inch cubes (coz that is what I think I can handle for a day with my sleeve LOL) 2) I rarely eat non-vegetarian food. I only take eggs regularly. So I'm out of touch eating chicken though I used to LOVE it in my school days. I'm planning to start eating chicken when I start solid food. Now, I was wondering how many pieces I'll be able to eat for a meal and how much protein I'll get from it. I know everyone has a diff capacity but I just want to get a rough idea. 3) Some say they eat peanuts, roasted soybeans etc. I'm again skeptical about these because of the fats. Your opinion pls... I welcome any other suggestions from you. I want to have a protein rich diet when I start the solid phase coz I haven't really been able to get as much protein as required till now. Though I'm making sure my food is low carb and low calories, I havent been concentrating on proteins. I just take 1 protein mix a day (20 gms protein), 2 egg whites (6.5 gms protein), lentils and pulses 2 times daily (10 gms protein), milk twice daily (3 gms protein). I barely get in 40 gms of proteins a day. Though I dont have any complications I really dont want to mess up because of my carelessness. PS: What do you think is the healthy amount of fat and carbs that I can take in a day?

Before becoming a vegetarian I ate raw beef, eggs and fish.

i'm in exact same boat - vegetarian - even before surgery HATED paying big bucks to pay for all the steak/lobster/crab whatever everyone else was eating when i was eating cheap salad/mac cheese/bread. Double my displeasure now that i will be lucky to get down 1/2 plate of a salad. LOL oh well - i am usually successful in talking everyone into going where i want to go instead of the buffets - and if i have to "suck it up" and pay for a buffet - i just tell myself i'm paying for that atmosphere/social time. It has become amusing to watch just how much others eat there - i mean talk about ripping our stomachs apart with that much food!!! LOL BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!

I've never been a fan of buffets because I'm vegetarian. When we went to Vegas my friends didn't understand why I didn't want to pay $30 for some heavy buffet when i'd probably just end up eating salad. They've never been worth it for me, especially not now.

You can try to type in Vegetarian Bandsters, and there site might come up. Play around with the wording, and you might find them. They go back a long way.

If your into ancestral eating styles, this site will be interesting to you. I am neolithic all the way... so palio won't work for me...however there is one guy mentioned who is a paleo vegetarian...very limited food options though... Paleo is a style of eating like our ancestors did before they developed agriculture...while they were hunter gatherers. http://rawfoodsos.com/

I'm a vegetarian, although I, too, have some dairy. I do fine with 'eating plants,' as a friend of mine says. Actually, I think a vegetarian diet is better with the band because meat is difficult to chew into mush and some bandsters have problems eating meat. And meat is calorie dense. Lentils are a great substitute for meat. They're high in protein, fiber and vitamins. You can make a lental loaf instead of a meat loaf. I make a lentil and quinoia stew with lots of veggies, chopped tomatoe and spices. Delicious and very filling. A lot goes a long way. Whiz up a protein shake with fresh fruit. Strawberries and/or banana is great. Beans are an excellent source of protein. Beans and rice (preferably brown rice) combined forms a protein. Get a good vegetarian cookbook and experiment. There's lots you can eat without meat.

I'm a vegetarian - no meat or seafood but i do eat dairy. Doing well on protein shakes and morning star products - and occassional carbs. BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!

Is their any vegetarian bandsters out there. My family has decided to drastically cut meat from our diets. We still eat cheese- but no meat. I am wondering how this lifestyle works with lapband. I know my dr pushes protein. I know I can supplement with protein drinks...