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I have been researching the procedure because all my life I have been at least 40 pounds overweight. As an adult, that 40 pounds morph into 60+'pounds. I've done everything. I'm a lifetime member of weight watchers. I'm a pretty strict vegetarian. But I just can't pull it together. My exercise level is not exactly what it should be, but I do move quite a bit. I try to be conscientious about getting at least 10000 steps in a day even if im not consciously exercising. I'm tired of struggling to lose the same 50 pounds. Last year I was on the Sadkhin Complex. That was a disaster. I've gained everything that I lost plus an extra 2 pounds. I feel funny coming here. I never thought that I would be considering this, but I'm to the point where I'm exhausted from the yo-yoing. Thanks for bearing with this post.

It is very hard to be 100% vegan or vegetarian during the first 6 months of the sleeve. I could not do it and get in enough Protein, however it is becoming easier the further out I am. I always include non-meat Proteins, but I did have to have at least one meat/fish or whey or dairy item every day to meet protein minimums. Vegan protein ideas: Amazing Meals protein powders - hemp protein and pea protein Nutiva Hemp Protein powder (unflavored) Lots of Beans lol. Edamame, black beans, lentils, split peas, northern white beans, garbanzos, Nuts (peanuts, almonds, pistachios), nut butters Soy products (tofu, seitan, tempeh, TVP, soy cheese). There is soy protein powder but I don't care for it. Other: green peas, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, quinoa, chia seeds I also purchased a number of Low Carb products from Netrition (flour, baking mix, flat bread, bagels) that have very high protein and low carbs. You might take a look and see if anything appeals to you.

I'm not vegetarian, but after weeks of shakes and puree, I wanted veggies too when I was able to have them. At 4 weeks I was on a soft diet. Cooked carrots and green beans were very good and I tolerated them nicely. Things that didn't agree with me that early were lettuce and broccoli. I don't do any quinoa yet as I can't imagine if I accidentally eat too much and then it expands after it gets to your stomach. Just make sure you focus on getting your protein in first, you probably won't be able to eat very much at one sitting. I'm just past 3 months out and I still supplement with protein shakes or protein bars on a daily basis.

I made the mistake of getting a steak at Applebee's last night. I tried two bites, but I had to spit them both out on my plate because they wouldn't turn to mush in my mouth. I guess I'll be feeding that steak to my dog since my husband's a vegetarian...

I ate low GI, went vegetarian, and started running. Within 6 months I was off all my meds for my type II, and my hormones were normal. I didn't do anything special, I just ate well and exercised. And the weight just came off.

Ooh! I am so used to broths (esp. pho) not being vegetarian that I was so excited to see they are plant-based! I went and ordered the Pho and the Thai Lemongrass. I could also enjoy those with soft tofu as of Sept. 5th when I move to the soft diet.

All that vegetarian food is fine. I would watch the carb count on yogurt though. eggs and cheese don't have carbs! Do you eat fish? fish is a great protein! Honestly, this is all so simple, it could not get any easier. I know in the beginning, I had all the thoughts that all of you are having. Once I moved to solid food, it was difficult to eat. I had a hard time figuring out how much to eat and ate too much and it was painful. It does take your brain the 20 min. to tell your stomach it's full. I had to go by looking at the size of portion. I ate a lot of those tiny cans of already made chicken salad in a can that is right next to the tuna in the store, when I was on the mushy/soft stage. Then, on solids, I would look at the food, and imagine if it would fit in that can. Head hunger is another story completely. It does get better for most people. There are still people who struggle with head hunger all the time, because they are used to being able to eat anything they want, whenever they want. I was hungry on the liquid stage. My stomach growled and I could not wait to get to the next stage, but I was too worried about that staple line to move to the next stage before I was supposed to. I just drank liquid whenever my stomach growled. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need to. We love helping. I don't know that I consider myself a veteran, because there are people who have had their sleeves for a couple of years now. All I know is now, I don't worry about anything and I eat because I am supposed to. There are times that I eat because I know I haven't eaten anything in a long time, not because I am hungry. Honestly, I am tired of buying new clothes. I am tired of liking something and the next time I try it on, it's too big. I know it's a good thing, but I am glad I am at goal now and I try to stay out of the stores. I hope this helps someone! anyone that wants to ask me anything, send me a private message and I will be happy to answer if I can! I lost 100 lbs and it was easy!:biggrin0::laugh0:

Totally interested, I'm a vegetarian and my surgery is on the 24th!

I'm so excited for tomorrow. I should be able to start puréed foods. My doc has me on 5 meals each of 3 oz of liquid (protein or juice or my vegetarian jello). The rest of the day is all water all day. I'm actually feeling really good today. I get to shower tomorrow and couldn't be happier about it. I am feeling hungry though. Nothing too bad but it's creeping back. Any tips for keeping hunger at bay at this stage?

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!!)

So I went in today, and I'm down to 138. I'm just glad to still be below 240! My blood pressure, which was a problem post-op, was high, but is never high when I check it at home. Nurse said to just keep an eye on it. Could be "white coat" syndrome (lol) = doctor visit induced anxiety. So my doctor, who is fabulous by the way, said no fill. he wanted to know what I was eating---we went through the list.....beans....rice....tabouli.....salads....veggies...protein drinks....my list is pretty general. Yes, sometimes I have ice cream. He was concerned about puking and band slippage. He was iinclined to remove some fluid... He suggested I take out the carbs and focus on eating the things I've been complaining about.....grilled chicken that I probably don't chew enough before swallowing=vomiting; fish=ditto; eggs=ditto His suggestion is that I take more time to chew and eat these foods that absorb the fat in my body....to speed up weight loss. I was avoiding these foods because they get stuck and cause mucus buildup and puking. So now, I'm going to try it his way. Nutrionist didn't agree with the negative carbs and told me all about how carbs fuel the brain but I've also done enough reading to know that I won't die from not eating carbs. I kind of trust the surgeon more than the nutrionists on this one..... So I have a new eating guideline....that includes breakfast which for me is normally a cup of coffee because I'm never hungry in the morning. Then I'm going to try some pure protein....vegetarian protein where I can as I'm not a big meat person anyhow. So, we shall see how this works. I wasn't too disappointed about not having the fill. Wasn't looking forwards to liquids and mushies for 3 weeks:) Be well friends. We are here and there is no turning back~

Slwf-are you on a 10day pre-op liquid diet? My doc in Miami said I only need two days... Based on what I've read on this forum I was going for a week. Did the nutrionist give you a list of do & donts? I also recieved Vitamins and a liquid Protein that I won't take bc it's made out of animal (am a vegetarian). My doctor is well known in Miami but I feel like am entering a meat market. Cut & Go.... Not sure if am overeacting. Good luck and keep us posted

Hi, everyone! I've been lurking on this site for about 3 months now, and have only just decided to join. So, I thought I'd share a quick story about me, my weight, and my sleeve! I'm 27 years old, of Indian ethnicity, and have been overweight since I was maybe 4 years old. I have the usual story of trying this diet, that diet, meeting with loads of doctors, etc. etc. About a year ago, an acquaintance of mine (now a mentor) had a bypass done, and I was inspired to look into weight loss surgery! I was studying medicine in India (I'm born and raised in California), while I researched everything, and decided to get the surgery done as soon as I finished med school. I was sleeved on August 31st, 2011 by Dr. Oliak in Orange County, California. He's amazing. I recovered well, and have been on solids for a few weeks now. I'm currently in India while I finish up some paperwork to transfer back to the States. As a Vegetarian, I've found my options limited. In India, they are limited even more so, because it's hard to get a hold of cheeses, soy products, and all that good stuff! Still, I'm hanging in there and enjoying my sleeve so far. I don't know how much I've lost, since I have decided not to weigh myself for a while. I want to follow the diet plans without worrying about the outcomes, because I know I'll be a slow loser. Perhaps once I get back home I will be able to bring some variety into my diet, and will be interested in knowing how much of a difference it makes. I wanted to thank all of you for keeping these forums so active, because I've been able to learn so much from your experiences! My weight loss has been slow, from what I see in my body, but it's there nonetheless. You guys keep me motivated and interested. Thank you!

Vegetarian here. Dark green leafy veg also contain Protein, so go for those. If you want a break from meat, try topping with a hard boiled egg and some black Beans. I also use salsa instead of salad dressing. Very low cal and fat free.

Try this someone sent me this tread and see what happens!! Wish u well Quote Someone on an old,old post shared how she jumped off her plateaus and went from being a slow loser to a steady loser by adding Protein here and there to her meals. I'll see if I can find the original post and link it back here. Good luck finding what will work for you. Couldn't remember where I had posted remembering an old post--I've ended up reposting this several different places! Oh well. Here it is. Newsho posted this a long time ago, but maybe her approach will help you. I copied her post and am pasting it below. Good luck. LENGTH ALERT! (This has very detailed tips and tricks, so this is not a short post. Just a "heads up") People asked me a lot how I went from Slow Loser to getting to goal. I did better my second year of banding and when the weight came off - it really came off. This is something that worked for me, and I recommended to other Bandsters. Granted, these are tips that's not in any LapBand brochure or doctor's manual, and YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY - but if you already think of yourself as a Slow Loser like I was, then maybe you will be open to trying something to shake things up a bit. When I needed a weight-loss push, I didn't cut down on calories much (if I'd recently had a fill adjustment, that's different) but in general: I *added* protein to every thing I ate. This helped me to lose steadily (although it sped up my weight loss, more importantly it kept it steady). And it worked! Some Bandsters in my same banding date were better at counting calories - I wasn't. Some were better at counting carbs, I wasn't, but I excelled at ADDING protein. And I did well and later, other fellow Bandsters were asking me for help and tips. How did I do it? I did not reduce calories or the amount I consumed (without a fill it wasn't much need to try that) and yet, I still lost. (I added a little bit of Beans, or a sprinkle of cheese (my favorite), or eggs - whatever I could. I didn't reduce what I ate, but I "upped my protein" - and it worked. With the band, if you eat more protein, you generally will find yourself eating less overall - it doesn't feel that way but you do. Every single time I added more protein to my regular Band-friendly meals, I lost more weight, even though I wasn't eating less calories sometimes. Sounds crazy - but in my particular case, if I didn't keep my protein levels up, my body held on to calories a lot more. Who needs their bodies "hoarding" calories? If adding a bit of food meant I would lose more, it was worth a try. It worked. And I paid attention to the TYPE of protein I ate. (Even before banding, I didn't eat beef or pork at all. And the band was developed in other countries where the pork and beef consumption is a lot lower than it is here in the 'States. I'm not a vegetarian, I just eat seafood and poultry only. My doc said this helped my weight loss a lot because the protein I ate was leaner, not fattier protein like pork/ham/bacon or beef/hamburger/fatty red meat. So I didn't have to regulate my portions as much as some Bandsters did. My can of tuna did more for me than a hamburger ever would have.) Also, I'm a single/childless Bandster who lives alone, so I eat out for almost every meal. If I could make it to goal - while eating out - ANYBODY can. How did I do it? Here were some tips. At Breakfast, with my morning egg(s), I added a bit of cheese on top. Or I would have cottage cheese added. For protein and hunger reasons, cottage cheese did better than yogurt for me - unless I just had a fill or was very very filled or adjusted. The most filled I am, the less I eat in the mornings. So especially if you are not at your sweet spot, try Proteins that "stick" with you more to keep hunger away. Yogurt alone was not good enough of a breakfast for me, with the band it just went through, and wasn't really filling. Now if I charged up my yogurt with lots of nuts, seeds, and wheat germ - then BAM! I'm not much of a cold Cereal eater (I prefer hot cereals) but if I had one I made sure it was a protein-packed one (I LOVE Grape Nuts cereal best. Go Lean is awesome, and several of the Oatmeals & Cream of Wheat cereals have good protein content. I also added a few nuts to those, too. If I had a yogurt smoothie drink as a snack, I had them had a half scoop of Protein powder (a full scoop can make it too thick sometimes) or some soy or nuts. Lunchtime was easy to get more protein in. I'd eat a scoop of tuna salad or chicken salad for lunch - and have them add some shredded cheese, some seeds and/or some nuts. I also love Soup. Usually a cup is a nice start to my lunch if I'm having a scoop of salad or tuna. If it's my whole lunch I get a bowl of soup and eat what I can from it. My band will tell me when to stop. Almost any kind of any soup is great with a sprinkle of cheese or nuts added. Beans, too! With my dinner I always like a cup of soup to begin. Gets me going, jump starts & 'primes' my band and it's a great protein opportunity. Then if I could, I concentrated on seafood. ANY type of fish worked great with my band - From catfish to salmon to snapper to Tilapia. Or even shrimp or my all time favorite, calamari. I enjoy oysters in season and clams all year. The weeks that I ate more seafood, I lost more weight - across the board. Usually grilled is a good choice to be honest I even ate it fried (sorry, weight loss experts) and I still did well. And with my seafood, if I could I added beans to almost everything. With my steamed veggies, I added nuts and a sprinkle of cheese sometimes. I know it's not very It really does work! See when I restrict my calories or even when I try to cut down on fat - I usually just end up cutting down on protein. And no matter how "well" or how much less I eat, if I cut my protein my body won't 'burn' up the fat. It holds on to it. I know that protein is the fuel that helps the LapBand machine work and not trying to diet or 'cut down' was a blessing to me. I've had other Bandsters try this, and yes they are skeptical at first but when they start seeing inches lost (muscle really does weigh more than fat, so your clothes tell you before the scale ever will) then they get on the bandwagon. So don't just 'cut down' - ADD some food on your plate. That's right. ADD MORE nuts, boiled/diced egg, beans, cheese, seeds and other yummy forms of protein. Your body and your LapBand will thank you for it. Also adding protein allowed me to eat fewer carbs and save them for what was really a nice treat - a nice martini or occasional glass of wine, with dinner. Yes, I'm a drinking Bandster. All the successful European Bandsters I knew drank a glass or two now and then and they were my role models. I can't drink a lot AT ALL - a little goes a long way, but it was nice to get to goal weight without ever missing a Friday Happy Hour. I got the band to enhance my life, not take away some of the things that make it enjoyable. I eat out at restaurants, I go have drinks with friends - and I feel and look great. BRAVO! Good Luck to you. (And since so many people asked me the same question in private posts - that's why I am posting it on the Slow Losers board too...) Keep up the good fight. I did it - and you can too.

Try making a crockpot full of chili for dinner, if your a meat eater, ground turkey is a good substitute and you can also pack in lots of veggies in disguise. High in protein and you cant tell it's ground turkey. I'm a vegetarian so I use like 4 types of beans and a ton of veggies in my chili but I make my dad and fiancé turkey chili.

Hopefully I got all the important points in my topic title Does anyone have any suggestions on how to lose those last twenty lbs on a semi vegan diet. Actually after surgery, I started working with a wellness coach and figured out I have a whey allergy, so I don't eat any dairy anymore, no eggs, no cheese, etc. Also don't eat beef or pork and only eat chicken very rarely. I do eat a lot of fish though, so I can't be considered fully vegan. Not worried really with labels, just having a hard time losing those last 20 lbs. Especially when a vegetarian diet can be centered around so many carb like foods. I've also had a problem with low Iron levels and us sleevers, I've been told, can't really take an iron supplement because its too hard on our small stomachs. So does anyone have any suggestions for me?? I'd love to hear from some veggie sleevers and know what worked for them. I am also joining a local vegan/vegetarian meetup in my area to get some good ideas too. Thanks and hope everyone is well!

I was browsing around....and came across this article. It's from a well known surgeon, you see his quotes all over these boards. Hope he's right on this one! A quote from the attached article: "Fish eaters - people who eat fish as their primary source of Protein, have the longest recorded lifespans in the world. Next in line are vegetarians who have the same lifespan as some meat-eaters, lowest living group are vegans." http://drsimpson.net/newsletter/December-2013-weight-loss-newsletter-4/December-2013-weight-loss-newsletter-4.html

I am So very Grateful I got your replies, I truly appreciate every one of them. I started at 278, I’m currently 227, - I’m 5’7 - I’m a full figured hourglass. I stopped going to the gym - I didn’t see results and working out increased my appetite to eat and/or gave me the perception I could indulge in more food. I rarely get hungry but I get the empty feeling and desire something Good. I’m a foodie but only quality food rich in flavor. I don’t eat junk food often but I will snack on nuts, chips, crackers, I love salt. I’m a home chef. I’ve tried vegan, vegetarian for several months, didn’t lose a pound, but maintained. Seems I got the maintenance under control. I guess on some level, I’ve been to embarrassed to follow-up with my surgeon. Ok so duh! In writing this I realize the salt may be the issue, how do I give it up! Oh man.

THanks for your response girls. They do reply in a timely manner just I can tell that ana is confusing sometimes i can tell her english writing must not be that well. Or maybe i'm just excited and i want a bunch of information all at once and she only responds a little bit. I'm getting the info i was looking for in your response... i just wanted to feel more confident about being picked up and making sure my husband had something to do while i'm out of it LOL. Thanks for letting me know also about the cafeteria.. yeah he's not really a vegetarian so we will pack some snacks for him at least for the hospital stay. What kind of medicine were you sent home with? Did they kind of give you an info on your recovery the first month what to avoid what to make sure to do? Thanks for the info i advance!!

In answer to your questions: No. I told the surgeon and others that I had problems with processed food, because salad and veggies don't give my GI track the misery other things do. I can eat 2-3 bites and then stop. Drinking is another story. Weight loss: you can't go by me as I blew thru weight like there was no tomorrow. Some of that was the fact I got in an Olympic swim competition after surgery and took on the men's won-every-race-in-history guy. LOL. I focus a LOT more on Protein sources. I do eat turkey or chicken as much as I can but the amount of meat I eat is more on the range of 30+, I get the rest from veggies and vegan/vegetarian protein packets. I have to be careful as chicken sometimes can be problematic ... that's why for the most part people consider me vegetarian/vegan.

You took the words right out of my mouth! Fitday is the best and helped me a ton. I don't think anything sounds wrong with eggs, sausage and salsa for breakfast. I was drinking the Slimfast type shakes and those had a whopping 230 calories! At least your eggs would be more filling. I love those morningstar vegetarian sausages and they only have 80 calories per patty and a ton of fiber. For about the same calories as my drink, I could either have 1 egg and 2 vegetarian sausages or 2 eggs and 1 vegetarian sausage. They really do taste good. I am not a vegetarian but my dad was most of my childhood so I got the best of both worlds. Good luck, Teresa

I believe there are Protein powders you can mix with fruit juices ? Also it does not have the MOST protein in it ,,, i am not sure if there is any dairy in the mix itself. you might try Carnation instant Breakfast mix. Anything "Whey" will have dairy in them . So careful with that. Check out "Celiac Forums" for Celiacs disease . They have to stay away from dairy . Just did a quick search and found these .. Protein from Rice, powder, Dairy Free, Vegetarian / Vegan, Hypo Allergenic, Plain - 1 lb. 5 oz. Go Dairy Free | beverages - smoothies & Mixes If you find a mix you can mix it with Lactose free milk could you not ? Can you drink that ? If you have a whole foods near you they should have tons of info or stuff. HTH mindy PS I just googled " Dairy Free Protein Mix" and came up w/ quite a bit Mindy

@gofigure I don't think Vega cares if you add 'reg' milk to it -- I'm vegetarian, and can't tolerate most milk products (cottage chz, yogurt okay), so that works for me --

It's awesome for the pureed stage, Annie--you will love it! You can make wonderful smoothies with protein powder, ice and a little soy or almond milk. I like chocolate protein powder with some PB2 (dry, powdered peanut butter). I'm a vegetarian and I love pureed veggie chili (regular would work of course too). You can puree almost any veggie or soup with a little veggie broth. When I was on full liquids, I still strained after pureeing, but once I hit regular puree it was good to eat it all. You could add some kale or spinach to smoothies to get in some fiber. I like making a protein pancake (soft foods) with egg white, ricotta or cottage cheese, flax meal, vanilla, cinnamon, and oats. My VitaMix is the best kitchen appliance I've ever invested in! I've had mine for about 12 years and it's still going strong.