Search the Community

Decision made 4 days ago after months of going back and fourth. My husband is excited and can't wait for me to feel better. My surgery is schd for April 2012. Any Vitamins, shake brands, or tips are welcomed. I am 30yrs, 5 feet tall and weigh 260pound (rolly polly)... Any vegetarians out there? What do we eat? I've been meat free for 7months. Good luck to all!!

Mr_worm I've considered that but think going with chicken years after being vegetarian would be a bad thing!

First off let me say "18lbs. in a week?! WOW!!" That's amazing! Now as far as the vegetarian food. I'm affraid I'm of no help since meat is what I was craving the most after surgery. Sorry, but best of luck. Keep up the good work!

You're only a week out so everything you are experiencing sounds normal. Each day will be a little better. There are a few other vegetarians around the boards. I will not ever claim to be a total vegetarian, but do have meatless meals several times a week. Way more often now that I have been sleeved and am working hard to eat healthier in general. Putting so little food into this huge body make me want to be sure that whatever I put in is of the best nutrition possible. I have been looking more and more into "clean" eating. But as long as I am still trying to lose there are a few "diet" foods that I refuse to give up. Hang in there. It WILL get better. For now the most important thing is to get in enough liquids to keep you from getting dehydrated. Worry about the Protein and stuff later.

How about some kind of broth? I know you said your vegetarian, but you do need some protein. Tomato soup could irritate your new stomach. You are really not that far out from surgery, I would suggest to just do the best you can and make sure what you eat is really nutritious. Get lots of fluid, protein, maybe unjury.

I was just sleeved a week ago yesterday. The reason I am an odd bird is that I am pretty close to my weight and I am a vegetarian. I so far have lost 18 pounds in a week. I have gone back to work and resumed most everything despite the complications that I had(I had a leak during surgery that made them have to tube me and also put a drain in me). My problem now is that I can barely eat anything. I've learned to drink Water, G2, and tea to stay hydrated. I do my b-12 and Multivitamin in the AM on the way to work. But the only things I can mange to eat are Jello(I know not vegetarian but I caved), Ensure, and greek yogurt. Almost every Soup makes me feel sick. I've been told my stomach is extremely small because of the misfire of the stapler which cause the leak (he basically took my stomach from 90% to 85% because of the leak). The fluro looked great so the nurse just told me to keep trudging on(in a nice way) Any advice would be great. I have never thrown up but feel super duper sick anytime I eat anything but the above. Today I managed 5 bites of tomato soup and and to stop, same with cottage cheese which I still can't belive is a full liquid. Thank you!

I was just sleeved a week ago yesterday. The reason I am an odd bird is that I am pretty close to my weight and I am a vegetarian. I so far have lost 18 pounds in a week. I have gone back to work and resumed most everything despite the complications that I had(I had a leak during surgery that made them have to tube me and also put a drain in me). My problem now is that I can barely eat anything. I've learned to drink Water, G2, and tea to stay hydrated. I do my b-12 and Multivitamin in the AM on the way to work. But the only things I can mange to eat are Jello(I know not vegetarian but I caved), Ensure, and greek yogurt. Almost every Soup makes me feel sick. I've been told my stomach is extremely small because of the misfire of the stapler which cause the leak (he basically took my stomach from 90% to 85% because of the leak). The fluro looked great so the nurse just told me to keep trudging on(in a nice way) Any advice would be great. I have never thrown up but feel super duper sick anytime I eat anything but the above. Today I managed 5 bites of tomato soup and and to stop, same with cottage cheese which I still can't belive is a full liquid. Thank you!

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.

[quote name=Lisa ' timestamp='1328508884' post='264084] I was not required to do a pre op diet other than clear liquids 24 hours prior to surgery and nothing after midnight. The reason my surgeon doesn't require it is because she requires 10% weight loss leading up to surgery. This is to ensure patients prove they are committed AND to shrink the liver. I think the pre-op diet depends on several things, but like you posted, I also had to lose weight leading up to the surgery, although not 10%. Insurance required that I lose 5% of my body weight before approval, and I didn't have as high of a BMI as many, so my pre-op diet was simply two weeks of a low-fat, vegetarian diet, and no food or drink after midnight before surgery. This foiled my plan for a birthday steak dinner, but it was worth it!

I used to use Pure Protein, but figured out they are not vegetarian...switched to Balance and Targets knock off brand.

This is a full liquid recipe. Great for vegetarians but I love it and I hate vegetables. It is spinach (it won't always be dangerous LOL!) but you can change it to broccoli, beets, asparagus or even carrots. The regular recipe called for light cream but we used 1% (skim would be too watery, don't use skim) and served 8 people. DH cut it in half for the 2 of us. It can be frozen into individual servings. Cream of Spinach Soup Serves 8 people (but you can make half recipe easily) 5 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped 2 lbs. fresh spinach 2 yellow onions, roughly chopped 3 garlic cloves 1 cup light cream (use 1% instead not skim) 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese 2 tablespoons butter (we used Olivio spread you can use whatever you use instead of butter) Salt & pepper Pinch of nutmeg Water Melt butter in a large soup pot. Add onions and garlic and brown for about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, nutmeg, and enough water to just barely cover the potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add spinach and let sit for 8-10 minutes until spinach wilts. Puree in a regular blender. Add cream, cheese and season with salt & pepper. Heat and serve.

I might try them, thanks. I love the Premier Protein from Costco but you get sick of everything after a while! I am banded 2.5 years and I am tight in the morning and a vegetarian so I have one every morning but I need some variety!!! Good luck with the whole thing...its the best thing I ever did...it was a struggle at first but now its pretty easy!

So i just ate 'meat'loaf (my vegetarian version of meatloaf) and mashed potatoes- ugh could only get down like 5 bites and its a little painful- lolli-i feel like you and now think i should get an unfill as well. Thank you guys for the input- i will call the doc tomorrow. I feel like .5 ccs is so little it won't make a difference!!

I usually told guys I was dating about the lapband IF it came up. Like if they asked why I wasn't eating. I didn't make a big deal of it, I usually just told them casually that I had lapband surgery so had to be careful about how and what I ate. The majority of guys just accepted it and moved on. Some asked how much weight I'd lost, but usually not more than that. I only got stuck once while on a date, and I simply excused myself and went to the toilet and PB'd. He was none the wiser when I returned, even when I didn't touch the rest of the food or any of my wine afterwards. The only person who really asked for more details ended up being someone I ended up being in a relationship with, and who I'm still with now. He says he was mainly concerned that he would do something to make me stuck, or eat something that might tempt me, and he didn't want to be cruel. He learnt over time though, and being vegetarian, he himself is used to always being careful about what he eats, so he doesn't think I'm odd because I'm the same. But I must say, I did end up in a long distance thing with someone on here once, and talking with someone who is also banded makes it way easier, because they just understand. But it does in fact limit who you can date!

I do paleo every so often because it goes right along with low carb, and there are some FABULOUS recipes. I don't think I could completely give up dairy though, same problem with veganism for me when I was a vegetarian.

I'm not a vegetarian (currently) but spent a number of years as one. Then I got to my remote location here and couldn't find meat so I went back to a vegetarian diet for a while. As it is, I might eat meat once or twice a week. I'm no vegetarian, but I certainly eat a lot of vegetarian meals! I was never able to shake dairy until I got hit by lactose intolerance post op. Doesn't that just figure? I still love cheese but usually only have what I can make myself (simple farmer's cheeses, mozzarella, ricotta, etc.) so my intake is drastically reduced. I try to avoid Pasta, but I make syrniki as a dairy meal - basically it's a cheese pancake made from sweetened farmer's cheese and raisins. I also eat Beans with melted mozzarella on them, and I mix cheese into salads for that tiny Protein (and flavor) boost. I eat a lot of soy products but living in Central Asia means my access to those convenience foods is very limited. For the most part, if I can't make it myself I can't eat it. I make my own soy milk and drink some every day. I make the soy milk into yogurt, too, which I can then use for eating but also for sauces like tzatziki. I make lentil Soup and even lentil salads. I find myself eating tofu pretty frequently (prepared any number of ways), but I also make seitan and occasionally use TVP to make things like chili, sloppy joes or burgers. I use beans in almost everything and I make a big batch of hummus for Snacks and sandwiches. I even make uncheeses - there are a few of them I find tasty enough to eat even now that I eat cheese and meat when I want. I make curries, I make dal, I even try to make simple Soups and boost the protein in them by adding unflavored protein power (Integrated supplements brand works best, IMO). If you ask me, one of the best foods you can eat post VSG is seitan, assuming you like the taste. I make a big batch of "meatballs" from seitan and eating two of them will fill me up and give me 18 grams of protein. I was able to order a bunch of Fantastic Foods vegetarian meals for when I want to eat something in a hurry and they're tasty, even if they're not as healthy as something I could make myself. In any case, you probably have dozens more options than I do! I'm sure that if you get bored you can find some new recipes or ideas online. Hopefully someone else will chime in here with other ideas, too. When I think of it I get envious of the huge variety of prepared vegetarian meals available stateside. Everything I do here is certainly healthier because it's made from scratch but it's also very time consuming. ~Cheri

Since I am a vegetarian I have to really think about protein...I eat beans almost every day...usually (cuz I'm lazy) the veg refried canned beans from Rosarita with some sour cream or greek yog!

My hard drive crashed and I needed to replace all my apps... but I will start the veg thread later this week. Braggs aminos or sometimes health food stores have their own brand.. I just add 1/2 t of Brags and 1/2 t of flax oil- sometimes a few drops of sesame oil ... braggs is sort of like soy sauce... salty. Really. I use it because vegetarians don't always get enough of the right aminos. You could use vinegar if you prefer.

And a vegetarian thread would be amazing!!!!

My partner is vegetarian but was vegan for many years, so tends to lean towards vegan food a lot of the time. He often cooks for me, and I find that there are many choices that are band friendly. When he cooks for me, he tends to cook the vegetables a little longer, and the pieces smaller, so I'm not fighting with the fact that some are more fibrous and more difficult to eat. We also eat a lot of tofu, which is his main source of Protein. There are so many kinds of tofu these says it's a little hard to feel like you're missing out! Stick to your guns though with your nutritionist. Go in being confident that you can do this with your diet.

It can be done! Unfortunately I have seen a lot of post from people whose nutritionist are using info from many decades ago! I hope you get a good one! One told a patient that even being a vegetarian is a bad idea with the band and that couldnt be more wrong. Everyone on the planet (human, not tigers I guess) would be healthier if they ate vegetarian! My teen daughter is the healthiest vegan and the healthiest of all her meat (and other nasty food) eating friends. I am a veg because i cant seem to give up cheese...stick to your guns!!! The only other thing I'll say is if you think you have the discipline to be vegan for the rest of your life (a big if) I am not sure you will need weight loss surgery....best of luck!!!

I started week three today and I got to add: yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, re-fried Beans, mashed potato, lactose free milk, sugar free low calorie pudding, mashed hard boiled eggs. I think there might be one or two other things but that's pretty close. I have that for the next two weeks. I made myself some pumpkin tofu custard, greek yogurt does down just fine and I made some vegetarian chili that I plan to puree. I tried last night but the yellow split peas weren't totally mushy yet. I also plan to do a little egg salad with yogurt instead of mayo.

I stay away from FF as much as possible b/c it was one of my worst habits pre-band. When I do eat it, it is Wendy's chili or a Chipotle vegetarian bown with black beans. The kids' meals at Chick-Fil-A sound like a good option, especially since I am not a huge fan of chicken. It's something I can eat and get my nutrition when I am out, but I won't enjoy it so much that I will abuse it.

LOL FYE... No biggie. Perhaps you can start a thread for those who eat more vegetarian style eating. I do think it deserves its own thread, simply because there aren't enough of them. Hugs darlin' and aye... thank you for the awesome compliment!!! Let me know where you place it so I can pin it for you.

My doctor has set me up with a nutritionist and I'm on a very strict diet. I'm not saying you should follow it exactly if you don't feel like it's right for you but take into consideration maybe? My diet is very similar to atkins which I had done in the past. I do not eat any: bread Pasta rice potatoes fruit sugar artificial sweetener or any drinks other than coffee, tea, fat free milk and Water. When I drink coffee I get something flavored and use fat free or low fat half and half or creamer and whichever is lower in calories. When i drink tea I get the unsweetened. Now I do my best to follow this diet but it is very strict and pretty damned hard to follow so for instance the creamer in my coffee although better for me than something that's flavored and amazing, it still has a little sugar in it. for breakfast most days I have a morning star vegetable patty. That brand has many to choose from like garden vegetable (so good and loaded with things like olives, bell peppers, water chestnuts and carrot), chicken patties (vegetarian), and even sausage patties. all of them are full of Protein and taste great, seriously =) for lunch I have something like chicken salad that I make with canned chicken (also full of protein) fat free italian dressing, a teensy bit of olive oil mayo, small chunks of swiss cheese and quartered cherry or grape tomatoes. I need a fill so lately I've been having a snack between lunch and dinner although I probably shouldn't =( but I bring a string cheese and one bread and butter pickle spear. it's roughly 100 calories for that. for dinner I try to stick with just meat and vegetables. Grilled chicken and carrots or broccoli or brussel sprouts. I stay away from ground beef since I looked at the package and saw that 4 oz is like 340 calories all by itself and I'm only supposed to have 300 calories a meal and 100 calories toward a drink (milk) or my snack. So 900 to 1000 calories a day. I don't know if any of that will help you at all but it has helped me. I have had a plateau of about 4 months when I could not afford a fill, but I didn't gain and I'm back on track and losing slowly with the insanity work outs and eating better than I did.