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thanks every one for your guidance....I think i'll go back to Protein shakes for a while...in India we dont have many options for Proteins.....I do have cheese sometimes..but I found it constipating.....I have been a vegetarian all my life..so my diet has never been nutritious I guess... Initially I was tracking my protein..but it was always below the needed requirements... I think i'll take Protein Shakes for a while...so i'll be off the plateau and then I'll concentrate on my protein intake surely....Thanks. for your support !!!

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!

I have tried everything - liquid, chews etc. I don't east gummy Vitamins because I am vegetarian and they have Gelatin in them but I see lots of people here use them. I use Centrum Chewables. I can't do it on an empty stomach but can tolerate it just fine after a few sips of coffee. I tried that Celebrate bariatric ones but they turned to powder too fast while still in my mouth and that made them torture. Good luck. Does your surgeon have any samples for you to try?

Hi all. My name is Nechama and I am getting banded on June 30th. I am a vegetarian (which I have a feeling may make things easier when it comes time to eat solids again!) and an Orthodox Jew. Looking forward to sharing this journey...

Good Morning Girls (wherever you are) Well, my Welsh company got back to WB from OttaWa safe and sound... but their butts were sore from so much driving!!! (I did warn them) I had made a nice meal of some favorites for Aly to try.... Vegetarian Lasagne, My Aunt Flo Beans, CORNBREAD, Banana Bread, and Rhubarb compote for over Icecream (or just by itself in a cup) They LOVED the meal, so it was worth the effort!! This a.m. they took off again for Niagra Falls for 2 days, and it is only 3 1/2 hours away so that won`t be too bad. Plus the FALLS is totally worth it. They`ve booked the Maid of the Mist Boat tour, plus a Helicopter ride over the Falls and Gorge, plus they are going down into caves under the FALLs for that vantage point too. I think they may go to the Butterfly conservatory too... well worth the look there... Then they come back to W.B. on Wed. and we decide what to do the last 3 days of their trip.... Plans were A: camping, B: trip up north to my sisters Camp to see the Northern Lights.... but now the weather looks crappy for those days!!! Argh.... may just end up sitting around Wasaga Beach and staring at one another!!!! Need some rainy day suggestions!!!! Janet: I agree on the wine thing... Women`s bodies just can`t handle too much... after 2 nights of partying, I need 4 days of TEA, water, and Coffee!!! I am getting old, just can`t take long term partying anymore

Breakfast: 12 oz soy milk with Chai tea for flavor (I'm too tight in the morning to eat but this gives me Protein, sugar, and calories to get me thruogh). If I'm not too tight (or it's later in the morning but not really early afternoon), oatmeal (Trader Joe's blueberry flax with 1 tsp dried blueberries and 8 almonds crushed). Lunch: I won't eat at work because I'm way too far away from a bathroom to make it worthwhile. But I keep Protein shakes and Isopure handy and always have some Soup if I need it. Generally though I am not hungry at work so it's not a problem. Dinner: usually 1.5-2 cups of food including: 2 vegetarian tacos (1-2 tbsp soy burger with seasoning, tomatoes, lettuce, shredded sharp cheese, taco sauce, light sour cream or greek yogurt) - OR - tilapia, green Beans, brown rice - OR - angel hair Pasta, broccoli, garlic, pine nuts, sundried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes - OR - soup - OR - salad - OR - a tofu wrap (tortilla, tofu chunks, veggies, balsamic dressing, feta cheese)

HI Girls; Phyl; hugs on the valve issues and echocardiogram... my Mom's had that several times... gives really good accurate results. SO I am glad your specialist is so thorough. LInda; How's the hip recovery? Did you start physio? I am laime, and can't remember if you told me already. sheesh!! Janet: Went to the gig last night, and sang about 1/2 the songs that I usually do.. they guys played more instrumental BLUES tunes inbetween, so that worked out well.. and today... I am JUST not opening my mouth... having a Quiet non-talking day. Denise: Still saying prayers for gettiny you what you want most... A NEW JOB.... Karla; I'm cookingh up a storm today, the Welsh friends took my car and droave to Ottawa for a few days... nice and quiet catch up day for me.. Make a vegetarian Lasagne for tomorrow nights supper, Stewed some |Rhubarb to have over yogurt for dessert. and MADE a Banana Bread for Steve when he gets home tomorrow... He has never had Banana bread? can you imagine? and they don't know what RHUBARB tastes like either... so I am making some Canadian foods for them to try... Tonight, Petie and I are having bbq steak and sauteed veggies for supper.... ummmm can't wait... should have bought some CORN oon the cob to go with it. Love you all, Candice

I am a vegetarian, and that makes it a little harder to restrict carbs, but I defiantly lose weight better on a low glycemic index plan, like Southbeach... where the carbs are lower and I can avoid insulin spiking. Really, it reduces my cravings noticeably and this helps a lot to continue eating the right amount for the right reasons.

I just found his website a few days ago when doing research for my own blog. He's got some great info on there. I am the official blogger for my doc, Dr. Titus Duncan in Atlanta so shhhh, don't tell him I'm secretly getting info from other docs. Dr. Duncan is still my favorite though. I liked Dr. Simpson's informtion on sous vide cooking. I am a vegetarian now but my husband is in the meat industry and he says that thismethod of cooking, when done right, yields very flavorful and ultra tender meat. I try to understand as much as I can about the band for my sake and for the sake of my readers. All information is helpful.

Hi peeps! Jan 18th, 51 pounds. I log everything, am a vegetarian and workout 5 days a week. (dance classes and walking mostly) Last month I lost 7 pounds... down from 10 a month... but as long as it keeps going in the right direction, Im OK with that! I'm now wearing a 14 pant, soon to be a 12....I just went through the closet, and tried some stuff on... I had a tight black blouse that has transformed into a perfect summer dress! I never would have worn it without pants in the past... today was the day to do that, white legs and all! Even my husband commented that the legs were looking pretty good. Love that sleeve! I think it is pretty interesting that we all are in the same ballpark weight loss wise... congrats girls!

I just did a quick Google search for "vegetarian high protein" without the quotes and one of the first links was this one: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm It looks to have some good ideas on it. Hope it's helpful.

Hi friends I am ALan Smith. I am totally vegetarian from last 10 years before 1 month I have got severe injury my bone is fractured. I am getting treatment from orthopedic surgeon and doctor suggested me to eat eggs as I am vegetarian could not opt for eggs so please suggest me vegetarian Protein rich food so that I could fulfill protein need........... Smith ALan

I am 7 months out, I think a Boca burger is a great choice. I believe they have around 120 calories and with cheese maybe a extra 80 calories. Also they are high in Protein and Fiber. With spinach maybe the whole thing was 220 good healthy calories. Chicken- 3 oz is about 90 calories and it takes me longer to eat chicken than a boca burger because boca burgers have some carbs so it goes down easier. Sometimes we need a change from pure protein. I love vegetarian sausage, I have that and a egg almost ever morning since I was 2 months out.

I found this interesting and thought I would share, it was from Yahoo Health: http://health.yahoo.net/articles/weight-loss/best-weight-loss-diets By U.S. News Staff Tue, Jun 07, 2011 The best diet to lose weight on is Weight Watchers, according to weight-loss experts who rated the diets below for U.S. News. The Jenny Craig diet program and the Raw food Diet come in close behind. Some other diets outperform these for fast weight loss, but long-term weight loss is more important for your health. #1. Weight Watchers Diet (3.8 out of 5.0) This popular points-counting diet helps dieters drop pounds—and keep them off. In experts' ratings, Weight Watchers bested all other ranked diets for both short-term and long-term weight loss. But that doesn't guarantee it will work for everyone. Its average rating of "moderately effective" for long-term weight loss reflects the difficulty dieters have staying on the wagon, even when using the best weight-loss diet available. #2. (tie) Jenny Craig Diet (3.5 out of 5.0) As a weight-loss diet, Jenny Craig outranked nearly all of its competitors. Experts appreciated, among other aspects of the program, the value of the emotional support provided by its weekly one-on-one counseling sessions. A few experts, however, questioned whether dieters can expect to keep the weight off once they're weaned from the diet's prepackaged, portion-controlled foods. Though not factored into its ranking, Jenny Craig's cost is relatively high. #2. (tie) Raw Food Diet (3.5 out of 5.0) The raw food diet can deliver both short- and long-term weight loss, experts concluded, since raw foodists typically eat fewer calories than other people. But the restrictive and labor-intensive diet certainly isn't for everyone. #4. Volumetrics Diet (3.4 out of 5.0) Volumetrics helps dieters drop pounds—and keep them off. It scored well in both the short- and long-term weight loss categories, comparable to or better than many other diets. Because it focuses on satiety, or the satisfied feeling that you’ve had enough, it’s “more likely to be successful” than other diets. #5. (tie) Slim-Fast Diet (3.3 out of 5.0) Slim-Fast claims dieters will drop one to two pounds a week. Experts awarded the program relatively high scores for short-term and long-term weight loss, indicating their optimism the pounds will stay off, too. #5. (tie) Vegan Diet (3.3 out of 5.0) Going vegan gives you good odds of losing weight and keeping it off, according to experts. Veganism is also an effective weight-control method. But vegans must be “very committed,” as one expert put it, because forgoing all animal products can be challenging. #7. Atkins Diet (3.2 out of 5.0) In keeping with its emphasis on helping dieters shed pounds fast, the Atkins program rated well for short-term weight loss but was judged by experts as less impressive over the long haul. On balance, it came out slightly ahead of the middle of the pack. #8. (tie) DASH Diet (3.1 out of 5.0) With an emphasis on healthful, filling foods that don’t pack lots of calories, the government-developed Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) drew reasonably good ratings from experts, despite not having been designed as a weight-loss diet. They judged it to be about as good for short-term weight loss as for long-term weight loss. #8. (tie) Eco-Atkins Diet (3.1 out of 5.0) Experts regarded Eco-Atkins as much more effective for short-term weight loss than for long-term weight loss. It “may be difficult to consistently adhere to,” one expert said, because it is largely a “do-it-yourself diet.” #8. (tie) Mayo Clinic Diet (3.1 out of 5.0) Among weight-loss plans, the Mayo Clinic Diet tied with DASH and Eco-Atkins. While needed evidence is lacking, experts' ratings reflect their believe that Mayo, if followed, could deliver modest weight loss, both short- and long-term. #11. (tie) Mediterranean Diet (3.0 out of 5.0) As a weight-loss plan, the Mediterranean diet didn't overwhelm the experts, but it’s not built to be one. It is up to the individual to keep watch over the scale. #11. (tie) Ornish Diet (3.0 out of 5.0) Experts deemed the Ornish Spectrum plan to be OK, but not great, for people searching specifically for a weight-loss diet. Its greatest strengths lie elsewhere. #11 (tie) South Beach Diet (3.0 out of 5.0) South Beach helps dieters drop pounds—fast. But our experts felt it’s less likely that they’ll actually keep the weight off long-term. We found little research indicating that the diet is sustainable or that it helps dieters maintain weight loss over the long haul. #11. (tie) TLC Diet (3.0 out of 5.0) Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) isn't designed to be a weight-loss diet. But if sensibly followed, it can produce weight loss, experts said, because it's a fundamentally sound approach to eating. One plus: It requires no extreme measures such as shunning carbs or meat. #15. Vegetarian Diet (2.9 out of 5.0) For weight loss, the vegetarian diet is slower off the starting line than most alternatives. But it gains back some ground over the long haul, beating out about half the field on long-term weight loss. Although vegetarianism isn’t designed to be a weight-loss plan, building in a calorie restriction and filling the menu with healthful foods could help dieters shed some pounds. #16. (tie) Medifast Diet (2.7 out of 5.0) Medifast landed near the bottom of the pack for overall weight loss. While dieters will likely drop pounds quickly on Medifast, most experts felt they’d regain the weight. The diet's relatively low ratings for long-term weight loss pulled it down in the ranking. #16. (tie) Nutrisystem Diet (2.7 out of 5.0) Nutrisystem also earned better ratings for short-term weight loss than for long-term weight loss. Experts were doubtful dieters could keep off the weight once they graduate from prepackaged meals and transition to cooking on their own again. #18. Zone Diet (2.6 out of 5.0) Experts weren’t convinced that the Zone diet helps keep weight off over the short or long term. While it “provides a dose of dietary discipline,” one said, portions are small, and the diet requires a lot of work, which can make adhering to it difficult. #19. Glycemic-Index Diet (2.5 out of 5.0) The glycemic-index diet doesn’t have much potential as a weight-loss diet, according to experts. It premise of favoring "good" carbs over "bad" hasn’t been scientifically validated, and dieters won’t have enough guidance to drop the pounds and keep them off, they concluded. #20. Paleo Diet (1.9 out of 5.0) If weight loss is the goal, the Paleo diet will likely disappoint, in the judgment of our panel of experts. While they gave it slightly higher scores for short-term weight loss than for long-term, on the whole it was the least effective for weight loss of all 20 diets they reviewed.

I'm not a vegetarian. I do snack on cheese. I get my meat at dinner, but some meat gets stuck, so mostly I love to make and eat Soup. I assume I'm getting the nutritional value even if it's mostly the broth, while the rest of the family gets the meat. As for the almonds getting stuck: I've found that cashews get stuck on me, but not the almonds. I haven't tried walnuts. Yes, if I remember to go for Protein and vegetables first, it helps me not to crave the popcorn and chocolate. I love this group! Thank you, June

Are you a vegetarian, June May? I only ask because you could be from your description, and obviously my suggestion won't work for a vegetarian. But. . . . meat, Beans, and cheese are good sources of Protein. I know, I know-- I'm stating the obvious! But, honestly, it sounds like you may want to lose more weight and that your goal is NOT maintenance. If so, obviously you realize you are doing too much non-nutritional snacking for a weight loss phase (buy yay for maintenance), and that daily diets of popcorn, chocolate, ice cream, and almonds are not going to help you lose even if you start with an egg in the morning. Don't get me wrong here-- I absolutely believe in eating "bad for you stuff" in moderation if you can handle it without binging or going off track. But without any more info, I wonder if you are handling it very well or if it has taken you off track, for the moment? Only you can answer. As for Petunia, I get why people got prickly at her response, but I absolutely reject the idea that someone who isn't banded or hasn't experienced something in life has nothing of value to add to the conversation. She's obviously in the thick of the education and preparation stage-- she has some very valuable bits of information in there, even if the tone rubbed the OP in the wrong way. I don't expect the OP to necessarily accept the advice, but the piling on of others is a bit much in my opinion. Keep posting, Petunia!

I've done a slightly modified version of the 5 day pouch test (because I'm a vegetarian), and it really does work. The first 1 - 2 days are horrible, but it really isn't bad after that; and the benefits are great. If you're really struggling, I'd give it a try!

I'd hate to tell you that you absolutely can't drink a latte if it wasn't causing you any problems. Do you find that it's keeping you from losing weight? Or, even if you can fit it into your daily caloric budget (as you technically can with most things in small enough portions), is it taking up room in your daily diet that would be otherwise occupied by more Protein or veggies? In other words, are you getting all of your nutrients and staying within your caloric budget WHILE drinking this latte in the morning? If I were in your situation and I could fit it into my diet healthily, I'd keep drinking the latte if I really enjoyed it over the alternatives. There's common counsel against drinking your calories and it's good. People can easily have several very high-calorie drinks without being conscious of how much they've consumed or feeling full. Also, popular drinks often have a low nutritional/protein status relative to some solid foods in the same calorie range. However, I see the "don't drink your calories" as a general rule and I consciously break the rule twice a day, while observing it for most of my meals. I drink a high-quality and relatively low-calorie Protein shake two times a day. I rarely drink juice or any other drink, unless it is had as a treat. Especially as a vegetarian, the protein shake has made my diet much easier and helps me reach about 100g of protein a day, while staying below 1100 calories. There's no reason (that I'm aware of) that I should take this Protein Drink out of my diet. I'm losing weight more quickly now than I was before I started the protein drink (this is likely in thanks partly to the drink and partly to my stricter diet). In my opinion, you should analyze the drink, yourself, in terms of its nutritional status and find out how many calories you are consuming in a day while the drink is in your diet. Also, you should examine your diet for various nutrient targets that you need to be reaching (e.g. potassium, Vitamin A); this will tell you if you need to take the drink out to make room for other foods that are high in particular nutrients. Good luck deciding! EDIT: I should say that you can find out if you're reaching your nutrient targets with a food tracker. myfitnesspal.com is the one I use to keep track of calories, fats, protein, and various nutrients.

Recipes, please! My surgery is June 29, and now that I'm newly single and moving towards my best lifestyle - I want to move to a vegetarian/vegan diet. I'm a huge animal rights advocate, and hate factory farming - I want to start walking the walk! Thanks!

I posted a wrap recipe in the Vegetarians board I started. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/123054-vegetarians-and-vegans/

You may also consider eating fish instead of chicken and alternate sources of Protein like Beans, tofu, etc. Vegetarian options of meat often go down easier than actual meat.

My doc says 60-80 g a day. I know some people do more, I'd imagine that'd be fairly hard as a vegetarian without ODing on soy!

I keep reading that I need to make sure I have enough protein, but how much is enough? It's hard for me to find stuff, I'm a vegetarian. Someone said I'm to have 160g a day! Holy shmoly!! Help please!!

I have a soy protein shake that tastes good. I'm vegetarian so only can do whey if it is organic. I just don't want to drink it. I have two cups of coffee in the morning with a spoonful of honey in each and then nothing but water until 7:00 when I eat four ounces or fish and about a 3/4 c of some sort of veggie. I do either have a sugar free Popsicle or a sugar free pudding about two hours later. I do take a Centrum chewable, B12 sublingual and a B-Stress complex. This has been how I have felt since the day of surgery. I have no fill, never hit bandsters hell and apart from some hair loss (that no one but me has noticed), I am feeling good. Not having an appetite is something I have never experiences before.