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Admittedly, there are a lot of factors in getting proper versus poor nutrition. I, personally, can do it on 900 calories, most days (when chocolate doesn't get in the way). I'm 5'1, vegetarian, and an avid food logger. I always get 5 servings of fruit & veggies on that amount, as well as enough protein. I can't say what's right for anyone but me. But what I can say is that if your surgeon and/or your nutritionist (like mine) are telling you that 800 or so calories is where they see the most success during the weight loss phase, there are indeed people out there who are examples of this. It seems incomprehensible to the pre-bandster that that amount of food is nourishing and satisfying, but it is -- for many. Laurend, my advice to you is to not worry about it. You'll find what range is right for you, whether it's 800, 1200 or 1500 calories. It'll come together for you with what feels right once you're in the middle of it. There's a lot of flexibility with the band.

If I open a restaurant that only serves beef and cater's to beef eaters, would vegetarians have the right to sue? I am not saying they cant come in and drink something but I am not going to offer a veggie platter just to suit them. I think it is wrong for the government to step in and tell a private business who they have to have a clientel. If a business suffers due to who they are not servicing, then that is the way capitalism works. Eharmony is not the only service that offers match-ups. There have been some lawsuits against some work out establishments for women only where men want to come work out there. I think that is wrong. It is the same thing. It is a business that caters to a specific customer base. I also support xxx(insert group) only work out places, xxx only clubs and xxx only what ever else you can think of. Oh and the military thing, listening to a commander at a base talk, he said that for the most part, he does not care who is what. What he did say is that where the problem lies is similar to why women and men are not in the same unit. As humans who have needs and desires and attraction, the military frowns on any kind of romantic relationship within the ranks. You should be willing to fight as a unit and protect eachother equally. And if it gets down to brass tacks, are you going to try to save your mortally wounded romantic partner on the battlefield or a less wounded platoon companion? Most times, you try to save the ones you love over your "just a friend". Love does not help you think straight, especially in the heat of the moment.

http://www.indigoworld.com.au/weightlosstips1-eng.htm#BodyType Another version of weight loss for your body type sort of thing. Only this one seemed different to me from most of the ones I usually see (where they give you three body types only). The quiz I find sketchy though. But I thought it was interesting, taken with a large grain of salt, naturally. Probably because I am a type D and I was a vegetarian for nine years and I sure do love my dairy. I actually digest dairy better than other things (like I respond to lactose better than fructose or something). But according to this, I need to eat more veggies, something I already suspected

Update: Today is the 3rd day after my fill and I definitely still feel some restriction. Yesterday we had a party at my house, so I snacked a little (grapes, strawberry) and for dinner we had roast pork. I started eating some pork, yummmy, then ate a little more (About 1.5 oz in total) Once the pork hit, I got this feeling of sudden fullness and a sharp pain in my chest. I stopped eating immediately and about 5 minutes later the discomfort passed. Also, I have been pretty much a vegetarian for the last 3 years. However, I am finding it difficult to stay away from carbs without eating at least some meat (there's only so many eggs I can eat!). So I started eating a little meat again.

i just said this on another thread - kashi makes a lot of stuff now, even frozen meals. i don't know what kind of stuff they put in lean cuisine and the like, but i'm assuming there's a lot of preservatives. honestly, and i know you don't want to hear this, but maybe you could take some kind of quick cooking class? it's really not that hard -- actually, you don't even have to cook... you can just take good ingredients and toss them together... making salad and making your own dressing... stir frying some veggies and Beans... i would be happy to give you a few tips if you wanted... depending on what you like to eat. i[m a vegetarian, but i do know how to cook meat... though again, like i said on the other thread, i do not recommend red meat.. as it causes colon cancer among other things. even though i do not eat them, healthier meats include fish and chicken... full of Protein... though you have to be careful about salmonella with chicken and mercury with fish. cooking can be not so time consuming, if you don't make it too complicated, and it is SO MUCH cheaper (and obviously SO MUCH healthier) to make your own food our of whole ingredients... Kashi.com was giving out coupons before, I don't know if they still are, but you can check their site...

2020 holidays are going to be very different! I usually host 25 to 30 people; We did a backyard brunch with 12 people back in mid-October so we could see some of the extended family that usually comes knowing we would not be able to host during Covid. We will be 5 people; me, my husband, my two adult kids and my son-in-law. My daughter and her husband are moving back to NYC December 1 (they rented an Airbnb near us for the last 4 months) so we won't see them again until spring I bet. I decided to order Thanksgiving for 6 people from a local restaurant; my daughter is vegetarian and they are a vegan/vegetarian friendly restaurant. The meal includes a turkey breast and a bunch of yummy sides including vegan butternut squash macaroni and cheese, whatever that is! lol. Our Christmas will be only 3 of us, my adult son and my husband and I. We usually host 18 people for Christmas! We are using Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving as "fake Christmas season"; getting our tree, decorating the house, watching Muppets Christmas Carol (our family tradition), opening one little present each and having our traditional Christmas pancakes on Sunday morning. My daughter and SIL just bought a house, so their real present from us was some household stuff, delivered to their new house, and my son is moving into a new apartment March 1st, so we are getting him a new bed. We agreed that we would like a donation in the families name to our local foodbank as our present from the kids this year. (and grandkids, we want grandkids, but no commitment there....). Christmas Day I am sure will feel pretty isolated. We are doing an extended family zoom with all my brothers and their respective spouses/partners, my nieces and nephews, and the grand nieces and nephews. That many people on Zoom is very chaotic, but we are going to sing "The 12 days of christmas" (everyone has an assigned day) and Silent Night, as we usually sing carols when we are together. (we are almost all terrible singers, btw). I am about to go fully remote, again. I am missing my friends, missing my family, my colleagues, and I feel scared and overwhelmed at times. I am actively trying to focus on gratitude, staying in the moment, and appreciating the connections I have with so many dear people, albeit in a new form. I am also trying to get outside for walks as much as I can, and have invested in a warm and waterproof pair of walking/hiking boots and bought some thermal under things in my new size. Chasing the endorphins and Vitamin D. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! I'd love to hear how other folks are planning for this year, both from a food, health and mental health perspective.

Hi All, i am new to the PCOS forum. I was diagnosed with PCOS 15 years ago. I went thru fertility treatment to have my son. I have pretty severe facial hair and insulin resistance. I was sleeved on Dec 22nd. My weight loss has been slow compared to some others. I have so far lost 15 lbs including preop diet. I am a vegetarian and so is very hard to go too low carb as i have to rely on dairy and legumes for my protien and eat veggies. So I am thinking about 40gms per day......my biggest frustration at this point in addition to the weight is facial hair! Can anyone share if losing weight after sleeve has decreased or stopped facial hair?

Great suggestions above. I also love beans. In fact, I have black bean soup most days now (I am at the tail end of week three) and I also love plain old vegetarian baked beans. Filling, nice protein, little or no fat, Trader Joe's does a great canned black bean soup if you have one near you.

:nervous Hello from Ohio! I've been vegetarian for 52 years (I'm 56) and I'm so sick of being asked (sometimes diplomatically and sometimes not) how I could get so fat if all I eat are vegetables. Being veg. only means I don't eat meat, fish, and eggs. Everything else it fair game! I did want to pass on a communication I had with Bariatric Advantage products. None of their vitamin supplements are vegetarian--the vitamin E comes from fish oil. I'm still awaiting insurance determination and I hope to be banded the first week of June. I'm fortunate to have approval from my primary insurance guaranteed. If the second company declines coverage I'm only responsible for about $1,000. I'm just hoping that my secondary (Humana) doesn't require the 6-month physician-supervised diet I sometimes hear about. My BMI is 40.8 and a six-month diet may result in a BMI too low to qualify. Does anyone have the experience of being required to diet for six months?

Wow! Thanks so much for this!!!! We banded vegetarians are sometimes overlooked! :-)

Check out Robin Robertson's vegetarian cookbooks. REALLY good.

My doctor has me taking the B12 sublingual every day. I took it before surgery, too, bc I'm a vegetarian. I think it's usually recommended every day? Your doctor can give you a shot if you don't want to give a shot yourself or take the vitamin.

Switch to eating Protein and veggies for a week and just cut carbs except for veggies. Just say if it has carbs, besides from veggies or eggs, then I can't have it. This will not work if you are vegetarian, but you do that and walk 30 minutes a day and you should be good.

Are you serious? I've NEVER heard this before... and GRANTED, I am NEW to this lifestyle, but I do not believe you are correct, it is more like what BG said in her post. Someone asked what to eat... There are TONS of foods you can eat! Basically it is about replacing the fat (flesh) with FLAVOR. There are hundreds of vegetarian and vegan recipe books out there. I'm looking at a few on AMazon and might just buy one or two. I'm not a big fruit and veg eater, but I am definatly trying new things now. Like they say in the book "You cannot keep eating the same shit and expect to get skinny." How true is that?

I love Morningstar Farms products and the Hungry Girl web site as well. Hungry Girl has an excellent recipe for a low cal margarita - unfortunately I haven't had it since I was banded because the main ingredient is diet sierra mist (carbonated). But I love her sassy site! As for Morningstar Farms, I'm a vegetarian and I love many of their foods. Their "chicken" nuggets dipped in barbecue sauce are heavenly. So are their breakfast "sausage" patties and "bacon". Great recommendations, Candle!

I still do wonder. But I am trying to take it slowly - my usual bull at a gate, lose by yesterday has never worked, so I am trying to take this "normal". I doing: Using Small plates/bowls Eating regular food - we're vegetarian Banning the baddies from the house : chocolate, chips, Cookies, fatty foods, pre-packaged cakes etc Slowing down Chew, chew chewing - I still forget sometimes :cursing: Not drinking with meals I think because I've been overweight since I was 11, that its not going to happen overnight, so if I take it gently and let the band help me, I'll make it this time.

So i collected TONS of recipes in my anticipation of starting the mushies or puree stage!! Here they are! Please post more if you have anything else you enjoyed during this phase! Potato Soup: 1 32oz bag Frozen Southern Style Hash browns (be sure it has 0 fat) - thawed (or potatoes o’brien) 42 oz fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth or 3 14oz cans Salt to taste 1 cup fat-free skim milk 1 cup Water 1 pkg McCormick original country gravy mix 6 Tbsp Hormel Bits, real crumbled bacon 30% less fat Spray your soup pot with some non-stick cooking spray. Heat your pot and put in your hash browns. Brown them slightly; be sure not to burn the potatoes. If some of the potatoes get stuck to the bottom, that's ok. Pour in 1 can of the chicken broth and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Then pour in the other two cans. Add salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer. In the meantime, in a separate bowl, whisk together the water & milk with the package of country gravy mix. Once potatoes are soft and starting to break down, pour in gravy mixture. Mix in bacon bits and let cook until thick and creamy. Add Salt to taste (be careful with adding pepper as the gravy is very peppery) If you don't like chunks in your soup, blend the soup in small batches Butternut Squash Soup: 3 pound(s) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1-inch cubes 2 medium onion(s), peeled and quartered Handful of Peeled Garlic Cloves 29 oz canned chicken broth 1 1/2 tsp curry powder 1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste 1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste 1/4 cup(s) fat-free sour cream 1 medium scallion(s), thinly sliced, for garnish Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place squash, garlic and onion in a large baking dish. Pour in chicken broth and bake, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. (Don't worry if some of the pieces get a bit browned — this will add to the roasted flavor of the soup.) Remove from oven and let vegetables cool for about 15 minutes; puree in batches in a blender or food processor. In a small skillet, toast curry powder over low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes (be careful not to burn it); stir into pureed soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper; garnish with sour cream and scallions. Yields about 3/4 cup of soup and 2 teaspoons of sour cream per serving. Shelly's Baked Ricotta 8 oz of Ricotta cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1 large Egg, beaten 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning salt & pepper to taste 1/2 cup Marinara Sauce 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan, beaten egg, seasonings together and place in a oven proof dish. Pour marinara on top and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake it in the oven @ 450 for about 20-25 minutes (best) or nuke it till hot and bubbly. I usually made it first in the oven and heated the leftovers in the microwave. Hot chocolate Mousse 6 ounces light vanilla yogurt 6 ounces silken tofu 1 small (1 ounce) package sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 pinch cayenne pepper 2 cups sugar-free whipped topping, thawed Directions 1. In a medium bowl, beat together tofu and yogurt for 2 minutes. 2. Add pudding mix, beating for another 2 minutes. Mixture will be super-thick. 3. Add cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and 1 cup of the whipped topping; beat until combined. Fold in final cup of whipped topping. 4. Scoop into serving dishes and sprinkle with extra cinnamon. Refrigerate leftovers. Vegetarian Chili Ingredients 1 (12 ounce) bag frozen Morning Star Farms Ground Sausage 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 (15 ounce) can kidney Beans 1 (15 ounce) can black beans 1 package chili seasoning Directions 1.) Spray a medium to large pot with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over low. 2.) Add bag of groung sausage, chili seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Mix well on medium heat for 5 minutes. 3.) Add diced tomatoes, kidney beans and black beans, stirring together. 4.) Cover and let simmer on medium to low heat for 10 minutes. Enjoy! Creamy Mexican Dip 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt, Greek-variety recommended 1/2 cups salsa, hot chipotle variety suggested 3/4 cup avocado, diced 1/3 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped 1/4 cup red onion, chopped 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste Garnish 1/4 cup avocado, diced 1 tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped 1 tbsp red onions, chopped instructions: In a medium bowl, stir together yogurt and salsa until blended; stir in remaining ingredients except garnishes. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. When ready to serve, transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with garnishes. Yields about 1/4 cup per serving.NOTE: This dip combines all those favorite Mexican flavors like salsa, avocado and cilantro using fat-free Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It also makes a wonderful topping for tacos or other Mexican foods—and then you don’t have to set out separate bowls of salsa, sour cream, avocado, cilantro and onion Chicken and veggies in crock pot with cream of mushroom soup "LASAGNA" In a Cereal bowl put a layer of low fat ricotta cheese at the bottom of the bowl Add a layer of spagetti sauce (I use Barilla as it's a lower sugar one) Sprinkle garlic power and grated parmesean cheese on top of sauce Add a layer of shredded low fat mozzarella cheese Microwave on a low setting just to heat through and melt the cheeses Cheesy bean dip: Refried beans, salsa con queso, sour cream, taco seasoning or sauce turkey bacon guacamole: cook and crumble 1-2 slices turkey bacon...1/2 avacado...maybe 2 or 3 grape tomatoes..tiny bit of purple onion...cut up very fine. I add 1 tsp of miracle whip and salt to taste. tuna casserole: 2 cans of tuna, cream of mushroom, and diced potato. baked it in the oven and put some swiss cheese on top. SUSAN MARIA'S VANILLA EGG CUSTARD WLS 1/2 cup portion: Calories 110, fat 4.5 gr, carbs 7.5 gr, Protein 9gr. Makes six 1/2 cup servings This custard is smooth, cold, and very soothing, I made a batch at least twice a week, as my family loved this as well. Purchase 6 or 8 four-ounce cups 4 eggs 1 cup skim milk 1 can evaporated low-fat milk 1/2 cup Splenda Granular 2 teaspoons vanilla Pinch of salt Freshly grated nutmeg Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place 6 custard cups or ramekins in a large roasting pan and set aside. Whisk together the eggs, milk, evaporated milk, Splenda, vanilla, and salt. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup. Divide evenly among the custard cups and grate a generous amount of nutmeg over each one. Pour enough hot water in the roasting pan to come about halfway up the sides of the custard cups. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, until the custard are just set in the center. Carefully remove the custards from the water bath, and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve chilled. CREAMY BLACK BEAN SOUP (pureed, soft-regular stages) 1 TB olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained 3 cups Chicken Stock or low-sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup mild roasted tomato salsa Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream Shredded Chedar, chopped cilantro, and sliced green onions (scallions) Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the beans, stock, and salsa, and season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend and the soup thickens slightly. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a blender until smooth and creamy. Be careful when pureeing hot liquids in a blender as the steam expands; always cover the lid with a kitchen towel, pulse the switch, then rel4ease the steam before proceeding. Reheat the soup just before serving and whisk in the sour cream. Check the seasonings. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the Cheddar, cilantro, and green oinions. Have a bottle of hot sauce on the table and use to taste. Note: Newman's Own and Goya salsas are excellent, as is the Frontera brand of salsa (from Rick Bayles, chef/owner of Chicago's Topolobampo and Frontera Grill). Watch for added sugar in other brands. Cauliflower Cheese soup (blenderize for puree, soft-regular stages) 14 oz. fat free chicken broth 1 head of cauliflower, split into rough pieces 1/4 cup of minced onion or shallots 2 or 3 wedges of Laughing Cow cheese or 2 or 3 TBSP of low fat cream cheese 1 or 2 cups of fat free milk (organic tastes better) salt and pepper to taste Saute onion in a Pam sprayed pan. When soft, add cauliflower chunks and broth. Simmer until cauliflower is soft. Stir in cheese. Remove from heat and in batches, blend in food processor with fat free milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

My doc was afraid I would starve or something with the mushies phase because I am a vegetarian, so on my mushies phase he said I could eat potato chips sometimes if needed but I must chew well and eat very slowly. I think I only did it once or twice during that time. It didn't seem to make sense. Actually chips are somewhat of a slider for me even now, potato and tortilla chips.

My best friend and I go out to lunch several times a month. About 3 years ago, she developed an aggressive form of breast cancer. Part of her treatment was to become vegetarian. We both would have suffered if she didn't want to meet up with me because she couldn't eat what I ate. Instead, I made it my challenge to find great tasting vegan/vegetarian restaurants that she hadn't tried yet. Even if I ate some grilled chicken, she was ok, because we had gone somewhere that had good, tempting options for her, as well. After I had my surgery, we found places that were not only vegetarian but offered bariatric-friendly soups, too. Maybe your friends can help you identify the best virgin-drinks in town or offer to be your ride (once you can have a drink or two). Another great support is someone (or more) who are willing to share a couple of bites of their meals with you so that you get the experience without having to waste an entire entree. Giving up our former relationship with food causes grieving and we can go through the steps of grief. You are in the anger stage right now, but you will transition through it and life will be good again.

I get enough protein without meat I love No cow protein bars. If you need protein shake supplement Vega yea one I found I like. I am not vegan. I always ate a mix of vegetarian foods and meat but health reasons I slowly stopped eating meat. I did have eggs with a veggie burger (the actual vegetable style burger a way of getting veggies made in a way my gut could handle) Dr. Praeger's Cauliflower Burger and California Burgers have been my go to. I used to put egg on a small veggie burger. They have "Just egg" that is a vegetarian egg substitute that you can make your own scramble or omelette. There are many options not just beans. You can take plant based omegas, Bragg Nutritional yeast, Vitamin K to name three I can think of as top supplements. Protein intake is based on body weight and activity base protein is 0.36 grams Protein per 1lb of body weight. and more based on type of diet and activity level. too much protein actually converts to sugar. I am now working through some issues not related to my surgery. but have reached goal and maintained since my surgery 2019.

I was a vegetarian for 3 years before I deployed and couldn't maintain that diet without eating garbage as a replacement. I used to LOVE these Gardein Chicken stuffed with spinach things. I have looked high and low for them and they're not made anymore but man were they good. They came in like single serving packages with one loaf of chicken per package.

Here's another vegetarian post op meal: 1.5 oz of cauliflower mac n cheese, 1.5 oz of beyond beef, 1 teaspoon sugar free ketchup and chipotle hot sauce on the Mac n cheese (I like spicy food). Total 3 oz of food about, 150 calories and 12 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of carbs. I know it looks super ugly lol but it tastes great! I actually had the burger patty leftover from a restaurant. I had to go to a work dinner and I didn't want to deal with telling people why I wasn't eating so I ordered a beyond burger and ate a quarter of it (just the patty) and told everyone I was Low carb LOL anyway, the patty lasted me 3 days worth of meals so I stretched my dollar far too! Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Definitely! We're here. There are some other great vegetarian and plant based threads on these forums. I also know some people go dairy free post op because they can't do lactose anymore. I haven't found that to be an issue yet but it happens. Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm big on beans ... refried or just smashed. Lentils, split peas, quinoa. Maybe because it's been cold and I like something simmering? Baked tofu is tasty too (FYI I am not exclusively vegetarian... occasionally I'll eat chicken.) My band has encouraged grain protein far over any other product

Marilyn, here's hoping that the fill turns things around for you. I can certainly understand your frustration. Enjoy the holiday season in the Windy City, and keep in touch- us teachers have to stick together. Towens, let us know how the fill went today. Great that you chose to get it done now, even though it'll make Christmas dinner a little harder to get down. Merry Christmas! Tlwempen, that's a good insight you had about wanting meat only because you can't have it. That's right, remember: "Meat is Clay" (kind of even looks like it a bit, doesn't it?)! Look at it this way - you'll go through this Christmas as a vegetarian. Whenever I want something I can't have, another thought that comes to mind is that I spent one week on a liquid diet and came out of it just fine - so do I really need "this" or "that"? Merry Christmas! All the best,