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Hi, I'm vegetarian so I use soy protein. Spirutein is yum and has tons of flavors. I ordered a sample pack in advance and tried them out. I use a soy protein by Optimum Nutrition. It has no sugar and i like it mixed with water. It mixes very easily.

I went to the Vitamin shoppe today and decided on spirutein, it is a blend of rice protein, pea protein, and soy protein isolate. I bought the banana one. I didn't have high hopes for it, infact I didnt have any hope at all for it because so many I've tried have not worked. But I was wrong, it smelled like a banana split, and it was really good. Like not just "its tolerable but I have to get it down" but I actually enjoyed drinking it. It came out green tinted cuz of the pea protein, but tasted nothing like peas at all. It only has 14 grams per scoop, but I figured some protein was better thank no protein at all. After consuming it, I perked up like a watered plant (I have had zero protein since sunday). I too am concerned about the soy, b/c of my fam history of breast cancer and my thyroid issues, but as I said I only have till tuesday and then I can start eating yogurt and ff sf puding, and strained cream Soups, and other thin pureed stuff, so I wont need to rely on the soy as my sole protein source-I mean-one vanilla chobani has 14g protein! (i hope i tolerate the yogurt ok, if not I will have to find an alternative). and then when I get on solids a 3 wks, I wont need it anymore! they encourage you to get ur protein from solid foods like fish and meat etc. they don't want you to rely on Protein shakes and say they should not be used for meals unless you are really pressed for time. So its not like I will be eating soy for the rest of my life (b/c I am not a vegetarian like a lot of people here are), just a few weeks, so I am not really worried.

I am lactose intolerant as well. I do use Muscle Milk whey Protein powder and I mix it half and half soymilk/water. Works out ok for me. But, for those that don't want any of that, have you tried: For vegetarians, vegans and anyone looking for a non-animal derived protein, try Swanson 100% Pure Pea Protein: pure, easily digestible, great-tasting, vegan-friendly protein source made with yellow peas (Pisum sativum). It features an amino acid profile very close to ideal for human nutrition, as recommended by health organizations worldwide. Plus, unlike many protein supplements, Pea Protein is easy on the stomach and almost completely digestible, making it the perfect choice for sensitive individuals, children and the elderly. Hope this is helpful. Happy Holidays! ~Fran

Optimum Nutrition also makes a good soy protein. I'm vegetarian and tried to find an organic humane whey protein but the one I found messed with my tummy. Spirutein is also yummy with several flavors but the carb count was higher than my doc allows. I hope you find something that works for you. Best wishes!

Ok so I have bought all the powders highly recommended on this forum including Syntrax fuzzy peach nectar, optimum nutrition gold standard whey (Cookies and cream) and another one by optimum nutrition called hydro-whey which is good also, and it's not that they don't taste good, its just that I cant drink even 8 oz before I start to feel gross, sick, bloated and gassy. So, I remembered I went to a really good naturalist a while back when I was having issues and she ran the "ELISA" testing on me which tests not for acute allergic reactions (called IgE antibodies), but delayed intolerances/sensitivities (IgG antibodies) which can range from anything to gas, bloating, cramps, to muscle/joint aches to neuro issues like mood swings/irritability. So, I looked at the results which I had not reviewed in quite awhile, and it says I have severe antibodies (>5x the normal amount) to milk products and moderate antibodies (>3x the normal level) to eggs, yolk and white. Now my mom argues with me that I could always tolerate milk and eggs fine before surgery, but I always tell her it's not that I tolerated them, but I really didn't care if I spent a half hour on the toilet if it meant that delicious pint of ice cream (I know, true confessions), and I also made the point that I think I took A LOT more of the offending substance to affect me so that I did care (because my stomach was much larger), and I usually didn't get to that quantity. And my third argument to her, and I have no clue if this has any credibility, but I did tell her that maybe I didn't notice it that much b/c I was eating so much other crap, bread, Pasta, oats, fruit, veggies etc. etc. and when I first got the results back for "milk" sensitivity I just thought "oh I can take a Lactaid and I will be fine", but then just learned yesterday that milk intolerance is NOT the same as lactose intolerance. Lactose is only an intolerance to one part of the milk-the sugar, which is called the lactose. but milk is made up of whey (which is the watery stuff, and makes up 20% of the Proteins found in milk, and casein, which are the lumpy white globs seen in sour milk. Therefore "milk intolerance" is very different that "lactose intolerance." and unfortunately there is no way to avoid symptoms like with lactose intolerance, you just have to avoid milk products. sorry if you already knew all that, but I found it interesting b/c alot of people who get tested and have a "milk" allergy or intolerance just think they are lactose intolerant, which is what I did. so then there are the eggs, which I don't have as high of a sensitivity level to, but I would like to avoid. which leaves soy. Now I do have a history of breast cancer in my family, and I know soy messes with your thyroid and also mimics estrogen (and my doc thinks I may be estrogen dominant already), but I also know that for the next couple weeks, I have to get my Protein in somehow, and this seems to be the only way, because the only proteins I know of are milk protein concentrate/isolate, egg white, whey isolate/concentrate, (which is made from milk), and soy isolate/concentrate. My antibody level to "soybean" came back completely negative. I also I don't think by taking soy protein for a few weeks until I can eat solids is going to give me breast cancer. I think it is long term use that many professionals advise against. So, I really don't know why I gave all that info, (maybe it will help someone else, and I had also been asking for whey powder recommendations and I wanted to explain why I am all of a sudden now asking for soy). But because the only powders I didn't mind the taste of were recommended by users on this forum, and I know NOTHING about the world of soy protein isolates/powders, maybe there are some soy lovers, vegetarians/vegans who can give me some good tasting ones? thanks and merry christmas/happy holidays and for those of you that are a day or two out, today is day 4 for me and I am just today starting to feel "normal" again, less bloating, etc.

Jake, Watch the slippery slope there. If you know taco bell will go down easy and there are ten taco bells in as many square miles, don't let it be something you turn to easily. I buy vegetarian fat free Refried beans and sprinkle a bit of cheese on the top - delicious.

Ehrm… I am definitely not one of those guys who is fond of sharing intimate details on the Internet, especially when its fundamental goal is a lack of privacy. But I am here, because I am so scared of this surgery and have a pretty limited support structure. Hopefully opening up here will let everyone know who I am and where I’m coming from in terms of this surgery. Basically my story is … I am a fat guy. Of course all of my friends and family like to use terms like big-boned,fluffy, squishy, stout, and my personal favorite full-bodied (makes me soundlike a wine). My fiancé likes to say there is “more of me to love” and I am her “big teddy bear”. I tell everyone that I am fat; I’m not ashamed of it. This fat man started his journey as a fat kid, a roly-poly chubby cheeked fat kid; and I loved it. I never had a problem with being picked on, fat kids are funny and I knew how to box. I also did all right with the ladies, not as good as my friends, and I had to work a bit harder… but good enough for me. Fast-forward to age 22, and I realize being fat is a lot of stress on your body. My joints started hurting, my BP started rising, and little brownbear had trouble finishing. So I got on an organic vegetarian diet and lost about 30 lbs… leading to me crouched over the fridge eating a pound and ahalf of Canadian bacon at 2:30 in the morning. I then tried weight watchers, jenny Craig, Atkins, and pretty much everything else. I’ve lost over 100 pounds and gained back over 150. I am now a 300lb 25-year-old assistant professor who is scheduled for VSG on the 27th of December and sh*t-scared. My obvious fear is dying on the operating table. But I think a deeper and much stronger fear is that this surgery will ruin my long running relationship with food. I love food. Food has always been there for me: in kindergarten, when I gave Stephanie Miller my cupcake and got a kiss on the cheek in return; tacos on my tenth birthday when I got hit by a car; lo-mien when my aunt died of breast cancer in 7th grade; burgers when I fell in love with Kelli Moreno freshman year, and half a cheesecake when she broke my heart junior year. Food has been with me through high school, college, grad school, and my dissertation. And I am so afraid of losing it. And I know this makes me sound like a total lard ass. My support system for this surgery consists of three people with varying opinions : my mom, my dad, and my baby sister. My mom’s support is unconditional, she would support me in any decision I made. My sister is supportive and a bit jealous, probably because she spends so much time trying to stay in those size 2 mini-skirts. My dad is … less than thrilled, more like disappointed. The first thing my dad did after I suggested this is call me a coward. He said that a real man can handle his problems without resorting to shortcuts. To be honest, he brings up a good point. How can I tell my students to struggle and work hard when I am cheating? As you can see, my dad really knows how to get to me. I guess you’re asking why I am doing this surgery if I have so many doubts? Well my trigger was when my fiancé dumped me (I know technically she is no longer my fiancé, but I refuse to call her anything else). Now I know what you’re thinking, she did not dump me because I was too fat…. Well at least I choose to believe that. Jill was diagnosed with lupus at the tender age of twelve years old, and has spent the last ten years in and out of Doctors offices. She and her folks are hesitant to settle down with an “obese” individual who has an increased risk for medical issues. So even though love is blind, it prefers a BMI under 28. Thatis the main reason that no one else knows about this surgery and no one will. I know her family would never approve, and don’t want this surgery to be a barrier. I refuse to be known as the fat guy who needed surgery to stay healthy, even though that is the obvious truth. I am not sure what I am going to tell everyone when they notice the changein my sizes, both portion and waist, but I’ve got a few ideas. I’m thinking of telling everyone that I had a bleeding ulcer that had to be removed. It has the benefit of showing the exact same post-operational symptoms and explaining my weight loss and portion size. I feel like a jackass for doing this, but I am determined not to let Jill’s family know I had WLS.

Hi Robin! I'm also a vegetarian! There's not many of us out here. My nutritionist helped with showing me many different high-Protein vegetarian items, most I already knew about but it was very helpful to go over it all. I had my surgery Nov 16. I've had some complecations (but not because of being a vegetarian) so I'm still on a full liquid diet. I'm having trouble getting all my Proteins down. I mix my Protein powder with Westsoy soy milk which has 11g protein per 8oz. I try to have a serving of unjury chicken Soup (it's vegetarian) it has 20g protein. If you have any questions let me know.. and let me know if you find any high Protein shakes that taste good! Kelli

wow that was a big help....does the flaxseed oil really taste good? I guess if an 8 year old would take it, i could. Cuz I spent a lot of time looking around at Omega 3 gummies/softchews, and they all just sounded gross and even if I found one I liked I would probably end up trying A LOT before finding one that was tolerable and that is a lot of wasted $ I don't have lol. I ended up buying this stuff called coromega-its like a little ketchup packet that is citrus flavored, the guy an viatmin shoppe said all his customers like it and it does have a tart citrus taste but no fish taste, you can suck it out plain or add it to a smoothie etc. its has 350 of epa and 250 of dha. Although I could not try it cuz my surgery is monday and no-omega 3's allowed pre-op I had my bro and his GF try it and they didnt find it very good, but they can be overdramatic sometimes . If that doesn't work. I'm going to ask my nutritionist if omega 3 "mini" gels are ok. I don't know if you've heard of them but as far as I know 3 companies make them, one is made by a company called prothera, one is made by is NOW foods, and the other is made by puritans pride, (all easily located with a google search) and they all claim to be less than 1/2 the size of the regular fish pills, and prothera's site was the only one with a picture of the pill and not just the bottle, but I can't really tell from the pic the exact size, nor do I know which one is "actually" the smallest of the 3. Being an herbalist, have you seen any of the mini softgels? are they "mini" enough for us LB patients? Also some people on this board say they were told not to take anything bigger than a tic tac, and other posts I have read said they were told they could take standard sized capsules, so I'm a bit confused about that. I am confused as to the message are they saying "take them if you can tolerate them without gagging/throwing", or "even if you can tolerate them they are still not good for your band"? I think the other stuff wont be too too hard to find, its just I am really sensitive to gross tasting stuff and that is the last thing I was after LB surgery lol. So if the coromega and the mini softgels both don't work out, nice to know I have the flaxseed oil idea. One other question though. I have been reading up on omega 3's and found this article blip while researching Not all omega-3s are the same. The three main forms are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). EPA and DHA are considered long-chain forms of omega-3 and are found in fish, fish oil supplements, and algae extract. ALA, the short-chain form, is found in plant sources like walnuts, flax seed, canola and soybean oil, and, to a lesser degree, green leafy vegetables. The body needs to convert the short-chain version to a long-chain version in order to make use of it—but this conversion doesn't happen very rapidly, says Willett. So knowing this, are there any forms of flaxssed oil that provide EPA and DHA instead of just ALA? I've never delved into the flaxssed linseed oil business b/c I am not vegetarian, so that is new for me. thanks for the help!

My surgeon told me I could have anything that would go through a straw, so I'm having chocolate muscle milk Protein shakes. I'm having 3 or four a day plus pureed Soup. (vegetarian) He said that after a few days, if I'm hungry I can switch the next stage of small food. My stomach was growling while I was in the freaking recovery room! I'm glad to hear that someone else is hungry too, because I thought there was something wrong with me!

I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian (no meat but will eat dairy products and eggs). In the last two years I've even been a raw vegan - a fantastic healthy diet but not socially easy or viable for very long (no meat, dairy, eggs or any cooked foods... just raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds). I was wondering if there are any other vegetarians here and if the information you received was different since you could not eat meat, fish or poultry? Robin

thanks, annie. yes, i always eat my protein first....i'm a vegetarian, but i make sure every meal has protein in it...eggs, tofu, fish, etc. i also wait 15 minutes before i eat and an hour after to drink anything. i'm hoping it's just something random going on...i was really hoping for some restriction this time around since all the weight i've lost for the last four months has been on sheer willpower.

Hi, I'm on mushy stage and my doctor expects me to have two protein shakes per day. My protein goal is 70 grams per day. I don't know much about isolates. My doctor has never mentioned this. I'm vegetarian so I use soy protein.

Hey Chasing, I'm vegetarian too but eat fish and organic dairy products (and cage free, free range eggs). I prefer to eat vegan too but I'm ok with fish and humane dairy. I love tofu and am working on finding some simple marinade recipes for tofu. I'm also a huge fan on lentils and have a great Lebanese recipe for them (sans rice). I could only find one organic whey protein (Taras Whey) and it didn't agree with me. I did end up finding a soy protein with 25g protein per serving and zero sugars! I just ate my first purée meal... 1/4 cup!

Hey there, Banded on the 6th. I'm doing great! Just tried eggs for the first time last night, and did very well with them! I'm looking forward to getting off these Protein shakes and more towards whole foods. My husband made me two types of bean Soups and a squash Soup that I puree and absolutely lovelovelovelove. The pureed soups are definitely a high point for me. Are there any other December banders out there with infants? My son is 9 months old and he gives me a workout! I am pretty sore by the end of the day. Also, I saw that there was another a vegetarian out there - yay! I prefer to eat to vegan, but will likely adding fish and eggs to my routine. I start my day with a green juice (kale-celery-cucumber-apple). I intend to do a spinach-banana-oj smoothie, too. What varieties are you going to incorporate to get your protein in? I can't do soy/tofu - GM soy is no bueno for me.

Hi. I was banded the 9th. I'm doing well. I walked around a lot the day after surgery and as a result haven't had any gas pains at all (at least I think that's why!). I haven't needed any pain meds - not even Tylenol - since the day after surgery. I can't start mushies until after I see my surgeon on Thursday. I'm not hungry at all though. I'm getting my two Protein shakes in, a reduced sugar apple juice and Water. broth does not appeal to me at all. I'm vegetarian so my choices are mushroom broth, Miso or vegetable broth. They all taste way too salty to me and one of them is low sodium. At this point, I cannot imagine disobeying my doctors orders. For me, I know it would be a slippery slope so I'm committed to do everything my doctor says. Best wishes to all of you guys! We are headed to healthy!

I don't know what's with this protein myth...I mean, yes, you have to get a reasonable amount in, but LOTS of people (e.g. practically every vegetarian and vegan) eat only 40-50 grams a day and their hair doesn't fall out. It has to do with the surgery trauma. When you go through a major physical or emotional stress, your hair may arrest in growth and then fall out all around the same time (telogen effluvium). No amount of protein is going to do anything because the arrest happens within days of surgery. Of course, if you are eating like 100 calories and 5 grams of protein a day for months on end, then your new replacement hair actually won't grow in, but if your original hair is gonna fall out, it's gonna fall out whether you eat 20 or 100 grams of protein a day.

It is not as simple as calories in vs calories expended. Our bodies react very differently to different calorie sources especially if you have a metabolic issue (PCOS, metabolic syndrome, syndrome X, insulin resistance, thyroid issues, Cushings Syndrome, etc.) There are plenty of documented cases of women with PCOS being vegetarian, on a diet, exercising and still gaining weight. I do believe most people who are obese have diagnosed or undiagnosed metabolic issues. I have PCOS and know for a fact that if I eat normal portions I gain weight no matter what. I have been eating on a salad plate for years and still was weighing 265 lbs when all of this started. In order to loose weight, I have to eat portions that fit on a dessert plate about what my 3 year old would eat. I cannot eat that portion without being ravenous. I got the lap-band to help curb hunger. I do get tired of doctors and others saying that there is no way a person cannot be loosing weight or even gaining on a limited diet. It happens all the time. If you are not loosing weight on a limited diet, perhaps you should see an endocrinologist and get a workup done to see if there are metabolic issues or other medical issues. Of course, see your PCP or pharmacist to find out if any medications you may be on is causing weight gain or slow metabolism.

I'm in the mushie/puree stage as well. One thing I've been loving.. is the vegetarian (low fat) refried Beans mixed in some salsa, a little shredded cheese then bake in the oven. I take greek yogurt (plain) add in the powder mix of ranch to make a lil sour cream ranch taste and top off the beans. LOVE IT! I was so tired of the liquid phase, not because of the foods but I was tired of just 'drinking' everything

I count calories (I try to stick 800-950 a day) and I also weigh and measure my food. It's important to me to count calories because unfortunately the nutrition facts for 4 oz of salmon vs 4 oz of cheese vs 4 oz of pasta are very different. When I don't log calories Its much easier to eat and just forget about it (which is why I only stop food logging when I'm overeating and don't want to think about it). I'm also really anal about how much protein I'm eating. I don't usually just eat 4 oz but because of the different shapes and thicknesses of various kinds of fish (I don't eat red meat or poultry... Just seafood and vegetarian protein) it's hard to accurately estimate how many ounces are in various pieces. So I weigh all of my fish and then I usually can eat 5 or 5.5 ounces.

I have issues with most solids in the morning, so unless I have a lot of time to take miniscule teeny tiny nibbles and chew the heck out of each nibble, I just go with a shake, cottage cheese, or greek yogurt. Otherwise, I have very few problems with most foods I eat for lunch or snack. I can usually eat bread and nuts without an issue. Cornbread is worse than other breads for some reason. Occasionally edamame or chickpeas will give me a little trouble. Dinner is my rough spot. I think even though it's been almost 6 months, I'm still learning the CHEW lesson, especially in the evening when I'm hungry and tired. Chicken is my nemesis. But, we're on a very tight budget, so unless I want to go vegetarian, it's what I've got for dinner protein at least 4-5 nights each week. Other meats (when I have them) are occasionally troublesome, but not nearly as bad as poultry. Hopefully someday I'll get the hang of it and not get stuck almost every time.

Here is some of what I eat. Try the less-soft stuff slowly, as tolerated, and chew very well. scrambled eggs with tomato and cheese blueberries and yogurt (w/ wheat germ) strawberries + ricotta Protein shake kefir tuna hummus with veggie sticks deli sliced turkey garden burger w/ avocado and tomato special yummy salad dressing: I mix dry Ranch dressing mix with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It's delicious! I have it with baby spinach, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, etc roasted salmon chicken fajita filling Trader Joe's vegetarian chili -add tomatoes snacks: cheese stick hard boiled egg yogurt Protein Bar hummus and veggie sticks mandarin oranges cottage cheese nuts edamame orange slices

Hello I just found this forum. I was banded over 1 1/2 years ago. I have lost 100+ lbs so far. I know after reading I lost that much weight you will be surprised to hear that I have had to struggle with this band. Especially since I have another 75 lbs to lose. It took forever to get restriction. Finally after my 9th fill felt that I was restricted enough. I think I might go for a fill in January. Just a little tweek. Recently (I know I should done this all along) I started an exercise routine. I workout 90 minutes, 5 days a week. I do cardio on the treadmill, I weight train, and I stretch. I love the stretching. It feels so relaxing. Since I have started this routine two months ago I have lost 24 pounds and 14 1/2 inches. I cannot stop talking about the importance of working out. On a more personal note. I am a single mom of a 23 year old daughter. She was the center of my universe. Now that she is grown and graduated college, I have been focusing on myself. She is my biggest cheerleader and support. She is sort of a health nut (which I'm thankful for) she is a vegetarian and she's a runner. She is very much into eating healthy and natural. I am trying to listen to her. She tells me to start making my food homemade at home. Alot of the stuff at the stores is full of chemicals and preservatives. Anyway, I'm just glad she's not following my "fat" foot steps. I work as an accounting manager ( I hate my job). My life consists of working and working out. Who has time for much else??? I thought of dating but I keep waiting to lose more weight. Also, let's face it I'm scared. Dating scares the crap out of me. I have a best friend that had lap band surgery 3 years ago. Unfortunately, she had complications at the beginning of the year and she lost her band. Due to scarring they couldn't replace her band. The worse part is that she has already gained back 100 lbs. I feel so bad for her. Also, I am afraid that something like that could happen to me. I have been trying to convince her to consider a revision. we will see what she decides. Well that's about all. That's me in a nutshell.

Quick and easy, hot artichoke dip with artichoke hearts. Cheesy artichoke dip has become one of the most popular side dish around the world. It is a food regarded suitable for people following the vegetarian diet. Baking is the preferred method of preparing cheesy artichoke dip. It is popular dish of American cuisine. The cheesy texture of the cheesy artichoke dip sets it apart from others of its kind. A wonderful, rich appetizer, that is extremely delicious. ENJOY!! Prep Time: 15 Minutes Total Time: 40 Minutes Makes: 2 1/2 cups Makes: 40 servings 30 Calories 1 Serving (1 Tablespoon) CHECK OUT MY BLOG FOR MORE INFO ON THIS RECIPE AND SO MANY MORE:thumbup: http://life-after-lap-band.blogspot.com/

yeah I'm scepical on the cheese chip thing, people really talk them up on this site. here is a strange site with some info Calories in Cheese Chips - Nutrition Facts it looks a little better or maybe equal to my no transfat tortilla chip. which I still avoid. but low carb. here is recipe Joyful Abode apparently there is a store bought product too, I"m not sold on the value but would love to hear something different as they look good. yeah when I hAVE trouble with the protien is on days try not to do meat in both lunch and dinner. and then if I try to do no meat the whole day, which Id usually do several times a week, it is almost impossible, it is hard to be low cal and a vegetarian, and get 60 + g of protein. well unless you are doing a lot of protein drink, which I try not to cause my doc doesn't recommend them, he like solid food.