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Interesting question! I was vegan and gluten free for almost all of 2012. I found plenty of things to eat- but not the lowest calorie, healthiest things. I was also wondering how one would get their Protein in after the sleeve. I love tofu, quinoa and Beans but not sure how the sleeve would handle beans, especially at the beginning. (Are they considered more of a carb?)There are plenty of vegan protein powders out there but as a lifestyle, I would want more variety than shakes, tofu and beans. Any vegetarian or vegan sleevers out there?

Well I don't think anyone is reading this blog but I figure that is OK .. it's somewhere to come and vent .. I love reading the other posts though and it's kinda cool to be ahead of some people now rather than before when I was pre surgery and completely new to this. It's now 10 days since I had surgery and I am still on a liquid diet as per instructions. I tried soup but I really dont like soup and so I am eating err drinking Sustagen which is kinda nice and Optifast and I have been sneaking a banana into that shake as it's 'anything you can drink with a straw' right and so I like having the banana. Having jelly and diet custard etc . I am not really that hungry and I have lost 29.4 pounds to date. Which feels good but also doesn't feel like I've made much change but then that's because I am morbidly obese not just fat. If I was a skinny minny I think 10 kilos would sure make a difference but now I find my rings fit better on my hands and some shirts I stopped wearing I can now button up and they look nice. So I guess it's small steps for now. I am a bit over the liquid diet but that can stop next Tuesday I think after I see my surgeon. I have tinned spadghetti all ready to squish up and have and I am not craving meat at all .. I was thinking of becoming a vegetarian just to avoid all the issues with trying to chew meat. I love fish and I could have eggs etc just no red meat perhaps? Thats what I am thinking anyway. Some days I have drunk a lot of my shake and it feels like I've overeaten so it IS a case of really watching what you consume. I was worried about the fill and how it feels but there is a great You Tube lady who posts under the name 'thebandinme' and she speaks about fills in one of her many videos and she's so upbeat and positive that I am no longer worried but actually see it like she does as a way to control and be in control of my health and what I eat. Good luck to anyone getting banded this week 10 days into it and for minimal pain, minimal discomfort and small adjustments to the way I eat it's really not been such a hard road as yet and I am hopeful it never will be

I definatly don't obsess about food usually meaning how quickly can I eat again. I do however do a lot more planning than I used to. The prepared hot food at my works cafe is often not very healthy and there are a lot of vegetarians so the salad bar runs out early. I bring lunch (baked chicken breast, low fat laughing cow cheese, hummus, veggies, fruit) breakfast (greek yoghurt with some Kashi Go lean); and pre work out protein shake. So I basically need to pack 2 1/2 meals every night when I get home from work before I can dinner. I never would have done that preband. I also will plan ahead if I know I will be in a situation where there is not a healthy food choice.

So I just finished three weeks - and I am excited to say I am eating out.... This past week I have had to eat out for work and I am so happy to report - it was awesome: Romano's macaroni Grill - thought it would be torture - NOPE chicken Toscana Soup - 1 cup 220 calories - 13g of Protein ! DELISH! Baja Fresh - Cup of Tortilla Soup - 300 calories - 11g of protein - awesome! Soup Plantation - Vegetarian Chili - perfect! And I'm still losing weight without being a social pariah. If you have favorite dishes at some restaurants - please post them here - my boyfriend is a 6 foot tall marathon runner who weighs 150 and loves to eat out - I am so glad to know - I don't have to eat in solitude! Yeah BABY! :scared2::tt1: supermom

I had my 2nd fill last week, up to 2cc now in a 4cc band. The first few days were rough because of swelling, so I was on liquids. Then for about 3 days, I felt like I could eat 10 horses (sorry, carrots, I'm a vegetarian, lol). The past 2 days, I have not been able to eat ANYTHING solid without PBing, so I was back on liquids. I was also very nauseas this morning. But now I am starving and can eat again and want more. WTF??? Anyone else go up and down like this?

I've thought about going vegetarian, too. meat seems like such a pain (ha!) to deal with in the quantities I can eat. One small point...vegan is the absence of all animal products, including milk, cheese, eggs...I don't think I would go that far with it. Would love to have your recipes!

Don't despair! The 1st four weeks were absolutely hellacious for me. I threw up daily everything made me sick. I thought I'd made a huge irreversible mistake! BUT I'm almost 6 weeks out now & it is soooo much better! Eating real food is helping me get in more protein. I eat a lot of moist fish which is super high in protein, I hate milk but have an iced coffee everyday that's half coffee half milk. Just find anything you can stand & go with that! I didn't lose any hair Give yourself time. It does get better! Ps. Try hot & sour soup (I get it vegetarian w/ extra egg) from a Chinese restaurant. It's easy going down & the egg is a good source of protein, but is in such small bits it is not even a mushie. Or egg drop soup if you don't do spicy! GOOD LUCK!!

Wow! Here I am in your shoes...going to exactly everything you’re going through (except I’m not married)... I find that it is very helpful to read,read,read on all your questions...I have been educating myself on plant based diets and why it is so important to incorporate veggies and more natural foods in our bodies...now granted this process or any good outcome doesn’t come over night...I have a year trying to be vegetarian...( I am at a point where I only eat chicken and fish) just recently I only eat a plant based breakfast and lunch ...dinner is chicken and whatever carb I love...so it’s really about getting our minds right before we get our refrigerator right... Please look up Dr.Vough he’s been my guide.

I eat clean, organic and vegetarian (and occasionally eat fish but am working on eliminating that and going vegan).. I can't believe your nutritionist won't help you without artificial sweeteners and additives! That's ridiculous! I would look for another nutritionist who can work within your parameters. Once you are on solid food it will be much easier to get your Protein in with Beans, lentils, tofu, quinoa, etc.

I had an unfill (from 2.6 to 1.8) about 1 week ago. Prior to that I was at 2.3 and got that second fill becuz I wasn't losing and could eat a lot. I'm noticing I have pretty good restriction at 1.8 so what gives? Could it be still some swelling. I'm sure I'll need to get some more fill soon but this is strange to me. I don't think I will ever understand the band as one day at dinner out I ate bread, steak (thin, tender) and french fries and the next day I could barely eat 1 tiny piece of quesedilla (sp?). Yesterday I took an hour to micro chew a vegetarian brautwurst that ended up coming up and was on soup and protein shake last night and today. I just don't understand restriction/fill - I think this is the main reason lapband is sometimes thought to be less successful then gastric - fills don't make sense and are hard to get right!

What other fruits and veg are you eating besides grapefruit. Dark green leafy veg, bananas (be careful they are high in sugar/carbs), prunes are also good for moving bowels. I'm vegetarian so I've been eating fruit and veg since week 1 with no ill effects. I make it a point to have either green veg or fruit each day. I have a BM anywhere from 1 -3 times a day. I am one of the people who drinking coffee also aids in making me go. I would start with something simple like eating 1 or 2 prunes before bed. That might help you have a regular BM by morning. If that doesn't work then try some of the other things like smooth move tea, MOM, stool softeners or ducolax.

Well, as you've probably noticed, your doctor hasnt told you this, because its not generally the way they encourage you to do it in Australia, so dont worry too much about it. Here, I have to stress that its not the complete opposite, not a "low Protein diet" its just that all food groups are considered important and there's justs not the belief that loads of protein offers any real advantage, and that there's more benefit in eating a larger portion of your diet as fresh fruit and vegies. However, a bit more protein and a bit less carbs is a good thing when you're trying to lose and I dont think you'll find any surgeon arguing if you replace your white carbs (white bread, Cookies, cakes, white rice and pasta) with protein foods! Just as long as you're not sacrificing your fruit and veg for protein. There's protein in almost anything, but animal foods are a major source - meat, eggs and dairy. However, protein comes nicely packaged with a LOT of saturated fat, so a high protein diet can be extremely artery clogging too - you have to choose lean meats and low fat dairy. Stay far away from lunch/deli meats - salami, ham, processed foods like hot dogs and sausage are just plain no good for you, there's really nothing good about them. cheese, well, its so delicious, sigh, especially good cheeses, but its not good in large amounts, unless you're eating cottage cheese, and well, I'd rather the package it comes in, lol. If you have a couple of cups worth of skim milk per day - on Cereal, in tea and coffee and you include a dedicated protein source with each meal - like tuna with your lunchtime salad and some sort of meat, fish, poultry for dinner, you'll get enough protein. Beans and legumes like chick peas, lentils and such are a great source too and its a really great idea to include a couple of vegetarian meals like this a week to up your vegetable intake and keep your meat intake down. Most people unless they eat really tiny amounts will get enough protein without even trying. Read all the labels in your pantry and fridge and you'll see there's protein everywhere. You really dont need to worry about Protein shakes, but you can of course, if you like them.

Is Tuna part of mushies? I didn't think so, I was afraid, but definitely craving it! I have had scrambled eggs (very soft) - cottage cheese, nonfat frozen yogurt, tomato Soup with a teaspoon of non-fat ricotta - Anderson's Pea Soup (vegetarian version in non-fat) - I tried to puree some foods I like - YUCK! Cream of chicken soup - would love to have chili for the flavor, but I'm not that adventurous yet. Ordered some great after surgery recipe books scheduled for delivery Tuesday. I have to be able to cook for the family and myself so I am looking for menus and recipes that can be altered for me as well. My family eats pretty healthy since I have been watching what I eat for months pre-op. I would love to start a recipe exchange! SuperMom67

I have tried it, I was a vegetarian prior to my lap-band adventure...It's ok. I thought it was too sweet and I do have an allergy to tree nuts so it made my mouth numb, I prefer the Silk brand Soy Milk. If you're lactose intolerant, the lactaid milk is a good substitute also that has a decent amount of protein in it...

Mine was a frull three months. Four appointments. The first reply to the post made me laugh too. My dietician was very thin and a vegetarian and always looked at me funny when I told her my food preference. Meat and Potatoes gal! I thought it would be better if they had someone a little more understanding, but she was very sweet. The three month diet was difficult for me, becase it is a diet we've all done over and over. It was hard without the help of my new tool. Good luck!

Definitely sounds like lactose intolerance from what I've read. There are protein shakes that are made from whey isolate (as opposed to whey concentrate). The isolate is very, very highly filtered which results in a product that is 90% - 96% pure protein. The filtration also removes most (not all) of the lactose and seems to be well tolerated even by folks who are lactose intolerant. Another alternative would be shakes which use soy protein as opposed to whey. Soy is an excellent source of protein and often used by vegetarians or folks who are lactose intolerant. Just Google it to find lots of options. Stay determined until you find a protein supplement that works for you. You'll be glad you did!!

I posted this earlier, repeating with some edits and updates and plan to keep this updated for my own accountability! I was banded in 2007 at 333lb; it worked lovely for me, I lost almost everything I wanted in 1 year (220lb) -- then I got pregnant & it broke, gained it all back, had a baby, revised band -- lost it all again (211!), got pregnant again & it broke again -- gained it all back again, had a baby, revised band. Worked again, but slower... broke again.. gained it back... this has continued on and on.. I have had a total of 2 replacements & 6 revisions. Before my last, last revision I was back to 220lb. Took over a year of testing (with a new doctor - previous doctor disappeared in the middle of the night - that's a whole other story) and got back up to 300. Started personal trainer 3x week at a gym. Down to 270 - then The last revision didn't take, I don't feel the same as I use to, and that revision was early 2015. Ruptured a disc in my back and exercise went to nill. Took a year or so of tests and appointments before my doc fixed my back. I've been plugging along for over a year at 300-330lb. Back to my original 2007 pre-op weight. Band has been bothering me like it never did before. Waking up choking on acid. Sort of vegetarian by force - no meats are soft enough. Can't eat many veggies or fruits, but hey ice cream goes down! Insurance is terrible (I have never even been offered a plan that has Bariatric coverage, ever. Through different companies. Wonder where this stuff exists.) So the waking up choking really scares me and I finally made a $700 appt to try an unfill(don't have much if any anyway) and check the band. And it slipped. In my various revisions They had to move my port from belly, chest, belly... port has flipped 4 times... port disconnected once... tubing broke once... and now slipped. Keep in mind, since day 1 I am self-pay, so I could have bought a house by now with all I have paid. I'm not kidding!! Doctor said we either revise the band again, remove it, or convert it. I refuse to revise the band again, I hate the booger at this point. Not one more penny!! It will be $9k to remove it -- $22k to revise it to a sleeve. I am too afraid of GP, even after all this time as a bariatric patient. In 2012 I wanted to convert to the sleeve, but the price difference was too much to justify everytime I had to go under the knife (if I only knew how many more surgeries I'd be paying for since then because of the band!!). This time, I decided -- remove it, and be done. When I can eat 'normal' again for the first time in years, I'll work on eating things like fruit, veggies & salads -- which I can't eat now. I thought a little more & talked with family, and we've all decided I should just take out a 2nd mortgage and bite the bullet, because I'm not healthy anymore and would very much like to be, and if I decided later on I want the sleeve, it's going to be another 20k+ the 9k I pay now. I was born overweight and it has been my lifelong struggle. So, I have it all scheduled now. Surgery January 4,2017 (for tax purposes, I asked to wait until the new year). I've been absent from the forum for years, feeling that I have nothing to contribute as a lap-band failure, and the great friendships I made through this forum, I talk to all the time. But I am back, now that I am going to be a 'newbie' in the sleeve world. I am very excited now that I've gotten over the initial shock of how much money I'm going to be shelling out..... again. Here's to my new success, and good riddance to the band!!!! --------- 1/1 update; took out several loans to pay doctor and hospital last week. Don't know how we will manage but I guess we will. In the midst of this someone asked about paying the anesthesiologist. This wasn't brought up in conversations previous, so it was another slap in the face . Left anesthesiologist 4 messages last week so I know cost and where to pay, no one is calling me back. I guess with holidays. I tried googling an estimate for self pay anesthesiologist and got no results I can use to sleep at night. Went on 12/29 for preop. With my 5 and 7 year old (who helped me run around paying everyone, ever so graciously). Started the endless paperwork. I showed them my current insurance (2016) and new insurance for January 1. 30m later, he starts showing me payment plan for the preop! $2k!! They are killing me. Another cost not brought up before. I didn't take out enough loans to pay thousands upon thousands more. Then he says it's because my 2016 insurance is out of network for their hospital. I don't even, what?!.... I said well, can I come back January 2 then?? And he said yes. Why wouldn't they lead with that? Anyway, so we left to find Pokémon cards rewards for being such patient little kids. My doc asked me to do Protein shakes a week pre-op to shrink my liver. He didn't sound stern about it, and it is the holidays.... but I really am nervous about a conversion surgery. Seems more invasive, I feel unhealthy, and I have a lingering cough from a bad cold I got a week before Christmas- so I want to do the best I can. I have done a modified liquid diet based on reading others' diets. On December 26th I started a liquid diet, broth (chicken bouillon cube in water) mostly. I hate taste of sf products so I'd rather not have them. Also New whey protein shots, carnation high protein essential powder mixed in with coffee. Two nights this week I have also had a low carb small dinner at night. Grilled fish and asparagus/cottage cheese with ragu. First couple of days I had intense headaches by evening. Headaches Stopped December 31. Tried sf Jello on December 31 also, and glad to see it tasted great. I've moved past that sugar hang up. Wahoo. I forgot it can be done. Every time it feels so hard, I get through it by remembering it's only temporary. I was 322lb at the preop appointment with doctor on December 25. Today January 1 I am down to 309lb. I feel much less bloated than I have been feeling for a while. Kids don't start school until January 5, husband and I are both busy business owners. This is going to be a rough week. I also have been wanting to get the house good and cleaned before I have surgery so I don't fret about cleaning while I recover, but I can't find the time! Plus, did I mention the kids are out of school? I am anxious about surgery. I watched two YouTube videos of the conversion. I've had a band for almost 10 years and they make me nervous. What if the band is embedded in my stomach?! Wah! I should not have watched them admittedly. I also have been reading around the forums. Sad to see the interaction is barely a fraction of what it was back when I was doing the band thang. That anxiety is why I am up at 2:30am posting here. Hopefully I am not messing up my preop tests by showing up on little sleep. I'll keep posting updates! Hopefully It just gets better and better......

(CONTINUED...) 2008 I entered the local weight loss competition. I ordered Nutrisystem, worked out up to 2 hrs a day, and gave up soda and alcohol. After three months, I lost 50 lbs and won the competition. On top of winning tons of prizes, I lost 12 inches just around my waist! In 3 months, I went from a size 24 to 14/16. 250 to 200 lbs. Posters were made, the company sent out community flyers with photos of my before and after. And after all of this, after over 90 days of complete clean eating and exercise-mania.. I was STILL starving. Why was I STILL craving food? It wasn't like I didn't like to exercise. It also wasn't like I didn't like healthy food. I just wanted tons. I didn't just want one bowl of salad or veggies, I want three bowls. I was able to be thinner for about 2 months before everyone around me started noticing that I was getting fat again. Now, not only was I getting back to fat, EVERYONE in my community knew it. They had all seen the sucess flyer of thin me just recently. By the end of 2008, I was back to 250 lbs but in complete denial about it. Beginning of 2009 I gave up. I decided I was sick of it all and wasn't going to be miserable with food. By Spring I was 270 lbs. I had stopped working out completely because my knees and back hurt so bad. I looked at my daughter and thought I had to do something. I decided to go vegetarian because I had wanted to for a while and wasn't ever into meat anyway. I subscribed to eating clean. I told myself that despite always being hungry, I was only gonna eat healthy stuff. Mini diets followed since but I never really lost much this year because I didn't work out. My body is physically tapped by the end of the day just chasing after and taking care of my toddler. Last month I realized my neighbors (who all know each other) were talking about me- the hermit, who stays inside all day & night with her kid, eating. I weigh more than all of the men on the street now. My poor husband. I feel bad that I must embarass him. I went to my endocrinologist who told me the only long lasting weight loss solution was bariatric surgery. He thought I'd be a good candidate and that but for that- there's no way to "turn off" that hunger switch that always seems to be on in my head. An acquaintance also told me that she was getting Gastric Bypass. I realized I was jealous a bit. I wanted to change my life. I don't want to miss out on "life" and I don't want my daughter and husband to either. I went to a cardiologist and my digestive drs to see if I would even be a candidate and both agreed. It's time for an intervention. I'm borderline diabetes and my quality of life is definitely suffering. I called in mid September to two local drs to see about getting a consult and both require attending their seminars. This unfortunately caused me to have to wait three weeks for the next dates to come up. My insurance does not cover WLS so I will be a self pay. I had this convoluded idea (dream) that this would all happen super quick and I would be on my way to a new life. For the past three weeks all I can think about is getting surgery. I've researched, gotten mentally prepared, and studied aftercare information. Sites like this one has furthered my excitement and eagerness. I don't want to waste another day! So that is my story so far. I'm hoping I will be able to have surgery before the end of this year. The lap band seems to be the route for me as my drs have said GB is out of the question (due to my vitamin deficiencies already) and I plan to have at least one more child. I feel sort of bad like I bashed on my Mom on here. It's not that she's not fantastic and wasn't VERY involved in all of my activities.. she was at everything! It just seems like even today, all she wants to do is stay home and eat (which is consequently what I want to do too.) I notice even today how her awful eating habits have influenced me. It's NOT her fault but I see where I went wrong early. Had I had a different exposure to food early on it may have made a difference.. or perhaps not. Either way I wouldn't trade my life or my mother for anything! I just don't want my daughter to learn bad habits and behaviors like this from me. I want to change the pattern for our family and be a role model of healthy living. Thanks for reading all of this (or skimming ) I appreciate the support and advice here! everleigh Highest weight ever / Current / Goal 280 / 270 / 150 5'5 10/04/2009

Another one of EggFace recipes. Cream of Spinach Soup 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

Dear Plumpy Pad, So things are going really well. I am actually drinking the amounts of water you're supposed to drink on a daily basis, and I feel like my body is happy with that! I used to only drink when I was thirsty, and then I was drinking mainly diet soda. I have a feeling I was never really hydrated, seeing as I only peed like once a day... MAYBE twice on a rare occasion. The other thing I've realized is that it is actually simple to be a vegetarian. When I think back on all the times I tried to be a vegetarian in the past and failed because it was "too hard" I want to slap myself! The vegetarian part is simple... It's the vegan part that is going to be tricky! I have yet to find real vegan cheese, because the soy cheese they sell at the store has niacin (which is apparently milk protein) in it. I am going to have to make decisions soon as to what foods I will accept as vegan, because it seems niacin is in EVERYTHING! The other thing I am super excited about is my detoxification fast I am going to begin this Wednesday. I will start the fast with 3 full days of only eating raw fruits and vege's along with fresh pressed juices (I borrowed mom's juicer!). Then on Saturday I begin the water fast, where I will consume nothing but water for 10 full days. This is supposed to give my body a rest from digesting foods so it can focus on digesting damaged, diseased, or extra cells... The super cool part of this is that the final day of the water fast is on December 31st! This means I begin the new year fresh... LITERALLY! After the 10 day water fast is complete, I'll do 3 days of juice fasting followed by 3 days of raw foods and juice to get my stomach used to food again. I am very excited, because I am doing it for the right reasons... The weight loss will just be an extra bonus!! Anyways... I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Hi everyone, I am brand new to this forum. I'm trying to find as much info as possible before signing up to get sleeved. Here is my major concern: as a vegetarian, I don't eat very much Protein. It was actually when I became a vegetarian that I started to gain weight because all I seem to eat is carbs and cheese. In addition to meat, I don't eat eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, and I don't drink milk. I'm just a weird eater. I have no idea how I would be able to get enough protein in my diet after the surgery??? Protein shakes would be great...but what else? Is anyone else here a vegetarian or do you know of a vegetarian who had this surgery done? Thanks in advance!!

@@BLERDgirl is a vegetarian and she's been very successful but I would think eggs and dairy would be a big part of protein for a vegetarian and if you are eliminating those this will be very difficult for you to meet protein requirements once you move on from shakes. Hopefully she can offer some more advice. Sorry, I'm a total omnivore.

So sorry to hear, Delta Girl. I hope that it grows back soon. Your weight loss is awesome! I am taking Biotin and want to start a Biotin shampoo/conditioner, too, but so far the ones I have found contain animal products and I'm a vegetarian. I think Aveda has a new type out that is supposed to help with thinning hair, etc.

i haven't had chicken in about 13 years. when someone eats fish, technically they aren't a vegetarian; they're a pescetarian. since so few people know that word, and because i only eat fish once or twice a week, i still refer to myself as a vegetarian. there are a few different types of vegetarians. if you google it, it'll talk about about the different types.

Hello all, I was banded on October 14th. I have been a vegetarian for over 4 1/2 years and I was wondering if anyone else is also a veggie! What foods are you eating? How is everything? etc. etc.