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If you're wondering what veg*n stands for, it incorporates both Vegetarians and Vegans. I am a vegetarian. I did it for my own reasons. I am NOT going to lecture anyone for eating meat. Your diet preferences are your own for your reasons, as are mine. Tough I don't mind discussing the reason why I chose to become a vegetarian, when people ask. The pre-op nutritionist did not think I'd be able to meet my Protein requirements w/out incorporating meat back into my diet. I have my post-op apt w/the nutritionists 6/25 and I am waiting for the "you must eat meat" lecture. So far, with Protein shakes and looking at labels, I've been doing good. But, today is only 15 day post-op. The nutritionist for my surgeon said they'd only had one other vegetarian come through their doors and and this person became very weak became very weak and unhealthy. So, I'm just curious, if there are veg*ns, how do you keep your protein levels up? And post-op surgery recipe suggestions? Thanks

Could be she is uneducated. When I mentioned I was a vegetarian, I got the deer in the head lights look. I've been doing at least one Protein shake a day, today I did two. I use soy milk, frozen fruit instead of ice, for added nutrition, and the soy Protein powder which has 25 grams of protein per scoop. Between the milk and the powder, that puts me at 31 grams, just for Breakfast. I do eat eggs and dairy yogurt. My surgeon wants us to have a goal for 75 grams of protein for the first few months. Then, keep it between 60 and 75 grams a day. I'm just worried about getting into a habit of eating the same things all the time and getting bored. When I'm hungry and bored, that's when grazing and trouble happens, LOL! I ordered to lap-band cookbooks and am sure that I can modify many recipes. I live in a small town where it's a 50 + mile drive to the nearest whole foods. So, I don't really have access to stuff like tempeh and a broad selection of veg*n items. I did buy some quinoa and am looking forward to trying it next week: 3 weeks post op. Thanks for the responses, the nutritionists seems to think that animal protein is the ONLY protein out there. My hubs, who is not a veg*n, always has some sort of animal protein around here. So, I guess I can always just appease the nutritionist and tell her that I do have animal protein in the house ... lol. I meet w/her thursday morning to discuss portion sizes, what I am eating and what I should be eating. My surgeon requires this as part of his post-op plan.

Figuring out how to eat. I am vegetarian, allergic to seafood, red dyes, artificial sugars & stevia and pretty much any highly processed food. I didn't really have a long wait and I didn't have a pre-op diet.

For the liquid phase I used pre-made shakes like GNC Lean and Muscle Milk Light. I also kept greek yogurt close by. Honestly, I had no interest in anything those first few weeks after surgery. I sipped my beverages and tasted a little pureed turkey on Thanksgiving and that was it. I never actually pureed anything. I made food that was soft and mashed it up really good. Vegetarian chili was one of my favorites and had a decent amount of Protein. I rarely ever use the pre-made shakes anymore. I do make my own with 8 oz milk, 5oz tub of cannon light and fit yogurt, and a handful of berries which makes a great shake. Good luck to all with their surgeries!

I read on here about the Bariatric Choice website where you can order tons of stuff that is high in Protein. I ordered Vegetarian Joe (like sloppy joe), Spicy cheese and Pasta, chicken and Vegetable Cream Soup, and a variety sample package. I love the Vegetarian Joe, but haven't tried anything else yet. It came in 2 days and was reasonably priced. I just wanted to let anyone interested know that they sent me to a link where I can refer people and they (and me) can get $20.00 off their first purchase. If you're interested, send me your email address and I'll send you the referral link. Less than 2 weeks until my surgery! Can't wait!

So I'm told that I will need to take chew-able vitamins after the surgery. For me, they will need to also be vegetarian AND have iron in them. I have to take A LOT of iron everyday to keep my iron count at a good level. So is there a chew-able or liquid iron supplement I can take as well at the multi? Ideas?

I tried the Boca crumbles last night with taco seasoning and ate it as a lettuce wrap! OMG, it was so yummy and I ate it again today for lunch. I made tortillas for my family and let them eat it without telling them it wasn't meat. and they loved it and couldn't believe they had another meat free supper. The vegetarian lifestyle is fitting my new lifestyle very well and I'm at the point where I don't really miss meat or chicken anymore. I am still exploring fish options because I've never really liked fish. I am allergic to shrimp but would love to try in case I am no longer allergic, but I'm kinda scared.

My insurance required a 6 month medically supervised diet before they would approve me. After that I am now half way through my 2 week Pre-Op diet required by the surgeon. I am on a High Protein, 800-900 calorie diet using only the food from my Bariatric Center. There is basically all kinds of special high protein foods available to me, prepackaged dinners, chips, Cookies, Jello, puddings, Soups, shakes, teas, cocoas and protein bars! I never knew there were such protein food products out there! I cannot add any "normal" foods. strictly their products. When I saw the calorie amount I expected to be starving, but because of the high protein levels I am not really hungry. The first couple of days I was "mentally" hungry, but that has subsided! As a vegetarian who tries to stay away from processed foods this diet feels very odd. But its only 2 weeks and I have one down! Good luck on your journey! As BLERDgirl said, check out all your options, Ask lots of questions. I also ready a couple of books on the VGS procedure. The more you know the better it is for you!

I'd give it a 1½ - 2. I had a really easy time of it. My surgical course was uneventful, and I had no pain or infections. I am a vegetarian with severe food allergies. Pre-op I was already taking a multi-Vitamin and Biotin daily. Because of my food issues I was already using a food diary and I was used to watching what I eat. Post-op my Vitamins and supplements increased, but over time that has decreased as I returned back to a regular diet based on bloodwork results. At 10 mths I take a multivitamin 1x a day, Vitamin D, and Calcium. I was already drinking Water and thankfully have no issues drinking water post op. I workout 5 - 6 days a week and yes that is hard, but it's of my own choosing. Pre-op I worked out 3 - 4 days a week as long as I wasn't suffering from an allergy attack. Thankfully I have not been to the ER due to allergies in nearly a year! It may take some adjusting but this wasn't even close to tough.

https://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1101-vegetarian-or-vegan-eating/

I love how positive you ways are, Alex! For me, I'm training to do a Tough Mudder type run with my three teenagers. I'm also committed to two vegetarian meals a week, as one of my kids is a vegetarian and we are learning to cook vegetarian meals together.

Possom gave some great ideas. I ate a lot of beans - vegetarian refried beans with some cheese melted on top were a go to food. I hated pureed meat so I stuck to dairy-based and bean-based proteins. Yogurt and cottage cheese were big staples. In the beginning I really hated anything with sugar or chocolate (which I normally loved) and honestly, all food was kind of meh and uninteresting. Bone broth is a great option for salty - regular broth is good too, but bone broth has more protein. I used to have at least a cup a day when eating was still taxing. She really needs to eat... or at least be getting her protein in some way, either via food, protein shakes, etc. It's really important at this point. Also, I found in this stage that I had to make myself eat, even if I didn't want it. As long as it didn't make me sick, I ate it. I didn't need to love it, as long as my stomach agreed and it didn't totally turn my taste buds off.

I use chewable Centrum too. I can't do gummy because I am vegetarian but the Centrum are the best tasting and I have tried them all. I also take a smaller B complex and a sublingual B12. I can swollen Tylenol rapid release without any problems.

I was wondering if anyone has adopted a vegetarian lifestyle a few years post-op? I've been banded of 1 1/2 now and am about 30lbs away from my goal weight. I don't enjoy meat as much as I used to and find that I have problems digesting it. It 's hard to go down even if I let it cook to the point of the meat falling off the bones. I'm curious to know if anyone has started a vegetarian diet and how it's been, the struggles, and any suggestions for someone thinking of abandoning meat. Kin

I'm not a vegetarian, but here are a few ideas. Soft fish, Tilapia, salmon, is always good. Try fat free vegetarian refried Beans. Mix in some salsa to loosen them up. A bit of FF cheese and sour cream, very good, filling and high in Protein. Mashed caulifower is always good. Cook in veggie stock and mash with a little FF sour cream. Grill a portabello mushroom, top with a slice of tomato, some basil and some mozzerella cheese and broil til melted. Try tuna mixed with mashed avocado. Make vegetarian chili with black beans (high in protein) and lots of tomatoes. You may also want to get unflavored Protein powder to add to meals to get your protein in.

i'm lacto ovo vegetarian - no meat, poultry or sea food but i eat dairy. For my mushies i did vegetarian refried beans (low fat cheese and sour cream on it - maybe salsa) - light mashed potatoes/butter, light yogurt, protein shakes (I do EAS AdvantEdge Carb control - strawberry, vanilla and light chocolate), morning star fake chicken strips (the grilled kind you would put in a stir fry - i ate a ton of them during the soft food time after surgery). I would dip the strips in low fat sour cream yum!

I had gastric bypass surgery due to lifelong chronic illness, disability, metabolic disorders and inability to exercise. one being PCOS. Although now I no longer have ovaries but that’s a long story. I was doing a low carb lifestyle (I always will be) and low calorie years before surgery but it wasn’t enough. I needed extra help. I also had gallbladder surgery at the same time due to chronic inflammation. I am a little over a year out from surgery now. I keep daily log of weight, meals, calories and protein. I usually like to try to plan a few days of meals. I also take notes of any medical issues, symptoms and doctors appointments. It might be OCD of me and I do keep strict calories and had very low calories from the start. Since I have reached goal I did increase them somewhat to where I’m comfortable. I don’t eat a lot of meat with exception of occasional low carb foods from “Real good foods” they make chicken enchiladas I like. And breakfast sandwich with cauliflower buns. I didn’t eat these until close to a year post surgery. initially I stuck to PEScience protein powder mixed with 6 ounces unsweetened ripple milk, also BariatricPal protein soups, BariatricPal protein shots, juice flavor protein drinks. And later I’d started mixing the protein powder into Greek yogurt. Purée stage was tough for me. I stuck to very simple things a long time to avoid purée that made me feel sick. I eventually started soft boiled egg. And gradually added veggie burger. Just took it all slow. example Of my meals now: breakfast a protein bar with tea, lunch varies depending what’s in my freezer but not by much I like a veggie burger with an egg on top for extra nutrition and variety of texture and flavor or different variations of that with different vegetarian foods that are low carb and calorie. My dinners are actually Greek yogurt with 1/2 scoop protein powder, a baby banana, a drizzle of sugar free syrup (choczero chocolate is awesome stuff) and some sugar free land o lakes whipped cream. I’ve taken to mixing the yogurt with the protein powder (usually plain fage or TwoGood) then putting it in the freezer 30 minutes then mixing before eating ... I put a bit of pink salt when I mix it. It does something to the flavor. I keep to my portions and calories. But it’s enough for me. I’d say my calories ranged 300-480 averaging 380. I am now starting to average 480-550. Maybe seems crazy low. (I’m still baffled how before surgery I was gaining weight on 800 calories) I’m working on maintenance and finding balance. I also don’t count calories from the little bit of creamer I use (I use quest salted caramel protein shake as creamer) or the little bit of olive oil for cooking, or the calories of the banana ... but it’s been working out fine. all the best to you on your journey this is the protein I use in case you are interested http://rwrd.io/c6uus2e

It would seem as simple as that but it's not. I had 3 children in three years, no chance to lose the weight in between ,it just compounded. Easiest 100 lb gain ever. I worked on losing weight and became a vegan for a year loss some the transitioned into becoming a vegetarian for 10yrs but could not lose more because a large part of my diet was always carbs, although complex, still didn't help. Started to go carb free then lost weight but a surprise rare medical condition lead me to needing rapid weight loss or brain surgery. I chose to get sleeved first then brain surgery if all else fails. Never enslaved to food, already had a super strict diet (kosher) prior to being plant based so I NEVER ate fast food But you're right, I had to redefine my relationships with carbs because I just can't lose weight and eat them My post was to find out if other people perhaps like me, have trouble maintaining if food addiction is not a factor. But I appreciate all input.

I am 8 months out from surgery and became a (struggling, mostly) vegetarian about a month ago. I fully feel it is the way to go and if you do enough research you will find you can get 100% of the required protein from plant based foods. It is much more difficult then just eating meat and I honestly still drink a protein drink almost every morning simply because it makes getting my quota that much easier. I do not think I could, or should, go vegan simply because the cheese and eggs have been helpful for me in eating better and getting protein, and to be very honest, I am not a vegetarian for animal "rights" reasons whatsoever. A typical day for me is a protein shake and egg for breakfast, a salad and beans of some-sort for lunch, and often I have a meat-like vegetarian product for dinner along with vegetables or whole grains. I really love the Gardein brand because they taste very meat-like and have high protein. Also, Quorn has some great meat-like products that are high protein that are easy to add into meals. My weight loss has slowed, but I do not think that has to do with adding in a few more carbs and changing my diet as much as it has to do with a natural body change after loosing the weight I have. Long term, I know this is the better, healthier way for me to maintain my health versus just having a lower number on the scale. If you have any more questions go for it, I have done quite a bit of work trying to switch over and still follow a higher protein weight loss diet. Best of luck whichever way you go with!!

I was all about that pickle allowance. One of the medium-big sour ones. Didn't eat one every day, but it really breaks up the sweet shakes and bland broths. Some sugar free Jello cups are nice too, just for texture. As far as soft foods -- I'm just now getting into this/the pureed stage -- and my mom's spaghetti sauce without the meat is still awesome, I just add unflavored Protein to eat a quarter-cup. But really tender chili has gone over great, too. I got some chili from McAlisters (a Soup and sandwich shop) and did half regular and have vegetarian which is all Beans, mixed it up and eat a quarter cup at a time. Very yummy. I'm interested in some refried beans next! Scrambled eggs are nice as long as they're still soft, but watch out if you go out somewhere and eat them. I heard IHOP puts some of their pancake batter in their eggs to make them fluffier and another person on the forums said they were much harder to eat. Cottage cheese is another soft food I'm glad to have back!

Sounds like me. I worked out pre-op. I swear having a stronger core made recuperating easier. I felt sore, but not in any real pain. I was able to get out of the bed to use the bathroom in recovery. I was an "active fat" I did Water aerobics 4 -5 days a week pre-op. Returned to the pool on week 3. I was and am a vegetarian. Eat clean a good 80 - 90% of the time. Can't do artificial sugars or food dyes and don't drink sodas or a lot of highly processed foods. Yes I was still fat. In part to to hormonal issues, in part due to health conditions (pituitary tumor), in part due to meds that make weight loss a challenge and in part to disordered eating/skipping meals/not eating enough one day, too much another day. I'm not a weight lifter, but I have made great effort to increase my protein. For the first year I supplemented. My goal this year is to have supplements decrease to no more than 10% of my daily intake. I will say as long as I met my Fluid and protein goals I never felt weak or tired. One thing I will say is key; find a program that meets your needs. That includes post op life. Part of what I liked with my program is they listened to me. Once my nutritionist understood I knew what I was talking about, her manner of speaking to me changed. I like feeling I can approach them with questions and get answers. They tend start at a low, basic level because that's where most people are. I like feeling that there is more of a give and take in the discussions.

A vegetarian diet will definitely make you bloat. Some have said that Beano works to help with the gas. Good Luck 💚

Congrats on six years out. You are not alone in having a weight gain. Many of us working them off. Here is a link to the vegan/vegetarian bariatric forum. Hope this helps. https://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1101-vegetarian-or-vegan-eating/

My nutritionist tried to turn me into a vegetarian. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I also consider myself a flexible vegetarian.