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I'm no doctor, but I really don't think going vegetarian is necessarily a good idea. Protein will help you lose weight, as well as keep your body strong for surgery. When given the 6 month diet through the insurance, the nutritionists all recommended Protein drinks, and getting in at least 60-80 grams of protein daily. Again, I'm not a doctor, but I would do as much research as you can. Also, I would listen to my doctor unless I found out anything contrary to what he/she told me. In that case I question it. Good Luck!

I'm a sleeve person...wrote this up on another post. My clinic sets a goal of 1200 calories and 60+ grams of Protein per day during weight loss phase. We can either eat three 400 calorie meals, or six 200 calorie meals...or any combination we'd like as long as net calories are 1200 per day. I personally prefer to do three tiny meals during the day, a bigger meal for dinner, and another tiny meal around 8pm (usually it's got a desert vibe, like fruit or cupcake yogurt, or a chocolate protein bar.) This is how my day usually works: (with a few different meal options...I like to mix it up a lot...variety is necessary!) 200 calorie Breakfast (oatmeal and coffee with Protein Shake for creamer/an egg and half a slice of whole grain toast/fruit and yogurt/etc) 200 lunch ( 3 ounces of pork chop or chicken breast with green beans/sweet potatoe with pecans and salad/BLT wrap/chef salad with hard boiled egg/homemade veggie Soup and slice of homemade bread) 200 midday snack (protein muffin/half a cup of potato salad/veggie and hummus/etc) 400 dinner (Crab boil/steak salad with eggs and swiss/protien Pasta with salad and homemade wholegrain bread/chicken stir fry/stuffed pepper/ vegetarian chili and cheese on a baked potato/etc) 200 after dinner snack (strawberries with chocolate sauce/watermellon/frozen grapes/cupcake yogurt/oatmeat with pecans and cherries/chocolate protein bar) I like a little sweet after dinner, and usually do this after I finish my 12,000 steps for the day...sort of my reward. I eat a lot of really satisfying delicious food. I'm getting an education about portions and making healthier choices. I'm eating a ton of fruits and veggies, lean Proteins and complex carbs. I LOVE my diet. I feel better on it. Tons of energy. Exercise is a big part of my day, too...and I have the energy to enjoy doing it. I drink at least 64 ounces of fluid a day. I have been in the habit of drinking all day and paying attention to drinking a lot because I used to take a diuretic and dehydration has been a risk. Water goes in the car with me anywhere I drive. I drink steadily anytime I'm at my desk or at home. Coffee, tea, lots of iced tea and Mio recently, herbal tea, water, etc. If my pee is darker? I drink like crazy. I typically walk 4000 steps by noon, 8000 by 5pm, and get a full 12,000 by bedtime. 1am? I do a variety of cardio activities....an hour, three times a week. (in addition to the walking) Weight loss has been slow and steady:) Getting close to goal:) Loving life:) PS...I'm a sleeve, not a bypass...but figured so much of this is universal it couldn't hurt to add to the conversation.

I think there is some real truth in here that when we hold up a mirror to ourselves, if we're getting WLS we make poor food choices. I agree with Cassandra tho, organic food and healthful options (vegetarians, vegans, etc) can still lead people to being overweight if portions are out of control. Maybe you're including that within the poor choices - because chronic overeating is for sure a poor choice - but I don't think it's absolutely always the case that McDonald's is at the root of the problem - portion control can be the root issue as well. (all that said, i don't mean to misrepresent myself. i love fries. i've just decided i love me and the idea of being around for a long time a lot more.)

I know you said you hated fish. Have you tried Tilapia? It is one kind of fish and I am not into any other kinds of fish. I actually gag when my DH makes tuna salad. Blah! He talked me into trying this Tilapia kind and much to my suprise (and dismay as he is ALWAYS right LOL) I like it, Maybe you could give it a try before your surgery if you are not already on the fabulous full liquid thing. It comes in the freezer section and we just thaw and throw it on the George Foreman grill. Just a thought, I know what its like trying to get in all your Protein when you can't/don't want to eat certain kinds of meat. I was a vegetarian for years because any meat just grossed me out. And for the other things on your list (except the hair thing) I am laughing with you not at you as I have thought of all those things if not more. My surgery is next week and I am trying really hard to shove the what if's away. Cheers (clinking glasses of yummy protein shake) and hears to keeping our hair.

I had been a vegetarian for 3 years, then I stopped for 3 years..now I feel like it's time to return to a vegetarian diet. however, my nutritionist strongly advised me not to go vegetarian until the summer. she said i need to get in a lot of protein once i'm sleeved and it'd be harder as a vegetarian. I'm at the point where just looking at meat makes me want to throw up. I'll grill some chicken and stare at it wondering how the hell am i going to eat this. anyone else have this problem?

Any vegetarian groups that had the bypass... Not the sleeve? Sorry I'm on a mobile device and it is a pain lol.

I'm currently pre-op and I've been having such a hard time on here finding info about post-op veggie diets! Why is there no special interest group for vegetarians and vegans? I mean, they have them for all sorts of things. Is there a way to start one? Is that something people would be interested in?

Ewww...I could not eat fish either after seeing that! I just got back from the store and I stocked up on fruits and veggies. I am willing to give the ovo-lacto vegetarian thing a try and see how it works. The thought of meat (especially chicken) is making me shudder...

Hi Just trying to get my head around all the preparations and my future, and I was wondering if there are any vegetarians ont he forum? My booklet says I will never be able to eat asparagus and other very fibrous foods again, but nearly everything I read refers to steak, chicken etc - no lentils, and heavy fibre diet. Anyone?

Ix there a link you could provide me that shows nutritional guidelines for vegetarians? No sure whether I want to go vegan. I love my egg white omlettes!

Hello all! I'm 4 days post gastric bypass surgery and wondering if anyone has any ideas for VEGAN (not vegetarian) foods to include in my diet. Preferably something I can buy at a 'regular' store like Meijer and requires very little prep. I have the Cream of Wheat, oatmeal, grits, veggie broth, and a very nice carrot ginger soup. (SO disappointed I can't find sugar free vegan pudding...) Thanks!

Yep, the eating plans are all over the place. My pre-op was vegetarian, very low fat for two weeks, then full liquids for five weeks post op. I've had no problems though, so I'm okay with it.

Yup, I did. I am a vegetarian and I missed my veggies. I started adding spinach to my smoothies in week 1. The best part is, it may help you not become constipated.

I am actually not vegen - vegetarian - but I won't eat Gelatin. So when I kept seeing it as a recommended "food" for liquids I went on a Quest for vegan Jello. It's not very good (but I never really liked regular jello, either).

@@queensleever05 - No I didn't. I used CVS whey Protein, Prosource no carb liquid Protein and Orgain organics RTD & powder form. I'm vegetarian so I still do some dairy like yogurt and cheeses, but I don't eat any animal flesh.

Now you are saying that "yes" you want all those things....................get up and do something about it. Pasta has no nutritional value and certainly has no protein. If you are a vegetarian what are your other protein foods? Yogurt, beans, veggies shouldn't these be your mainstay. You have done a terrific job so far.............you can make it to your goal. You can accomplish any goal you set your mind to; one day or meal at a time!!

3 yrs ago when I lost 30 pounds in 30 days being a vegetarian

Skyr, a type of yogurt, this has been my go to protein food item and has been for the last 6 months being vegetarian and all. I don't consume protein powders or shakes and get most of my protein from Skyr and other vegetarian food groups.

My approach has been simple...I was fat/obese simply because I ate too much..enough for 10 people.... Now, after weight loss surgery, I eat about 1/10th of what I used to....so since I eat so little, I try to make the best of what I do eat....eating the best foods I can, being selective for organic, etc... I have found that quite naturally, I started to omit certain foods from my life...like red meat, all breads, Pasta, rice, etc, etc.... I still eat chicken and fish, but I find I am eating less and less chicken.... Do I still have foods with sugar, carbs? I'm sure I do....but like I said, no matter what I eat, it is miniscule to what I used to consume,,,,Weight Loss Surgery I did not start out thinking vegan, or even vegetarian, but naturally, mainly because of the band and the food restrictions that went with it, I'm slowly headed that way....

Being a vegetarian.... all that Fiber,cabbage, Beans and such, can really lead to some gasbomb days! The intestinal biome loves to make gas!

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.

Thanks ! I think I am taking too many calories 1500+. I have a problem that I am a vegetarian so can't eat lean meats. Please tell what was your weight on the date of surgery ?

Oh retried Beans with taco seasoning and melted cheese...where have you been my whole life lol... I never would have eaten plain retried beans before...but desperate times call for desperate measures hahaha I had a huge can of vegetarian retried beans so I mixed in a packet and a half of old El Paso Taco seasoning and warned it with a little cheese. So delicious

fish eggs (poached, scrambled, omelet) cheese chicken/turkey deli sliced lunch meats pork/beef/lamb vegetarian/vegan meat analogs like breakfast "sausage" patties and chik'n cordon bleu and BBQ "riblets" tofu nut mix beans cottage cheese greek yogurt like Fage or Oikos South Beach protein bars Luna bars Special K2O protein/fiber drink mix EAS vanilla or chocolate protein powder in water

Thanks for the response! I has neck surgery C5c6 fusion in Novemebr 2012. I am just returning to work. The surgeon told me I had some lower back disc issues also but we will deal with them later. Now I have lower back, hip and extreme pain in my rig leg. I cannot sleep or walk without pain meds. I am back off work again! I looked so forward to exercising and toning up after this surgery. I feel depressed somewhat because I can't work out. My hip bone hurts so much! I will attempt to working my wii game. I became a vegetarian one year and six months ago( before the surgery). I lost 60 lbs in doing that! I wanted this surgery to assist me and working out to tone me....now I am stuck..in pain...no working out...but I am grateful that I had the surgery before this issue . Hope to meet the chi town people in a support group or something.