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Vegetarian Chili 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1/2 cup diced onion 3 cloves garlic, mined 1 green pepper, diced 1 red pepper, diced 1 yellow pepper, diced 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 cup broccoli florets 1 cup diced zucchini 1/4 cup red wine (optional) 1 15 oz. can black Beans, rinsed and drained 1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained 1 15 oz. can white beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained 2 cups your favorite salsa (homemade or from a jar) 2 Tbsp. chili powder In a large pot or dutch oven, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat 3-4 minutes. Add peppers and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes more. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer 20-30 minutes or until flavors combine and chili is thick. Serves 10 Per serving: 196 calories, 2 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 33 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 11 g Protein, 24% Vitamin A, 143% Vitamin C, 8% calcium, 18% Iron

um, ok so it's a carb, (duh) But if you look at the nutrition info...it does have Protein. My friend who is a vegetarian told me that. At first I was shocked, but when I looked for myself, I saw that she was right.:confused_smile:

Rice does have protein--eaten with Beans you get all the amino acids of a so-called "complete protein". It also has a fair amount of carbohydrate, but carbs are essential nutrition as well. A serving of rice and beans is a pretty good source of Protein. To the OP, it's not hard at all to get protein within your current diet. Especially if you eat seafood, it's easy to just increase the seafood you eat each week. But also eggs (if you can tolerate them, some can't), tofu (I eat a lot of vegetarian patties, esp. the Quorn products and other "chicken" like patties that have high protein for relatively few calories), legumes, and some dairy products. I don't eat regular yogurt but Greek yogurt (fage) has a lot of protein in it because it's strained and condensed (and even the fat free is great). And if you eat chicken too, you shouldn't have any trouble with getting enough protein. I consider myself a "fishatarian"--I've been a vegetarian for about 20 years, and started eating fish again about 4 years ago. I have had no trouble getting enough protein in every day. Good luck!

Hello, I do not eat any meat, only fish and shellfish, I do eat eggs that are organic and free range only, I have drank soy milk for the past 15 years - I am planning on eating carefully as well in regards to Protein, but I will work around it. Refried Beans (vegetarian for me) are a great idea. I also use a Protein powder that is unflavored and flavored to mix in for my Soups, yogurts, and such - Gold Standard is the name. Good luck :eek:

Hi, I'm pretty much a vegetarian. I only eat boneless skinless chicken breast, very little if any, and shrimp and crab meat. I'm scheduled to have the surgery on June 17th and am a bit concerned that I won't be able to get the required amount of Protein. Does anyone have any good ideas for sources of protein? thanks a bunch !

The monthly visits are very important, whether you're losing weight or not. The doctor wants to monitor your progress. Too much weight being lost, they're going to unfill you a little bit. I know that might horrify some of you, but I lost a lot of hair during my 100 lbs fiasco that scared the bejesus out of me because I ate terribly, nothing nutritious, mashed potatoes loaded with butter and southwest eggrolls...but I kept losing because my restriction was so tight. Fortunately I have a lot of hair and it wasn't noticeable except when I wore black suit jackets...but I put a stop to that by going vegetarian and following the blood type diet, which is the last regimen I will ever need! If you are not losing fast enough, they'll bump you up a little. I could swear the thinking at my doc's office was: 1. Fill - liquids 2 days (lose weight) 2. Mushy foods 2 days (lose more weight) 3. Solid/regular...which makes you maintain for another 3 - 4 weeks til next follow up. Like clock work, 4 - 8 lbs a month. I always lost the most during fill time and then it was just my body dealing with the lost fat. Then my body would be like "OK...lord...we can survive with those 8 lbs, I just made the adjustments, we should be able to hang on to calories again!" and then I thwart it with another fill :wink2:

My roommate and Best friend whom I have known for twenty years is 120 lbs, Atleast Twenty of the pounds she has gained in the year and a half she has lived with me. We both are a little quirky and she says that people get married and get bigger because she is comfortable, she was with her last boyfriend for seven years but didn't get comfortable apparently until she moved in with me. She's my hetero lifemate. She tells people she is 5'0. Shes not, she is 4'11, but I will give her an inch if it makes her feel better. When she was younger her mother used to tell her how she was "98 lbs when I got married, not 99, not 100, 98" She, my BFF, LOVES biscuits, and Cookies, and bread. And the skinny thing can eat too. We laughed about it all the time, because people would see her, then how much was on her plate and freak out. Her mother would follow her around and tell her it was gonna catch up to her. Her mom made these bomb ass biscuits, which my BFF LOVED. If she could she would have eaten 100 biscuits a day, but her mother would put her on Biscuit Restriction. She could only have two biscuits at Breakfast unless she ate a peice of sausage and then she could have three (My BFF was a self proclaimed vegetarian at the time which drove her mother crazy) She would also put her on other restrictions and talk about the way her tummy poked out after she ate and how she needed to be careful. So if my BFF snuck another biscuit she would go to her room and exercise and exercise, then get up and go to the scale and go exercise some more. Then she started to do it everytime she ate because her mom would make fun of fat people. And talk about "fatties". At the time she was probabley close to 85 lbs at 16/17 years old. She had no boobs, and she wanted them so bad, but she didn't have the fat to make them. People thought she was a little kid. Finally she threw away the scale. Talked about her compulsive exercising, told her mom to stop making it so obvious that "she didn't want a fattie", and always ate a third biscuit whether she ate the sausage or not. Now we work out togethor, but she stays off the scale except once a month, and if she has the extra biscuit then we just laugh togethor. She doesn't own a scale and I threw mine away so the only time we can weigh is at the gym. I'm so proud of her. So being skinny, doesn't solve all your problems, which is something that I will have to work on remembering. You can still feel fat, or you can still hate your body, or you can still be a little bit insane like my dear BFF. Oh and since her weight gain she grew some boobs. They are a pretty solid A. Doesn't sound like much, but she's tiny. Life is good for both of us I guess. I'm losing the Big C cup and shes getting closer to her goal of a B cup and we are both happy about that. Go figure.

Yes i am interested in going vegetarian, but lack iron, am on iron supplements, rarely have red meat but have chicken fish, nuts ,eggs, dairy daily so far.

I'm so glad to hear that banders can be veggies. I am, as my nickname says, a "veg-wanna-be." I've never been very keen on meat for health and environmental reasons, but have found animal products difficult to cut completely out of my diet. I want to elimate meat and most dairy after the surgery. I figure I'll be overhauling my relationship with food then, why not make the transition to ovo-vegetarianism and organic foods. The higher cost of going organic won't be much of a factor since my portion sizes will be decreased. I'm wondering... Have any of you had your Doctor discourage you from eating veg or have they been supportive? And, how difficult has it been to maintain a veg diet post-op?

I think those things are probably true to some extent BUT I think the way its said implies a moral judgement. If obesity were about nothign but willpower, it would be easily fixed wouldnt it? Normal weight people affect the environment too - how many would be happy to pay top dollar for organic produce for example? If we wiped out commercial agriculture as it exists now and went back to sustainable methods, buying locally and in season, without packaging, without massive transportation round the globe etc, what would we then pay for a pound of apples? And who would be screaming about it? If we all went vegetarian, we'd cut down greenhouse emissions remarkably. How many are prepared to do that? I'm not fat anymore, I run for exercise, yet I drive everywhere because I have to. I dont have the time in my day for starters, to walk, and the public transport in my suburb is a farking joke - over an hour on the train into the city, that's if you dont count the half hour it would take me to wait for and catch a bus to the station - oh, that's after I've deposited 3 children at 2 differnet schools (one of which is 5kms away) in completely the opposite direction. So its easy to blame it all on fat people isnt it?

I'm vegetarian and a major bread lover. Unfortunately most people aren't able to eat bread products after being banded. I definitely can't. So for carb cravings I use whole grain crackers (and measure out one serving size), and also South Beach bars (low carbs but feels like eating carbs!) I also drink alot of protein shakes. When you are filled up, you don't crave anything. If you aren't ready to give up alot of food, you might want to wait a bit. I cannot eat pizza crust, rice, breads/rolls, cake or muffins.

This is definitely a question for the nutritionist. Is there one at your surgeon's office, or one that he/she uses? How about this--every morning, I drink a Protein shake and have a yogurt. Between the two, it's 23g protein and 0g carbs. It's yummy, lasts me till lunch, and is a great way to start the day. That's lots of protein, and very little carbs (only what's in the yogurt). NO MEAT!!! There are lots of other ways to get your protein in. There's this other stuff that some of my hippie vegetarian friends use called Texturized Vegetable Protein. You can add it to ANYTHING (either by cooking it in or sprinkling it on top) and it doesn't taste. But, there's protein, and again, NO MEAT! Like I said, you have to GET CREATIVE!!!!!

There are a LOT of vegetarians out there...so don't think you're alone when you say you don't like meat. One of the most important things to concentrate on after banding is Protein intake. If you don't like meat, you will just have to find other means of getting your protein in. You can get creative! Think of it as a challenge!!! :cry_smile:)

I am active duty wanting desperately to get lap band. I have done a lot of research and each doctor is different with the bmi requirements. I am just under 34% bmi. I went to my PCM on Wednesday, he said he would put in my referral but today said he needed to talk to me. Don't know about what, but hoping its not to pop my bubble. I have high cholesterol and triglycerides. I got my blood work back today and found out that my cholesterol went up 20 points since Jan. I became a vegetarian 3 months ago. I have been dieting for the past 7 years with no luck, every time I get 10lbs off then I gain 15 more. I haven't been able to run for 2 and a half years. I NEED to lose about 75lbs to get back in shape. I might be facing a MEB and I only have 8 yrs till retirement. If anyone has any advice on getting TriCare to pay it would be very much appreciated.:rolleyes2:

I am active duty wanting desperately to get lap band. I have done a lot of research and each doctor is different with the bmi requirements. I am just under 34% bmi. I went to my PCM on Wednesday, he said he would put in my referral but today said he needed to talk to me. Don't know about what, but hoping its not to pop my bubble. I have high cholesterol and triglycerides. I got my blood work back today and found out that my cholesterol went up 20 points since Jan. I became a vegetarian 3 months ago. I have been dieting for the past 7 years with no luck, every time I get 10lbs off then I gain 15 more. I haven't been able to run for 2 and a half years. I NEED to lose about 75lbs to get back in shape. I might be facing a MEB and I only have 8 yrs till retirement. If anyone has any advice on getting TriCare to pay it would be very much appreciated.:thumbdown:

Thanks everyone for replying with helpful suggestions and commiserations. one thing i think i should address is that quite a few of the people that replied seemed to be worried about me. Worried that I am sabotaging myself. On the one hand, maybe I gave the impression that I am sitting around gorging myself, but I am not. It took a couple of days for me and my roommate to finish off one pizza. And it was thin crust and vegetarian. So it was not the worst food in the world. And the sugar cookie dough was delicious, so I won't appologize for it. Everyone has to make their own decisions on how they will lose weight. Some people make the choice to stick to a diet completely and consider SF pudding a splurge. That is awesome for them, and they will probably lose weight quicker than me. Some people work out like crazy, and that is awesome too, and they will probably lose weight quicker than me, too. I have a different approach. I am not trying to go on a diet. I am trying to eat healthy, but like a normal person healthy. If I want to eat chocolate or pizza or ice cream, I will. Just like a normal person. The difference is that with the band, I can eat 1 or maybe 2 slices of pizza instead of 4. I can be perfectly satisfied with a 1/2 cup of ice cream instead of a whole bowl. I don't just eat bad foods, but I'm not going to banish them. This does not make me a bad bandster, and you don't have to worry about me. Notice that I HAVE lost 24 lbs in 6 weeks, so it seems to be working.

Wow, cutting you out till you get your eating disorder fixed. Sounds like some real winners for friends you got there. Time to find some new friends!!!!!! And kudos on the raw diet, I know I couldn't do it. Reminds me of being a vegetarian, which I couldn't do either. I still don't get the mentality of losing friends as you lose weight. I never had any friends judge me or say anything negative about me getting WLS, they were all 100% supportive. Maybe the only difference is, I am the fattest of all my friends, so no one is jealous of me? Only thing I can think of, because when I hear people talk about their friends cutting them off, talking bad, trying to talk them out of it, etc.. I am just baffled.

I'm not a big fan of protein. I know I'm going to have to change that way of thinking, so my question is after the surgery, can I have vegetarian refried beans with black beans added in. Since that's a can of each, it makes ALOT, but of course, I don't even eat all that NOW...but are beans an acceptable substitute for hard proteins....

Thanks, Keepinfaith and New Diva 2008. The water and protein shake sound like it might be my best bet. I have found several vegetarian/vegan protein drinks and thought about mixing them with soymilk (which isn't real portable if you want it cold) but water would work with some of them. I also found a self stirring mug that I hope will be a great portable alternative to a blender.

You really should eat breakfast. Eating increases your metabolism so the sooner you eat the faster it will kick in. If you are tight in the mornings then drink a Protein shake. I usually eat one ounce of cheese and 5 crackers in the morning. Be sure to get in all your protein. That is probably harder being a vegetarian but you can eat Beans and there are other good sources of protein that aren't meat. If you don't eat enough protein your body will burn muscle.

I have a slim fast drink for lunch and have Pasta, vegetables, or something else I am able to eat (I'm a vegetarian). I exercise around four times a week, usually swimming for 45 minutes or going on the elliptical for around 30 minutes. I do feel I have restriction for what I can eat or how fast I eat but not how much I eat. I have a 10 cc band filled up with 7 ccs. I am frustrated because I am not losing weight. Any suggestions?

I'm not banded yet either (I see the surgeon next Tuesday) but had a dilemma yesterday that maybe someone can help me with. I attended a luncheon and on the menu was chicken salad on a croissant (I'm vegetarian so I steered clear of this totally), cheese straws, potato chips, fruit (2 strawberries and a handful of grapes), and pound cake. This is an annual luncheon so I hope to go next year (maybe there will be a more varied menu) and hope to be banded and maybe near goal by then. Does anyone have any suggestions for a portable lunch I could take with me and be somewhat inconspicuous in these kinds of situations? I'm not sure how Granola bars will do and I can't think of any other options. Thanks in advance for any help any of you can provide me.

Thank you for those AWESOME recipes!!! I am going to try those out...I'm vegetarian but the mushroom soup sounds great, I'll just omit the tuna. Yeah, it's rough, and I knew it going in. My husband isn't very sympathetic and just says "Well, you wanted it." Yeah, ok...that doesn't mean I'm not miserable right now...but I know this too, will pass. I can NOT imagine being on a liquid diet for 2 wks prior and then again AFTER. What kind of surgeon does that to their patients???? Torture. Pure torture. I guess some variety will help, too. That smoothie sounds delicious!

Well...on a quick note, I've heard that I may be super succesful because of my savory tooth! I'll pass down cake at weddings and parties to nibble on more nachos, chips and dips, or anything with cheese and bread. My favorite food in the WORLD is Mexican (lots of Vegetarian options) And I rarely eat candy. It just hurts my stomach. I don't like chocolate...milk or frosting...yuck, just too heavy on me. So I heard in the chat that this will go over very well with my band, has anyone heard this?:huh2:

I posted this to my family and friends through email and on my myspace account. Sure it's wordy and a little on the harsh side, I was just trying to prove my point clearly, so thta they'd understand. I never had ONE negative comment after this. Okay folks, moment of truth here. I've had problems controlling my weight for...well forever. Sure I've lost, and it always comes back usually bringing friends. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome which doesn't help matters, it causes my weight to be a further struggle and adds in some insulin resistance(not diabetes). Harder to lose, harder to keep off - not that it cannot be done. I just haven't been successful long term. Right now I have 80lbs to lose(or more!). For a long time I have been researching the lapband and I got very serious about it in December 2007. I've endured psych evaluations, meeting with dieticians, physicians, bariaticians...the list goes on. I had to compile a huge list of medical records, diets, illnesses and surgical history along with the previously mentioned evaluations and send them to insurance. In March I was approved for surgery. A blessing? Absolutely. Does it come without some negatives, no. The Lapband is NOT an easy way out. It is a tool and an opportunity for me to regain my confidence, preserve my health and be proactive in my life. The band does not work on it's own. I must still follow diet and exercise plans. I will be the one at the Thanksgiving table who gets just a few bites while everyone continues to eat. I may never be able to tolerate bread, rice, Pasta or meat....MEAT, I am not a vegetarian. Many who have been banded can tolerate some of these foods but still some do not. I will get frequent fills to inflate the band causing more restriction and limiting my intake even more. This involves injecting saline through a port that will be implanted under the skin of my abdomen. Probably not pleasant. While relearning to eat, I may have episodes of food getting stuck, extreme nausea or chest pain, even vomiting. Vomiting is dangerous because it can cause the band to slip out of place requiring further surgery. I will never be able to eat and drink at the same time. No liquids for 30 minutes before or one hour after eating. I know it sounds awful, the truth is that the many benefits far outway the negative. I just wanted to be sure that you - my family and friends - understood that there is nothing easy about this. I'm not cheating, I am helping myself to be successful and like I said before, being proactive in my life and future health. I am leary to share this with everyone because I don't want to hear about somebody's neighbor's friend who had the surgery and didn't succeed. I know some people don't succeed with the band and am terrified that I could be one of them. I don't want to hear about about somebody's friend who died in surgery or was miserable and wished they didn't get the band. My decision is already made and I am scheduled for next Wednesday, the 23rd of April. The first day of the rest of my life. Weight is not lost as quickly with the band as gastric bypass...just 1-2 lbs a week. I'm okay with that. I am excited about this tool helping me to KEEP the weight off no matter how long it takes me to lose it. I am currently at the end of day 2 of a 24 day liquid diet required for surgery(10 days preop and 2 weeks postop). YUCK!! So surgery is in 9(actually almost 8)days. Please wish me well and respect my choice. If you cannot support me, please don't say anything. If any of you have questions please ask me. You can also look up the band on the web.