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I eat a vegetable omelet most mornings. One egg, shredded cheese, black Beans, mushrooms, red peppers, spinach, Frank's hot sauce, and a chopped up Morningstar vegetarian "sausage".

I make a pot of vegetarian chili (with things like carrots and bell peppers in it) occasionally on the weekend and we take that for lunch that week. I also keep string cheese and Greek yogurt in my fridge at work in case I don't have anything else to eat. Sometimes leftovers from the night before. I used to make hummus and eat that with baby carrots when I was a pre-op - I should start doing that again now that I'm cleared to eat raw vegetables again.

I got a great cookbook on Amazon for after weight loss surgery, and I heard from someone there was one out there for vegetarians after WLS. Might check it out!

Hi all, I was wondering if there are any vegetarian sleevers out there! Are there any good Protein sources other than tempeh, Beans, etc.? I don't want to live on shakes forever and I also want a variety of choices............ except meant of course! I eat fish, but it can get pretty boring eating the same thing everyday. I don't see my doc for another couple weeks so I was just wondering. Thanks in advance.

I am a struggling vegetarian and find myself living off of eggs, cottage cheese and Gardein products. I don't care much for the Boca brand, and tolerate the Quorn fairly well, but would prefer to get my main protein from vegetable based sources. I am rather unfortunately uneducated as well as I would like in what and how to prepare the best types of veggie protein dishes, but mostly I am lazy which is why I usually go with the eggs, cottage cheese or Gardein brand. But I believe 100% in being vegetarian and gathering plenty of protein from the awesome veggies out there so don't give up, and neither will I! I believe it is the key to our long term success!! If you ever want to see some samples of my daily intake I log into sparkpeople.com and try to keep a daily log, but have been kind of bad as of late. But it might give you a few ideas.....? (FOXRIDER) Like I said, I am struggling to become fully vegetarian so for now I do tend to have something like turkey burgers on Tuesday's (meat for one meal only), and maybe meat on Thursday's (again, one meal only). Oh, and I don't do milk but find a little extra protein in the Soy milk I drink several days a week. Find a protein mix you can tolerate, for me it was Monster Milk, and add a half scoop or scoop to up your protein, if you want.

I’m hitting a Plato. I’m stuck I’m frustrated, I do 7 miles of cardio in 43 min then on to weights. I suffer from pcos Polly cystic ovarian syndrome and I retain a ton of water weight. Can anyone give me any suggestions to increase weight loss, and I’m a vegetarian. Help!!!!!! I want out of my Plato

I am getting my Surgery soon in May if everything goes as planned! In the mean time I was wondering if there are other Vegetarian WLS members who can guide me through or make suggestions for Post Op Diet especially in terms of protein and how they ate daily in the intial phase of their weight loss!

@loridee11 I’ve been able to hang with the concept that it’s a lifestyle change, and overall I do well. I’ve been getting exercise most days (I set a goal for September to just get a minimum of a minute of exercise most days. In the last week I’ve been smashing that and getting 30-50 minutes a day. I honestly really enjoy dancing and found that Just Dance (video games) is a lot of fun! It gets me up and moving around and I love it! I don’t drink soda (I drink soda so sparingly it’s easier to say I don’t drink it. I’ve haven’t had a soda in over a month, and before that it was likely 3-4 months since the last one). I don’t drink alcohol. My vice is sweets (which is why Gastric Bypass will be good for me, because I won’t be able to overindulge anymore!). I did a baking swap with a neighbor recently, bread for cookies. I shouldn’t have done it. One day I ate 4 cookies, but I countered it by getting more than 40 minutes of exercise. I’m not thinking about exercise as punishment though, because I’m really enjoying the dancing! The food swaps you suggest are great, however I’m a vegetarian, so I don’t eat heavy red meats anyway (though it’s something I miss on occasion). I get my protein requirements daily so far, in that I eat a lot of eggs, beans, and nuts. I’ve stopped eating things like chips and most snack foods—but like I said, I like sweets. If I just keep them out of the house it will be ok (I’ve been able to meter myself with those cookies now!). @WishMeSmaller Thank you so much! The air is horrendous over here. I haven’t had exercise outside in a long time, and haven’t been able to go to my farmers markets to sell my jam and bread because of the air quality. It’s awful. Up until the summer heat hit and then the smoke, I was walking a mile every morning. That made it a lot easier to stay motivated! Then the heat came (110+ days for 5+ days in a row), then the smoke...I have asthma, so I haven’t been able to be outside much. I think that took the biggest blow to my depression. Going on a walk in the morning before eating anything or even drinking coffee...it was nice. It set my tone for the entire day! And here I am now. But like I said to Lori, I’ve been doing Just Dance daily, and it’s really helping get me back out of that depression! @tarotcardreader Hi there! My surgeon isn’t giving me any flack over this. I haven’t even talked to her since my initial appointment. I think it’s more of a self mental block that I’m stressing out over. My PCP said that it isn’t a major issue if I don’t lose exactly 20 pounds. I’m back down about 8 since I posted this, though. I’ve gotten a lot of my motivation back and ditched the depression! Thanks for looking out. ❤️ @BigSue Thank you for this! You’ve inspired me to try out IF again. I’ve been not eating until 10/11am, and finishing eating by 6/7pm. It’s really helping to keep me back in check. Right now I’m just adjusting to the IF and logging again, and getting a lot of movement in. And then I’ll start adjusting my calorie goal to below 2000 again (they recommended 1500 for women at my first nutrition meeting). I figured it’s kind of hard to go from 0 to 60, so I’m going to ease back into it (someone suggested it somewhere! To just cut down a little at a time, instead of the shock that tends to come from going 2500 calories to 1500 overnight. It is likely to cause binge eating!). Anyhow, thank you so much for your encouragement, it means a lot!

When I go to Whole Foods I always pick up a salad bar box with edamame, quinoa, tofu, and various other tasty treats. I usually have it for several meals. I'm not a vegetarian, but the selection is always so fresh and delicious. I crave different things than pre vsg when I preferred chips and chocolate. Now I would much rather have cheese, green things, whole grains, fresh veggies and low fat dressings.

Are you pre or post op? If you are post op, What are your dieticians’ instructions? Are you losing weight consuming 3000+ calories? If you are pre op or researching surgery Your stomach space will be limited after surgery. Your calories will be low. Follow your dietitians instructions. Not all protein shakes are created equal. Many brands have high sugar, calories, and carbs. Your dietician will give you bariatric approved protein shake advice. They also make vegan protien powders. A few links that may help if you are in research phase. We have a vegan bariatric forum on this site https://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1101-vegetarian-or-vegan-eating/ https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/402037-bariatric-vegetarian-life/ Many people that lift after surgery. They have been successful building muscle and strength. https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/418762-is-it-possible-to-build-muscle-after-the-sleeve-im-about-to-find-out/?tab=comments#comment-4684423 https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/425762-power-lifters-bodybuilders-strength-trainers-ocr-runners/?page=2&tab=comments#comment-4792696 Sent from my SM-G930T using BariatricPal mobile app

I totally agree with this. I was just talking to a friend about my upcoming surgery. He asked how much I have to lose and I told him, and he looked at me with dinner plate sized eyes and said "You weigh 360??" I actually weigh 376, but I didn't tell him that. I just said "close!" He couldn't believe it. I just carry it/hide it well with smart looking clothes, I guess. I've got to lose about 180 lbs. Even then, I'll still weigh about 220. At that point, if I get below that weight, my rib cage and collar bones start to stick out and I start looking sickly. (Took off about this much weight back in college by working out about four hours a day, living a vegetarian lifestyle and having the metabolism of a 21 year old!) I was caught in the mindset that according to the height/weight charts, I needed to weight about 175. I just couldn't let it go. I was getting emaciated and looking very gaunt. Finally, after much urging by my friends, I had a hydrostatic dunk test and was told by a nutritionist that I was far underweight at 212 (8% bodyfat) and that I needed to put just a little weight back on in order to be where I needed to be. Still, to tell someone you've never met on an online dating service or over the phone that you weight 212 instantly turns a person off and makes them think that you are an overweight slob. Far from it. I look at pictures from when I was that thin and feel ashamed that the man in those pictures never saw himself as he really was. He only saw a number and that number meant that he was grossly overweight according to societal standards. I wish I could be that weight right now and as fit as I once was. I don't think I would have ended up back where I started nearly 15 years later. Oh well. Banding date of January 2nd! 30 MORE DAYS, FOLKS and I'll be on my way back to a much more appreciative, healthy individual!

Yes, Pinterest is a great source. There are also recipes on a site called SkinnyTaste that cater to dieters and weight loss including keto, paleo, weight watchers, vegetarian, etc. Thanks for sharing.

A lot has been going on since I started this journey. Good and wonderful things. My ex husband and I got remarried a month ago having a ceremony Sept 22 2017. I am officially a GLAMma My first granddaughter was born December 5th. My first couple of visits with my surgeon weren't that great. He put me on a Protein shake raw vegetable diet. The first month was good the second month in I was getting nauseous so I added fish and Chik'n (vegetarian chicken) to my diet. Invested in a fit bit which has came in handy. Lost 16 lbs so Far. I have my Pre op meeting on the 13th Meet with the surgeon on the 14th My surgery date Jan 24. He decided the sleeve which is what I wanted in the beginning Nervous and anxious. As always leaving it in Gods hands Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Bonus side effect of being a vegetarian. Lots of fiber = regular poops. I can't imagine having to strain that hard.

I'm not saying you were wrong **for you**. I am simply saying that prefacing your directions as fact is not fair to the people who are looking for advice. And as an aside, your statement that vegetables should be avoided for a year would totally kill off all of my vegetarian/vegan WLS friends.

I LOVE the Premier Protein shakes from Costco. They are 30 grams of protein and only 160 calories...I like all three flavors...they come ina n 18 pack carton. I have one every morning since I was banded (May of 09) because I am tight in the morning. I am a vegetarian d=so I eat a lot of beans (love the refried in a can) and nuts...

I became a vegetarian POST op and am loving my new life- I eat absolutely NO meat and only get my protein from plant based diet. I have never felt better...

This has been a major concern for me. I have not gotten the surgery yet and just met with the dietitian for the first time. She rolled her eyes when I said I was a vegetarian (lacto/ovo) and told me it was going to be difficult to get 75 grams of protein per day when I'm down to 4 oz meals. Very discouraging. I left feeling very stressed and concerned that I won't be able to succeed. I can use all of the support out there right now. Struggling to lose the 12 pounds needed for the surgery - when I am stressed, I eat (duh!).

My pre-op diet was simply vegetarian and very low fat for two weeks prior to surgery. Of course, nothing to eat after midnight the night before. I felt very fortunate, although my birthday plans for a Brazilian steakhouse dinner were dashed. It was okay, though!

I have just discovered the Premier Nutrition high protein shakes, they are 160 cals and 30 gms of protein (get them at Costco). I have one a day in the morning because I have a hard time with solids then. of course being a liquid, it doesn't really keep me full. You should try to get the rest of your protein from solids, like chicken, eggs, cheese (sorry, I didn't know if you were a vegetarian; in that case, legumes, tofu)....myfitnesspal is good for tracking, also available free on the blackberry.

I feel so dumb. I really thought I should just be open and honest. I started out this process thinking, it's really just for me ... then I kept thinking, you know, I'm an adult. I make my own decisions. If I can make these decisions I should be adult enough to stand by them. So ... now that I am around 1 month in, I told two of my friends my intentions while we had coffee the other day. FYI one of them is thin and I think she has a form of anorexia (gluten free, lacto-free, vegetarian) ... she keeps her kids on the same diet and they look like ghosts. The other one just believes she carries around an extra 20lbs but really probably does not. She looks fine to me. Anyway, after I told them, they got together and apparently are trying to have some kind of intervention with me, like they are going to be my new trainers and train me how to eat well and conquer this thing without letting surgeons cut me open. AHHHHHHHGGG !!! I then told them, 'you know, I am thinking of just doing this on my own with the dietician' to throw them off the track, and they are still like 'let's be DIET BUDDIES' .... OMG, I could just smack myself that I ever said a thing. :thumbup::thumbup:

I am not plant based but I do eat nice amount of vegetarian substitutes for red meats! they still have a nice amount of protein. I like the brand Morning Star (I think some of the items are vegetarian & not vegan however)

I discovered that the fat free rosarita has hydrogenated fat in it. Check the ingredients. I bought the vegetarian instead

(Cross-posted from the Vegetarian forum due to low traffic there.) The more I've been learning about fruit the more I want to make it a part of pretty much every meal, as well as having regular servings of whole grains like oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, etc. I'm having gastric bypass so there's a greater risk of dumping syndrome. I'm wondering if these healthy but carb-y foods also cause dumping, or if it's mostly just refined sugars and high-fat foods. I'm particularly interested in your particular experiences rather than what we might assume should/shouldn't cause dumping. Thanks in advance for any advice!

I'm too a year out I'm approx 17 months out, I was at a stall for 6 months at 185.4 until I gotten a second desk job, the first week was a breeze as I was meal prepping my lunches but as soon as the reality of working two jobs that quickly faded, I was grazing all day on vending machine foods chocolate, chips, candy, and high calorie coffees just to stay awake, until one day, I stepped on the scale and realized in 3 months I've gainined 5.3 pounds i was livid seeing that scale go from 185 to 190.8 I thought well its not that bad so I continued, now I'm 193.4 and started going vegetarian Jan 1st as of march 1 I stop eating junk food and soon will turn vegan for I graze on cheese. This has not been an easy journey I need to lose 20-30 pounds to feel comfortable with myself so I totally understand your struggles, so its back to the basis for me! Sent from my SM-G360T1 using the BariatricPal App