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🤦‍♀️This was meant to be a search term in the forum, not a comment!-- was curious if there was an approved recipe and/or vegetarian alternative options if the family was ever ordering out. Accidentally posted the word in chat-- don't know HT delete. Sorry!!

princess_n_thep ~ I am surprised that you think she did not ask US to donate based on her first post and you think that by being skeptical is being judgmental. Like I said, and as others had suggested, there are much better ways to raise funds. Unfortunately, we do live in a society of scammers....I know b/c I do a lot on E-Bay and I've seen a lot. I recently had a guy that contacted PayPal saying I didn't ship an item 3 mos ago. Needless to say, I expected this some day and had documentation and contacted PayPal immediately. It didn't go any further. I would REALLY encourage you to donate and support this effort if you feel so strongly about it. More power to you and her! I for one, cannot afford to take the risk of donating to something of this nature where the questions are too many. Cashley & Doty said it all very well. My mother does a lot on the computer and finds PayPal challenging at times. Don't you think if someone has "never worked a day in her life", her words, has something to offer skill wise to earn some money? I guess I've been with E-Bay and PayPal for too long to be so eager to support this idea. I have had numerous of attempted scams that have come across my e-mail. In addition, I have been a victim of identity theft. Does that make me judgmental or not open-minded? I think not. Just last week, my husband and I pulled over to offer a homeless man a chicken dinner from Lee's. He thanked us, but turned us down b/c he was a vegetarian. It was a good lesson to teach our children to at least TRY to help those in need. The Lord is good to us and I would help anyone with anything if I was able. I have a very kind and tender heart, but I do have to protect myself and family first.

i would personally disregard any doctor's advice to not eat or drink during a long flight. I fly internationally (12 hours each flight) and would not want to risk dehydration or the immense thirst not drinking for 12 hours (or more, if delayed!!!) would provoke. As for eating: If you can drink (and really there is no reason you wouldn't be able to drink---just don't go get a big fill right before getting in an airplane !), drink. If you can eat, eat the band-friendly stuff they serve. Much of what is on offer on airplanes is not band-friendly for me (bread, Pasta, rice-based dishes) so I pack my own food in my carryon. I pack Protein bars and Protein powder, fruit and nuts. Or sometimes I'll preorder a vegetarian option but that often come with pasta or rice, neither of which I eat. So my advice when flying is to not worry about a too-tight band, but do bring on your own food especially for a longhaul flight. And sip sip sip Water all through the flight.

Yep, I eat them all. Love them. They're a daily part of my diet. Sometimes multiple times a day. OMG, they're carbs! Yep, they are. But they're not refined, over-processed, or bad. And you know what else they are? Excellent sources of plant based protein and fiber. A baked potato has 160 calories. By itself, it has 4g of protein. Throw some vegetarian chili on there and you're in the high teens. Awesome lunch! Brown rice...half a cup has around 100 calories and 3g of protein. Add some bean or peas and you've got complete amino acids...tons of protein... and a crazy awesome amount of fiber. Why is dietary fiber important? To grow good gut bugs. Your microbiota and the health of your gut (and metabolism) depend on happy little bacteria. The strains of gut bugs that live in the guts of skinny people....have a favorite food: dietary fiber. Feed your good bugs good things and they'll be good to you. They like to eat fruit, veggies, beans, whole wheat bread... Whole wheat bread? I eat this A LOT:) For instance.....A lite Thomas English wheat muffin has 5g of protein for 100 calories. This dietary powerhouse has 8g of dietary fiber! Smear that sucker with your favorite nut butter or fruit preserves, and you're in business. One of my favorite go-to dinners these days...... is fresh homemade wheat bread with 16 veggie soup...and fruit for dessert. I eat about four servings of fruit a day...and that's not even counting the watermelon I huddle over in the car while hissing "My Precious...." LOL:) A banana is not "a candy bar" A banana is a wonderful healthy food. I eat lots of them. Hell, I have a Yonanas that makes them into ice cream. They're terrific. Normal weight does not HAVE to mean giving up carbs. It means being carb smart, balancing, and making mindful choices. More than one way to do this whole thing. Weight loss success does not mean ONLY eating meat for the rest of your life with broccoli on the side. That's great once in a while, though! Not trying to tell anyone they're doing it wrong.....just sayin'....there's more than one way to do it right:) Extreme thinking, extreme dieting, extreme self denial....is not sustainable. Work on a forever diet you can live with. Be mindful, be accountable....but be kind to yourself.

1. Oatmeal. Despite its high carb count, oatmeal is one of the healthiest foods, even for weight loss surgery patients. It is a whole grain (gluten-free, if you are wondering), and is a source of soluble fiber. People who eat whole grains instead of refined ones have a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and weight gain. Have oatmeal with nuts or peanut butter for a little extra healthy fat and protein, and add cinnamon for a sweet flavor without sugar. No law says oatmeal needs to be sweet. Turn it into a savory bowl with a poached or hard-boiled egg, some feta cheese, and sliced cooked mushrooms. 2. Pear. Pears have a lower glycemic index and glycemic load than many other fruits, so they do not spike your blood sugar as much. They have soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar. They also provide lignans, which are heart-healthy. You can do way more with a pear than use it as a dessert or a side for cottage cheese, although those work, too! Try serving it with all-natural ham, or tossing it with mixed greens, walnuts, bell peppers, and cooked chicken breast. You can also turn it into a salsa to top fish or chicken along with diced onion, tomato, and cucumber, plus chopped cilantro and lime juice. 3. Beans. Beans are a starch you can love since they pack in the fiber and protein along with vitamins and minerals. They are linked to lower risk for certain cancers, as well. If they bother your stomach, try having small portions or using an enzyme product such as Bean-o. Kidney, pinto, garbanzo, and black beans – they’re all good! Make hummus with garbanzos and olive oil, or try vegetarian chili with beans, tomatoes, other vegetables, and seasoning. Or, make a taco salad or naked burrito with fat-free refried beans. 4. Pumpkin. Pumpkin has a medium glycemic index, but so few carbohydrates that your body will barely realize that it is there. Aside from the potassium and fiber in pumpkin, you will find amazing amounts of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene – and that can only be a good thing after weight loss surgery. Butternut and acorn squash have a few more carbohydrates but are also excellent choices. Stir pumpkin and cinnamon into your oatmeal, or mix them into non-fat cream cheese for a flavorful, protein-packed spread or dip for apples. Add chunks of butternut squash to stew, or blend pumpkin into a soup to make it creamy. 5. Peas. Peas may have a bad reputation, but it is undeserved. Choose snow peas or sugar snap peas in the pod for a dose of vitamin C and fiber. Use them raw or lightly cooked to preserve their antioxidants and keep their glycemic load down. Use them in salads along with lettuce, chicken, and chopped vegetables, or dip them into Greek yogurt-based dips. You can also use snow and sugar snap peas in stir fry – just be sure to keep them crunchy.

My old college roommate was a vegetarian and she tried to restrict her carbs to keep a healthy weight. She was not banded. She ate a lot of morning start products and boca burgers. They are pretty high in protein. She also ate a lot of beans with brown rice. Together they made a digestible protein that separate you don't get. I know rice is not possible for a lot of bandsters though. Hope this helps a little.

(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 am not a vegan or vegetarian I am afraid of meat because I have a hard time processing it. My stomach is very tight in the middle and sometimes meat makes me have nausea. The taste of meat is not appealing to me. I would to be able to eat it but the texture in my tummy and the way I feel when trying to process/digest it is not pleasant.

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 many good suggestions in this thread. I'm going to start a plant based recipe thread in the vegetarian/vegan forum. I'll link back to it on this post once I set it up. Even if you aren't veg, it doesn't hurt to do a meatless day once a week.

I am an animal lover and self-proclaimed 'crazy cat lady.' I can't bear the thought of someone killing innocent animals and I was wondering how everyone else feels about the topic. Keep in mind that was born and raised (and still live in) a rural farming community where it's an everyday thing for a tractor to roll through town and where you'll commonly see a truck pass by with a gun rack. Having been raised on and around farms I have grown to accept selling, raising and eating livestock as a fact of life. I am not a vegetarian but I am a member of the ASPCA. I love any type of animal you could throw at me. Now, that doesn't mean that I'd cuddle or keep a snake as a pet, but I do have a high level of compassion for any kind of life. The reason of this poll, however, is directed specifically towards hunting. I realize that hunting is a fact of life (I've seen plenty of deer carcasses hanging from trees). I just can't understand how someone can hop in their truck and spend their evening stalking beautiful, majestic deer and celebrating as their life drains out of them. One of my brothers is an avid hunter, he and I have agreed to disagree on the subject. How is chasing down a raccoon, squirrel, or deer fun? With what are they supposed to defend themselves? What does that doe feel when her mama doesn't come back after leaving to feed? I do realize that deer are overpopulated, as I'm sure that will come up, but I still couldn't imagine taking the life of an innocent animal and keeping it's head as a trophy...

I am too tight in the morning for solids and I am a vegetarian so protein is a concern. I drink a Premier Protein (from Costco) every morning. It is 30g of protein and only 160 cals. Tastes great. I don't like the taste of MM but maybe I'll try the lite version and see, Thanks.

crystal - 50 pounds is awesome - you should be so proud! if it helps - just think if you never got surgery you would likely not have lost 50 pounds and may even weigh more today than 6 months ago!!! As far as the 800 calories - nowadays because i have pretty tight restriction - especially in the mornings - it's a 110 calorie EAS AdvantEdge carb control protein shake (17 g protein) - chocolate or vanilla - then for lunch a healthy choice "fake meat" (i'm vegetarian) entre - usually from 270-290 calories - then for dinner - another frozen lien cuisine or healthy choice - usually a pizza which has higher calories - there's a cheese one that's called brick fire margarita pizza or something like that - it's 310 calories - i drink no calories whatsoever during the week -usually do the 0 calories flavored bottled water - SOBE or equivalent - then sometimes i have 100 calorie pack snack - pringles for example or a 100 calorie smart pop single serve popcorn. That's pretty much the routine - on weekends i may replace one of those meals with a meal out - such as a veggie burger w/ cheese then just peel off the buns and eat only the fake meat/cheese. Hope this helps!

Thanks for all of your posts. I'll ask about seaweed at my consultation this Friday. I'm a vegetarian, so I don't need to worry about not eating meat. I'm glad to hear some people are lucky and can eat anything, just in small amounts. That is what I want out of the band - portion control. If seaweed is off limits, I can always ask the chef to leave out the seaweed. My favorite is kamikaze sushi - seaweed, rice with avocado, friend tempura bits & spicy red sauce - yum!!!

Growing up in rural Kansas my whole life, I understand the need for population control in wild animals. Deer are a major roadway hazard that can KILL PEOPLE. I am pro-life in all areas which means I'm also a vegetarian and therefore I don't believe that animals should be exploited for our own comfort and taste buds, however, when animals are causing a roadway hazard to me and my kids in the backseat, I am above feeling sorry for the deer and I would rather have a licenced hunter thin the population out for a good purpose. That may seem contradictory, but like I said, I understand why people hunt deer at least...they are very dangerous to vehicles.

food divides into 3 categories and 3 only. Protien, Fat, Carbs. If it aint a fat or a carb its Protein. Doesn't matter what source it comes from, soy, animal or other plant. All protein is protein. There was a lot of confusion for vegetarians a few years back with people being advised to combine Proteins. Basically, theres about 14 animo acids we can't make ourselves so we have to get them from food. One of the easiest ways is from another animal, as all the ones we need are there. But you don't have to have animal flesh in order to be getting everything you need. And you don't have to combine plant-based proteins in order to get them all either. The body is an amazing thing. It will work with what you give it and then when you eat something else it will take what it needs from that. As long as you eat a variety of foods, you will get what you need. With regard to doomsaying. Simply ask yourself one question, what does this person get out of saying that? There are numerous warnings about soy, but who are making these warnings? I've only heard anti-soy comments from pro-meat advocates. Asian cultures, especially Japan and China, have lived on soy for centuries. I do not think they have a substantially higher rate of Alzheimers.

1) Small size cutlery (9 piece set) 2) Bamix Wand Mixer 3) Fit and Fresh chiller shaker with storage base. 4) Fit and Fresh Fruit and Veg bowl 5) Fit and Fresh 'Lunch on the Go" 6) Fit and Fresh Healthy Snaker 7) Set of 6 Feeding Bowls with lids 8) Set 4 7oz tulip glasses 9) Walden Farms Asian Dressing Marinade Calorie Free Sugar Free, Carb free. 10) 85% Less Fat Powdered Peanut Butter 11) Walden Farms Ranch dressing calorie free, sugar free, carb free. 12) 2 x Sugar Free - Fat Free Instant Jello-O, vanilla and Bklack Cherry. 13) Hartley's Sugar Free Jelly 14) Dixie Carb Counters INstand Mashers (4 net carbs). 15) Linwoods Milled Organic Flaxseed, sunflower and pumpkin seeds 16) 4 piece cup measures 17) Crystal Light Sunrise natural Classic Orange 18) Measuring spoons 19) 2 packs of 02GO flavourbursts 20) Blueberries and Cream - Flax & Snax Natural Hot Cereal (High Protein, high Fiber). 21) High Protein Instant custard Mix x 2 22) Jelly rich in protein. 23) Reflex Whey Refresh protein isolate drink x 4 24) Natural Flavour - Whey Protein Isolate Powder 25) Edamame Beans - lightly salted and baked soybeans (snake). 26) DaVinci Gourmet Coconut syrup (Sugar Free). 27) DaVinci Gourmet Banana (Sugar Free). 28) DaVinci Gourmet Sugar Free Amaretto Flavour Syrup 29) Thermos 500ml Water bottle with chiller 30) Extra Virgin Olive Oil Fry spray, 1 cal. 31) ProShot 25g Protein/0sugar and 0 fat. x3 32) Salter Nutritional Scale (weighs food protions and calculates nutritional values. 33) Low Carb diet Crispy Cool Ranch Cheese. 34) Fit and Lock set of food containers 35) Femfresh cleansing wipes 36) Night gown 37) House slippers 38) 4x Pairs PJ's 39) 80 Tea bags (decaffe) 40) Coffee (decaffe) 41) Beaker with lit. 42) Organic Agave Nectar 43) Johnson's Baby soothing naturals - intense moisture cream. 44) Johnson's baby soap. 45) 2 x 2oz containers. 46) 1 hand towel 47) 1 large food shelf container (for protein powder storage). 48) 2 x sugar free jelly 49) Small baking dish 50) 1 box of Splenda 51) 1 soup bowl and chinese spoon. 52) Vanity Case 53) Vanilla dessert Protein 54) Flaxseed Oil 55) 4 x bottles Egg Whites. (storeable at room temp. for upto 5 months). 56) Syntrax Apple Ectasy Protein. 56) Syntrax Carbbean Cooler 57) Bioclens Hand Sanitiser & Moisturiser 58) Vitamin E - Mint Lip chap stick. 59) Really nice Red travel case. 60) A nice Sundae Glass for jelly desserts/puddings (99p) 61) Breath mint Spray. 62) Hungry Girl 63) 100-Calorie Snack Cookbook by Sally Sampson. 64) Vegetarian Gelatine 65) Beef Gelatine 66) Salter Digital Bathroom Scales. ______________ 67) Molton Brown:- Toko Yuzu -Shower Gel and lotion. Cucumber Conditioning shampoo 68) Travel case for hospital. __________________

Southbeach is a very humane eating style. As a vegetarian, it worked pretty well for me (until it didn't!) Choosing low glycemic index carbs makes such a difference.

Natalie, this must be so frustrating. I am the "bad girl" as I have never followed a low carb diet after surgery. Only a "lower carb" diet, which is around 100-150 carbs a day. I try and keep them whole grain, lower/no sugar, and lots of organics and raw as possible. I am a vegetarian and getting in the protein is not alway that great. I get back on track and try to get more of those often... its an on going problem. I have a goal range of 170-173 which I maintiained for a while, and in the past couple of months have gained 5-7 pounds. My exercise has reduced and my eating has become more mindless and emotional... which is the reason for the gain. I think you really need to get in more protein... it screws up your body not to have the protein you need to replace muscle tissue and such... My hair still falls out because of not enough protein.... Use MFP every day, do get exercise in any form you can manage, and work to improve the quality of your intake. Sometimes a little thing can really throw off your weight loss and gain. Best of luck to you, we are here for you!

Any other vets on mfp.... Preferably vegetarian or vegan sleevers! You can find me under stefjuliano

My nut told me to not drink a lot of shakes. He called them artificial Protein and once you are starting to eat solid food, to just have one once in a while but not everyday. How are you getting your protein in? Is it only shakes? Are you vegetarian, is that why you don't eat meat? Will you eat eggs? I always have hard boiled eggs in the fridge and have one for Breakfast, sometimes with a piece of bacon, and I am also a big cottage cheese eater and usually have it for lunch, with pears or berries. For dinner, I usually have some sort of meat or fish and a small salad or a side veggie. For Snacks, I eat almonds, pieces of cheese, prunes (yes, prunes, I LOVE them and they are like candy to me) and I treat myself to a small piece of dark chocolate (one of the little squares) from Trader Joes once in a while. Do you keep a food diary? You maybe eating too many carbs or sugars in your shakes. You also may not be eating ENOUGH. Did your nut go over your diary with you, and give you some changes or suggestions? That is what their job is! When you do your treadmill, are you getting up a sweat? You maybe need to pump it up a little. I also think you are doing well, I don't think loosing 36 pounds in 2 or so months is bad at all! What did he expect you to loose? Dont be discourage, we all loose at different paces.

Hey, so this prompted me to think about which recipes you may like, but as I thought about it, I realized that I really don't make anything altogether special. It's pretty easy just to substitute tofu or veggie ground beef for most foods that you're already making, from Pasta to stuffed vegetables to stir-fries. So, for example, about once a month I make vegetarian tacos. I use a mexican-flavoured veggie ground beef (but you can use plain veggie beef too, and add in taco seasoning). The brand name of the meat is Yves. I'm not sure if it is available where you live (I live in Toronto). Without using too much oil, I first sautee some onion, then add diced tomatoes, then the veggie meat. I add a few spoons of salsa into the mix. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to cook the meat from frozen on medium heat, since it comes pre-cooked. Because I can't eat too much at this point, I break one taco shell in half (down its length) and place the ingredients on each half. There really isn't anything I can tell you that you don't already know yourself, if you've ever made meat-tacos. I use low-fat sour cream, salsa, lettuce, diced onions, black Beans, and grated cheese, along with the cooked meat. I also sometimes make chinese stir-fries. Again, if you made meat-stir fries, the process is similar, except for the fact that you won't be cooking the "meat" portion first or for as long. I buy frozen chinese-style veggies to make cooking faster (they turn out pretty well and, because they were flash-frozen, they retain more Vitamins then fresh veggies). I add in marinated tofu in the last five minutes of cooking. I sometimes make lentil Soup. It's pretty easy to make since lentils don't necessarily require soaking before hand. I just boil lentils (they double in size, so be careful how much you add) on medium-high, then, once they're almost done (soft), I add in some garlic and onion. I use vegetable bouillon, a little bit of cinnamon powder, and hot pepper flakes to add flavour. In the last 15 minutes of boiling, I add quinoa (which is high in protein) to give the soup some starch. In the last five minutes, I add in frozen vegetables. The soup can be pureed, depending on preference. If I haven't eaten tofu too much that week, I sometimes add in cubes of tofu (usually firm) at the same time as the frozen veggies. For extra flavour, sautee raw veggies as a base for the soup and add in after the lentils are almost ready, instead of frozen veggies. As for using tofu, I guess a few tips are: For better health, consider buying organic tofu and avoid vacuum-packed tofu. The tofu packaged in Water is supposed to be healthier, lower in carbs, and less processed, but it doesn't keep as long as vacuum-packed tofu. When you buy tofu, try to get one that is not near the best-before date. You can leave it in the fridge, in its unopened package, until that date. Once it is opened, the tofu will keep for about three days (although some people keep it for up to a week). The instructions are usually to rinse the tofu, place it in a sealed container with new water (completely covering the tofu), and to change the water every day. Don't eat tofu raw; if you want to put it salads, boil it for about five minutes first. If you want the tofu to have a definite flavour, like in foods where the tofu stands out, you must marinate it for at least an hour (or over night in the fridge). In order to get the tofu to absorb as much marinade as possible, you can do two things. First, you can freeze and then thaw the tofu before marinating. When it's been frozen, the tofu will look yellow and look like a sponge. Frozen tofu has a very different texture (more meaty) and it soaks up marinades very well. If you do not like tofu with that texture, you can also press the moisture out of the tofu in order to get it to absorb more marinade. Some people place tofu in a towel (paper towel or cloth) and place a plate or pot over it to press out the water before marinating. If I'm making a food that has a sauce or is a stew/soup, I don't bother marinating the tofu. I just cut it up in pieces and throw it in while cooking. Sometimes, I lightly fry non-marinated tofu (until the outside is a little crisp and yellow) to give it a better texture before adding it into foods. Finally, when buying tofu, pay attention to the firmness as listed on the package. Usually, if using tofu as a replacement for meat, you should buy firm or (even better) extra-firm tofu. If using the tofu in a soup or blending it (like in a Protein shake), you can use soft or medium-firm tofu (extra-firm tofu still works in Soups too). If you ever have tofu that you need to be more firm, you can use the techniques mentioned above (pressing or freezing). Beans make a great alternative to soy, and there are some beans that are lower in carbs than others. When I was on a low-carb diet, my doctor recommended eating beans, since I was a vegetarian, and I lost weight rather quickly while maintaining my protein intake. Another alternative to soy is quinoa, which, as mentioned above, is high in protein. Quinoa cooks in about fifteen minutes and can be used instead of rice. By the way, if you live in America (I looked at your profile earlier, but I can't remember just now), there's supposed to be a really awesome brand of veggie meats called Field Roast. It's not yet been brought to Canada, except for British Columbia, but I've read one Canadian vegetarian say that she even asked her friend to smuggle some Field Roast packs across the border--it's supposed to be that good. Field roast sausages are what people usually rave about, but I've also heard good things about their vegetarian holiday turkey. Anyway, I'd thought you might want to check the brand out.

I was sleeved on 6/14 and I have tried vegetarian hamburgers and meatballs because they are high in protein. Also premier protein has a new Carmel flavor and I like it in my decaffeinated coffee as a creamer and sweetner. I also drink skim milk, eat lean deli meat chipped, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt.

I was worried about spicy food before surgery, but I'm 2.5 weeks out now and loving the heat. Haven't had any issues from that, my only negatives have been food that is too heavy/fatty. Traditional refried beans vs. vegetarian ones, beef vs. chicken, that sort of thing.

Reach out to your bariatric team first for clarity, they may have ALL the answers you are looking for. The plans vary so greatly you may end up with more questions and no answers that will help YOU Currently I'm at: 60+ protein ,>80 carbs, ~45 fats I for example am very carbon sensitive so I tried to focus solely on protein earlier on but I also don't tolerate meat for long periods so I have to rotate food groups, then I said to my team I just want to be a vegetarian again and they said OK. I was expecting great resistance. My new rules are similar to old ones but I work with the NUT to make sure in not stunting my progress either.