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Coyote, I think that most nutritionists are well versed in diets based around meat as the main protein source. I think these are the nutritionists that work closely with bariatric patients. Low carb/keto diets generally are responsible for the fastest weight loss. It is not uncommon to lose 7 pounds per week on these diets. The goal for bariatric patients is to lose weight as safely, but as quickly as possible to stabilize whatever ailments or conditions that they are experiencing. Let's face it....A high carb, low fat diet is effective for weight loss, but it isn't as quick. Add to that, French fries, potato chips, and CANDY are all vegetarian foods. A lot of vegetarians (myself included in the past) eat highly processed foods that aren't healthy, and don't contribute to weight loss. I have met several overweight and obese vegetarians in my lifetime. If it is done correctly, meaning no or minimally processed foods and sugar laden foods, it can be a very successful diet for a lifetime. I have never been able to stay on a diet for more than a few months, but I was a vegetarian for a little over 3 years. The only reason that I left it was because I was unhappy at still being over 260 pounds. This was because I ate a lot of the wrong things. I should have been happy that my levels were all excellent, but I focused on weight instead. One thing that sticks with me though......My uncle died 2 years ago of brain cancer. He was about 6'0", and 175 pounds when he was diagnosed at 55 years old. We thought he was very healthy. He was a hunter, and heavy meat and cheese eater. One day, he started just getting tired, which was the reason he reached out to his doctor. Anyway, to make a long story short...He had stage 4 brain cancer. MD Anderson in Houston urged him to give up the meat, cheese, milk products and processed foods. They wanted him to do a plant based diet. He was told that he only had 2-3 months to live. On this diet, his tumor started to decrease. He made it another 2 years before he succumbed to the disease. He was tired of fighting, and so he stopped. I asked my aunt why they gave him the plant based diet to follow in the first place. She told me that they told her that the fat and sugar in his diet fed cancer cells. I don't know if this is a fact since this was 1 doctor that said that, but he is a highly respected surgeon at MD Anderson, so I have to take his word for it. I would listen to your nutritionist in the short term, because your life is in their hands. After you are out of the danger zone, I would do whatever you feel is best for you. I know I will.

I'm about to enter the soft foods stage of my diet plan and am so excited to actually eat food again instead of just drinking protein. Does anybody have any vegetarian recommendations for recipes they liked while doing soft foods?

How to reduce sugar in the body by eating vegetarian and plant based natural foods .

This is the book I use and swear by it. https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Vegetarian-Cookbook-Foolproof-Recipes/dp/1936493969

I’m similar to you @wanderingheart. Not a huge meat eater, veer towards lacto-ovo vegetarian 80% of the time and trying to figure out how best to get my protein in once I’m off the liquid diet & eating real food. *can’t wait!*

Hi Greenie! Thanks for posting! Yes that ticket agent has her's coming some day! Karma is a witch with a capital B! I was a vegetarian for over 10 years. I recently adopted that lifestyle again! Actually very recently! The Oats/No Red/Movin' challenge with Shelbi pushed me down that path! Now it seems like I have to be so cognizant of getting my protein in - previously I didn't seem to notice. Legumes are going to be my friend. Not to mention Tofu! I love the Morningstar Farms foods, so that won't be a problem. My freezer is always full of them. I also make a mean homemade veggie burger! Most of my family are vegetarians.

Doesn’t matter what diet you follow, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, etc., if you eat more than your body needs to function you will put on weight. It’s a sad but simple truth. It doesn’t matter where your calories come from a calorie is a calorie (of course some calories come with better nutrients). You could eat a 2000 calorie burger, fries & soda meal & nothing else for the whole day or eat 2000 calories of lean protein & vegetables but if your body only needs 1500 calories to function the extra 500 calories will be converted & stored as fat & you will put on weight.

I'm currently in pureed stage and refried beans are great so far. Chili is also on my list, so I second what SummerTimeGirl mentioned about finding a vegetarian/vegan chili. My hospital also recommended blending up some soups for pureed stage (adding in some protein powder if needed). At the hospital I had some pureed green beans and they were super yummy. The texture didn't bother me as much as I thought it was going to, so maybe cook and season some veggies you like and then puree into a mash potato sort of consistency? I also did a ricotta bake. It has ricotta, parmesan cheese, basil, salt, and pepper in it. Then a bit of marinara/pizza sauce over the top. I don't usually like ricotta cheese on it's own, but the bake tastes more like lasagna to me. Really nummy option -if- you like lasagna but maybe don't like ricotta solo. Just throwing it out there as I'm not sure if it was just ricotta that you hated, or if ricotta in things was also a no-go.

:driving:On the road again! Can't wait to get on the road again... Willie Nelson won't be with us! BTW! I wanted to touch base with my Peeps! Weigh in everyone, please. We are missing some from last week and the week before. Brandy, where are you Baby? Anita, did you get rid of your guests yet? Bookholder, how are you doing? Where are you? :crying: Marcy, I couldn't figure out if you gave me a weight for last week or not. How are the chickens doing? I do miss chicken now that I've become a vegetarian! Lifesaver, how are you, My Dear! I loved your face in our RR picture, You are just adorable! Deb, I'm so glad Tucker-baby is home with you and DH! Munchkin, how was your night floating? I floated to an adult ICU once and I threw up! :wink2: Sorry, but I was doing trach care and it was more than I could handle! Give me Meconium anyday!! Denver, there is not one thing I do not like about my band. Honestly, I cannot think of one thing. I'll be 6 months out next Tuesday and I have NOT (knock on wood) vomited once, no sliming issues and I can eat anything if I chew it well and take small bites! I love my band! Dork, a blue icee! I love icee's! I stopped at the 7-11 yesterday to get a splenda slurpee, but they were out! We've had 13 days straight of 90 degree or greater weather! I know for a PHX girl like you, that's nothing, but it's hot for us Denver Babies! Sunshine, how are you feeling? I'm sorry if I was hard on you! It's not my place to admonish anyone. I just was worried about you doing too much too soon. Besides, how often do we have a legitimate excuse for taking care of ourselves!? BRB - I'm going to weigh now! Hugs to all my Banditos! All of the newbies! :thumbup: AND all of the more seasoned Losers! Love ya, dee~

It took me a lot of years to figure out that I never knew how to do the " 5 pounds to play with " thing. I can do that now. I live in Southern California and love going to Disneyland ! All sorts of very not weight loss friendly foods - but there are healthier choices that can be made - and not just salads. There are really good soups in some locations, I am a fan of their corn chowder (vegetarian) and one of the Mexican places makes a yummy grilled half chicken plate that I share with my adult daughter ! I pick my treats and plan on having what I really want, whether it is ice cream or something else..... and if I gain a pound or so... then I know how to take it off over the next week. I weigh myself every morning... so that I can figure out what the heck I did or did not do in the couple days earlier to deserve weight gain, or loss. For me, I don't use much salt. And a meal out .... even a nice salad; can put pounds on me. Took me a long time to figure that out. A diet frozen dinner with less than 300 calories will do it too. Those are full of sodium and it does it every time. I cook with a lot of fresh home grown herbs - getting ready to plant my spring garden - will do lots of lettuces and baby carrots, radishes and beans and peas.... later in the spring will plant cucumbers and tons of heirloom tomatoes for the hot hot summer. Find the things that make you happy, that make your body strong and healthy and take good care of yourself !

Kids are teens and I was vegan then vegetarian then flexible, I think they welcomed the break lol, we should meet up !!! (For some reason I can't tag anyone )

I'm vegetarian, so it's the veggie proteins - yesterday it was a quorn pattie with some cheese on top. I chewed it to a pulp but still threw up. Cheese is ok, but eggs or veggie protein is hard.

Hi, I'm preop. One surgeon I saw insisted that I follow a high protein, low carb, low fat diet after the op. Nothing "squishy", which wouldn't fill me up (low fat yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, protein drinks), no beans (the staple of a veg diet). These foods are one of the main ways for a veg (not vegan) to get protein! It doesn't seem that an Atkins-like diet is realistic for a veg. I do eat a little fish but don't want to eat it three times a day. What do you think? Didn't a nutritionist work with you to find the best diet for you, not mandate a particular eating plan? I think the surgeon is completely unrealistic.

If vegetarians cut out refined sugar, white flour, and breaded/fried things...it's a lot harder to overeat. I'm not 100% vegetarian, but I eat meat maybe twice a week. I've found that eliminating those three things from my diet...refined sugar, white flour, and fried stuff.....makes controlling my calories a LOT easier. But oh yeah....you can be a very chunky vegetarian if you have an unquenchable love for fresh bread, desserts, unlimited nuts and dried fruit....easy ways to make calories skyrocket and your weight can easily get out of control. That said...fiber is your friend and vegetarians eat more fiber, generally. Fiber slows the natural sugar down and increases the good gut bug diversity.

How about we all share a recipe or so with eachother? Lol even ones with meat because even though I'm a vegetarian my kids are not. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Yas!!! More vegetarian friendly recipes. Love it! Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

I was a vegetarian for 12 years before I gave it up, and then life and the vicious cycle of weight gain and weight loss began for me. You can 100 percent get your protein without meat substitutes (which tend to be full of carbs btw). Beans with rice is a great way to get protein. Nuts and seeds, whole grains like oatmeal, couscous, quinoa, cheese, yogurt, and protein powders made out of peas. Ripple is a pea milk that is pretty good and has 8g of protein, it is very comparable to regular milk. I believe Ripple has other products too like protein powders and coffee mixes. If 8th continent still exists, that was the best milk substitute, I had a vegan bodybuilder friend who drank it like it was going out of style, lol. Don't forget about tofu, tempeh, edamame, and lentils (Not my fav). Chickpeas (hummus), peanut butter, There are other vegetarian and vegan protein powder options as well. I would suggest getting a good vegetarian cookbook, look for one that focuses on protein sources.

Hey Sister Green! I love GREEN!!! What time is your fill and what day next week? Mine is on Tuesday! We can support one another after our first fills! I am finally feeling like I could eat the house! A horse and a small cow! Sorry! I remember once at work, a Father came in to visit his child and I said, "you're here just in time, I just finished eating your baby!" His face was so expressive! I imagine he sees this SMO nurse standing there admiting that she just ate his child! I realized what I said and then retracted, "no no no! I mean feeding your baby!" -- "come here! look she has all her arms and legs!" Oh my goodness! All my co-workers burst into laughter -- it wasn't funny! the Dad would tease me about it later! Another time, during my vegetarian phase -- I had 3 premies, get this - their last names were "Baby Girl Pinto, Baby Girl Bean and Baby Boy Brito" My assignment that night was a Pinto Bean Burrito! YUM! We also had a Baby Boy Riblet, BUT I had to refuse that assignment -- I was a vegetarian afterall! Okay, enough sick jokes! or worse yet, enough real life sick stories from the NICU! Love you all, dee~ I am HUNGRY AND PMS'g!!! Where did I put that Horse?

Hi all, Newbie here. I am considering the Lap Band and I'm also a vegetarian. SO my protien sources will have to be different etc. I'm also concerned about not being able to eat the veggies due to Fiber, etc. What CAN'T you eat now that you could before? ALso, I think it would be great to give pre and post op food recommendations for vegetarians listed so we can shop and have the liquid and the mushie foods ready.

Hi Kelly girl! I eat eggs and dairy, but I get the organic and free range kind. There are really good "meaty" recipes from Robin Robertson. I think she puts out THE BEST cookbooks out there. Her recipes really helped us transition from heavy meat eaters to vegetarians. http://www.robinrobertson.com/ It's also important that your eating a balanced diet. Vegetarians have to be more careful that we are getting everything we need. Too often people just stop eating meat, then get cravings or not feel well because they are not eating a balanced diet and getting all the nutrients they need. In order to be a successful vegetarian, you must know how to feed your body correctly. Great info on how to be a vegetarian you can find here: http://www.goveg.com If you need resove, just go to http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming.asp or http://www.animalactivist.com/vegetarian.asp and look at all the videos and read the articles. Good luck, Eileen

What kind of brain-dead idiot are you? Michael Jackson was a vegetarian. Your post is an insult to those who love him and miss him. Shame!! TPG

As a vegetarian, South Beach is the best plan I ever tried. It is a modestly low carb plan that you can follow as a vegetarian. I still use some of the principles in the way I eat. No way of doing Atkins or Paleo as a veg. I did read about one guy that was a palio veg, but I think he did eat eggs. Spartan! One of my main sources of protein is wheat! I make seitan steaks and BBQ them in yummy sauces or make big roasts to slice for sandwitches or rollups, and the protein is almost as high as meat. I do not have any problems with eating wheat gluten that I can tell.

I will keep calling. That is how I got my orientation Just seems like it is hit or miss who you get. Last time I called during the lunch hour and they scheduled me right away. I liked Liz I thought she was cool. We had some smokers in the room and she was pretty tough on them but I thought it was totally appropriate. I liked her. I really liked Dr. Fisher. I hope to get him too and I think things will go smoother once I get my first appointments. I wish you the best of luck and that is a totally doable goal for March. I am looking about the same timeline I hope. So how much have you lost now? Seems like this 1200 calorie thing goes pretty quick from what they said. I had Robin for the nutritionist. She had to rush through her stuff to get us out on time. So did they mention a nutrition class to you guys? Nothing with us. Maybe that is the final pre opt class they were talking about?? It is suppose to be five hours. WE did'nt get to stay after since another class was coming in right after us. I did stay and ask Robin a few questions about vegetarian Protein but we had to talk on the way out the door. I agree it is worth it. I am gonna stay the course. I will give it a couple of days than call again for an appointment. I think once I have an appointment than maybe I can start to call and try to trade it in for something closer. I didn't get to sit upfront and I didn't get time to talk to them. Just to crazy of a day. I think that might have helped. I really like Dr. Fisher you are lucky to have him and let me know if you make it without a case manager;-) Maybe I will get that lucky. Dr. F did seem a bit negetive on the lap band.............so I hope he lets me go that route. They had me debating if it was the best option all the way home. But I am pretty firm that is what I want!! Thanks for the update helps to know the process.

I’m totally a lazy cook with brief moments of inspiration but not much since early last year. My favorites are : 1. Morningstar farms meatless products for my “vegetarian” BF (really he’s just a pizzatarian😂). 2. Kirkwood (red bag) chicken fillets found in Aldi. I can eat just these with a salad but *feel* like I cooked.

But You are a good little Vegetarian Wolf, lentil soup is also nice, better for you than evil Cheeseburgers could be. You can look at the world with clear clean eyes, not with Burger Belch! With a good veggie meal you don't miss meat at all, challenged my friend one day, proved to me you DON T need meat in a meal. It was good, it was filling, and, although I hated to admit it, I liked it very much.