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As a vegetarian, I eat a high amount of carbs and am losing weight. It's not the carbs that made me fat, but the fact that I ate enough to feed a football team. I was on Atkins for 2 years once and developed diverticulitis from it. I also could not sustain that way of eating and as soon as I ate carbs, I never saw weight pour back on so fast. WOW. In all my dieting years, I never had such a rebound and then some than I did from that diet. But there again, I didn't lose weight because I ate too much on that too. :nervous

No, I haven't added anything since then. It's not just the exercise that keeps my weight stable, it's my lifestyle. I do run anywhere up to 10km a day, but I am also a vegetarian, I eat whole, organic foods as often as I can, and I don't drink or smoke. I think it's the whole package that has allowed me to maintain this weight with very little effort for so long.

<br /><br /><br /> Weighnomore, Im kind of in the same boat...plateau for the last 4 weeks, I do eat 60-70 gms of protein and about 40-80 gms of carbs (I am a vegetarian, and most Proteins have some carbs). I am going to try and eat 1000 cals for a few days and see if that shakes things up... good luck with your efforts, stalls SUCK!

When I ate vegetarian first and then vegan for a whole while reading labels was some kind of a special hobby as well.

Hi Megan, and congrats on making the decision to change your life for the better with this wonderful surgery. As for the vegetarian diet, I have a dear friend who is vegan, and she suggested using tempeh, and seitan for Protein instead of meat. I never did get around to trying any of the recipes, but I posted a thread on here that I can forward to you with a lot of different recipes that you'll be able to use once you get to the mushy and soft solid diet. If you have head hunger issues, I highly suggest that you seek out a therapist or counselor that is experienced in food addictions, and diet management. None of the surgeries will cure your head hunger completely. Will the sleeve help control your actual hunger? Yes, but if you just want to eat to eat then you will not be as successful as you could be. The sleeve does indeed help with portion control because if you overeat, you will regret it. You will feel discomfort, sometimes pain, and vomiting can occur if you constantly overdue it. I am very rarely hungry. With that said, I have to actually have a reminder on my IPhone go off so I can remember to eat. I ate about 3/4 of a beef eggroll with soy sauce around 3pm this afternoon, here it is 7:45pm, and I have zero appetite. But, I know that I need to eat something for dinner. Food is simply fuel for my body now. I was a volume eater, and could eat A LOT. Now, I simply eat because I have to, and not because I'm bored, or stressed. No one can answer the question " can I stick with this?" for you, that has to be your decision. The sleeve is nothing more than a tool to help you succeed. You have to be willing to sacrifice a little in the beginning, and know that the weight will come off if you're willing to follow your surgeon's post op diet, and overhaul your entire relationship with food. For me, I truly do not feel like I'm on a diet constantly. I eat less than my 11 yr old son (who is lean, petite, and muscular), but the best part of it is that I am satisfied with very little portions now. I eat anything and everything that I choose. I wish you the very best in your journey, and you'll be a success. You just have to put your "best foot forward", and get mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared for this life-changing event.

I am finding myself getting closer to becoming a vegetarian. I rarely eat meat at this point. All of this is post banding. Before being banded I was a total carnivore but my meat of choice was red meat which I can no longer do. I never ever thought I would ever be writing this post. I never could eat fish and have not been a huge fan of pork or chicken. Chicken at this point is too mediocre for me. Often it is too dry and I have horror stories about being stuck. Even at this time I have no Fluid in my band because of a revision but meat just doesn't do it for me anymore. Is anyone else in the same boat? I do think that I get enough Protein but do admit it is more of a challenge because it tends to get a bit boring. Anyone else? I'd love to hear more.

Actually, what's meant by proteins once you are on solid foods is SOLID proteins. For instance, Greek yogurt is a good snack between meals; however, during mealtime you should focus on solid proteins as those will keep you fuller longer (per my nutritionist). Some people think having a protein drink can replace having a meal. I know some people feel "tight" in the a.m. and prefer this as their morning "meal". I think if that works for them, it's great. You wouldn't want to do that for every meal thought. To really stay fuller longer, eggs, cheese, etc will keep you fuller and satiated longer. Since you mention being vegetarian (mostly), have you tried quinoa? It is packed with nutrients and protein. I have a recipe that my family loves made with vegetable broth, black beans, cilantro, etc. Just another thought....

I don't know if this will make you feel better or worse but I am not a vegetarian and got in well over 100% of my recommended protein starting from day 2 after surgery . . . and still had major hair loss. I don't think protein intake has jack to do with hair loss and my surgeon agrees -- says if there were a way to avoid hair loss by eating right, then no one would lose hair. He believes its basic shock from the surgery and there really is no way to prevent it. Google "telogen effluvium weight loss surgery" and you'll see what he's talking about. With respect to protein and vegetarianism, even though I am not a vegetarian, I have no doubt I could get my protein in from vegetarian sources if I needed to. Dairy, beans, pulses, tofu, etc. are all regular parts of my diet and help with my protein intake a lot. And of course protein shakes! You'll do just fine as long as you are committed to eating protein-rich foods first and drinking shakes if needed to supplement. Good luck!

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/01/best-vegetarian-bean-chile-recipe.html Best Vegetarian Chili.

I'm not a vegetarian but I do have some meatless ideas for you. I enjoy a lot of yogurt and cottage cheese. I find Oikos Triple Zero gives you the best high protein/high fiber/low sugar option. My favorite way to prepare cottage cheese is with toasted walnuts and a drizzle of honey. For meals I have a fiesta black bean quinoa salad that my husband and I just love. (I'll post a link for the recipe) I also like to make wraps with hummus and black beans, spinach leaves and red pepper slices. Egg salad would also be a good idea especially if you are still early in pureed/soft stages. So would lentil soup. https://www.crunchycreamysweet.com/roasted-sweet-potato-black-bean-quinoa-salad-recipe/ https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/lemony-lentil-soup/

Have stopped eating meat...any one else a vegetarian out there? How do I keep low carb/ high protein? I am still eating dairy and eggs! Advice?

What makes a good burger in my opinion is all the good toppings. Without the lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese, sauces, and bun; all you have left is just boring and quite frankly DISGUSTING meat. Post surgery, that's all I really have room for in a hamburger, and I just hate them now. in fact, I am now 90% vegetarian. Anyone else have a former favorite food they now find gross?

I haven't been sleeved yet, but I used to be a vegan and plan on returning to it. For the first couple of months or first year i will probably be peco vegetarian. Vegetarian and vegan products have really bombarded the market. Vega has some great 20 gram protein shakes. There's a vegan protein weight loss shake pgx satisfast with 20 grams. Garden of life has a whopping 28 grams. If whey is your thing body fortress has 30 grams for one scoop/ 60 for 2. All low carb/ low sugar. Hope this helps. Sent from my SM-G530P using BariatricPal mobile app

90% vegetarian? yes I felt like a scmuck on the vegetarian part, I should go all the way- but I still like chicken. I just can't justify buying hamburgers when most of it gets thrown away, at least the animal should die making me happy

If interested, please search for and join "WLS Vegetarians" on FB!

Manatee, I'll have to read your site when I get home can't do it here at work (work has it blocked) but it sounds VERY interesting. DH & I have friends who were business owners, alcoholics & out of shape (suppose that would be a given with the alcohol). They both went through AA & saved their marriage. Couple of years later she found out she had breast cancer & so decided to change her way of living to save her life by becoming at first a vegetarian & then later a vegan. She lost 20 pounds & now plays soccer 4x a week +, sometimes several times a day. She's in great shape. For years her husband, tho, didn't go along with her eating program. I started to wonder if their differences in lifestyles was going to cause problems. Slowly he came around, started to adapt a vegetarian way of eating & is now much thinner & playing soccer too. The kicker is through all of this they are still together & by all appearances, happy SO why is this relevant to my question? IMO we, as individuals in a marriage, still need to make decisions for ourselves for our own growth no matter that we are married. Sometimes our decisions have a negative effect on our marriages. Our friends priority was their relationship. They tell us that if they hadn't gone through AA they wouldn't be together. But they were able to stay together even tho they were on their own paths of growth.

First, my apologies to everyone in being late in my reply I was so busy at work. Thanks everyone for your supporting talk you know it made me cry, I felt that I am not alone in this matter. Also you made me realize that the fix is within me myself. I live in the Kingdom of Jordan it’s in the Middle East. Here we have excellent medical doctors and nutritionists too, the last 2 years I was seeing a dietician she is the best one here in our country even she is an active member in The American Dietetic Association, she tried all her best with me I was following a great life style of eating but my only problem was the chocolates, she tried to help me in all manners, at the end she said you can see a psychiatrist, but I was too afraid to go and see one, in our country we still are not used to those visits (although I have a Bachelor degree in Psychology) but this didn’t help me since I never worked in my field. Now we are fasting (Lent fasting) for Easter only Vegetarian food is allowed till April 3rd, I started since Feb 15 so I haven’t had the chocolates since Feb 15th. But I had other very few sweets which are not like chocolates and lower in calories. I don’t even binge for chocolates!! Imagine this usually every year when I fast I don’t have any problem with chocolates if I don’t eat them, I even bought dark chocolate no sugar, but I don’t like eating it so much. I am thinking to change again my eating habits; I know that breakfast is the most important meal for us, if we have good breakfast meal and early dinner fruits in the middle maybe this will help not to binge or seek chocolates. Sometimes I leave work hungry while I am on my way to home I stop and buy chocolates, my dietician told me to be careful of this too and I should take some small meal to office instead of going home hungry and end up buying lots of chocolates to eat at night. Also sleeping early, I have this problem I don’t sleep early. I noticed when I decide to sleep earlier I don’t eat. Your messages made me realize that the solution is within me, I have to pull myself together again and do the healthy life I was taught. I know it’s not easy for me to get back on the track again but I will try my best starting tomorrow (coz today I already messed up at work by eating what is called Manakeesh (Yummy) it’s a pastry with olive oil and thyme above cooked in oven and also I had bag of chips ) You are all angels here really you touched me a lot and I am glad to have buddies here to support each other, I thank you again and I will surely be posting my progress in this. ps. Imagine that I am a good advicer to others in healthy food and nutritions but not to myslef :thumbup:

I'm vegetarian but I hear people say a small Wendy's chili or a small order of beans from Taco Bell....

Pre-op I was always regular. I would go at least 2 - 3 times a day. The first month post-op they weren't as "robust" as they were pre-op but Once I went on day 5 I had 1 BM a day. Once I transitioned to soft foods, I was going ~ 2 times a day. A year out I'm back to normal. I am a vegetarian and eat as clean as possible. The lack of processed foods means it take my body less time to break down food, so depending on what I eat I go 1 -3 every day.

Denise, you're not grossing me out! I've been contemplating going vegetarian for a while now and it's mainly for health reasons and the fact that I am sick to death of meat. Renewed, you are doing so well with this! I'm happy for you! If you keep this up, you will be at goal before you know it! I have to say, I love my new eating plan. The only bad thing about it is that I don't say full very long. But I am eating 5-6 times a day, so it's good for my head issues. It feels like I get to eat more. The best part is...I get to eat the type foods that I love. Ya'll keep up the good work!

It might be helpful to remember what a true keto diet is vs. what diet culture makes it out to be. A TRUE keto diet simply means eating few enough carbohydrates that your body enters ketosis where it is no longer using glucose as its primary fuel source. It is NOT inherently a high fat, meat only diet. That is what diet culture has turned it into. There are lots of vegetarians who follow a healthy, whole foods based ketogenic diet. Additionally, the amount of carbs that allow ketosis will vary WIDELY from person to person so unless you are testing regularly, you won't really even know if you are truly in ketosis or not. Now, that being said, most surgeons will say that WLS patients eat a keto diet simply because your primary focus will be protein and your intake will be so low that by virtue of the volume and type of foods you'll be eating you'll be in ketosis. Immediately post-op, you won't be able to eat enough beans (or anything else for that matter) to get in your full protein requirement, let alone extra grains & veggies on top. That is not, however, a requirement (generally speaking) nor is it permanent. Over time, as you're able to eat more food and a wider variety, you'll very likely see your carbohydrate intake increase. I would say, it may be helpful to revisit the conversation with the surgeon and/or dietitian to ensure they understand your needs as a vegetarian and that they are able to support you and tailor the post-op diet to your needs. If they can't or won't then it may be helpful to consult with another surgeon. Ultimately, being HEALTHY post-op is the primary concern and that requires eating a metric crap ton of protein. Can you do that as a vegetarian? Absolutely! But it will require extra support and possibly some creativity and flexibility on your part. Best of luck to you!

Thank you for this!! I am not vegetarian but am trying to slowly get there. However the nutritionist who works with my surgeon is totally against so I'm basically left with just the internet as a resource...which is probably better anyways. resources like this are great to see!! HW 285.8 SW 272.8 CW 252 GW 140 Sleeved 11/23

I do not do the non fat, sugar free stuff and never did. I eat vegetarian and vegan meals. I’m also a year out from being sleeved. I’ll tell you in the beginning it is imperative that you do focus on getting protein in though. I did it with plant protein powder. I did suck it up and just used some premier protein (cause insurance paid for it) for a little while. When I started soft foods, I had eggs, cheese, and mashed black beans. There are some threads in the vegan/vegetarian forums that can be helpful for ya, as we’ve all shared what we’ve done, had, eating, etc.

Hi, Indians are majority Hindus by religion. Strict followers are vegetarians, and beef would be definite no no.

Reading all of these posts, I may have to give it a try. I am very leery about eating plant based meats for some reason. Is it more protein than regular meat? Why do you eat it? Are you vegan, vegetarian, etc.?