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Interesting take on the whole carb thing, and I think it makes a good deal of sense. I grew up a strict ovo-lacto vegetarian. Everybody I knew was either LOV, or strict vegan (religious thing). Everything I've ever known about eating a healthy diet was centered around low-fat, high-carb, high-Fiber food combinations to create whole Proteins (Beans and rice; :tongue_smilie:legumes such as lentils, and grains like barley and buckwheat, and on and on). The emphasis on healthy living was so strong that I actually remember attending church services where the sermon was about the evils of eating meat, consuming alcohol, and any source of caffeine, and what it would do to you. So far, I can't seem to kick the carb habit, or at least the automatic mental process of pairing foods to create balanced meals that are, of course, high-carb. It seriously sucks being diabetic with that kind of background, let me say! My reaction to eating something high in carbs is more like serious annoyance, and, "Crap, all that health stuff I got hammered into my head, and I had to go and get diabetes and now I have to try to convince myself that the nutritionist isn't full of crap on the whole 'eating meat' thing." I guess some kinds of indoctrination go deeper than others, because I'm still not totally convinced after all this time that vegetarianism (if one includes sufficient sources of protein) is at all a bad idea. There're always dairy products and eggs, after all...or at least I'd like to try to maintain that pleasant fantasy for a couple more weeks, anyhow! :001_tongue::laugh0::001_smile:

Really? That's awful My nut just told me that it might be harder to get protein in (but I'm going to read up on that proteinaholic book to see what's really the deal) and that I should be fine doing a vegetarian diet. She does advise me to keep eggs and cheese in...cause I won't do cow's milk/dairy.

Not really beefy. Although I use it to make gravy sometimes, just with boiling water and some herbs, the family refer to it as "vegetarian gravy".

Well Rick made it home, we got aome more work done in the laundry/pantry/garage....it is able to be walked through, and that in itself is an improvement! Got my ribs cooked, brisket is cooking away. Got the back porch cleaned.....then Kinsey come over and we dyed 18 eggs, and had a blast!! We made special designs, and just had fun! She helped me make a macaroni salad, and make some wild rice to fix in mushrooms for her Mommy and Auntie ( DD's are vegetarians). Then we spent the afternoon taking turns hiding and hunting eggs in the yard! We forwent any "organized" Easter Egg hunts! We went last year, and in her age group they just had eggs dumped on the ground, and thousands of kids, and parents were horrid. So we just did not even mention them. She giggled and hid them as hard as she could for Papa, then did the hot....warm....cold thing to help him find them. She had fun. Tomorrow they will have an egg hunt at church, and people will be nice about it! Rick and I are going to dinner as soon as he finishes putting a fuel filter on Gary's bike. Our work list seems to have no end this weekend!!! Then just between paragraphs now....my phone rings, it is my DIL, asking what she should bring tomorrow, and what time......WTH? We figured they would go to her families, and ignore us the way things are. But he is going to try to pull the old "pretend it never happen" routine. Gary is here now so we will wait to discuss how to handle it when we are alone. Y'all are part of my 'alone' LOL.....you know what I mean!! Well I am off to get dressed to go, and maybe make a cheesecake. Lots to do still......and now ponder the son and DIL thing......

I also wanna be a vegetarian or vegan lol

What is Wrong with the Sandwiches You Used to Eat? A typical workday might have started off with a trip through the drive-through for a breakfast burrito or sandwich, or a bagel and cream cheese sandwich at work. Lunch could have been a brown bag peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a trip to a nearby restaurant for a sandwich, burrito, or burger. Where might these options leave you? Sausage, egg, and cheese croissant or biscuit from a drive-through (600 calories with 42 grams of fat) Bagel with cream cheese (500 calories with 70 grams of carbohydrates) Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (600 calories and 40 grams of sugar) Club sandwich (1,000 calories and 2,500 milligrams of sodium) Chicken patty sandwich (60 grams of carbohydrates and 1,100 milligrams of sodium) Beef, bean, and cheese burrito (900 calories and 40 grams of fat) Your breakfast and lunch sandwiches could have added up to over 1,500 calories. Add in beverages, sides (hash browns, fries or chips, anyone?), and snacks, and you could have been at 3,000 calories by lunchtime! These Choices Don’t Work After Weight Loss Surgery! Needless to say, these options do not fit into your weight loss surgery diet. First, some of those sandwiches have more calories than you are supposed to be eating in a day, not to mention that some also contain more saturated fat, sodium, and sugar than you should have in a day. Second, those sandwiches emphasize starchy breads and fatty condiments, not the lean proteins and nutritious vegetables you need to stay full and nourished after weight loss surgery. Third, they can cause complications. Doughy bagels and fried chicken, for example, can cause obstructions in lap-band patients; fatty sausage and sugary jelly can cause dumping syndrome in gastric bypass patients; and these low-nutrient foods can fill you up and cause malnutrition. Luckily, this does not mean that you need to give up the convenience of sandwiches and the pleasure you get from biting into one. There are plenty of ways to make sandwiches that are weight loss surgery-friendly: low-calorie, high-protein, convenient, and delicious! Protein Fillings for WLS Sandwiches Start by choosing a lean source of protein, just like you do when you plan all of your meals. These are some healthier options compared to what you might have chosen before weight loss surgery. Don’t forget to measure your portions if you are making your own sandwich, or eyeball your portions if you are ordering in a restaurant. 2 scrambled egg whites (30 calories) 2 ounces of canned light tuna (60 calories) 2 ounces of chicken breast, lean ham, turkey breast (80 calories) 2 ounces of fat-free cheese (90 calories) ½ cup cooked beans or 1 vegetarian burger (120 calories) 2 ounces of turkey or vegetarian bacon or breakfast sausage (130 calories) Load up on Vegetables and Fruit Vegetables and fruit are the next food groups to add to your meals. Vegetables especially are low-calorie, so add more if you want a bigger sandwich. Try classic combinations, or get creative. You can also experiment with herbs such as fresh cilantro, basil, and dill. These are some ideas. Lettuce and tomatoes with meat and cheese Grilled eggplant, zucchini, and/or bell peppers with beans Cucumbers and sprouts with fat-free feta cheese Diced celery, carrots, onions, and water chestnuts with tuna Spinach and mushrooms with egg whites Pear or apple with fat-free cheddar cheese Cantaloupe with ham and/or fat-free cheese Blueberries with egg whites Breads and Alternatives Most bread is high in carbohydrates and low in protein – clearly not what you need for your nutritious weight loss surgery diet. Besides adding calories and carbs, bread can cause obstructions in lap-band patients and make gastric bypass patients sick or overly full. When possible, skip the regular bread. Bagels Tortillas Subs Croissants Biscuits Regular sliced bread Instead, choose whole-grain, high-fiber, low-calorie breads, and consider open-faced sandwiches, with the filling on 1 slice of bread, instead of regular 2-slice sandwiches. These are some good options. Reduced-calorie bread (45 or fewer calories per slice) Light English muffin (50 calories per half) Mini whole grain bagel (60 calories per half) Low-carb tortilla (50 calories per small tortilla) High-fiber, light wrap (90 calories per wrap) Also, look for creative, non-bread alternatives. Lettuce leaves to make lettuce wraps or cups Egg roll or wonton wrappers Sheets of dried seaweed Grilled eggplant Your fork (skip the bread and just eat the filling) Keeping Condiments Under Control The condiments that you add can make or break your sandwich, both in terms of nutrition and taste. Skip the full-fat mayonnaise, dressings, dips, sour cream, and butter, and be wary of high-sugar jam, barbecue sauce, and honey mustard. Instead, consider the following condiments. Salsa Fat-free mayo, dressing, dip, or sour cream Regular mustard Plain, non-fat Greek yogurt Hot sauce Shredded fat-free parmesan cheese Reduced-calorie, trans fat-free margarine Some Breakfast Sandwich Ideas to Start Your Day Off Right Egg whites scrambled with spinach, mushrooms, and fat-free feta cheese on ½ English muffin Cottage cheese and strawberries wrapped in lettuce leaves Shredded fat-free cheese and lean ham toasted on a slice of reduced-calorie, whole-wheat bread and topped with salsa and tomatoes Egg whites cooked with turkey bacon and broccoli in a small, high-fiber wrap ½ whole-grain mini bagel spread with fat-free cream cheese and topped with canned salmon with diced celery and water chestnuts Lunch Sandwiches Lettuce wrap filled with diced chicken breast, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and bell peppers, and soy sauce or light Asian dressing Dried seaweed sheet rolled around tuna salad made with fat-free mayo, chives, and celery Pinwheels made by layering slices of turkey breast, lean ham, and fat-free cheese slices, spreading them with mustard, and rolling them Bean burrito with black beans, fat-free cheddar cheese, salsa, and fat-free sour cream on a small, high-fiber tortilla Chicken breast with sliced apple and light vinaigrette between slices of grilled eggplant Tomato sauce, fat-free mozzarella cheese, and mushrooms on a light English muffin Toasted Rueben sandwich with low-fat Swiss cheese, shredded cabbage or sauerkraut, lean corned beef, and fat-free Thousand Island dressing on a light English muffin Are You Ready for Some Sandwiches? You can eat these sandwiches at home, or make them ahead of time and carry them with you in a reusable container. As a weight loss surgery patient, you should own plenty of reusable containers with tight-fitting lids. If you do not already have some, they are worth the investment so that you can carry healthy foods with you wherever you go. We hope that you enjoy these sandwich ideas and that you are inspired to make some of your own healthy, high-protein sandwiches!

I mostly eat that way. The problem after surgery is so little food. It makes it hard to get the protein grams in a few tablespoons of food. I’ve always preferred to eat at least vegetarian. I’m not sure how to handle this. I’ve bought plant protein non flavored powder supplement, hoping this will work. I think vegetarian would be easy with eggs and dairy to increase protein. I don’t do well with dairy... but there are so many dairy alternatives now. What I’ve found is they have higher carbs/sugar or fat to “fix” the flavor. Bottom line, I totally support any healthy eating that works for you. Let us know how to support you! You got this!!

Hi Everyone! I am scheduled November 12th for gastric sleeve surgery. I am on mostly liquids and low carb foods if I choose. Does anyone else follow a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle? The doctors and dietitians keep having me think that it's going to be nearly impossible to do. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

I have dieted my whole life, I lost 17 pounds when I was 10 years old! I was under 175 for years, I am 5'9". Around 20 years ago I suddenly gained 50 pounds, then slowly 30 more. I managed to stay under 257 (set point?) for years. Then I started to creep up, and nothing I did seemed to get the weight off. When I started to have other problems, blood pressure, and cholesterol... I knew I had to take things to the next level. WLS. My Bariatric Doc recommended the sleeve, and it looked SOOOO much better to me than RNY, I jumped on it. I was one of his first patients. I have been very happy with the sleeve, but never got to my modest goal (my doc never set a goal). I was about 5 pounds away from goal, when I hit a serious stall... then I gave up some accountability, and gained 22 pounds over around 4-5 months. I had long term company, a vacation to New Orleans, bone spurs that kept me from the gym and walking until I got through the whole sports medicine system... and a few other things that made it very challenging to stay on track, and in a blink... 22 pounds up. At the first of this year I got back on track, logging everything, getting a fitbit to keep track of exercise, and try a couple of eating plans to try to kick start the weight loss. I tried "eat more- lose weight" I started to gain (around 4-5 pounds) which is normal on that plan, but I chickened out because... well it was gaining weight! I then tried the Southbeach phase one... which is good, lost a couple of pounds, but lets face it, its a diet. I am a vegetarian, and that adds some extra carbs. I was still coming to VST, getting support from my buds here, but stepped that up. Some of us grouped together who had gotten to goal and gained, or others that had never made goal, and that conversation started here. Georgia introduced the 5:2 fast diet into the conversation, and some of us jumped on it around 6 weeks ago. We have had varying degrees of success, but it has had positive results besides weight loss for all of us. As of this writing, I am down 7 pounds at 5 1/2 weeks, (was at 8.8 pounds a couple of days ago) after some very slow loss (around 1-2 pounds a month). I am getting close to my lowest weight after surgery, and to goal. I had my surgery January 19, 2011, and am over 2 1/2 years out as of this post.

Lacto/ovo vegetarian. Still love my greek yogurt and a good soft boiled omega 3 egg now and then.

Even if you are vegetarian your body still needs protein.

Wow, this is a great idea!!! I was so hard on myself when I wasn't losing weight. Looking at the posts here, I wasn't really as bad as I thought. My food was healthier probably even, but, my portions were probably too large. I admit, now that I am doing Nutrisystem with the band, I don't have to count calories as much (they do it for me) Do most of you have to eat at the same time? I do, or I get off track. I wake up around 8:30am I have to take thyroid medicine, so, I can't eat for 2 hours. I have my Calcium bar (90 calories) around 10:30am 11:30 today, I had my Cranberry granola bar-120 calories 2:30p I had lunch chicken salad and melba toast-approx 170 calories 4:30p Lite yogurt-110 calories-no fat 6:30p I have a salad with just lettuce and parmesan cheese and low fat dressing-approx 170 calories? I don't know the calorie content of lettuce. It was a small tupperware type bowl. 8:30p I had vegetarian lasagne (210 calories) 10:30p I have soy sour cream and onion chips (110 calories) If I counted right, 980 calories. I eat basically every two hours. I feel like I am constantly eating, but, since I started this, it jumpstarted my weightloss again. I have lost 15 pounds in less than a month. Before this, I had plateaued for about 8 months. I haven't even started back excercising yet. I had been really lazy in that dept. I know with the lapband, you are suppose to only have 3 meals, but, I found I was hungrier and would eat more when I did eat.

B - boiled egg L - Lean Cuisine Steak Tips Portabello S - Coldstone cake batter ice cream with brownie mix-in D - vegetarian chili with three cheese crumbles and sour cream

my banana flavored protein drink, protein pudding like 3 spoonfuls. church when I came home it was vegetarian soup. I had been so busy the day before that I went down for a nap, 4 hours later.................... hubby had make chicken stir fried veggies/pastas. My throat was still hurting from the night before (I think the smoke from casino didn't help) so I pretty much just chewed the flavor out the food and then spit it out. evening dessert is applesauce.

let me preface this with - I work nights so my breakfast is usually between 4:00 - 7:00 pm which explains the odd choices for breakfast. b: starkist light tuna lunch pack - love this! s: tsp peanut butter and a peach l: 1 c. vegetarian chili made with beans, corn and ground boca burger with shredded cheese on top (yum!) d: slimfast ultra protein vanilla shake with frozen blueberries and nonfat plain greek yogurt blended in s: 1/2 apple and 2 oz cheese

i have found myself eating more vegetarian meats like the sausage patties and chicken nuggets because i heard they are easier going down. does anyone use these products and do you find them easy to go down or do you have a problem with them. thanks for the feedback.

there are many vegan Protein shakes that use wither hemp protein or ben protein etc. these are lactose free and a godsend to people who have lactose issues. You can find many of them online or your local Vitamin shoope or Vitamin Shoppe online. Good luck! Try Sprouts. They carry many vegan and vegetarian Protein Shakes.

Greek yogurt pureed with sugar free jam or sugar free vanilla ice cream pureed with your favorite flavored Protein Powder, then I refreeze it for an hour. I use Matrix PB - tastes like yummy Peanut Butter ice cream. Refried Beans with grated cheese (melted). I have had Rosa's (if you have one near you, but don't know if they are vegetarian, I've read Taco's Bell's is.) I also have a recipe for refried beans I am going to try. I also have hummus on my list with unflavored protein powder. Haven't tried that yet.

My doctor’s office said white flaky fish (no salmon, no shrimp), low-fat or fat free cheeses (cottage cheese, Laughing Cow, Babybell, etc.), eggs and tofu (Morning Star, etc). They said to wait three weeks before having salmon, shrimp, ground chicken, chicken salad, etc., and three weeks after that before red meats (including ground beef). I don’t think I’ll wait as long as I’m supposed to, but if you’re concerned, perhaps start out with tuna fish, tilapia, cod, ricotta bake, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, and vegetarian burger or sausage, since it may be easier on your stomach. Good luck!

Morning ladies, Ah the parents! I still have them both, and for that I am thankful, but I do see the little and not so little signs of "the end". I (and they) take it one day at a time. Sarah, dont feel guilty, you are doing a lot, and this will give you strength to do more once your surgery is behind you. Keeping moral up is important! And yes, get those skinny pants! Honestly, I don't care that much if I look like "mutton dressed as lamb" as my hubby calls it... but so far no one has called me that... and I dress pretty "young" if I like the style. Wanda, I take a Mega Strength Beta Sitosterol by Source Natural before any meal (when I remember!) that has higher cholesterol in it...I dont eat meat, but dairy is usually the culprit... I don't eat many eggs now. I used to take fish oil caps daily, but being a vegetarian, never wanted to do it really... that did bring my numbers down a little, but the months before this last test I stopped the fish oil, started adding some chia seeds , walnuts and flax and oatmeal now and again, and taking the plant sterols every couple of days before the cholesterol rich meals, and my lab numbers went down even more. http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/low-cholesterol-diet-plant-sterols-stanols these are the ones I use and not too expensive: http://www.puritan.com/source-naturals-brand-0111/beta-sitosterol-mega-strength-024059?scid=3763&cmp=gpl-_-024059&CAWELAID=520010730000014614&gclid=CPqQusbPg78CFdJcfgodfUMArg

Hi everyone, I'm having a hard time finding a chewable/liquid/ez-melt calcium/D3 vitamin that's (1) vegetarian or vegan and (2) with no added sugar OR sugar alcohol (fructose is OK). I haven't considered vitamin patches - but I have an allergy to adhesive (tape, bandaids), so that complicates things! I figured I'd ask here in case someone has any good calcium products they can recommend. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! xxx

I've been looking for the same. This isn't a chewable, but it's definitely vegan and apparently the pill is super-tiny: http://www.devanutrition.com/vegan-tiny-tablets-multivitamin-mineral.html Nature's Plus makes two vegetarian chewable multis, and I can't figure out why they're not vegan, but they don't list them as vegan (I haven't contacted them to clarify this, but I would if I were thinking of purchasing them). This one by Country Life might be vegan as well? You could try a children's vegan chewable multi-Vitamin which are easier to find, and take a larger dose as directed by your health care provider, supplementing with more Iron or B12 or other elements as needed (these are also easier to find as vegan chewables on their own). You could also utilize an 'all-on-one' Protein drink that includes Vitamins and minerals (though some don't contain iron). My favourite is Progressive VegEssentials All-In-One in the natural vanilla flavour. It's really good mixed with Water and one or two tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate. Their vegan protein powders are the best-tasting and least-gritty I've found. (P.S. That's a beautiful ginger kitty you've got there. I used to have a giant, floofy ginger boy. Now all my floofs are grey.)

I can't answer for that person but in my humble opinion, the need for such a high amount of protein isn't really needed. I think in the beginning, to follow through the best you can. But I just ordered Dr Garths book called a Proteinaholic today. He's a bariatric surgeon who went vegan and encourages his patients and everyone on a vegan diet. I'm currently doing vegetarian. I'm going to read it and see what he has to say. He dispels the myths about protein, protein, protein. Even though my doc wants me to do protein (min of 65g and that's where I keep it) he does promote more veggies and grains too, which is what I'm doing. So far so good. Still losing the weight too. 😊

Hey all, I'm starting to test out some soft proteins now that I'm a week out of RNY and successfully getting in my liquid and protein requirements. I'm confident that as a veggie I could get 60g of protein in with three meals, but I'm getting a wee worried about getting that done in three bebe meals like the ones I'll now be eating. Has anyone come across sample menus like the hordes that are available for meat eaters? If not, I'll continue to just kinda wing it, but it's always nice to get some outside ideas! Thanks!

It may be worth seeing a registered dietician who specializes in vegetarian/vegan diets, independent of/outside your surgeon's practice. The nutritionist at your surgeon's office is going to be biased and only advise you based on the surgeon's program.