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I do a vegetarian version used tofu crumbles as a meat substitute. I also did a similar dish with lentils, Tofurky sausage and tomato sauce. Have to purée that sausage a bit when it's done otherwise it's not pretty. #steelers Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Carbs are my enemy and I don't always know how to handle them. First, I'm old school. Back when a carb was strictly a starch. Not a fruit or a veg. So, in my head when I hear carbs I may not be thinking the same thing everyone else is. Second, I try to avoid starches as much as possible but it's really hard. At work, when the company buys lunches (which luckily isn't that often), they get pizza. I try to make sure they get some with chicken on it so I just eat the toppings and throw the crust away. It is amazing how many times I am in a situation where the group food is pizza. Not just at work but in extra curricular activities/meetings, etc. It's almost always pizza. It's easy, it gets delivered, and it is fairly cheap when feeding a lot of people. And it is easy to eat on paper plates. I have a group of friends--one is a vegetarian, one doesn't eat seafood, I eat the way I am trying to eat here, etc. Again, Pasta always seems to be everyone's answer to what to bring to a dinner or brunch. In fact, it will happen today! I can guarantee the vegetarian will bring a vegetarian lasagna! Luckily, there will be scrambled eggs so I'll have that with some hot sauce on them. And then I'm good. Third, it seems that fruit and some veg are now considered carbs. I do have fruit and veg. For veg, I try to stay with celery, radishes, red and green peppers, onions, tomatoes. Those are all my go to veggies. I LOVE fruit but try to keep it to a minimum. But I don't freak out over too much fruit since it is a rare thing. Fourth. The one thing that really keeps me going on staying away from carbs as much as possible (though I do have some starch on occasion) is that before surgery, I had legs, ankles, and feet that were swollen with fluid--so swollen I could barely get my shoes on!! Lymphedema I guess it is called, or pitted edema actually. If I pressed my thumb into my leg/ankle/foot, it would stay pressed in for a bit after I removed my thumb. That is all gone now!!!!! This is the biggest thrill for me and it keeps me going. When I was in my late teens, early twenties, my legs/ankles/feet were my best asset and I have them back! You have no idea how "Huge" this is! (yes, pun intended). I attribute it to the carbs. I have stopped counting grams of anything so this topic made me realize I have to get back to basics and start counting again!! But I hate carbs, I fear carbs, I wish all the fun and easy food weren't carby.

I can understand this. The person has already made up her/his mind and if the person is aware of the consequences - it's ultimately her/his decision. I was a vegetarian before surgery and a vegan for a whole while. I'd like to go back there and have taken steps into this direction. The nutritionists on my bariatric team don't mind a vegetarian diet at all. They're a bit cautious about going vegan but say it can be done. When I'm now writing on a vegan/veg thread discussing the veg/vegan options you have after WLS I don't want someone tromping around how "unhealthy" or "dangerous" that is. I simply want to talk about how it's possible to meet the nutritional goals while eating vegan. I don't need self-proclaimed whistle blowers while exploring my options. That's just annoying.

My plan on soft foods was 3 meals per day of a maximum 3 ounces of food -- but in reality the max I could eat for most of it was 2 ounces. I was to supplement with protein shakes and that was the only way I got in enough protein. I basically focused on high protein foods for my meals: 2 meals of primarily meat (tuna salad, turkey burger, mashed sardines, braised beef, etc) and 1 meal of high protein vegetarian food such as cottage cheese, eggs, Greek yogurt or refried beans. Minimum of 2 protein shakes per day.

Nuts are a great idea! Thanks. And I agree ... I think I need to get the crackers out of the house! I'm vegetarian, but perhaps I should check out some veggie Jerky options. Thanks for your response!

I would love to go vegetarian but am highly reactive to soy which is problematic to meeting Protein goals. Any suggestions from the vegans? Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I was a vegetarian for years. After surgery I added fish back in occasionally. The thought of eating chicken, beef or pork makes me feel ill. After 15 months, I am getting very tired of my staple foods, but not sure how to expand without adding meat. Also would like to cut down the amount of dairy (yogurt and cheese) that I eat.

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

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

This was a staple in my kitchen when I was a vegetarian and tried to eat vegan as often as possible. It really is amazing stuff. Full of nutrients and has a cheesy flavor. Comes in flake form in a canister or by bulk at Whole Foods. Use it anywhere you would use Parmesan cheese, add to any creamy sauces/casseroles, or crumble into breadcrumbs.... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am a new sleever, but I have been a vegetarian for many years, so just wanted to give a shout out to my fellow veggie. My doctor's nutritionist is totally fine with me being a veggie post-sleeve fortunately.

I was always a big meat eater before surgery. At my weight, not only did I need a lot of Protein just to stay upright, but I needed specifically animal Proteins. I remember one year I tried to go vegetarian and after a month or so I was nearly falling over just trying to walk across the parking lot. I felt as if I had become anemic. After surgery, I of course attempted to follow the bariatric gospel diet I was given to the letter. After a while of eating meet at almost every meal and eating at first, and getting very little else inside my body I started to feel quite sick and I knew that the diet they gave me was not away for my body to be healthy. I became less and less interested in eating meat. And sometimes, the thought of it made me nauseous. As my stomach healed, instead of meat I started eating high-end cheese, nuts, whole milk yogurts and limited actual meat consumption probably take 2 to 3 times a week tops. The weight fell off quickly, and I felt much better. I started using high-end, tasteless collagen protein to compensate, and keep hunger at bay. I cannot stress enough, that there is no one-size-fits-all healthy way to eat when it comes to bodies. It really truly depends on where your ancestors came from, your personal bodies specific needs. Sometimes it is hard for us to trust ourselves because we are taught to outsource authority, and because we feel like we must not know how to eat if we got to the point where we need the surgery. But I don't think that that's really the truth. I think the truth is that only you can know what your body needs from day-to-day minute to minute to be healthy. Guidelines are fine, but the final authority needs to rest with your body and it's intelligence. I'm a big fan of intuitive eating, which is the regular practice of tuning into the messages of your physical body. If my body wants me to give it meet. If my body wants nuts or fruits or greens that's what I give it. But I choose the best version: organic, less processed, more Whole Foods. And it has worked so far. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Cautionary and confirmatory. I stopped with the broccoli and cheddar soup because I didn't like it. Since the original post I was all clear liquid. Today, like just now, I tried Panera bread tomato soup. Tasty but was chunky so I wrapped it up until I can strain it at home. I'm due to start full liquids tomorrow, and like 3 spoons fill me up so I'm going with it. I'll be easily compliant on soft foods as I have tons of veggie recipes, my mother in law is vegetarian from India (cauliflower rice is the bomb.com) I've been feeling well today. I finished an entire short coffee..over about 3 hrs, but hey. An entire 8oz Water bottle in about an hr. And I got down half a bottle of premier, until my stomach started growling and I started craving a foodie flavor. PS: I didn't know soup came with a little loaf of bread! I licked all over it and chewed on a corner like a dog with a bone, then tossed it out the window. Had to be a sight for the lady riding next to me ???? Sent from my iPhone

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Hi all, As someone who gave up meat (apart from fish) pre surgery, I've found it tricky to sometimes find the most Protein rich foods. I found this link which I thought I'd pass on as it not only gives examples, it goes through in detail what is also important and why. http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-protein/ Hope this helps anyone else in the same boat. Now all I need to do is find recipes that use these foods as I am incredibly boring in my cooking! X

I posted this earlier, repeating with some edits and updates and plan to keep this updated for my own accountability! I was banded in 2007 at 333lb; it worked lovely for me, I lost almost everything I wanted in 1 year (220lb) -- then I got pregnant & it broke, gained it all back, had a baby, revised band -- lost it all again (211!), got pregnant again & it broke again -- gained it all back again, had a baby, revised band. Worked again, but slower... broke again.. gained it back... this has continued on and on.. I have had a total of 2 replacements & 6 revisions. Before my last, last revision I was back to 220lb. Took over a year of testing (with a new doctor - previous doctor disappeared in the middle of the night - that's a whole other story) and got back up to 300. Started personal trainer 3x week at a gym. Down to 270 - then The last revision didn't take, I don't feel the same as I use to, and that revision was early 2015. Ruptured a disc in my back and exercise went to nill. Took a year or so of tests and appointments before my doc fixed my back. I've been plugging along for over a year at 300-330lb. Back to my original 2007 pre-op weight. Band has been bothering me like it never did before. Waking up choking on acid. Sort of vegetarian by force - no meats are soft enough. Can't eat many veggies or fruits, but hey ice cream goes down! Insurance is terrible (I have never even been offered a plan that has Bariatric coverage, ever. Through different companies. Wonder where this stuff exists.) So the waking up choking really scares me and I finally made a $700 appt to try an unfill(don't have much if any anyway) and check the band. And it slipped. In my various revisions They had to move my port from belly, chest, belly... port has flipped 4 times... port disconnected once... tubing broke once... and now slipped. Keep in mind, since day 1 I am self-pay, so I could have bought a house by now with all I have paid. I'm not kidding!! Doctor said we either revise the band again, remove it, or convert it. I refuse to revise the band again, I hate the booger at this point. Not one more penny!! It will be $9k to remove it -- $22k to revise it to a sleeve. I am too afraid of GP, even after all this time as a bariatric patient. In 2012 I wanted to convert to the sleeve, but the price difference was too much to justify everytime I had to go under the knife (if I only knew how many more surgeries I'd be paying for since then because of the band!!). This time, I decided -- remove it, and be done. When I can eat 'normal' again for the first time in years, I'll work on eating things like fruit, veggies & salads -- which I can't eat now. I thought a little more & talked with family, and we've all decided I should just take out a 2nd mortgage and bite the bullet, because I'm not healthy anymore and would very much like to be, and if I decided later on I want the sleeve, it's going to be another 20k+ the 9k I pay now. I was born overweight and it has been my lifelong struggle. So, I have it all scheduled now. Surgery January 4,2017 (for tax purposes, I asked to wait until the new year). I've been absent from the forum for years, feeling that I have nothing to contribute as a lap-band failure, and the great friendships I made through this forum, I talk to all the time. But I am back, now that I am going to be a 'newbie' in the sleeve world. I am very excited now that I've gotten over the initial shock of how much money I'm going to be shelling out..... again. Here's to my new success, and good riddance to the band!!!! --------- 1/1 update; took out several loans to pay doctor and hospital last week. Don't know how we will manage but I guess we will. In the midst of this someone asked about paying the anesthesiologist. This wasn't brought up in conversations previous, so it was another slap in the face . Left anesthesiologist 4 messages last week so I know cost and where to pay, no one is calling me back. I guess with holidays. I tried googling an estimate for self pay anesthesiologist and got no results I can use to sleep at night. Went on 12/29 for preop. With my 5 and 7 year old (who helped me run around paying everyone, ever so graciously). Started the endless paperwork. I showed them my current insurance (2016) and new insurance for January 1. 30m later, he starts showing me payment plan for the preop! $2k!! They are killing me. Another cost not brought up before. I didn't take out enough loans to pay thousands upon thousands more. Then he says it's because my 2016 insurance is out of network for their hospital. I don't even, what?!.... I said well, can I come back January 2 then?? And he said yes. Why wouldn't they lead with that? Anyway, so we left to find Pokémon cards rewards for being such patient little kids. My doc asked me to do Protein shakes a week pre-op to shrink my liver. He didn't sound stern about it, and it is the holidays.... but I really am nervous about a conversion surgery. Seems more invasive, I feel unhealthy, and I have a lingering cough from a bad cold I got a week before Christmas- so I want to do the best I can. I have done a modified liquid diet based on reading others' diets. On December 26th I started a liquid diet, broth (chicken bouillon cube in water) mostly. I hate taste of sf products so I'd rather not have them. Also New whey protein shots, carnation high protein essential powder mixed in with coffee. Two nights this week I have also had a low carb small dinner at night. Grilled fish and asparagus/cottage cheese with ragu. First couple of days I had intense headaches by evening. Headaches Stopped December 31. Tried sf Jello on December 31 also, and glad to see it tasted great. I've moved past that sugar hang up. Wahoo. I forgot it can be done. Every time it feels so hard, I get through it by remembering it's only temporary. I was 322lb at the preop appointment with doctor on December 25. Today January 1 I am down to 309lb. I feel much less bloated than I have been feeling for a while. Kids don't start school until January 5, husband and I are both busy business owners. This is going to be a rough week. I also have been wanting to get the house good and cleaned before I have surgery so I don't fret about cleaning while I recover, but I can't find the time! Plus, did I mention the kids are out of school? I am anxious about surgery. I watched two YouTube videos of the conversion. I've had a band for almost 10 years and they make me nervous. What if the band is embedded in my stomach?! Wah! I should not have watched them admittedly. I also have been reading around the forums. Sad to see the interaction is barely a fraction of what it was back when I was doing the band thang. That anxiety is why I am up at 2:30am posting here. Hopefully I am not messing up my preop tests by showing up on little sleep. I'll keep posting updates! Hopefully It just gets better and better......

If you’re keeping up with the news on weight loss, it’s becoming very clear that most efforts at long-term weight loss do not work. This suggests that most of the behavioral changes people attempt to make are unsustainable over the long term. We are also learning that this difficulty has much more to do with a number of biological factors and much less to do with willpower. Recent research on the resting metabolic rate and leptin levels (and other factors) of those who have lost large amounts of weight suggest that the human body fights efforts to keep weight off. It’s as if the body tries everything in its power to put the weight back on! The good news is that you can stop blaming yourself. It’s not you; it’s biology. While these facts are discouraging, it’s not necessarily a lost cause. Perhaps the big takeaway message for those trying to lose weight AND keep it off is this: Do not make changes in your behavior that you are not prepared to maintain for the rest of your life. Notice that I’m focusing on behavior, not losing weight. Consider that you do not actually try to lose weight. You try to change certain behaviors that you believe will eventually lead to weight loss. Weight loss is the desired outcome of a number of changes in behavior, some involving what you eat, some involving how you eat, and others involving your level of activity. It is critical to keep your focus on your behavior, not the scale. That same research also indicates that the body fights efforts to keep weight off for many years after the initial weight loss…maybe even for the rest of your life. You’re going to experience hunger. You are going to have cravings. Your body is going to keep fighting. Therefore, you are going to need to keep fighting. We also know that despite all of this new research, reducing your intake of calories and burning off more of them remain two of the pillars of weight loss success. Your strategy to lose weight and keep it off must incorporate those two factors. With all of this information in mind, you can see why it’s silly to try to discover “the best diet.” First of all, “diets” are short-term interventions that you certainly know by now will not work. Second, we illustrated that whatever behavior changes you make, you would need to keep them going for many, many years. It’s simply not possible for one set of behavior changes to work for everyone. It really comes down to figuring out what the best strategies are for you to reduce your calorie intake and to burn off more of them for many years to come. This is something you should give a great deal of thought. I know its January, but avoid jumping on the first idea that all of your buddies are considering. Now that you have read this article (and others), you probably have a lot more information that they have. Perhaps you can share this information with your friends who also want to lose weight and you can all put your collective heads together and come up with some strategies for one another. I have some suggestions. Consider that you do not have to get it 100% right on day one and you probably should start small and try to build a pattern of success. Try to hit singles, not home runs. For example: If you decide that cutting carbs is going to be one of your strategies, start by trying to cut your carbohydrate intake by 10% for the first few weeks and work your way up to 50% or whatever your long-term goal will be. If you start by going no-carb on day one, I can introduce you to 100’s of people that were back to carbohydrate-rich diets and total weight regain by week four. Similarly, if increasing exercise is one of your goals, consider focusing on the number of days per week that you exercise, not how many calories you burn on the treadmill. Build a pattern of success. Over the weeks, try to increase your time and make it a point to find types of exercise that you enjoy…not necessarily the ones that burn the most calories, but rather the ones you believe that you can stick with over the long-term. Also, consider making changes in your eating behavior rather than just in your diet. In other words, focus on how you eat not just what you eat. If, for example, you consume a great deal of calories by impulsively picking at food throughout the day, a good goal would be to eat only three meals and one snack per day and to avoid eating at other times. Here are some other suggestions: always go to the supermarket with a list and avoid purchasing anything not on the list; keep fruits and vegetables out on the counter for snacking; drink more water especially if you’re not certain if you are hungry or thirsty. You get the idea. If you think about it, you may know all of this already. If you are fortunate to know someone who has lost over 25 pounds and kept it off for many years, I would bet that this person has made some permanent, dramatic changes in his habits. He’s a vegetarian. She exercises five days a week, every week. He doesn’t eat dessert anymore. She doesn’t drink anything with sugar. In other words, she’s not on a diet and it’s not with a short-term goal weight in mind. Her approach to food, eating and activity is fundamentally and permanently changed. That’s the goal. In summary, think long-term. All signs point to the need for a consistent, sustained battle for long-term weight loss success. Take your time and discover some small but significant modifications you can make in your diet, eating behavior and activity level and try to build on them week by week. The ultimate goal is to make changes that can last year after year. Now that’s a winning New Year’s resolution.

Perhaps the big takeaway message for those trying to lose weight AND keep it off is this: Do not make changes in your behavior that you are not prepared to maintain for the rest of your life. Notice that I’m focusing on behavior, not losing weight. Consider that you do not actually try to lose weight. You try to change certain behaviors that you believe will eventually lead to weight loss. Weight loss is the desired outcome of a number of changes in behavior, some involving what you eat, some involving how you eat, and others involving your level of activity. It is critical to keep your focus on your behavior, not the scale. That same research also indicates that the body fights efforts to keep weight off for many years after the initial weight loss…maybe even for the rest of your life. You’re going to experience hunger. You are going to have cravings. Your body is going to keep fighting. Therefore, you are going to need to keep fighting. We also know that despite all of this new research, reducing your intake of calories and burning off more of them remain two of the pillars of weight loss success. Your strategy to lose weight and keep it off must incorporate those two factors. With all of this information in mind, you can see why it’s silly to try to discover “the best diet.” First of all, “diets” are short-term interventions that you certainly know by now will not work. Second, we illustrated that whatever behavior changes you make, you would need to keep them going for many, many years. It’s simply not possible for one set of behavior changes to work for everyone. It really comes down to figuring out what the best strategies are for you to reduce your calorie intake and to burn off more of them for many years to come. This is something you should give a great deal of thought. I know its January, but avoid jumping on the first idea that all of your buddies are considering. Now that you have read this article (and others), you probably have a lot more information that they have. Perhaps you can share this information with your friends who also want to lose weight and you can all put your collective heads together and come up with some strategies for one another. I have some suggestions. Consider that you do not have to get it 100% right on day one and you probably should start small and try to build a pattern of success. Try to hit singles, not home runs. For example: If you decide that cutting carbs is going to be one of your strategies, start by trying to cut your carbohydrate intake by 10% for the first few weeks and work your way up to 50% or whatever your long-term goal will be. If you start by going no-carb on day one, I can introduce you to 100’s of people that were back to carbohydrate-rich diets and total weight regain by week four. Similarly, if increasing exercise is one of your goals, consider focusing on the number of days per week that you exercise, not how many calories you burn on the treadmill. Build a pattern of success. Over the weeks, try to increase your time and make it a point to find types of exercise that you enjoy…not necessarily the ones that burn the most calories, but rather the ones you believe that you can stick with over the long-term. Also, consider making changes in your eating behavior rather than just in your diet. In other words, focus on how you eat not just what you eat. If, for example, you consume a great deal of calories by impulsively picking at food throughout the day, a good goal would be to eat only three meals and one snack per day and to avoid eating at other times. Here are some other suggestions: always go to the supermarket with a list and avoid purchasing anything not on the list; keep fruits and vegetables out on the counter for snacking; drink more water especially if you’re not certain if you are hungry or thirsty. You get the idea. If you think about it, you may know all of this already. If you are fortunate to know someone who has lost over 25 pounds and kept it off for many years, I would bet that this person has made some permanent, dramatic changes in his habits. He’s a vegetarian. She exercises five days a week, every week. He doesn’t eat dessert anymore. She doesn’t drink anything with sugar. In other words, she’s not on a diet and it’s not with a short-term goal weight in mind. Her approach to food, eating and activity is fundamentally and permanently changed. That’s the goal. In summary, think long-term. All signs point to the need for a consistent, sustained battle for long-term weight loss success. Take your time and discover some small but significant modifications you can make in your diet, eating behavior and activity level and try to build on them week by week. The ultimate goal is to make changes that can last year after year. Now that’s a winning New Year’s resolution.

4 days post-op. Been a vegan for 15 years and vegetarian for 15 years before that. Don't know how I will make it work long term but right now just trying to get protein in with shakes.

Hi all Would love to hear what your winning meals are? Vegetarian meals can be high in carbs and sodium... Which ones ticket all the boxes for you? Tia xxx Sent from my SM-G900F using the BariatricPal App

Hi, I got sleeved on 12/20/16. Feeling much better. Still on liquid diet for another week. I've been a vegetarian for almost my whole life, wondering if anyone else can relate and what kind of results you had from the sleeve? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@vegbeth, Are you vegetarian? If you are, what protein powder do you use?

I am a big fan of the plant-based diet approach. The bariatric gospel on the other hand, tends to condemn that but I think it is a very doable thing. In fact, there is a bariatric surgeon on YouTube who has a video called "eat your veggies first" where in he makes the argument that we have always eaten the Protein first, and if we can get in the habit of eating my vegetables for us we will be healthier and be more likely to keep the weight off. I think in the very beginning, vegetarian diet could be very challenging because the restriction is so significant due to swelling. But I would say 6 to 9 months out, it's quite feasible. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I've gone back and forth between lacto-ovo vegetarian and vegan since 2011. I lost some weight but remained big (my set point and metabolism were a mess). I had RNY on March 7, 2016 and I'm down to 235 lbs from 410 lbs before my two-week pre-op diet. Since surgery, I've been lacto-ovo. I'm male, 6', and consume 1300 - 1800 calories and 70 - 100 grams of Protein daily depending on exercise for the day (I workout 6x weekly alternating strength with cardio). For the first month after surgery I was doing good to get 800 calories and 60 grams of protein in a day. I find it to be easier to get protein with yogurt, cheese, skim milk and the occasional egg. I would like to move back toward veganism, though, but many meat analogues no longer agree with me. Meatless crumbles, TVP, meatless meatballs, and Tofurkey deli slices are fine, but commercial veggie burgers and other products give me trouble. I make yummy black bean burgers, lentil-barely loaves, and TVP & bean chili that I can digest fine. I don't care much for soy Protein shakes. I like Vega One, but it can get expensive. I buy the store brand whey protein at Natural Grocers for cheap, but I only drink the occasional shake these days. I do eat a salad almost every day and add cheese, sunflower seeds, and sometimes a diced poached egg. I didn't return to salads until about 10 weeks out and stick with leafy mixed greens or spinach. I think you'll likely need to use dairy for protein the first two months after surgery and experiment from there. We all have different experiences with which foods do or don't work. There was a guy in my WLS program who was vegan and used mostly soy shakes, tofu scrambles, and TVP, so it can be done if you can handle a lot of soy. Also, there is a "WLS Vegetarians" group on FB that includes many vegans who share ideas. Sent from my LGMS550 using the BariatricPal App

No pic here either (will try to remember tomorrow) but dinner tonight was nonfat vegetarian refried Beans topped with homemade enchilada sauce and shredded cheddar and a fried egg. I ate the egg and about four bites of the beans. (I'm four months post bypass.) Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App