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*~Otherwise known as "Hopeful One Day, Scared The Next"~* :hungry: Reading through erosion posts, pictures of infections, stories of slippage and removals, I sally forth to my meeting with the Psych doc and nutritionist, with what amounts to this month's rent money in hand to pay for this visit. I don't take this surgery lightly. I was actually able to have this done by a different surgeon back in the Fall. But I needed more time to make sure I was doing the right thing. Let's be honest, going under the knife to be able to lose weight is a huge step, and a serious one. I went to a support group meeting of this other surgeon and I was shocked at how quickly and without real research these people went and had this done. I was asking questions that we discuss here in the meeting none of them had a clue about. That shocked me. I guess for some the promise of being thin is enough. Not me. Yes, I am terrified of the actual surgery, going under anesthesia. (will I be that 1 in 1000 that won't wake up?) but my fears center more on what is going to happen after the surgery. Will I heal? Will I become infected? Will I get pneumonia? Will it be freaky because there is a freaking device wrapped around my stomach? Will I become dehydrated? And farther out: Will I pass out from PBing? Will I have terrible pain in my chest like some people? Will I erode? Will complications from erosion in my stomach kill me? Emotional: Will I enjoy life without my food? Will I ever be able to enjoy food again? What will life be like without being able to just drink and eat whenever and however like before? What will I do with my time without it being centered on eating and cooking? What will I do with my thoughts and emotions that can't be comforted with food anymore?? So, my first hour is with the nutritionist. I am completely overwhelmed and set on edge by this meeting. If the seriousness of this surgery didn't hit me before, then it did now. I am a vegetarian, so getting protein is going to be paramount. The fact that I will have to be on a low carb diet was not what I expected. As a vegetarian, I eat carbs in beans, whole grains, etc. From the food choices I have, it seemed to me that food enjoyment is really going to be out the window. Yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, protein drinks. And water. That will be my diet. I was prepared for a change, but not this drastic. What unsettled me the most was the water bit. I can hold off drinking at meals, but I guzzle water. ALL DAY. I used to be very athletic and I drank and still drink over a gallon of water a day. And I chug it. When I don't get my gallon in, I feel dehydrated and can actually feel sick. SO this is a real concern for me. I just don't see how I can keep up the levels my body is used to all these years with a sip, sip ,sip sip all day. So coupled with all that I have written above, and the fact that now I am just waiting on a surgery date has me up at night. Am I doing the right thing? Will I be doing my body more harm than being fat if something goes wrong? Anxiety and fear is riding me out. But every once in a while during the day I'll see a woman who is slim and I think "I can be that now. I actually have a chance at achieving that" or see an ad for travel and think "I can vacation now and not be miserable that I am so fat" But most of all this is about getting healthy again. I can feel my body struggling and getting sick with this weight on, and I'm only going to get bigger because I am a food junkie and I have PCOS. To be continued.....

I had my surgery June 2, 2015. Went in @ 285 lbs. I have lost 78 pounds! I do walk 4 half miles or workout at the gym for an hour 6 days per week. I am eating between 600-700 calories and I am afraid this will inhibit me from losing more and I have noticed the weight loss is slowing down from what it was in the beginning. Please somebody give me some input. I do eat healthy; lots of vegetables and in fact, I think I have became a vegetarian just because I cannot handle meats anymore. Angel in the Carolinas

Thankyou both... I am home...from seeing the dietitian and supposidly the fill doctor... NO FILL.... Went to see the dietitian and the doc. for a fill if needed ... She was so pleased with me I had lost 4kilo`s since my last visit (5 weeks ago) , She did not think I needed a fill as I am still just eating the requirerd meals (can`t eat more than one sandwich /small plate of meat veggies (bread and butter plate) am feeling a restriction when full.. I have a 10ml band with a 7 ml maximum fill my first fill was 3.2 so thats where it stays for now , she said I can call and go in early than 4 weeks if I feel I can eat more and /or my weigh stops coming off , she said the majority of bandits with my size usually get to about 3.5 or 4mls and are at their sweet spot around there , but as I am not having any problems with over eating I am fine for now , the small pouch could streatch a little in time alowing more food without that full feeling if so thats when I need a fill.. So all in all I am happy with that I was wondering how on earth I was going to feel with a fill as I get full on so little now (well I think its little and I am still loosing ).... Gotta Go my Boys (the birds want OUT of their bird room and I need a cuppa)... P.S....I wore my new 18 jeans and a size 22 top that I could not get into 4 moths ago and FELT great ..I have now changed into my sloppy size 20`s and a nice warm sloppy Joe ....can`t have the boys pooping on my new smaller gear.... I hope everyone is having a great day..I have done the groceries and the cupboards are full again , easy meal tonight maybe a veggie pattie and a egg....Hubby is travelling to Lithgow and won`t be home till late so its just Me and my son(David) who has just decided to turn a vegetarian Bye for now ...Marion

I also love feta cheese. It is actually lower fat than lots of cheese. Also, you can just use a little since it has a strong flavor. They also sell reduced fat feta. I don't think it's a bad thing, just don't overdo it. PS. My love of cheese is why I left vegetarianism. I eat much healthier now by eating lean meat instead of cheese all the time.

I started my pre-op diet today after two days of last-mealitis and binging. I tried to fit in all of my favorite foods just in case I never get to eat them again. Let's see... I went to two fast food places, Taco Cabana and Jack in the Box. I don't know why I chose Jack in the Box. I never eat there! But I loaded up on tacos, chicken sandwiches, flauta, fajita taco, cake, eggrolls and more. Then last night, I hit the bakery at Market Street for a lemon torte and a fruit tart. I bought an eclair and a napolean but never got around to eating them. I also bought a shitload of diet food, fearing that I would be deprived if I didn't have everything I could possibly want at my fingertips. Today I am have a protein shake for breakfast. The new diet is low-fat, low-carb, and vegetarian. So basically, I can eat protein supplements, veggies, and fruit with an occassional cracker. YUUUUUUMMMMY! [she says with intense sarcasm] I think my biggest problem right now is the overwhelming fear that this, like many other things I have tried to lose weight, will not work. My brain is scrambling with the question, "What if I change my body and put myself through all of this and remain fat?" It happens. And it would be just my luck that it would happen to me. That is very negative thinking but I am afraid, nonetheless. I am also cranky and stressed out about losing my food "friends". I know that in a couple of months, I can still enjoy them, just in smaller portions but I am not sure I trust myself to have a bite or two of something I love (like a bagel) or that my body won't reject something that I love (like a bagel). Speaking of Bagels, I went to Einstein Brothers Bagels twice this week and loaded up on lox, asiago bagels, pumpkin bagel and bagel dogs. Now, back to the protein shake. I am using Herbalife Formula 1 shakes. They are really good and as much as I hate to admit it, really satisfy my hunger. They are not too sweet and you can use the powder in other recipes. I get mine from Ajay's Fitness (home of the 4-minute workout...no kidding. It's amazing). Nutrition products are available for shipping anywhere. I am also logging my food intake at Myfitnesspal.com. It's free and has a good library of foods to add to your food journal.

what kinds of things are you eating? ARe you drinking water? I am going to be 4 weeks post op this Thursday and I have lost total 26 lbs. 7 of that was pre op though. Today I had greek yogurt and a half of a banana for bfast cottage cheese and a little bit of Trader Joes brand Vegetarian Chili for lunch Dinner was about a 1/4 baked potato with butter and cheddar cheese I had a yogurt for a snack right now.

Wow! Heartfelt congratulations, PotterGirl!!!! :-) Way to represent the vegetarians, too!

I am a vegetarian 5 days post op. This first week has been very hard. There is no protein in vegetable broth, so I add a little none flavored protein to it before warming it up. But now I can't stand to even look at veggie broth. I'm not getting almost any calories right now. There has to be something I can eat while in the liquid stage. Once I am in the mushy stage, I will be doing a thousand times better. There is so much more I can eat in the mushy stage. Until then, it's horrible. I'm sorry. Research it better if you can. There has to be more that we can drink the first week.

Well, it looks like the .5cc unfill and stepping it up at the gym this week has helped to let me see some more results! Since the 9th of February, I have lost 4 pounds...not bad for just over a week! I'm extremely happy with that. I have also forced myself to go to the gym everyday this week so far and plan to go back for a 5th time tonight. My workout plan that I have set up on AnytimeHealth.com gives me Saturday and Sunday off from the gym...but I might go on Saturday evening anyway. I need a new addiction...maybe working out can replace all that junky food that I still tend to miss sometimes. Oh, I have an INCREDIBLY good recipe for a super healthy meal if you're interested! Spaghetti squash! I know, I was like, what the heck is spaghetti squash! It's completely vegetarian, though you can add any meat that you like. (I just was too lazy to cook some meat with it. Ha!) I made mine with zucchini, red peppers and mushrooms, but you can use any veggies you'd like. Cut the Squash in half, scoop out the guts to throw them away and drizzle the squash with olive oil and pinch some rosemary or thyme or basil---whatever spices you like. Put it in a microwaveable dish with 1/4 inch of water in it flat side down and cook for 10 minutes. While that is cooking, saute your veggies in olive oil, a little salt and pepper (I use salt substitute so it has zero sodium), and some lemon juice. When the squash is done cooking, take it out and fork out the insides. It will look like short spaghetti noodles. Take the insides and put the in a bowl. (You may be cooking the other half of the squash while your doing this.) Add the veggies to the squash with another squirt of lemon juice. Stir and serve!! If you add meat, add that at this time as well. You can also try it with spaghetti sauce, but that will add more calories and sodium. Though tomatoes are a good addition! Ok, that's it. Don't expect me to share too many recipes...I'm just starting to experiment with healthier foods. I hope to report more weightloss soon! I'm trying to kick my butt in gear a bit more!! I wish I had a workout partner...but I suppose that at the end of the day, I need to do this for me and no one else. Meh. Blessings all! Maggs

I've been SO busy, that I haven't even been able to get on here. Looking for a new place to live while not in the city you're moving to is very difficult! And stressful! And I'm only about 2 1/2 weeks post op and have stopped losing weight for now. I have heard that this happens, so I'm trying not to worry about it too much. But I keep going back and forth with one pound. Annoying. So I'm being very careful to watch what I'm eating and make good choices. Yesterday was not so good--I had some food from the Chinese take-away in the mall. It was SO tasty, but I'm sure not so healthy. At least I only ate the meat and tofu! (Odd combo, I know! Normally I would only get stuck eating tofu at my vegetarian friend's house!) I'm trying to keep track of what I eat on dailyplate.com, but I have forgotten to track a couple days so far. I need to make that a priority in the evenings, I suppose. Anyway, that site is really not for Bandsters. I'm following my doctor/dietician's guidelines more than that site, but it is interesting to see how things work. If I don't have as many calories as suggested, will I not lose weight? One would think if you had less than suggested you would lose even more. But maybe that's backwards thinking. Maybe your body needs the fuel from the calories to be able to burn more fat. Oh, I just don't know! I might have to ask my dietician about this. Anyway, that's my update for the day: packing, plateauing, and a little panicking about finding a place to move to! It's a day full of P's for me. Still not regretting this, just waiting for my first fill in about 2 1/2 weeks! Hopefully that helps a bit with the weightloss! Blessings! xo

Hi, I'm vegetarian too and in the pre op stage of my wls.. Surgery date is March 2, 2016.

Most days I don't. I rarely eat processed food at all and I typically do food prep every Sunday. However, in a pinch I like knowing how to eat in public and still be safe. BTW I personally don't eat chicken. I am a ovo-lacto vegetarian. However, my local pizza place does indeed grill it's chicken on a grill. I know this because the way the restaurant is set up you can see it. I ate at iHop at 6 weeks. I ordered a garden omelet and opted for the fruit as my side. I ate ¼ of the omelet, a few bites of fruit and took the rest home. It wasn't an everyday occurrence but I was out longer than I had planned and it was eat or get sick. I'm a long time vegetarian with multiple food allergies. I also have a very active social life and part of that includes eating out. I've learned long ago how to eat in public. Are there horror stories in the restaurant industry? Absolutely. However there are horror stories in the food industry period. Unless you are the one growing and harvesting every bite you eat, nothing is 100%. Don't even get me started on GMO's. The best you can do is be informed. I doubt I'll be eating at McDonald's anytime soon, but I won't ever say I'm never going to a restaurant or take out restaurant again.

Hello, I saw all of them plus more. Doctors do not have very many hours of nutrition classes. I asked if I could be a vegetarian after surgery and he said no I needed animal protien. He said veg. are starchy. He also stated vegetarians have problems with deficiency. My nutritionist is vegan. I believe we are in a special class because isn't easy to get everything we need into our bodies. I decided no milk, soy, corn, gluten, sugar. meat will be hard because of protien. I have read omni diet and jj virgin's book but then again we trying to get high protien in and I have found this to be almost impossible. Iam one month out and down 38 lbs. Please let me know how you have come to a solution.

LapBandit, THANK YOU for the advice. We already have low-fat cottage cheese and fruit in the house most of the time. Popsicles or fudgesicles for dessert are a good idea. You're right that I should talk to her (and I will, once she's in less pain--I talked to her earlier today, and she sounds terrible :phanvan). It also occurred to me that I should talk to our parents, as she still lives at home and they'd know what she likes. Other suggestions? What could I cook for Mother's Day dinner that has lots of Protein but not too much Fiber? I am a vegetarian, so no meat

I can't believe it's been 5 months since my last blog entry...thought I'd be better about keeping it up. So...I didn't starve in India....in fact I may have lost a pound or so. That mostly vegetarian diet started doing my head in though....I am not meant to give up meat! It's cute to see me so excited about weighing 219.8 in a previous entry. I'm glad I got there and enjoyed that moment but I realize now that it's still so far from "normal". I made it down to about 213 and then got stuck again. Holiday season and general job stress kept me there for months. While in India, a coworker told me about her sister-in-law who was trying a new workout method....Crossfit. Everything she told me about it sounded like what i needed.....group classes where the coach actually got to know you and paid attention to your workouts, a combination of strength as well as metabolic conditioning exercises, a gym that emphasizes community, not just impersonally walking on a treadmill for an hour. It took me a few months after coming back to check it out but I took their Foundations class and liked it so much, I signed up for the 2x a week plan. I would eventually like to get up to 3x or even 4x a week, but Crossfit isn't your typical workout and when you were/are as out of shape as I am, you have to build up skills and strength before going whole hog. Work has been so stressful lately (which also isn't helping my weight loss) that I struggle to make it 2x a week (their beginner classes are only offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays) but the more I go, the more I enjoy so I plan to keep at it. Crossfit makes you painfully aware of how unfit you are and it also made me painfully aware that one of the ways I was going to get better at it , besides consistently attending class, was to lose weight. Funny how that's been my endeavor for my whole life and a bigger focus in the last 2 years but it took taking on a very physically demanding workout to really make that fact stand out. I started dieting again this week....a very strict and challenging diet...and immediately lost 5 lbs this week. I know that some of that is just water weight but my snug size 16 Lane Bryants from November started to feel loose this week. I caught myself hiking them up a couple of times and seeing some extra material around the thigh area. Signs of progress but....I still ended up slipping this weekend and eating forbidden junk food and sweets. I'm lucky to work somewhere where there are healthy prepared food choices 5 days a week, making it much easier to follow this plan but clearly, I am unprepared for weekends. And as I am actively looking for another job, once I lose access to their food, will I slip again? A friend of mine has been posting blast from the past pictures this week from a time when we were spending a lot of time together. I didn't let a lot of pictures get taken of me at my largest but somehow, she got quite a few shots in. It's shocking to see how big I was....and walking around like I wasn't! Was it confidence? Or complete denial? I think the latter. And while they are tough pictures to look at, they make me proud too....I'm glad I didn't shut myself off from living....even at my largest, I was out there grooving on the dance floor, going to weddings and concerts, and enjoying life. And I'm also happy that I don't look like that anymore...they are a good reminder of the progress I have made. So even when I see myself now and know I still have so far to go....there's photographic evidence of how far I have come as well. Here's to keeping up the good fight....no matter how long it takes. To sum up this blog entry....weight - somewhere around 207-208 (depending on the time of day), mood - unsure if I can keep eating the way that will truly take me to goal. But looking forward to Crossfit which represents progress.

I'm at work tonight; working 3p-1130p. I realized a long time ago, that when I have down time at work or I'm bored, I think about snacking. Even if I'm not hungry. I bring decent healthy food to work 99% of the time. But right now, because its a patient's 18th birthday, there are 2 huge boxes of the biggest damn donuts in the world drenched with chocolate. I'm not even phased. I'm actually looking at them thinking "Why are we feeding this **** to our patients???" Not my idea. But anyway, I digress... The move is over, completed, and done. My previous landlord lady is a total b***h when it comes to wrapping this up, and is still thinking that I'm paying her a non refundable pet fee. She just can't let it go and leave me alone. All of my posessions are in my parent's garage or house, and some at my sister's house. I've got alot of sorting to do!! I swear I got my excerise with all of this packing, moving, putting it in the truck, taking it out, etc. I also realized how weak I am; I can barely get my self from a kneeling position to a standing position when I'm up on the bed of my dad's truck!! HOW PATHETIC!!! I've got alot of work ahead of me, and there's going to be alot of tears involved The good thing is my dad is very supportive and is totally my rock right now with everything. The BF is doing well as far as supporting me with this whole new deal; he still eats crappy food though, and I wish he would stop. Not for me, but so that he can keep himself out of trouble. He's not a big guy, he's about 5'7, 165lbs, size M or L, 32" waist. He's incredible hot. But he eats crap and smokes, and he has Chronn's Disease. Yes, I could strangle him. Hmmm. What else is on my mind.... Xmas is almost here, and seeing all the crap in the grocery stores just makes me that much more aware of how much garbage we put in our mouths. I see alot of overweight kids/teens and it breaks my heart what an injustice their parents are doing to them. I have a very good friend/big sister/mentor type person in my life, Sharon, who is a vegan and so are her 3 kids and husband. They made the switch about 2 years ago from vegetarian to vegan; she makes awesome food. She is also a health and wellness coach now; she always has a great link up on her fb with a new recipe or encouragement towards a healthy lifestyle. I know she shops at MOM's, which is a local organic chain in Maryland where I live. I went into one on Friday, and despite being overpriced, there were tons of good things. I just have no idea what to put together. I got some hummus, couscous with peas and carrots, and some hard pretzels for the BF. There were lots of other yum yum's there, including their homemade bread which is to die for, but obviously I'm bread and pasta free for the most part. I think my favorite store is still Whole Foods. or Wegmans; we're getting a Wegman's next summer in Columbia WAHOO. I think somewhere in this blog I was going to mention how passionate I am about feeding young children healthy food. Its such an easy thing to do, and it promotes nothing but positive and good. I CRINGE when I see anyone under the age of 10 drinking soda, or eating Cheetoo's...ughhh. My mom didn't let me have that **** at all, unless it was a super special occasion. My obsession came with it when I was a teenager and my home life depressed me. Food made me feel better, and I had control over it. Anyways, I am hoping someday I can incorporate my passion into my career. Ok back to work, they're yelling at the TV so the Raven's are either winning or getting wallopped. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MY FELLOW BANDERS :) <3

low fat cottage cheese 4 oz is 12gms for 90 cals Slim Fast has a great shake for 2 net carbs and 180 cals 20 gms protein tuna pouch 2.6 oz has 18 gms protein for 80 cals I am a vegetarian but I found a fabulous meatless "hamburger" for 130 cals and 15 gms of protein greek yogurt is a great source but you have to watch carbs hope this helps

My doctor said definitely no dairy also - i have having a VLCD (Very low calorie Diet) opti fast shakes and a vegetarian diet basically. The idea (my interpretation) is the get the maximum amount of fat removed form around your liver to ensure a safe passage to the doctor to fit the band. Not long to go, small sacrifice to make for a very long term gain. I am going through it to, 12 meals in to a 42 meal plan to prepare for surgery. Good luck, enjoy some tomato or eggplant with mushies...

My surgeon's office recommends Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, lentils, tofu, and veggie burgers (Boca burgers etc.) for vegetarians. I am not a vegetarian but I have eaten all those things since being sleeved about 12 weeks ago and haven't had any problems with any of them. Good luck to you.

There are several vegetarians on here. I get most of my Protein via a coffee shake, cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt. Over time as my stomach expands, I expect to add more Beans to my diet. I do eat 2-3 oz of meat once or twice a day but it's not the biggest source of protein for me. Occasionally I have an egg but that only has 6 gms of protein and really fills me up. In contrast, 4 oz of cottage cheese has 12 gms and doesn't stuff me as full as an egg. Okay OP, I say this with love and caring for you. I agree with the previous poster who suggested talking to a therapist. I've seen several of your posts expressing regret, and the fact is, you've had an irreversible procedure. You can't change that, and you may need some help accepting your decision and moving forward. Post-op depression is common. Many of us have varying degrees of it, it's not a sign of weakness. More likely hormones and chemicals are out of whack somewhere. Be good to yourself and maybe see if you can find someone to talk to? Sending you hugs.

Sorry that you have regrets. This is something your doctor should have spoken with you about, being a vegetarian. Walmart has a pure Protein shake (not the yucky powder) it had 23 grams of protein. It's delicious. I prefer frosty chocolate. Also you may want to try unflavored with a veggie broth. Good luck.

As of Today it has been 3 months since my surgery and according to the guideline that my doctor gave me I should be on solid foods. I can eat solids but only certain things. I cannot seem to be able to eat rice, noodles, eggs, bread, or any type of meat, if I attempt to I throw up (I throw up alot). Does anyone know if that is normal?? I am thinking of becoming a vegetarian, bc it seems like I can eat black bean burgers, but not regular hamburgers. When I go to chipotle I get black Beans, veggies, and guacomole and I am ok. Dr said I could be lactose intolerant for 3 to 6 months, I cannot seem to tolerate, eggs, milk, butter, cream. his really sucks, Luckily I found a Protein shake that is lactose and sugar free made by Lean Body (on the Go) and it has 25gms of protein.

Good Morning everyone, My surgery date is set for Sept 7 for LapBand. The nutritionist at my surgeons office is less than helpful. I know more than she does. My question is, has anyone who is a vegetarian had the surgery? What did you eat after? Everything says chicken, ground beef, etc. I have been a vegetarian for 9 years and won't give that up. Looking for ideas. Thanks Barbara:whoo:

That's good to hear. The though tof never having a salad or raw veggie was a little hard to take. When the "nutritionist" was talking about stage 2-3, she kept saying chicken salad, tuna salad, beef chili...... I reminded her again I was a vegetarian. She didn't even know what stevia was. I really appreciate the input. It makes it easier to adjust. Barb

I'm a vegan rather than a vegetarian. I can eat all the same stuff I could pre-op, though not nearly as much. I can only take small bits of things now. Sometimes, I can't fit in as many raw vegies as I would like and I try to make the most nutrient dense choices. I'm surprised your nutritionist did not go into vegetarian options. How remiss! All my sheets mentioned meat alternatives & legumes. If you have any specific questions, please ask. There are quite a few vegos on here. Post-op liquid phase, I had different vegie Soups, strained. I put hommous in them for extra Protein. Later I made thicker soups like lentil and minestrone. I also had raw fruit and vegetable juices. Since you eat dairy, you will have options like yoghurt and whatnot. The main thing is that, later down the track, you will still be able to eat all the healthy types of food you like and will not die from protein deficiency. You can just eat about a third of the amount of food (or less) than you do now. By the way, I was banded a bit less than three months ago so am still learning but I have already lost 44pounds/20 kilos. I hope the other vegetarians come out of the woodwork.