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Try vegan/vegetarian food. I might be weird but I love the Loma Linda/Worthington canned Proteins. My favorites are Little Links, Tender Bits, Redi-Burger and Linkettes. And there are a lot of other brands. I like Boca Burgers and Boca "chicken" patties too. Ask around to see what other people really like.

Wow...I can't say enough about the person I was before as opposed to who I am now. I am a full vegetarian, work out every day, size 6, love life/love being active/ so thankful that this surgery was available when I needed it...2000 :-)

Ok, this is hat I found so far, I will send a message and try to find out what the name of the medicine is, anyway here is the post: First of all, I found out what my problem is. When people eat their stomach churns and works hard to break down food so it can pass through the GI system. My stomach works REALLY hard at this task. IOW, when I eat my stomach goes into overdrive and bottom line, my stoma closes. So I am now taking drugs to prevent stomach spasms. It is working sometimes. I still can't eat fruits and veggies yet I can eat dried fruits and veggies. The dried veggies I eat taste just like potato chips so I feel like I'm cheating but the scale tells me different. I was banded in December, I have lost 70 lbs, I have 32 to go. I can't eat meat but that's okay with me, I was a vegetarian for many years and am more than happy to go back to that lifestyle. Hope this helps. JC

Truth! My kid is a vegetarian and some of her veggie burgers would blow my carb count for the day.

@ thank you. I am actually a vegetarian so not sticking to this exactly, just the general theme of very low carb liquidds then soft proteinn etc. This has been a very insightful process thus far for me. I am much more aware of my urges and cravings, and what I may truly be wanting instead of eating. Even if this doesn't reset my restriction, I've already gotten so much out of going back to liquids only. In many ways, I think I needed to a few months at this weight to get used to this new me and figure out this next part of my work, and now I can re-adjust my goals to move forward. again, edited to remove links to buying items.

Hello to everyone who reads my post!! My name is Mikki, and I am a newbie to the VSG surgery. I first met my doctor 2 years ago, and I had thought that knowing this surgery would be the final straw, that I would do soemthing to get my weight in order. Finally, as of January 2014, I have found the mental strength to take control of my life. I changed my habits and started to adopt a vegetarian (transitioning to Vegan) lifestyle. I have never felt better, and I have noticed the weight is coming off on its own now. I have also started to deal with my internal struggles, which has also helped tremendously! Now, for the question: Is it possible to live a vegan lifestyle post-op? The nurse advised me that I would need to drink ideal Protein for two weeks before my surgery. Is there a vegan option out there instead? If any of you veterans have any links, or another post in the forum that offers advice or tips, I would LOVE it if you would reply to my post. I am a bit afraid (knowing the worst case scenario outcome), and am trying to breathe and relax and know that I am doing the best thing I possible can for my body and my life. I would really enjoy meeting some friends and a support group of people experiencing the same thing I am, or who would like to be there to hold my hand throughout this journey! Thank you for reading! Mikki

i love forums. when i got a pug, i was obsessed with a pug forum. the information you get is just amazing. and now, after weeks of research, i decided on lap band so i found a lap band forum! even though i know i want this, i know i can't get it done here in NV. insurance doesn't cover it. i have been especially lucky in the sense that i don't have any health issues... but how long can that last? i am 5'1 and over 200lbs. i have been on weight watchers for 7 months and have lost 15lbs. i am practically a vegetarian - no red meat, no dairy. my life consists of veggie burgers, whole grains and sugar free. and yet... no real weight loss. i am at the point in my life where i want to settle down and have kids. my husband is excited for me to be happy again. i'm seriously considering going to Mexico for the surgery... but when you say that, the first thing most people think of is some filthy backwater clinic in the middle of nowhere. after my research, i know that the majority is NOT like that... but... i still worry. i want the best that i can get. so far 2 names stick out - Dr. Ortiz and i can't remember the other off hand, (rumbart?). i would like to do it sooner, rather then later. i think i'm just rambling now. i just wanted to say hi and how glad i am i found this forum!!! your stories are totally inspirational!!!!!!! :clap2:

Why would someone worry about what you are eating? Even when I was the sole vegetarian in a group of carnivores it's never been an issue.

I'm a little worried here... I am a vegetarian, and everything I can eat has some carbs. Some Dairy and eggs are not too bad, but I can't live on those. I get surgerized in a week, and keeping my fingers crossed! I did lose some weight on vegetarian South Beach, and the low glycemic index choices did lower my hunger substantially... so I'm hoping that low/medium glycemic index carbs will be ok for losing weight.... Right now at 1600 calories, my carbs are over 170 a day. I'm sure it will be less when I eat much less....

A lot of vegetarian recipes use lots of dairy products. I've read that many people become lactose intolerant after WLS. If you are using recipes that use dairy products (cheese, yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, milk, cream, etc), you are getting lactose, so your pain could be simple lactose intolerance. Since dairy products make my arthritis flare up, I've avoided them for years; so feel free to ask me if you want to try some of the excellent dairy alternatives out there (including a home-made nut-based "cheese" to die for!). The other culprit could be simple fats/oils. Many vegetarian recipes will replace the loss of flavor from meats with more fats (even the "leanest" meats are naturally very high in fat). You might try some low-fat flavorful recipes. My favorites are from the book "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by dr. Caldwell Essestyn. Many people rave about free recipes from the happyherbivore.com and fatfreevegan.com, too. Best of luck!

Where have you looked so far? That way we don't duplicate anything. You can always google for bariatric and vegan or vegetarian. Dr. Garth Davis would be a good one to follow.

I lost a friend through this process she's also morbidly obese and very happy. She was at around 350 when she started doing Zumba and adopted a vegetarian lifestyle. I supported her jn this by attending her classes with her and when she started teaching it I supported her there too. She lost 80 pounds. I lost 5?? I decided to do surgery and she got different. Really bitter. And I know I am emotional during this journey but her comments have been offensive and hurt my feelings. They weren't always weight related. Comments were about everything and usually a little slide of you like to find the easy way to things huh I dropped her finally I can't have toxic in my life. By the way yes I like the easy way. I like to keep it simple stupid in all things.

I'm vegetarian so that probably plays a part but I have never been constipated. My doc had us on stool softners from day 1 post op. If you think the extra Iron is the culprit, make sure to increase your Water. I would also try adding something like psyllium powder daily in addition to regular doses of prunes or prune juice. If you are eating an otherwise balanced diet, the added carbs/sugar are not going to hurt. My carbs fluctuate between 50 - 70 a day and I've been losing regularly.

Oh, I am working with a nutritionist and she's very helpful. Like I said further up, I eat eggs, cheese, nuts etc. for my proteins -- and occasionally fish. That key lime yogurt sounds like something I could get into too! My question was more for educational reasons, so many people have said that I need to get more protein in, and I was trying to figure out if we actually meant protein or solids. I think we mean solids when we say proteins, as there seem to be all sorts of slider mushies that can also technically be called protein. In any event, I do think I need to try and find more of these (solids) and that can be a challenge as a vegetarian. I used to get all my protein from veggie sources, but that involved eating huge amounts of food on a regular basis. I think that is why I am having so much trouble with portions too. Sigh. I WILL get this

thanks for the tips everyone. what really sucks is that i'm living in a foreign country where finding real cheese is next to impossible. i'm also a vegetarian so i don't eat meat, eggs, pork, fish or poultry. veggie chili is something i love and i figured i'd get the Protein from the Beans, but i'm going to have to really limit my intake since it's probably a slider for me. i think i'll try it with less sauce and more veggies. i'm also going to start searching for other sources that are available to me - maybe soy meats or something. i'm really hoping that with the right food and maybe another fill i reach the sweet spot *fingers crossed*

I think there is a line were what you need to do, and what you can do may clash. Not as easy as saying "just get your head in the game" or "Just eat less" or "Just exercise more". Of course these things count... but it looks to me like there may be some other factors at play here. Brain chemestry? Biome health? When I decided to get the WLS I knew that I would have to do something different than I did before surgery. The lifetyle change. I also knew that I couldnt go so far out of my current lifestyle that I would be falling off the wagon at every turn. I decided I would focus on portion control, not super low carbs.... I am a vegetarian, and very low carb is pretty hard to maintain with limited low carb proteins. I could however eat less carbs. I reworked many recipes to better meet my health needs. I would try and eat everything I wanted too... but keep an eye on the numbers at all times... write it down, weight and measure, get enough protein, drink my water, maintain consistancy with my exercise.... Every day is a work in progress. When stress and tragidy come into the picture... its just that much harder. The drug componant of food becomes a player too. I have seen others around me here going cold turkey with carbs... I can do that too, but know I can't and don't want to live that way, I have tried to make lifestyle changes that will last in the long run. This means for me that I am closer to the edge of gaining... if I graze a little too much, if I dont bother writing down what I eat for a few days, if I eat for the drug effects (sugar!) or just step out of my routein too much (eating out... vacation, house guests, parties) it all shows on the scale. I have dedicated two days a week to lower carb and calorie consumption for the last year, and I think this helps keep me from gaining more than I already have. I find it harder and harder to really get back into the downward loss mode these days. I just finished the 5 day pouch test a few weeks ago.. I lost 6 1/5 pounds which felt great, of course you know that kind of quick weight loss is a water dump from low carbs, so very easy to gain back. It value was to remember how lower carbs and higher protein can work for retriction which is a value if you have lost track of that quality of the sleeve. (or pouch). I really don't want to become a yo-yo dieter again... and am looking for a way, in the long run to keep this weight off. At 4 1/2 years, I am till in the "successfull" range, but still looking backwards to the time I was at goal and working to try and get back there if possible, in a sane and sustainable way.

I am a vegetarian. Therefore I get the most of my Protein from plant sources. So the idea that one has to eat the protein first and then the vegetables is not true. If you make a dish with high protein grains and vegetables and add a meat to it that seems to me to be a protein powerhouse meal. I mean a 1/4 cup of roasted edamame has 12 grams of protein. Think about it. I am not trying to convince you to for go all meat, but if you were to pair a meat with a high protein you should be okay. I mean if I were to eat my protein first and then my vegetables I would have a problem. I purchased a high protein cookbook so that after surgery every meal would be plant based in high in protein.

Checking in! *8 months post RNY* I haven’t ran nearly as much as I planned this month. I’ve been eating well balanced pescatarian and vegetarian meals since the 1st. I meal prepped for my Myrtle Beach trip and didn’t stray from it (lost 6lbs while ON vacation). My starting weight was 199lbs this month with an end goal of 187lbs. As of yesterday I’m 191lbs so I might hit my goal! I’m 26lbs away from goal weight. Here’s a pic of me on vacation a few days ago vs me in July of 2018 when I was 2 months away from my surgery date.

The High Protein Vegetarian Cookbook Hey that's interesting, hadn't thought of veg really as a source of enough protien, save Beans ans legumes. We like edamame and I was thinking of making an edamame hummus for Fiance's puree stage. What's the name of the cookbook you mentioned? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

I’m on week two from sleeve surgery. Is it too early to incorporate mashed tofu? I got green light from surgeon yesterday to move from liquids to purée food. I had sleeve surgery 7/3. I’ve been vegetarian 15 years and vegan off and on. Now on for past year and half. I love reading about vegans on this forum who have been or are planning to be. You are my tribe! ❤️❤️❤️ I opted for bariatricfusion multivitamins but I’m going to go back to my plant based vitamins once I run out. There are a few deficiencies in the plant based multivitamins but I figure it’s because those vitamins/minerals low in multivitamin can be obtained from food. The vitamin I was using which I love is PLNT - Whole Food Women’s Multivitamin from Vitamin Shoppe. (Brown box). For example calcium. This vitamin only has 21 mg and it’s recommended we have 1,000 mg daily. I can get that from tofu and certain vegetables. Love to hear about your ideas and thoughts.... Tammy

I am not a vegetarian so I am not much help on that but I do know there are some people on this page that are so re-title your thread with something like "Need Help with Vegetarian ideas & recipes" and I bet they will chime in. Good luck- LA

I'm screwed with Sbux. My drink is a venti iced green tea latte, 1 pump, double matcha. I can give up the pump but their matcha is mixed with sugar so it's unavoidable. I've had 3 - 5 of those per week for the last 3 years so... this is gonna be an adjustment. Sbux chicken sausage Breakfast wrap has 300 calories/14gm Protein. They have an egg white wrap too, IIRC. Panera has a really good vegetarian black bean Soup (110 cal, 1g sat fat, 2.5g total fat, 980mg sodium, 18g carbs, 3g sugars, 3g Fiber, 6g protein). When banded I would get that and a half asiago roastbeef sandwich (350 cal, 7g sat fat, 13g total fat, 630mg sodium, 32g carbs, 2g sugars, 1g fiber, 24g protein). Breakfast power sandwich (360 cal, 6g sat fat, 14g total fat, 860mg sodium, 36g carbs, 3g sugars, 4g fiber, 23g protein). You can easily skip the bread on anything above.

I've only told a very select group, not even my brother knows, and neither does my best friend as even though I love her dearly I know she would tell someone. Helps that she lives 3 hours away from me. I had started losing weight in December and people at work were noticing before I had my surgery (3weeks post op now) and I was truthful and said I was being careful with what I ate and trying to eat less, so that story can still continue. I just told people I was having surgery, a few tries to pry and ask "is everything ok?" Hoping I'd spill the Beans, but I'd just smile and say yes it will be thanks. That closed the door on any further conversation about it. My surgeon found a hernia and repaired it whilst I was under, so I will be able to use that as my story if I really am pressed to. And we have a big family wedding coming up at end of April, I've opted for the vegetarian option, and when I don't eat a lot of it I'll just say I'm not feeling 100% I have a bit of a funny tummy and hope for the best! Lol Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It's vegetarian and even Kosher. There is no real bacon in it. If you have high blood pressure, make sure to get the low sodium types.

I have been researching the lapband and rouxenY for a while. RouxenY is out of the question for me because I and my family are afraid of death. Besides this, I am twenty one years of age! Young, and I highly doubt that the staples will survive until I am 30. (much less 40,50, or however long that I hope to live).. My story: I have ALWAYS been a big girl. I was tormented as a child, and in middle school and at 12 I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome and Pre-Diabetes. Thats a scary thing, and embarrassing thing at twelve years old. I didnt want any doctor telling me about my menstration, and I didnt care about diabetes. I was eating donuts and chocolate milk everyday for lunch, and nothing mattered. at this point I was prescribed glucophage to regulate my bloodsugar and bring my hormones back to normal. :phanvan I remained between 240-220 throughout highschool, but through running and trackpractice and other whatnots, I was able to get down to close to 200 pounds by graduation. :straight (I have been a vegetarian for 9 years as well, but often and always choosing the bad foods):straight:straight:straight Come college, I was suffering from depression and anxiety. I was in a highstress environment because I was going through a very intensive music program at a conservatory. Through an even stricter vegan diet, and from overdoing things at the gym, I had lost 20 more pounds and gotten myself down to 180-182. I couldnt understand why I couldnt get a boyfriend. This was the thinnest I had ever been, and it was unhealthy. I was weak, my hair was coming out, and I was constantly exausted from overexercising, low self esteem and not getting enough food, and not any protein at all. :rolleyes that very year I came down with a generative joint disease called rheumatoid arthritis/ or rheumatism. I suffered.. boy oh boy did I suffer. Slowly, I couldnt walk, or do anything. I had to quit music, and redefine myself completely. I was completely depressed, however I had gained a boyfriend who didnt care at all about my weight. :clap2: quickly I gained 60 pounds, and my rheumatologist made me go on prednisone for a while, and I my metabolism slowed to a crawl because I could not walk. Me knees got shot, I ended up having to have surgery on both elbow joints, my wrist lost the space between the bones, and my fingers swelled up. Ic ouldnt even bear a sheet on me at night, and when people accidently bumped into my swollen body I would scream bloody murder. this was 2004-2005.. i flunked several quarters at school, and i was just a mess. although I am doing much better. I cannot stand for more than an hour or so at a time. i can no longer run because my left ankle needs surgery and physical therapy. my metabolism is terrible and even though i am eating normally, i still have issues with foods, and I still have been steadily putting on the weight. that is my story. it is ridiculous.