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After three fast days without any loss, I changed my aproach a bit, lower carbs on fast day (around 60- being a vegetarian makes it a little harder to keep it low), more raw and nothing before dinner... and lost a pound.... VERY happy to see this. lowering the carbs really helped the Water weight to come off. Still there, and fasting tomorrow... so hope this is a sign the stall is over and I'm heading south again! Good job ladies! Stick with it!

Hi! I'm 16 months out right now, and still measure my food to 4 or 5 ounces. I can do 4 ounces of greek yogurt with an ounce of granola. On occasion, if I don't measure, I'll find I can eat up to 6 ounces, which gets scary. So, I try to keep portions to 4 or 5 ounces. 2 low fat string cheeses with a half cup of grapes (about 3 ounces) is perfectly satisfying, without me feeling full. If I'm eating something more liquidy, like lentils or curries, I will usually go up to 5 or 6 ounces. I'm vegetarian, so can't give you much input on the denser meats, which I've heard feel heavier in the stomach. Good luck!

I am glad to hear some people didn't have to do the weeks of liquid, i was supposed to do a one week liquid diet but felt like crap so it went one day liquid one day food. Is there anyone else that has had this and is a vegetarian. I am really having problems coming up with as much protein as needed, esp doing the 2 wk post op liquid diet. (which i have been very good) although i have been experiencing shooting pains from my shoulder into my neck, the doctor said if it gets worse to go to the er. oh and i want one of those cute little count down things!

They never show up until they have regained 75% of their weight. Every flipping time. The one vegetarian that used to post here that was sleeved around the time I was never got goal or anywhere remotely close. I don't think they ever even lost 50% of excess weight. Prove us wrong carb people, prove us wrong. I'm rooting for for you.

Low carb isn't keto and keto isn't low carb. People keep mixing up the terms and they are not the same thing. A post-op diet is low carb, not keto. Almost all bariatric diets post-op are low carb and low fat (which is kind of impossible). The reason so many people fail at Keto is because they don't understand what it is or how it works. You have to set your macros and control the ratios carefully. If you aren't you are just low carbing, which is fine, but it isn't Keto. Unless you are vegetarian/vegan, you are going to low carb for the rest of your life anyway if you are eating properly in the right order. If you have plate of food, you are supposed to eat your protein FIRST. First means ALONE not alternating bites with other foods, FIRST. If you have your proper portion of protein 3-4 ounces, and you finish that, THEN eat your veggies/carbs, you will be lucky to get an ounce of those items in. The protein is going to make you full by eating it first. People don't follow these directions, they eat alternating bites. They don't measure and weigh their portions. If you eat your veggies alternating bites with your protein, you can eat a lot more food, and you won't feel as full and you will not get all your protein in. This is why I eat my veggies separate at snacks so I can get enough veggies in while meeting my protein goals. If I didn't eat my veggies separate, I would never eat any, because 3 to 4 ounces of protein fills me up. On a typical day I eat 4 cups of spinach. That is pretty much the sum of my carbs, and it is barely 4 carbs, the rest of my carbs are from half and half. If I have broccoli instead I might hit 6 carbs in broccoli and even that is a stretch because broccoli is more filling and I can't eat as much of it as I can of spinach. If you are eating protein and green veggies, it is basically impossible not to low carb.

I like tofu and cook with it pretty often, especially when I make something with a good sauce. However, for me it is not a substitute for good meat, the taste and texture doesn't work. There are countless delicious vegetarian foods. Sadly, the ones that pretend they are something they are not usually taste like ass. A lot of heavy meat eaters may end up trying those lousy fake meat substitutes, assume all veggie cuisine tastes like that and never try it again.

"Everyone knows vegetarians are communists." Hint: It's from a current TV show, not a movie.

Oh my gracious no beef or pork for a year??? I would have been struggling. I eat them a lot. I wonder what the reason is?? What about trying some plant based protein options. Besides beans what about vegetarian meat substitutes? This may be a good opportunity to broaden your food preferences as your taste buds can be a bit off. Things you didn’t like before may be more palatable & you may find you enjoy them more now. Worth a shot.

I'm honestly not sure yet if I regret my surgery or not. I'm thrilled with my weight loss, but there are drawbacks. I'm a lactose intolerant, vegetarian turned pescatarian with IBS. I spent a really long time figuring out what to eat, how to eat, and when to eat in every conceivable situation. I'm not excited about having to start that process all over again. However, that's not even the most disappointing part of the surgery for me. What I'm having the hardest time with is the return of my acid reflux. I used to be able to control it through food, but now even though I'm on medication and even though I'm barely eating anything, I'm still dealing with it. This may not be a huge deal to some, but I'm a singer and it's RUINING my voice. It makes me so incredibly hoarse that my range is shot. I can't perform and it just makes me sad to try and learn new music. I guess I didn't realize how likely I would be to have GERD after the surgery so I didn't realize how I would be impacted. My GERD is very mild and hardly bothers me, yet it still prevents me from singing as well as I'm usually able to. It hurts.

I am so happy to hear you are having this kind of success at over 4 years out! I also exercise 4+ days a week, and log all my food. So far I have refused to eat less than 1200 cals a day, and I am a vegetarian=more carbs. I use fitbit to watch my output as well (for only the last month so far...love it!) according to my input=output I input 500 cals a day less than I output.I do eat my exercise cals back to stay at the -500 cals a day. No weight loss so far, but I am staying the same. I refuse to eat less. This might have to change, but Im taking it slow. Everyone is different! There are others on here that watch everything and stay the same out a couple of years.

Soy is also a problem for me. Same for lots of food restrictions. What about eating as vegetarian as possible? That's what I do.

I would not suggest it. I was a vegetarian with the band. Soy products are only good for you in small amounts. You really should not live off them. Also think about how much they have to process soy to get it to taste and feel like different meats. I still eat soy products from time to time, but it will effect your hormones. They threw me out of wack and made me crazy.

I have always been a big meat eater, but something happened since surgery: following my surgeons instructions to eat protein first left me with little room for anything else. This made me realize that I needed to find other options. My first thought was to add nutrabullet shakes but everyone seems freaked about the fruit sugar. I don't believe for one second fruit made me fat or can make me fat. I have been making an effort to eat less meat and much more fruits and veggies for long term health and faster weight loss. I'm not committed to vegetarianism but I do want to continue to shift in that direction and can use all the help I can get. Trying to avoid gmos and factory farms means choosing higher fat foods. Some days I live on nuts and advocados. I feel like I'm stumbling clumsy and lost. My surgeons office clearly knows nothing about food. Any info would be much appreciated.

Welcome @Batty's Mom. The best person on this thread for help with vegetarian ideas is @Newme17. She is planning a vegetarian diet also. I am so sorry you went through so much with your surgery. What exactly was the complication, if you don't mind sharing? I hope you are on the road to feeling better now.

Changes in diet can sometimes lead to hair loss Tuesday, September 13, 2005 By Tara Parker-Pope, The Wall Street Journal Dieters hoping to lose weight are discovering they're losing something else -- their hair. The little-talked-about secret of the dieting industry is that a successful diet can also trigger hair loss. As Americans struggle with obesity and tackle countless fad diets, some dermatologists say they are increasingly hearing complaints from perplexed dieters about thinning hair. After Esther Sokol, a New York City records manager, lost nine pounds on the Atkins diet a few years ago, her hairdresser noticed her usually thick hair was beginning to thin. It was only after talking with doctors and hair experts that she learned her diet was the likely culprit. "Diet was the only major change I'd made," says Ms. Sokol. Hair loss can be triggered by a variety of factors including pregnancy, stress, surgery and age-related hormonal changes, to name a few. But few people realize that weight loss can also cause hair to shed, likely due to a nutritional deficiency. Although iron deficiency is often associated with diet-related hair loss, a range of nutrient deficiencies can result in thinning hair, dermatologists say. Changes in levels of zinc, magnesium, protein, essential fatty acids and vitamins D, B and A can all trigger episodes of shedding hair. The problem affects both men and women, but women are more likely to notice it and seek treatment, say doctors. The fact that so many different nutrients can be the culprit in hair loss means any diet can take a toll on the tresses. The threat of thinning hair shouldn't discourage patients from losing weight, but it should convince them to avoid fad, quick-reduction diets, says Wilma Bergfeld, head of clinical research for the department of dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic. Such diets often lack proper nutrition, and rapid weight loss in itself is a stress on the body and can also trigger metabolism changes that affect hair growth. For hair health, doctors say the best weight-loss plans are reduced-calorie diets that promote gradual weight loss with healthful foods from all of the food groups. Diets low in protein and iron, such as vegetarian diets and very-low-fat diets, often result in deficiencies. But high-protein diets like Atkins that initially discourage fruits and vegetables can also trigger hair loss, says Dr. Bergfeld. The typical patient complains of thinning hair after losing about 20 pounds in a relatively short period of time, she says. "We see it all the time," says Dr. Bergfeld. "If you start eating only one thing and you're not well balanced, you get into trouble." A spokesman for Atkins referred questions to the company's Web site, which addresses hair loss in its frequently asked questions section, noting that any weight-loss plan can trigger hair loss. The site contends the Atkins diet is the "least likely" to cause hair loss. However, dermatologists say no scientific study has ever determined whether certain diets are more or less likely to cause hair loss. In a healthy person, hair typically grows about an inch every two months. Hair has a three-phase life cycle -- the growing phase can last two to five years. A second, less-active phase lasts only about six weeks. A final resting phase lasts three to five months, before the hair falls out and new hair grows in. About 15 percent of hair follicles are in the resting phase at a time. Abrupt changes in nutrition can disrupt the hair-growth cycle, causing hair follicles in the growing phase to convert to the resting phase too soon. This can mean a 20 percent to 30 percent or more increase in the number of daily hairs shed. For many people, diet-related hair loss is temporary and may last only about two to six months. Once a person starts eating a more balanced diet, hair eventually comes back. In some people it may take one to two years to regain a full head of hair, dermatologists say. Some dieters aren't even that lucky. A hair-shedding episode triggered by dieting may become a chronic problem if the dieter has a genetic predisposition for thinning hair, says Dr. Bergfeld and other doctors. In addition, hair loss triggered by dieting can be exacerbated by hormonal changes, stress or medications -- sending patients into a chronic cycle of hair shedding. Ms. Sokol says she stopped the diet and has since regained the weight -- but her hair has never recovered. She says that if she had been aware of the link between weight loss and hair loss she probably wouldn't have tried the diet. Dermatologists say they often advise dieters to take a multivitamin with iron and keep weight loss to a pace of one to two pounds a week. Dieters with a family history of thinning hair or baldness should be especially careful about proper nutrition and slow weight loss. Patients considering obesity surgery, which often results in rapid weight loss, should also talk to their doctor about ways to protect their hair. In addition to nutrition supplements, patients who experience thinning hair after dieting or for other reasons are advised to avoid chemical treatments like bleach or permanents that weaken hair. Minoxidil, the active ingredient in the topical treatment Rogaine, is often recommended for chronic hair loss, although it doesn't work for everyone and has to be used consistently or the hair shedding will return, notes Brooklyn dermatologist Morris Westfried, medical director of the New York Hair Loss Center who published one of the first reports on minoxidil. For men, the oral medication Propecia may also help improve thinning hair. Hair extensions and transplants are also an option, but they can be expensive.

Hello I have become pretty much vegetarian and juicing vegetables has helped me lose ! I go to the gym every night and lift weights I also never eat more then 1200 cals a day and eat extremely clean!!!

Ok, so I support your vegan/vegetarianism. Swearsies. I support your IF and doing it how you want. We all deserve to do our plan our way--regardless of anyone's opinions--even assh*ts like me! I can't answer the questions about cultures who base their societies on plant based foods. I can't even say what will or won't "possibly" happen to any of us who don't get our protein in. Dr. Weiner and Dr. Vuong don't seem to think protein is a major issue. Please don't be stressed out by me! I was just answerin' your question about why I expressed concern for your 4 hour eating window and why I didn't apply the same filter to Silly. ((hugs)) You certainly look healthy and beautiful and I suspect if your doc or RD didn't think so, they'd run tests, and if it was protein related, they'd come up with a plan for you!!! And it would not be a plan developed or espoused by some schmoe on the internet (aka me). You know I'm a professional worrier, right? But what you and Tea say does have quite a lot of logic and food for thought in them and it challenges my belief system. That's ok. What usually happens is they force/encourage me to examine/re-examine and grow in some way--stretching myself and my paradigms. God knows I have not been tearin' up the tracks in the lbs lost department. And I have been the diligent one eating every meal, eating every damn gram of protein...and now worried that I'm eating too much. ROFLMFAO! So maybe you guys DO have the right answers! I do know the thought of eating a snack today or even dinner is kinda repulsive to me. It's 4:30 and work has run late, and I'm just now getting to my green soup! Holy crap! So I truly don't know if it's best to acknowledge that and not force another meal/more protein on me. Or if I should just break it down and have yogurt or PP in coffee. Part of me is afraid to do things like this, cuz I do not want to be that girl that lives on PP and yogurt cuz it's easy and convenient for me and takes zero fuc*s to make. You know? I used to do that with cheese (and btw, did I mention cheese and salami too?) LOL...so it's just my own personal nightmares I'm probably visiting on your guys through projecting! God I would make a sucky counselor!

@Biddy zz and @GreenTealael Your question about Mrs. Biddy getting shakes refers to hypoglycemia. You need to get a blood glucose meter and monitor it. I think Dr. Fung says some of this is to be expected in the early days (shakiness), but am not quite sure? One thing for sure is that she is a sugar burner by virtue of her long-standing vegetarian lifestyle--as most SAV diets are defined here. But it may be diff in NZ. Funny, my observation of a large portion of Americans who claim to be "vegetarian" are posers. What they are REALLY and TRULY claiming is a myth and the reality is that most of the so-called vegetarians are really just "pasta and rice, bread, crackers, chips and cheese addicts who don't eat meat protein". I know that sounds harsh but I've seen it in action here and these people are MO. I eat more veggies and berries than they do even as a RNY post-surgery patient. And example of a bonafide vegetarian would be @GreenTealael. Her menus and food choices are beautiful, well-rounded and balanced (and are also lower carb to the point of keto). So I would think the easier route which she may not want to do would be to go low carb for a while first. Which will also take those 3-5lbs off of her in a hurry. You can still do that with vegetarian lifestyle, you just have to be very tricky about where the protein comes from...is she vegan or vegetarian? Does she eat eggs or fish or dairy of any kind? Do y'all have quorn protein there? Then once she is used to having cut out all "white stuff" and most grains, it gets WAY easier to IF for longer periods of time.If she doesn't want to do that, then she needs to try IF in baby steps. And that would be slowly delay breakfast for an hour longer each morning, but it's a slow walk down. Keep the nightly food curfew and try to get her to cut out sugar and white flours, subbing for whole grains, legumes, etc and slower acting carbohydrate while adding in LOTS of varied leafy greens, cruciferous veg, brassicas, onion/garlic/leek/green onion, and great herbs., and limiting the serving sizes of root veg and winter squashes. But again, please get Dr. Fung's book on The Complete Book of Fasting and don't take dietary advice from me. I'm just a schmoe on the internet and only can say what works for me according to my super-messed up metabolism!!!! ((hugs))

True story, I have a rough idea if I meal prep, but nothing ever so fancy. I'm just planning for vegetarian vs flexible days ...

Don't be too hard on yourself julie.ann. Even the healthiest of eaters has their off days or their cheat days. Remember, this is forever. You can't expect yourself to be perfect forever. My parents are vegetarians who do everything no-fat or at least low-fat. (Yeah, I was the black sheep - the great big black sheep) They've learned to give themselves some leeway once in a while - no tofurkey at Thanksgiving for them. We need to learn to do the same without beating ourselves up about it. Just get back on that horse! Good luck!

Yes, she is. She'd like to be around for quite a bit longer. Like you, she also avoids anything with soybeans, but she does eat other beans. It is very difficult to be vegetarian and avoid soy products. They make up a huge portion of the products available.

Everyone is welcome to my table! I'm an ovo lacto pescaterian So I super flexible but I still don't eat much dairy or eggs because they don't always agree with me, not my stomach necessarily but it shows up in my skin... Being vegan is an eventuality but I want to get far enough away from goal first because carbs... Funny I usually get enough fiber in when I'm eating vegetarian but not when I eat meat meals because I don't use chia, flax, hemp, psyllium etc. I 💟 Smooth Move, but you have to set your plans for being close to the bathroom. For a while.

Everyone's responses here have been so thought-provoking and don't know about you guys, but they have helped me explore stretching personal beliefs and goals. Thank you so much for taking time to give such in depth, thoughtful responses!! In doing this I found this most recent interview with Dr. Weiner that I wanted to share. And his thoughts on set points and weight loss are going to be confirmation to some and challenge others of us! I just thought it was interesting and real world from his practice. And wanted to share. (BTW, I don't hold with his vegetarian/vegan approach but do believe that we need the phytonutrients that are found in good consumption of leafy greens, low glycemic veg, and low glycemic fruits. So I cherry pick from his philosophy and from the low carb docs such as Dr. Stephen Phinney, Dr. Jeff Volek, Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Jason Fung, Dr. D'Agostino, and many more.)

I'm vegetarian. 15 years.

I use it, but I don't do a specific percentage configuration. ETA: I rechecked because I have my calorie limit set to 900 and I want to get no more than 100gms of Protein a day. My numbers look like this: 900 calories 35 carbs 45 protein 20 fat. I typically get between 80 -100 gm of protein/ 750- 900 calories a day. Doing an average of the 7 days my numbers for this week are 794 calories, 65 carbs, 28 fat, 88 gms protein. I know it's a weird combination, but since I have so far to go I try to keep calories low and protein high. My carbs probably are higher than what most eat, but they are mostly plant based because I am vegetarian.