Search the Community

I'd really like to switch to being vegetarian for spiritual reasons, but I'm at the beginning of the whole process for the gastric sleeve. I have to lose 30 lbs to have the surgery. So far I've gained one. I swear, being told I have to lose weight makes me gain. I really have not liked meat substitutes I've tried, and I'm wondering if it's possible to get your protein without them. I'm looking at going vegetarian, not vegan, so I would still have access to dairy and eggs, but I don't want to overdo it on those. I'm not a fruits and vegetables fan and this is going to be a very hard switch for me, but I do really want to do it. Thanks for any info you can give!

Any favorites? Creative recipes and recipes that can be made veg welcome

Hi, I was wondering if anyone with the band is a vegetarian or vegan? It is something that I have been considering for a long time now and have made the move towards becoming but have not been able to fully incorporate yet. If you are would you mind sharing some sample menus with me? I know I can find a lot on line but getting info from fellow bandsters is more encouraging to me. Thanks

I was on a vegan diet for a few months last year and really liked it. I know most of you sleevers are low-carbing it, but I wonder whether anybody has tried vegetarian/vegan eating with the sleeve? Have any of you discussed it with your doctor? I plan to talk to my surgeon about it but would love to hear from you about it, too. Thanks!

The boyfriend of my friend's mom may be thinking of getting the sleeve. The problem is that he is vegetarian and nearly all of his food is carbs. My biggest fear for him is not being successful because of his inability to replace carbs with Protein. Are there any vegetarians and/or vegans here who have had success with the sleeve? If so, how do you manage to make the switch and how difficult has it been for you?

I am 5 1/2 months post op and I'm wanting to change my diet to a plant strong diet. Is anyone having success doing this?

So post surgery I am just not liking meat. I've tried everything. Can't do it. Tomatoes, lettuce, olives, pickles,.......veggies, just veggies in general is what I crave. Any vegetarians out there wish to share your plan with me? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am very interested in finding out why the day to day protein intake and meals for vegetarians are ? I am considering becoming a vegetarian but I want to thoroughly educate myself. Thank you.

I am not banded yet, but am doing some research while jumping through insurance hoops. I am a vegetarian and just wondering what it has been like for banded vegetarians. Is Protein an issue? What about eating the veggie meats and tofu? Has it been a good experience? Any input helps.... Thanks,

Has anyone had to switch to a vegetarian lifestyle after getting their wls?

I'm still pre-op, but I'm wondering about how I'll get enough protein when the time comes. I do eat some dairy now, but I always take lactase pills. Will this be possible post-op? I'm also concerned about eating too much soy...

I’m a vegetarian in the preop phase of surgery. I had my consultation yesterday and was able to check off everything required prior to surgery (cardiologist, upper G.I., sleep study, etc.) except the nutritionist appointments and preop lab work. I wanted to ask if anyone was vegetarian or vegan postop and how well you’re doing with it. Also, please feel free to share any recipes or tips!

I've noticed on YouTube and IG that so many RNYers are eating keto. I've been a vegetarian and part-time vegan for 18 years (actually started that after trying Atkins diet!) There's got to be people out there meeting both their nutrition and weight loss goals by eating vegetarian or vegan. Help, I need your feedback!

I am just curious if there are any fellow vegetarians that have had lap band surgery or in the process of having it?

Hi. I'm having my surgery in the beginning of July. I'd like to hear from Vegetarian Sleevers. Please let me know how you handle the nutritionists' push for protein. And how you manage your vegetarian diet post-surgery. (Can relate to any time after surgery) I've heard that rice is a no-no. What are your staples? Thanks.

I'm having some trouble trying to figure out what to eat the next two weeks. I have to start my two week preop diet. My doctors PreOp diet is per day: 4 protein shakes 4oz protein 2 non starchy vegetables 2 fruits My big problem is that I am Vegetarian. I'm having trouble trying to figure out what to eat for my protein. I eat eggs and cheese. I am used to eating with lentils, pastas, rices and potatoes all of which I can not have. Any ideas?

I'm a cheese and mashed potato freak. Carbs all the way. I love my mother's Shepherd's pie but tried doing it 100% vegetarian and it was unbelievably good!! 2 heads cauliflower (1 would do, but again i needed the illusion of mashed potatoes) 1 pkg Smart Ground soy "beef" 1/2 pkg lipton Soup savory herb mix 1 yellow onion, diced 1/2 pkg Soya Kaas mild cheddar cheese (dairy free alternative)<--- by the way, this is the best non dairy cheese on the market. i've tried tons, they sucked. This is delicious AND melts properly! Whole Foods has it. 1 can tomato soup 1 - 2 cups veggies - I used roasted carrots, anything fresh or frozen 3 - 5 TBSP butter/margarine little bit of milk, optional salt, pepper I had tons of carrots leftover from juicing so I cut them up with some EVOO and salt and pepper and roasted them for 20 minutes. You can use canned green Beans, corn, peas, anything you want to use up. Once I made this with Steamfresh southwest corn...mmm!!! Those spices were great. Cup up and boil the cauliflower til mushy. Mash it like potatoes with butter, salt and pepper. I used a little bit of milk to make them creamy but they hold Water well, I didn't need it. With some EVOO, brown the diced onion then throw in the meat alternative. After about 10 minutes, I added in some Savory Herb recipe soup mix I had left over. Only needed about 1/2 a packet. Chuck the tomato sauce and whatever veggies you want into the skillet. If they are fresh or raw veggies, cook them first - frozen is already cooked so those can just get dumped in and heated. **NOTE: If you are using frozen veggies, you don't need to add water to the mixture, but if you're using pre-cooked veggies, keep an eye on the mix and add a little water as needed so it doesn't get too thick. In a casserole dish, dump in the meat and veggie mix, layer with slices of the Soya cheddar cheese, then spread the cauliflower on top. Sprinkle the top with some sea salt/fresh ground pepper and bake for about 30 minutes at 350. The cheese does take a bit longer to melt than regular cheese, so keep checking it. This recipe was so incredibly good!! Spices make all the difference with meatless meats. :shades_smile: It's also very band friendly with tons of Protein and vegetables. Just gotta be careful with the butter and cheese. enjoy!

:hungry: I really wish I could eat meat, I really do. I'm so scared of it. It repulses me. Sometimes it smells good, but I just can't. I feel if I did eat it then it would kick start my metabolism and I would eat so many less carbs. I am still on pre-op diet but I'm reflecting on what got me here. I am really looking forward to the band and not being able to eat bread and pasta anymore, due to what I here about the dreaded PB's. I think that alone would keep me from doing it, but who knows what the dreadful mind will do? Well, 4 days to LB surgery...I wish I would wake up and tomorrow would be the day...

I have a friend who is vegan, and I went to her because I am having trouble #1 getting in my Protein, #2 tolerating a lot of meat. My body right now does not like cheese or eggs, so my options for protein from food sources has been cut in half practically. Anyways, she shared with me a lot of options that are chalked full of protein. About 20 grams per 3-4 oz. She told me that this tempeh and seitan are both easily digested, and taste great. There are millions of recipes out there to add variety, and I'm excited to try some. She has been vegan for years, and has this stuff down to a science practically. She even converted her Army "meat/potato" husband to vegan by using these recipes. I haven't personally tried any of these because I have to go to Whole Foods which is an hour away. I'm hoping to go tomorrow with my list of necessities for some of these recipes. Beans, rinsed 1 cup broth 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp soy sauce 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced 1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed 1 tsp red pepper flakes 1 tsp dried oregano a few dashes of black pepper Before mixing ingredients get steaming apparatus ready and start bringing Water to boil. Have four sheets of tinfoil ready. In a large bowl, mash the beans until there are no whole pieces left. Throw the other ingredients together, in the order listed, and mix with a fork. Divide the dough into 4 even parts. Place one part of dough onto tin foil and mold into a 5 inch log. Wrap the dough in the tin foil, like a Tootsie Roll (don't worry about it being shaped perfectly, it'll shape itself while steaming). Placed wrapped sausages in steamer and steam for 40 minutes. You can eat immediately, refrigerate, or freeze. They can be sliced and sauteed or even grilled whole. There are two variations of this: Cherry Sage add 1 tsp liquid smoke (easy to find at a regular grocery store) instead of the spices listed above (from fennel to the pepper) use 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp dry rubbed sage, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp cloves, fresh pepper and 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries. Chorizo sub navy beans with pinto beans add 2 Tbsp tomato paste and 2 tsp lemon zest instead of the spices listed above (from fennel to the pepper) use 1 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp crushed red pepper, 1 Tbsp dry rubbed sage, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional) The cooking directions are the same for all. The nutrition information for the Italian Feast Sausage is for 1/2 a sausage: Calories135.3 Total Fat2.2 g Saturated Fat0.3 g Polyunsaturated Fat0.2 g Monounsaturated Fat1.4 g Cholesterol0.0 mg Sodium423.7 mg Potassium164.3 mg Total Carbohydrate11.9 g Dietary Fiber4.3 g Sugars0.3 g Protein19.9 g A blog whose recipes I have made in the past posted this recipe the other day, that would easily use store-bought seitan: chicken style seitan to "veal" and "pork chops". Still, some recipes you may like: Breakfast sausages and canadian bacon. I think you should look into tempeh too. The brand that I buy is about 20g of protein for 4oz. I know that is the max that you can eat, but you could always just have three ounces, and then something else for the extra ounce? Anyway, something like this might work well: Maple Grilled Tempeh Recipe - 101 Cookbooks

Hi I am totally a newbie and am looking into the sleeve as an option for me. I am a vegetarian, I travel ALOT and I eat Indian food frequently...rice and spicy curries. Does anyone have any advice about this? How do Sleevers tolerate spicy food. Thanks!