Being Vegetarian

[futurebabe42 7]

Anybody think about becoming a vegetarian

I have thought about this for a long time

meat just doesn't go down very well

Exp fish, but beef and chicken can be dry and not go down

Anybody out there try this?

Could you share your results

[ladybug_popo 5]

I'm curious about this as well. I became vegetarian again after being banded, with the exception of some fish...so I guess I'm really a pescetarian. But I never really got into the green zone with my band, I just went for a fill, and am trying to get back on the wagon.

I am curious if there are any veggie banders out there that can talk about what they eat.

[DerbySunflower 28]

I'm not a vegetarian, but I've been inclined to try Meatless Mondays since getting banded. There are lots of high Protein veggie burgers. There are lots of veggie recipes on MeatlessMonday.com with nutrition information.

[MellioM 116]

Hi!!! I've been a vegetarian (ovo-lacto) for 17 years!

The band has been pretty good to me. I no longer eat Pasta or rice but I eat everything else I ate pre-banding.

I start each day with a Protein drink (powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury mixed with almond coconut milk and sometimes a little PB2). I have plain Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries and a couple of chocolate chips for a snack. lunch is usually vegetarian chicken salad or a boca spicy chicken patty with some salsa. Afternoon snack is some fresh fruit and a cheese stick. dinner varies but tonight I will have black Beans with 1 ounce cheddar cheese, salsa, and a couple tablespoons of Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. During the summer I have made my famous ratatouille and a few varieties of cabbage Soup. (I actually have to make another one tomorrow!). I have a farm share so I always use fresh fruits and veggies. Oh and when I need extra calories I will juice some fresh veggies with a couple of apples.

[judych 225]

Anybody think about becoming a vegetarian

I have thought about this for a long time

meat just doesn't go down very well

Exp fish, but beef and chicken can be dry and not go down

Anybody out there try this?

Could you share your results

Anybody think about becoming a vegetarian

I have thought about this for a long time

Meat just doesn't go down very well

Exp fish, but beef and chicken can be dry and not go down

Anybody out there try this?

Could you share your results

Anybody think about becoming a vegetarian

I have thought about this for a long time

Meat just doesn't go down very well

Exp fish, but beef and chicken can be dry and not go down

Anybody out there try this?

Could you share your results

Anybody think about becoming a vegetarian

I have thought about this for a long time

Meat just doesn't go down very well

Exp fish, but beef and chicken can be dry and not go down

Anybody out there try this?

Could you share your results

i found the same problems with meat being too dry. then i bought myself an electric pressure cooker. I started cooking my meats in the cooker and now i dont have any problems with the meat being too dry. And, for those of you who have problems with fish being dry... last night i made up a white sauce and poached some smoked cod in a little Water. When the fish was cooked i broke it up into smaller segments and put it into the white sauce... stirred it carefully for a full five minutes. it was really good... good texture and certainly not dry at all.

Getting back to the pressure cooker... i cant recommend them highly enough.. for those of you who want to continue to eat meat they are great.

[jrae 38]

What brand of pressure cooker do you use? I remember my mom using one when I was a kid and having Beans explode on the kitchen ceiling! I've wanted one for some time but am a little afraid of them!

[judych 225]

What brand of pressure cooker do you use? I remember my mom using one when I was a kid and having Beans explode on the kitchen ceiling! I've wanted one for some time but am a little afraid of them!

jrae.... i was like you.. afraid of them as well. My mum had one when i was growing up. we were never allowed to touch it. Mums was a very heavy cooker that sat on the hotplate... im assuming that your mum had one the same? on the lid was the pressure valve. About two months ago i bought myself a Digilex electric pressure cooker (online shopping in Aust.). it was on special and i needed to buy a rice cooker so i decided on the pressure cooker as it does rice as well as pressure cooking.

I had the cooker for at least two weeks without using it. i couldnt make much sense out of the small handbook that came with the cooker... obviously it was translated from another language. In the end i got hubbie to sit down with me and we read basic instructions on how to get started. I was really good with it after that . It takes just a little while to understand what the process is.. its not hard. i wouldnt be without mine now. Im using it everyday. I also got onto youtube ... typed in electric pressure cookers.. you could do that ? im sure you would never regret it if you bought one. Mine has a solid hot plate under the cooking pot .. i brown onions and coated meats before putting in some Water to cook. Its just great. Let me know if you do buy one... or if you find one you like. judy

[futurebabe42 7]

When I first cook chicken or beef it is moist it is when I reheat that it gets dry.

So after cooking it in the pressure cooker when you reheat does it get dry?

[daisychains7 427]

Yes, I've thought about it. I don't think I actually would go vegetarian, but eating certain types of meat is a pain in the butt now. I used to love beef before my surgery but now there's always gristle and it takes forever to chew down. I stick to chicken and fish.

[judych 225]

When I first cook chicken or beef it is moist it is when I reheat that it gets dry.

So after cooking it in the pressure cooker when you reheat does it get dry?

the meat retains its moisture a lot longer than normal. i havent had an issue with meat since Ive been cooking with the pressure cooker. Plus... there is intensified flavour as well. FAr better than slow cooking in my opinion. Ive not had problems with chicken drying out. ive cooked a whole chicken and it was moist up until we finished it... about three days. I havent cooked a whole piece of beef yet, apart from corned silverside which was very moist. Last night i cooked a piece of pork... about 3 lbs. it was delicious. I sliced apples, put peach slices over the top of the meat... had the meat cupped in two layers of tin foil, to keep the meat from sitting on the bottom.... and the pork was beautiful. im going to get a rack that will fit on the bottom of the cooking pot in the cooker.... then i wont have to use so much tin foil. i didnt close the meat off with the foil... just bought the foil up around the side. the upper part of the pork was uncovered.

[Tamg 29]

Anybody think about becoming a vegetarian

I have thought about this for a long time

meat just doesn't go down very well

Exp fish' date=' but beef and chicken can be dry and not go down

Anybody out there try this?

Could you share your results[/quote']

I eat vegetarian pre and post lap band. I eat Beans that my husband makes in the crock pot with liquid smoke...onions or what ever you want in it. I eat Gardein meat substitutes which are delish!! I Amys vegan burgers....hummus with half cup of veggies. I only eat a cup of food at each meal and no Snacks. My mornings are a Protein Shake. I do eat some fish but that's about it. You can find lots of recipes on line that are very good. Experiment and have fun!!!! I chose this lifestyle before lap and for health reasons. Good luck!!! Any question please ask.

[jrae 38]

jrae.... i was like you.. afraid of them as well. My mum had one when i was growing up. we were never allowed to touch it. Mums was a very heavy cooker that sat on the hotplate... im assuming that your mum had one the same? on the lid was the pressure valve. About two months ago i bought myself a Digilex electric pressure cooker (online shopping in Aust.). it was on special and i needed to buy a rice cooker so i decided on the pressure cooker as it does rice as well as pressure cooking.

I had the cooker for at least two weeks without using it. i couldnt make much sense out of the small handbook that came with the cooker... obviously it was translated from another language. In the end i got hubbie to sit down with me and we read basic instructions on how to get started. I was really good with it after that . It takes just a little while to understand what the process is.. its not hard. i wouldnt be without mine now. Im using it everyday. I also got onto youtube ... typed in electric pressure cookers.. you could do that ? im sure you would never regret it if you bought one. Mine has a solid hot plate under the cooking pot .. i brown onions and coated meats before putting in some Water to cook. Its just great. Let me know if you do buy one... or if you find one you like. judy

Thank you so much Judy! I really appreciate the info & will let you know what I get- I'm in the u.s. so not sure if we have that brand. Good to know about the instructions. :-)

[Justme9786 50]

I was a vegetarian for about a year or two. I felt the healthiest when I was a vegetarian and saw the most weight loss as well. I wasn't a vegetarian because of cruelty reasons or anything, just because i didn't eat much meat then. Now I'm the complete opposite doing Ketogenic diet, trying to shock my body back into weight loss!

[judych 225]

I was a vegetarian for about a year or two. I felt the healthiest when I was a vegetarian and saw the most weight loss as well. I wasn't a vegetarian because of cruelty reasons or anything, just because i didn't eat much meat then. Now I'm the complete opposite doing Ketogenic diet, trying to shock my body back into weight loss!

i was the same ... a vegetarian for about a year. In that time my hair was glossy and my skin was clear ... weight loss was great. My body was more alkaline than it is now. I know that the ketogenic diet helps heaps with losing weight but im sure it leaves the body more acidic.

[GavynsMum 1]

I started having problems with the high animal Protein diet back in November of 2011. Apparently my gallbladder was deciding to go crazy. After the gallbladder was removed i was having bowel issues. One extreme to the next. I looked at what i was eating and then decided to eat a couple of weeks of plant based low fat and it was AMAZING.

I bought Lindsay Nixon's (the Happy Herbivore) cookbooks and subscribed to her blog and have started phasing out meat and consuming a lot less dairy. Her cookbooks are amazing. The recipes are all from scratch and the ingredients are stuff you can find at your local grocery (even walmart). Made her pumpkin bread with Maple Icing last night (How good does that sound!). The Engine 2 diet is on my list to read but right now i am fully satisfied with recipes in my current books and my own imagination. I still eat seafood and low fat meat occasionally (like maybe 1x a week) but in much smaller portions (2 oz at the most) than the past. I tend to eat meat when i am rushed or didnt plan my meal. I love vegan boca burgers (at sams you can get 16 for $9) but eat them sparingly since they are processed. Same with Gardein products. Gardein has BBQ skewers (good with BBQ Sauce on a bun), BBQ shreds, and buffalo wings. They are a little pricey but my Kroger's puts them on Managers Special and/or with a Q they come out real cheap. I hardly ever buy them full price. I eat a lot of Beans, greens, and lentils, quinoa, grits. I incorporate bread, brown rice, and Pasta and after that i am pretty satisfied. I eat a lot of "sides" but jazz them up to make a meal.

Did you know you can sub oil for applesauce in baked goods and eggs for mashed bananas?

This has been a gradual process and I will most likely never be fully plant based but my goal is to be 90% plant based. I have a hard time giving up yogurt and have not found a good substitute.

There have been so many benefits other than the regularity. My skin is better, i feel less tired (especially after a meal), my hair is growing faster and my scalp is less oily. During this process I have also learned to pay more attention to ingredients (and not only in food either) and how my food is made. I watched Food Inc. and Forks Over Knives and read the China Study to get my will-power in gear.

I stalled in weight loss after my gallbladder attacks started but if i stay on track with my new diet my weight slowly starts dropping again. I just have to make sure i stick to my allowed calories as well as watch what i eat. Plant based isnt a miracle cure but has become another tool to help my lap band journey.

The other benefit is that buy cutting back meat and dairy you spend a lot less $$ at the grocery store!

Would love to have a Vegan/Vegetarian board on this forum!