Vegetarian/vegan & The Sleeve

[nyxa 159]

just curious if you can be a vegetarian or vegan if you're sleeved, as long as you meet the nutritional requirements that the doctor gave you?.. everyone always asks how they get their Protein, but they have vegan protein powders and stuff, as well as leafy green vegetables & stuff. everything has protein in it.

alrighty, thanks for your time.

[O.T.R. sleever 3,386]

Yes, it is quite possible. In my opinion it's probably healthier.

It will take a bit more effort and considerably more expense. I regularly recommend Hemp Protein as it is the only known plant Protein that contains all the amino acids that your body uses.

Hemp isn't the only option, you can do a bit of investigating and assemble your own mix of pritien powders to balances your protein needs.

If you do decide to do this I'd really be interested in watching your journey.

[gustavo52974 369]

Yes, I agree that hemp Protein would be the way to go.

I use a brand called Sunwarrior and I like the "Warrior Blend" raw Protein plant-based powder. It's ingredients are pea protein, cranberry protein, hemp protein and medium chain triglycerides. It's also gluten free, soy free, and dairy free. They have other varieties too.

The guy at the health food store said it was such a hot seller that they couldn't keep it on the shelves, and the bag I bought was the last one left. No, he doesn't make commission, nor was it the most expensive of the protein powders. He did smell like hemp himself, but they all do in that store. :ph34r:

As a side note, he also suggested trying sheep's milk yogurt (for those of you who are non-vegan), which is higher in protein than Fage greek yogurt. I know it sounds gross, but it's a good sour cream substitute for potatoes and refried Beans.

[nyxa 159]

thank you for your responses! i appreciate it very much!

i was just curious if it was even possible.. that is/was a big deciding factor of even getting the surgery for me lol of course i'm not against anybody eating meat or whatever else that they like, i just am more attracted to the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle.

hemp is indeed a very good one. you can also eat almonds and stuff like that.. plus they have Protein Shakes and all kinds of other stuff. i just didn't know if the stomach could tolerate it after surgery or how all that works i'm a newbie to this.. so.. forgive my ignorance. lol that's why i'm here afterall! to learn!

my doctor keeps telling me i'm a candidate for surgery & reminding me of my pending doom and demise if i don't lose my weight.. figured i'd join here & see what others are saying & see their experiences before i jump the gun & do something i'll regret later...

[kczar 166]

I know there are several vegetarian/vegans on this board. Do a search on those words and you'll find a slew of posts about being successful. I'd also recommend friending some of your fellow veggie lovers. The ones I've seen here are really great and supportive (I'm not one personally, but I respect your conviction.)

[nyxa 159]

thank you, kczar, i will do that!

[MegInNOLA 531]

YES it's possible. I'm a de facto vegetarian who flirts with veganism. I was a vegan for two years a lifetime ago (obviously it's possible to be vegan and still seriously overweight!) and post-sleeve have returned to vegetarianism with a vengeance.

I will say it's a lot easier if you include dairy or eggs, but it's not impossible to do if you don't. You already know about vegetarian Protein powders, but don't forget about "real food" options--Peanut Butter powder (PB2), sneaking rinsed and drained Beans into everything including smoothies, avocado, etc. You're going to want your Protein Powder at the beginning especially, when your volume is so restricted. I include dairy on most but not all days, but I'm 16 months out. A vegetarian diet is typically higher volume than a diet that includes animal Protein, so be prepared to sneak those veggies in--Soups, green smoothies, alternate milk smoothies (I make a wicked good spinach/kale/white bean/peach/blueberry/almond milk concoction!)--whatever you can do to get a lot of nutrition in a small or easily-assimilated volume.

Agree with the poster above regarding searching the forum. There's a bunch of us veggie-heads on here, and you're more than welcome to PM or post questions, etc. I actually won't be able to help with the Protein Powder thing, since I haven't ever used it (couldn't tolerate any of them immediately post-op and just switched to "real food" protein sources from the get-go, including dairy), but I am happy to help if needed on other topics. Welcome to the board!

[UTGal99 327]

i was just curious if it was even possible.. that is/was a big deciding factor of even getting the surgery for me lol of course i'm not against anybody eating meat or whatever else that they like, i just am more attracted to the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle.

Have you considered following the Forks over Knives diet? Especially if you are more attracted to the the vegan lifestyle. I have a great friend who underwent gastric bypass and he is vegan - living very healthy, now running triathlons, etc. all while not eating animal Proteins.

If you have Netflix or swing out to a Blockbuster and rent the movie Forks over Knives. It will change your life!

Good Luck in whatever journey you choose.

[JenC 90]

http://www.shakeology.com/the-shake/-/dl_get_file/46e2ddef-1eca-4307-87d7-cebd191bbdd8

If you are looking for a vegan shake, Beachbody's Shakeology in strawberry is now Vegan. It is a little expensive but I think my Breakfast is worth $4. It may have a few more carbs than you are looking for but it is a super food rich with nutrients. I have used Shakeology for awhile and discovered the Vegan Strawberry while doing Beachbody's Ultimate Reset pre-op. I have only been getting in 400-500 calories post op and so I have returned to my Shakeology to up my nutritional intake. I'm on whole foods but I'm struggling to eat enough right now. Anyway the link to the supplement facts is above if you are interested.

[nyxa 159]

thank you guys for your input!!! i'm very happy that it's possible!

yep, i've seen forks over knives & also fat, sick & nearly dead. both are very good! sad thing is that i've been looking into that kinda stuff for years.. also looked at the gerson therapy & raw foods.. been trying to eat more raw vegetables & fruits.. but i don't stick to anything for very long, i mean, i have stuck to eating more fruit & vegetables.. but i don't really stick to "diets" for very long because i have no hope & just don't care about myself enough to stick with it. the reason i'm considering having surgery, is because it would force me to stick with something.. and i'm 100% guaranteed to lose weight (or die in the operating room)... i used to have more willpower than a chinese olympic athelete.. lol (that is not a dig on chinese people, just saying i had VERY strong willpower).. now i just don't care if i'm here or not.. i only stick around because i'm too chicken to off myself and am an only child & don't want to completely devastate my parents.. my doctor's also always up my butt about my weight.. anyway..

JenC, thank you for telling me about shakeology! that's pretty nifty!

it really does make me happy to know that you can be a vegetarian or vegan after weight loss surgery.. i looked at the diet on the mayo clinic for post surgery & thought "wow, that's almost nothing but animal products.. i don't know if i could do that...." and of course, when you hear "low carb" the common stereotype is all meat & cheese & little vegetation... :/ but you can do low glycemic, low carb, low sodium, low sugar & be vegetarian/vegan. i just don't see a lot of that! but i'm excited now! woo hoo!

[cmf1267 27]

I've been toying with the idea of becoming vegan or at least a fexitarian (someone who eats meat very occasionally). I think I want to keep it simple the 1st year and just lose the weight I need to lose (hopefully hit goal within 12 months).

I wonder if being sleeved will help with a switch to vegetarianism. Being hungry is what always stopped me before.

[LessLei 4]

Hi! I'm new to the board and this is the first post I was able to find that was relevant to my concern post-surgery. I have 5 months yet before I go in for surgery (which isn't even scheduled yet). So I'm very very early in the process and I've been a vegetarian for quite some time now with no desire what so ever to return to meats. I also backed off a lot of dairy (mostly due to Forks over Knives!!). I still do eat Yogurt from time to time, and cheese occasionally (though, I prefer to purchase Veggie cheese).

Some time has lapsed since this thread was posted - I was wondering if you went forward with your plans for surgery nyxa? And if so - any thoughts on still maintaining a vegetarian lifestyle? I plan to eat Beans and some Protein supplements to help. But I have absolutely no plans of returning to eating meat!

[Sannah 258]

I am vege and so is my nut. I have bariatric vegetarianism papers. Let me know Ifyou want them. Message me.

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