Birinak

Jeebus, did she really phrase it like that? That doesn't sound like a concerned friend.

Obviously, this is up to you and your reasons for getting one surgery rather than another will differ from other people. People's individual experiences (success, failure, challenges) with the band may also differ. But you're asking for other people's experiences, so here's why I personally chose the band and what I think of the sleeve: At this point, I'm pretty happy with the band. I really have no major complaints. Not being able to eat certain foods isn't a big deal to me. I had some moments after my last fill where I was upset because I was too tight and vomiting, but I had a little bit of the fill taken out and now I'm pretty good. If I had to choose again, I think I might have considered the sleeve more seriously. The reasons are that the sleeve requires no post-op maintenance (no fills etc.), doesn't necessarily require Vitamin pills if you eat well, and the modified section of the stomach is less susceptible to stretching than the banded pouch or the bypass stomach. Plus, the sleeve is more consistent with the level of restriction you have from day to day, and you'll be able to eat all kinds of foods, just in much smaller portions. I would also prefer the sleeve in the sense that, while it doesn't bother me that much, I would rather not have a noticeable foreign object in my stomach. The port is a little annoying at times and I don't like that I can feel and often see the bump under my skin. Also, along with restricting the size of the stomach, the sleeve surgery removes the part of the stomach that produces the "hunger" hormone, Ghrelin; so, the sleeve reduces hunger (actual physiological hunger, not "head" hunger) more than the band. Finally, another big reason is that the sleeve can be done by some reputable, experienced doctors in Mexico for about $5000-9000. The reason I went with the band in August 2010 was because I was scared that the Mexico surgeries were all so cheap because the doctors weren't qualified, well-regulated (etc.). Turns out that, while there are many shabby clinics in Mexico, there are some inexpensive surgeons who are highly qualified. There's one, a Dr. Ramos Kelly, who has a lot of experience, a very good track-record, a great reputation amongst his patients in the VSG board, and he does the surgery for about $5500. He also does the lapband surgery for about the same price, but because bands require post-op maintenance (several fills) and I live in Canada, I don't want to have the hassle of finding a new doctor in Canada to agree to do my fills for a surgery done by another surgeon (many won't). I was self-pay, and I still feel really guilty that my mother had to pay $16 000 for my band (she was happy to, and her only worry is that I will have regrets about the band or the surgery will fail, but I still can't help feeling guilty especially if I have to get the band removed before I reach goal!). So, while I'm currently happy with the band, I'm just really worried about future complications. Experiencing some kind of complication (like slipped bands) seems common among bandsters after a few years. Studies have shown that complications are very common among bandsters 5 years after surgery. With the sleeve, there's a risk of peri-operative complications (leaking) that is greater than the band, but I don't hear of complications years after surgery on the VSG board. The people on the VSG board seem to be much happier and better able to reach goal without having to mess around with fills and go through periods of "bandster hell." People say that at least the band is reversible, but many bandsters know that, while the object itself can be removed, the resulting scar-tissue and other complications of the band are often permanent or at least long-term. That's not quite reversible. There is no perfect weight-loss surgery. Even with the sleeve, people can still cheat. They can drink milk-shakes and eat around the sleeve stomach too. I don't have a problem with junk-food, just portion-control, and seeing as both surgeries can't resolve the problem of food choices, this isn't really a reason to choose the band over the sleeve. So, as you can tell, I'm beginning to really favour the sleeve as opposed the band. If I ever have a slip or other complication, rather than pay $5000 to get the band replaced, I'm taking my money to Mexico and getting the sleeve (unless I find upon further research that the sleeve is not a good option for me).

It's weird, I obviously changed my member title soon after joining to "Irene," but now I can't remember how I did it. I keep looking at the various edit options and I can't find the one used for changing the member title. Maybe the forum no longer allows that option? I doubt it. Someone else will probably be able to help you.

So, those of you who have been following the other thread ("My kids just don't like vegetables!") will know that it's now been locked. A disagreement arose there between two posters, one expressing her difficulties broadening the diet of her naturally picky-eater and the other responding that the concept of picky-eaters is a myth and that the child's attitude is the fault of the parent. As a side note, the poster with the picky-eater was nice enough to offer an apology to the entire thread for the ensuing argument. Now, I don't believe that she actually owes anyone an apology, not least because of the fact that these threads belong to all of us (not only the thread-starter). However, this is a new thread about a connected topic. This isn't meant to be a thread for the continuation of the personal quarrel between the two posters. If anyone would like to respond, please try to refrain from bringing up the subject of who was right and wrong in the previous dispute, who behaved poorly, who owes whom an apology etc. Anyone eager to share their opinions on those matters is welcome to leave comments on my profile page, or to begin a private conversation with others concerned. This thread is solely for a discussion of philosophical differences in the approach to feeding children healthy foods. Bandsters, we all are trying to change our own approach to food for the better. Those bandsters with children are also faced with the exhausting task of changing their family's dietary habits as well. The topic of this thread is: should parents physically or emotionally force their children to eat healthy foods? I don't mean to ask whether parents even have the right to try to influence their children in healthy-eating. I believe that they do have a natural authority over their children, for the children's own good. It is the parent's concern when a child is doing something wrong and it is their place to attempt to correct the child's detrimental behaviour (or do you disagree?). I doubt that most of us will disagree with that. Where our opinions may diverge is to what extent this authority exists and what strategies overstep the bounds of this authority. Those of you who've read the previous thread will know that I believe that bandsters, while avoiding unhealthy foods for themselves, are wrong to continue to purchase bad foods for their children (soda, pop-tarts, fruit-loops, kool-aid, chicken nuggets, white bread etc). "If it's not healthy for you, it's not healthy for them!" I also believe that most, but not all, of the North American children who hate veggies and fruit do so because their own parents have negative attitudes toward healthy foods. But what do you do about the naturally picky-eater? Or is there even such a thing? What if your child refused to even try new foods? Some follow that parents should force the child to sit at the dinner table until they've finished their food. Others argue that parents should respect at least a limited sense of a child's own autonomy and that it's wrong to force the child, physically or emotionally, to eat even a single bite of broccoli when it's against their will. Some will say that picky-eaters only exist because parents allow children free-reign over what they eat or make too many alternatives available to their child. Others will respond that a parent has no choice but to offer alternatives lest their child starves, and that, in fact, there is such a thing as the naturally picky-eater. Further, they argue that even if they could force their children to eat certain foods, these actions would only upset the child and, thereby, contribute to a negative psychological association with healthy foods in the child's mind. Also, is your strategy of broadening your child's diet immediate or gradual? In other words, do you try to introduce veggies and fruit over time, or do you expect that the child try at least a bite or all of each new food the first time that you offer it? You don't need to answer all of the posed questions or address all issues mentioned. You can even pose relevant questions of your own and bring up issues related to the topic that I haven't even considered. This is just to get the ball rolling, whatever the direction it ends up taking. Everyone has their own perspective on the topic and I'm looking forward to hearing it. Don't be afraid to express an unpopular opinion; we don't have to agree with each other (that'd be too boring!). It may be difficult at times, but let's try to share our views with civility.

I never expected people to actually know much about other countries (although, the average North American is noticeably less well-read about the world than other First World citizens and that's a shame). What I expect is actually pretty reasonable; defer making your judgements on any topic public until you've done your due diligence, as you say. It's actually more to Loserbob's benefit to know what he's talking about before he speaks on a subject. Also, people generally look less ignorant if they avoid phrases like "those people" and "tribe mentalities" when referring to entire populations (of which they know little about). A good tip, I think. I certainly have never argued that there are no animalistic and tribal people in the Middle-East, Africa, or South Asia. My family's story is all about various members suffering at the hands of those kinds of people. The point is that the people who are fighting them, being tortured, raped, and killed everyday, are Middle-Eastern too. So, imagine how angering it is for non-tribal, secular Middle-Easterners (or even those decent families who don't fight because they reasonably don't want to lose what my family lost) to see comments like Loserbob's. Anyway, I gathered from a few of your other posts on this board that we have different political ideologies, so our opinions are going to differ radically on many things, I expect. Nonetheless, I find it funny that you, the Republican on the board, are responding with civility, and actually listening to what this Middle-Easterner has said before responding, whereas the proud Democrat (Loserbob) persists in insulting me with stereotypes because of my ethnicity. Now, I don't think that you guys are representative of your respective parties (I happen to like the Obama administration and I dislike many figures in the Republican party). It just goes to show that it's too simplistic to judge people's characters by their political persuasions (...or ethnicity, Loserbob). As for a debt of oil, I would think that, in theory, it would only be fair. Then, there are questions of whether the intervention was just and ethical (as Latin Americans can tell us, many have not been), and whether it was for the purpose of liberation. I think intervening countries have done well to intervene in Libya. I was really hoping for it. There will always be Islamic militants and pro-Gaddafi supporters (or my fellow leftists) who claim that it's Western imperialism, but this action, as in the Balkans, is the definition of a "just intervention." As it is, it seems that the rebels are actually quite grateful, waving French flags and what not. There was that incident a few days ago, where rebels were accidentally killed by NATO forces and the surviving rebels (even those in hospital) were saying that it was only natural that mistakes like this happen and that they were still thankful for the coalition forces. One rebel said: "It's the coalition that protects us." Similarly, many Iranians would be grateful for a multi-lateral intervention. After the start of the Iraq war, my dad was actually saying that he hoped America would go into Iran. Obviously, this isn't the view of all Iranians. I wouldn't want America to take that burden onto themselves. Also, I think that Iranians are capable of over-throwing the Islamic regime themselves, and when a people can liberate themselves even after decades, that's always best. Then, there will be no excuses left for anti-Westerners (i.e. saying that Americans just came for oil, as some are saying about Libya). Plus, any civilian deaths that occur can't be blamed on foreign forces. Of course, air-strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities would be just. I hate when non-Iranian leftists (although I am also ideologically left on most issues) try to claim otherwise, as if they were being compassionate to Iranians. If the Iranian government obtains nuclear weapons, it will be Iranians and Iran's neighbours who'll suffer. The government may never use a nuclear bomb, but it'll be able to hold neighbouring countries hostage whenever it likes. Or, imagine the next time the government wants to execute an innocent woman, what kind of pressure can America place on the Iranian government when Iran threatens a strike against Iraq or Israel? What America needs in order to strengthen its position and to weaken totalitarian Middle-Eastern regimes is energy independence. U.S. administrations have been promising this since Nixon, and there's been very little progress toward the goal. The focus needs to be on bio-energy research. Saudi Arabia is one of the worst regimes in the world and, when it beheads women and gays every Friday night, it gets a free pass because of its oil resources. Not only is it a prison for women, but it's a major threat to the rest of the world. Saudi Arabia openly supports terrorism, has been sponsoring Islamo-fascist schools in the West and recruiting westernized Muslim men to Wahabbism. If people are serious about winning the war against Islamo-fascism, energy independence should be our number one goal rather than increasing our hold on foreign oil.

My point was that it didn't have to be a touchy subject and even if it was, so what? First of all, most people here aren't telling people "how to parent." This thread has been going on quite successfully for a while. Most posters have managed to tell people how they, personally, approach feeding their own children without causing controversy. Also, we're all adults; I'm sure, as we've shown, that we can handle a debate maturely. There isn't any need to be fearful of touchy subjects if everyone communicates their differing opinions rationally and respectfully.

The problem is that the people commenting here about Iran or other countries know little about the Middle-East. It's silly to say, "well, what do you expect us to think about you guys?" if people haven't bothered to read about the countries they are ranting about. Millions of Iranians have been "stirring the pot" for over three decades since the Islamic government took over. My father was tortured as a political prisoner for two years. He was later banned from university, even though he had the highest entrance exam score in the country. He escaped execution because of some ties his family had with an official. My mother fought with the Marxist guerilla fighters against the government. Years later, when she was pregnant with me, she managed to escape Iran on false documents. When she was crossing the border into Turkey, she turned around and gave the equivalent of the middle-finger to the Iranian border guards. She was almost killed for that act. My uncle, as a teenager, protested for women's rights in Iran. For his troubles, he was blind-folded, lined up with his fellow students, and executed by a firing squad. My grandfather had to watch while a couple of "Revolutionary Guards" pissed on his son's fresh unmarked grave. He had to beg them to hand over the bag of my uncle's bloody clothes, so that he could take it back home to my grandmother. Other members of my family, because of my uncle's "crime," were fired from their jobs and blacklisted from working. What do you guys know about Middle-Easterners "stirring the pot" and the consequences they face for doing so? Ironically, a poster on here spoke casually about how fond she would be of nuking Iranians until they glowed. Not one single person "stirred the pot" and commented that what she said was despicable, vicious, and not worthy of a citizen of civilized country. Perhaps posters here are afraid that the secret police will abduct them in the middle of the night if they did. Oh, hold on... America has freedom of speech, and you don't have to worry about what will happen to you and your family if you stir the pot. Still, I don't believe, just because the "smart, good" Americans haven't spoken out against the fringe loons, that the fringe loons are in the majority in America.

When I read these "off-topic" posts, on either side of the issues, I constantly see people getting ridiculously carried away with their rant without stopping to think rationally about what they want to say. Now, for all that you've said, I don't think that you're a bad guy (obviously, I don't know you, but I'm judging from the earnestness of your posts). You just need to stop getting worked up, take a pause, and continue your argument on the basis of logic and not emotion. Some of these posts are just silly, whereas others (i.e. Murpel's fondness for nuclear holocaust) are thoroughly disgusting. I don't speak about countries of which I know little about. I don't make generalizations about entire populations, especially amazingly insulting generalizations when one of "those people" may end up reading them. I have never referred to Americans as "those people" and I wouldn't think of ranting on and on to an American about the crimes of other Americans, as if every American has to answer for them. "Shooting abortion doctors! Marrying 12 year olds in Utah! Arming vicious Latin American paramilitaries! ...Yeah, Americans, THAT'S REAL CIVILIZED!" You must know how very patronizing you are being by telling me that I am safe in America to speak (and that I should "thank U.S. soldiers" for that). First, along with the various other assumptions you've made, I'm not American. I'm Canadian. And I don't need your permission or encouragement to speak my mind freely. If I haven't responded in full until now (when, really, we just started talking last night), it's because I haven't had the time. I am not a Republican (again, I'm not even American) and I am not dodging any of your all-over-the-place "valid points." In your next post, you continue to refer to my tribal thinking and you seem to think that I view 14-year olds differently than the typical American. As I said, this is presumptuous and insulting. All that you know about me so far is that I'm a Middle-Easterner and that I object to the generalizations you made about Middle-Easterners. From these facts about me, look how many prejudiced assumptions you've made about me and my opinions. You know very little about me, and yet you write as if you knew my thoughts on the injustices that you mentioned or as if you thought I was in need of a lecture on just how horrible the crimes of other Middle-Easterners are. I already know, better than many of you, the atrocious social and legal violations of human rights in the Middle-East. I had a long debate on Facebook recently against a Canadian Jewish friend of mine who thought that I was being racist against my own kind when I criticized Islamic countries and praised Western values. I am an Iranian-Canadian woman and my family comes from a Muslim background. I am now an atheist, as is much of my family. Those Muslim members of my family are still firmly secular. Many Iranians (the people Murpel thinks should be nuked until they glow) are secular. Few non-Iranians know that very few Iranian women wore the head-scarf before the Islamic revolution. They did so after because they were forced. This is why you rarely see Iranians wearing the head-scarf outside of Iran. When my mother was a student in Iran, it was seen as backward and overly religious to cover your hair. Many women wore mini-skirts in Iran before 1979 (my grandmother made a mini-skirt for my mother on her birthday once and this was considered quite normal). You can see videos of the pre-1979 days on youtube (here's a . It's overly nationalistic, but it shows Iran before the revolution and women today). If anyone was paying attention to the protests in Iran in 2009, you would see that, unlike some other Middle-Eastern countries now, at least half of the protesters were young women, many of them wearing thin veils (in defiance of the authorities and at risk of punishment). Many protesters were shouting "Marg bar Joumhouri-e Islami" or "Marg bar dictator" (which means "death to the Islamic Republic" and "death to the dictator [religious leader].)" Further, about 60 percent of university students in Iran are women. People have such simplistic views of the Middle-East. These views lead to a de-humanization of Middle-Easterners to the point that simpletons such as Murpel joyfully speak of murdering millions of people for the crime of being born within the wrong set of borders. Even if you understood Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia (those countries being just about the worst of the worst), you couldn't make generalizations about people from countries such as Iran. The Iranian government is despicable, and there are factions in Iran that are responsible for maintaining the government's existence by force, but you and others frequently conflate these factions with the rest of the population. And then, you were speaking about Iran, and you suddenly start lecturing me about Iraq and that case about the 14 year old Bangladeshi girl. You didn't hear me defend the victims? That's because that was unrelated to what I was talking about in my first post. It was you who suddenly brought it up when I objected to you speaking of an entire country or region in that way, and saying that "those people have tribe mentalities." As I mentioned, I had a very heated (essay-length) debate with a friend on Facebook, where all I did was defend Islam's victims and criticize the political correctness of Westerners and the justifications of "moderates." You wouldn't know that because you don't know me. But that's precisely why you should avoid making wild assumptions about people you don't know on the basis of their ethnicity. Anyway, your post was really all over the place, which makes it difficult to respond to all the points you made or to do so briefly. If you ask me a few specific and non-rhetorical questions, I will answer them.

You started your response in your first post [to me] as if you wanted a civil, rational discussion. However, it seems that the more you write, the more presumptuous and insulting you want to appear.

Haha, what does this have to do with "conscience?" This isn't a moral decision. It's a decision about health--whether it is harmful to consume a slice of cake in the soft-foods stage, in particular.

Arrr, me matey!

I second that you should ask your doctor, but I can't see why you shouldn't eat some cake. The point of the soft-food phase is for you to eat things that take little work to move through the stomach. Cake is soft-textured. This phase has nothing to do staying away from "bad" foods. Even if it were, I don't see why having a slice of cake is a problem, unless you know that you wouldn't be able to handle it without going on a binge-fest. Some people feel that they mustn't eat a single bite of junk food, while others manage quite well indulging occasionally.

Nuke my family until they glow? Those kinds of sentiments really warm my heart! You're so very sanguine at the prospect of murdering 80 million women, men, and children. Afterall, if these people didn't want to be annihilated, they should've chosen some place else to be born!

As one of "those people," I'd like to thank you for your very profound musings about an entire ethnicity. I'd say more, but I'm afraid my pesky "tribe mentality" tends to limit my capacity for communicating with civilized people, such as yourself.

Ugh, I wish I could really burp! There have been a few times, when I'm on the phone with my sister, that I really just want to disgust her with a huge belch... and I get nothing. I only occasionally have these little barely audible burps after I've eaten too fast or a little too much. I've rarely been able to burp loudly before the band. But now... nothing. I wish I was told about this side-effect before the surgery... If I had known, I definitely wouldn't have gotten the band (...juuust kidding).

I don't need B12 pills (I did take sublingual pills for about a month, but not out of necessity). I only recently have been taking a multi-vitamin as a kind of insurance. The only vitamin/mineral deficiency I've ever had was a slight iron deficiency, but that was corrected by making sure to eat more dark greens. Vitamin B12 can be very easily obtained from eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, and whey. These sources will also supply you with calcium (along with dark greens like broccoli) and Vitamin D (along with 15 minutes of sun exposure a day). If you're not a vegan, you can get all of these dietary needs by eating an egg, dark greens, and dairy products each day. As mentioned above, be careful of cheese made with rennet, since rennet is usually made from animal stomachs. And, yeah, since you have a more particular diet and there's a risk of developing a deficiency, make sure to get your blood tested for specific Vitamins and minerals about every 6 months to a year.

Man, I would love that. It would totally make my day! Those kinds of comments are so much better than a number on a scale too. The only times I'm called tiny is in reference to my height!

Only when I've gotten so stuck that I need to, or almost need to, throw up. It hasn't happened in a long time, but during those stuck incidents my face heats up and I start to sweat.

Whoa, you really must have worked your butt off! Great job and congratulations on your progress! This should motivate me to get working (...but I'm amazingly lazy, so I would bet against it! ).

Wow, 326 to 199 pounds. That's really amazing. You must look like a completely different person. Congrats!

Actually, I'm glad you won that debate! Toronto can be very cold and snowy in the winters, and I think visiting the city would be uncomfortable in December. Vancouver, though, is one of Canada's warmest cities (It's still Canada, so you might still need a sweater and a jacket) and it doesn't have snow that often in December. I think you'll have a good time in Vancouver! Still, Toronto can be a great place to visit during the late spring (late April or May) until mid-autumn (October). Snow doesn't really fall in Toronto until mid-December and stops mostly in February (although we just had a sudden snow-fall a few days ago). Visiting Toronto in the summer is good because we have quite a few events and festivals then (like the Caribana parade in July). I usually recommend that visitors see Montreal, but, since Montreal is a very European city and you're from Europe, you probably will want to see something different from home. If you decide to return to Canada for another visit, you might want to consider going to Newfoundland (and Nova Scotia) on your next trip. People usually really enjoy the maritime provinces. Haha Actually, "Birinak" is just an anagram of my Iranian last-name. My background is Iranian (my family came to Belgium as political refugees from Iran, which is another reason that I love Europe so much!) But my real name is Irene. The name was given to me by a Belgian woman, who was helping my family at the time. My parents say that Belgium is lovely too. I was too young when we left for Canada to remember it, but it would be nice to see Belgium the next time I visit Europe.

Here's a youtube video about Field Roast at some Veg-Fest that takes place every year. The great thing about this brand is that its products are completely vegan and made from grain, not soy.

Hey, so this prompted me to think about which recipes you may like, but as I thought about it, I realized that I really don't make anything altogether special. It's pretty easy just to substitute tofu or veggie ground beef for most foods that you're already making, from Pasta to stuffed vegetables to stir-fries. So, for example, about once a month I make vegetarian tacos. I use a mexican-flavoured veggie ground beef (but you can use plain veggie beef too, and add in taco seasoning). The brand name of the meat is Yves. I'm not sure if it is available where you live (I live in Toronto). Without using too much oil, I first sautee some onion, then add diced tomatoes, then the veggie meat. I add a few spoons of salsa into the mix. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to cook the meat from frozen on medium heat, since it comes pre-cooked. Because I can't eat too much at this point, I break one taco shell in half (down its length) and place the ingredients on each half. There really isn't anything I can tell you that you don't already know yourself, if you've ever made meat-tacos. I use low-fat sour cream, salsa, lettuce, diced onions, black Beans, and grated cheese, along with the cooked meat. I also sometimes make chinese stir-fries. Again, if you made meat-stir fries, the process is similar, except for the fact that you won't be cooking the "meat" portion first or for as long. I buy frozen chinese-style veggies to make cooking faster (they turn out pretty well and, because they were flash-frozen, they retain more Vitamins then fresh veggies). I add in marinated tofu in the last five minutes of cooking. I sometimes make lentil Soup. It's pretty easy to make since lentils don't necessarily require soaking before hand. I just boil lentils (they double in size, so be careful how much you add) on medium-high, then, once they're almost done (soft), I add in some garlic and onion. I use vegetable bouillon, a little bit of cinnamon powder, and hot pepper flakes to add flavour. In the last 15 minutes of boiling, I add quinoa (which is high in protein) to give the soup some starch. In the last five minutes, I add in frozen vegetables. The soup can be pureed, depending on preference. If I haven't eaten tofu too much that week, I sometimes add in cubes of tofu (usually firm) at the same time as the frozen veggies. For extra flavour, sautee raw veggies as a base for the soup and add in after the lentils are almost ready, instead of frozen veggies. As for using tofu, I guess a few tips are: For better health, consider buying organic tofu and avoid vacuum-packed tofu. The tofu packaged in Water is supposed to be healthier, lower in carbs, and less processed, but it doesn't keep as long as vacuum-packed tofu. When you buy tofu, try to get one that is not near the best-before date. You can leave it in the fridge, in its unopened package, until that date. Once it is opened, the tofu will keep for about three days (although some people keep it for up to a week). The instructions are usually to rinse the tofu, place it in a sealed container with new water (completely covering the tofu), and to change the water every day. Don't eat tofu raw; if you want to put it salads, boil it for about five minutes first. If you want the tofu to have a definite flavour, like in foods where the tofu stands out, you must marinate it for at least an hour (or over night in the fridge). In order to get the tofu to absorb as much marinade as possible, you can do two things. First, you can freeze and then thaw the tofu before marinating. When it's been frozen, the tofu will look yellow and look like a sponge. Frozen tofu has a very different texture (more meaty) and it soaks up marinades very well. If you do not like tofu with that texture, you can also press the moisture out of the tofu in order to get it to absorb more marinade. Some people place tofu in a towel (paper towel or cloth) and place a plate or pot over it to press out the water before marinating. If I'm making a food that has a sauce or is a stew/soup, I don't bother marinating the tofu. I just cut it up in pieces and throw it in while cooking. Sometimes, I lightly fry non-marinated tofu (until the outside is a little crisp and yellow) to give it a better texture before adding it into foods. Finally, when buying tofu, pay attention to the firmness as listed on the package. Usually, if using tofu as a replacement for meat, you should buy firm or (even better) extra-firm tofu. If using the tofu in a soup or blending it (like in a Protein shake), you can use soft or medium-firm tofu (extra-firm tofu still works in Soups too). If you ever have tofu that you need to be more firm, you can use the techniques mentioned above (pressing or freezing). Beans make a great alternative to soy, and there are some beans that are lower in carbs than others. When I was on a low-carb diet, my doctor recommended eating beans, since I was a vegetarian, and I lost weight rather quickly while maintaining my protein intake. Another alternative to soy is quinoa, which, as mentioned above, is high in protein. Quinoa cooks in about fifteen minutes and can be used instead of rice. By the way, if you live in America (I looked at your profile earlier, but I can't remember just now), there's supposed to be a really awesome brand of veggie meats called Field Roast. It's not yet been brought to Canada, except for British Columbia, but I've read one Canadian vegetarian say that she even asked her friend to smuggle some Field Roast packs across the border--it's supposed to be that good. Field roast sausages are what people usually rave about, but I've also heard good things about their vegetarian holiday turkey. Anyway, I'd thought you might want to check the brand out.

Hello, Kim! I have many family members living in Holland (and a few in Norway). It's funny, this morning I was listening to a song by a Dutch DJ and I was thinking about how Holland is one of the best countries in the world. I was born in a neighbouring country, Belgium, and we moved to Canada when I was a toddler. But, when I was older, I visited your country twice and I really fell in love with the people, the culture, and the architecture. And, yes, Amsterdam is not very car-friendly compared to North American cities, but that's what keeps European streets so beautiful and lively. I'm glad that you've made the decision to change your life for the better and I wish you the best of luck.