Vegetarian diet - is this impossible post-OP

[Puja 148]

I forgot to respond to your earlier questions:

My nutritionist did have some hesitations with me being vegetarian, but only because she had not had any vegetarian patients. I discussed Protein options with her, and did lots of research on my own, to find out what foods were best for me in regards to a calorie to Protein ratio, fat content, and carbohydrate content. Some doctors put a carb limit, but I did not have one. Initially, I was at 800 to 1000 calories a day, and am currently at around 1200 calories a day.

I eat every 2.5 to 3 hours, without fail. I don't always feel hunger, but I do feel drained, and eating keeps up my energy.

9:30 - 1 boiled egg (7 gm protein)

12:30 - 2 ounces of low-fat cheese with some grapes, or some healthy crackers, or broccoli (14 gm protein)

3:30 - a Protein Bar (12 - 15 gm protein)

6:30 - Greek yogurt with granola (17 gm protein)

9:30 - lentils with veggies (8 to 10 gm protein)

10:30 - glass of milk (10 gm protein)

I started out at 207 pounds, and am currently at 118 pounds.

Good luck!

[Fallenangel2904 494]

Really dont understand why do you need bariatric surgery. I think if you just go on post op Surgery diet' date=' you would achieve the goals. In addition to Puja's tips take lots of egg whites if possible. They are a great help in suppressing hunger.[/quote']

That's rather ignorant to say. Couldn't any of us just follow the post op diet and lose the weight? Just because something is vegetarian doesn't mean it is low and fat or even healthy. Portion size is also not considered. If a vegetarian eats large portions of meatless food that is high in fat obviously they won't lose weight (and I'm not insisting that is what the poster is doing) but to say someone who is vegetarian doesn't need bariatric surgery isn't fair.

[Puja 148]

I can very honestly say that I grew up obese, and tried every diet out there . The gastric sleeve is a TOOL that helps us reach our goals. We still have to make the right choices for our health, but it is a huge factor that plays into our success. I would have never been able to lose weight without it. My sleeve is the best thing I ever did for myself!

You're right. Surgery is not for everyone, but it's up to us to be honest with ourselves about our lifestyle and habits. Without that, we can't be successful with or without the sleeve.

[chaya 0]

Hi Puja,

My surgeon feels that without a solid Protein like chicken etc., that basically takes a long time to digest, I will feel hungry often. Did your hunger change after the surgery. I know that with removal of the fundus in the stomach, the main source ghrelin is gone, but I am not sure if in reality, that translates directly to lack of hunger. What was your weight loss like immediately post-op? I agree with you that it is a tool but lifestyle change is an issue. Like most vegetarians, my issue is that grains like rice and wheat is the main source of calories. I am OK with eating dal with Greek yogurt etc..but right now I feel too hungry after that.

[Puja 148]

My hunger definitely did reduce after surgery. Interestingly enough, I found myself much more satisfied after my high Protein meals than I ever did before the surgery. Satisfaction after a meal was something I rarely experienced before surgery. I still have a good appetite, and enjoy my meals.

I do feel hungry faster if the daal is very liquidy, so I make thicker daal (lentils). Or, I eat more of it. I also sometimes mix daal with subji (veggies) and dahi (yogurt) to give it a thicker consistency, and more substance. I don't know why your surgeon is pushing so hard with the meat, to be honest. Eating meat makes things easier, but it's not at all necessary.

Still, I eat every 2.5 to 3 hours. I don't always feel hungry, but I feel low on energy. Either way, eating small meals often is a good way to boost your metabolism!

I decided to not check my weight post-op, because I have a history of self-sabotaging my diets. So, I made up my mind that I wanted to change my food choices for my overall health, not just my weight loss, and maintained that lifestyle every day. The doctors tracked my weight during follow ups, and I was always on target (if not above target) for the expected loss. At 14 months out, I was a normal BMI and had lost 85 pounds.

Does your surgeon work with a nutritionist to help you work out meal plans and whatnot? Where are you having your surgery done?

[chaya 0]

That is a good strategy about not watching the scale. I am considering doing the surgery in California. My Dr has 10+ years doing vertical sleeve and has done thousands. His experience is that his vegan/ vegetarian patients struggle with hunger and weight loss. He does not want people to rely on smoothies and shakes post-op and move to real food and get Protein from real food sources. He was the one who asked me to post here and seek experience of others and come up with a eating plan that I can enjoy and live with for rest of my life. He does work with a nutritionist and I will be seeing her in early Jan. I have found that if the nutritionist is not familier with vegetarian diet, they often do not have suggestions beyond tofu and Protein Shakes. I need at least some of my meals to be similar to what my family will eat. So rajma with greek yogurt and cauliflower subji is fine for me but I know I will not eat tofu and drink Protein Shakes every meal. I think you get that. I just want to eat smaller portions and feel full.

So do you avoid rice and wheat completely - No rice or rotis?

85 lbs is just amazing and your approach and attitude to food seems so .so.. rational. Are you still losing or are you more in maintenance mode. Did you have any medical issues that got resolved with your weight loss?

[chaya 0]

That is a good strategy about not watching the scale. I am considering doing the surgery in California. My Dr has 10+ years doing vertical sleeve and has done thousands. His experience is that his vegan/ vegetarian patients struggle with hunger and weight loss. He does not want people to rely on smoothies and shakes post-op and move to real food and get Protein from real food sources. He was the one who asked me to post here and seek experience of others and come up with a eating plan that I can enjoy and live with for rest of my life. He does work with a nutritionist and I will be seeing her in early Jan. I have found that if the nutritionist is not familier with vegetarian diet, they often do not have suggestions beyond tofu and Protein Shakes. I need at least some of my meals to be similar to what my family will eat. So rajma with greek yogurt and cauliflower subji is fine for me but I know I will not eat tofu and drink Protein shakes every meal. I think you get that. I just want to eat smaller portions and feel full.

So do you avoid rice and wheat completely - No rice or rotis?

85 lbs is just amazing and your approach and attitude to food seems so .so.. rational. Are you still losing or are you more in maintenance mode. Did you have any medical issues that got resolved with your weight loss?

[Puja 148]

I live in Southern California - Orange County! My surgery was also performed here. I'm glad your surgeon is directing you to the right sources. He's right that a lot of vegetarians and vegans become Protein powder/shake dependent.. but it's primarily because they don't have enough information, and think those are their only sources. "Vegetarian" rarely equals "healthy"!

You, however, have found this site before your surgery, so you will be completely prepared! Yay for you! Educating yourself will take you half way towards your success.

I drank 1 Protein shake a day for the first several months after surgery. I had to go to Bangalore after my first month post-op, and found it difficult to maintain my Protein intake without the powders and Protein Bars (also 1 a day), By the time I came back to California, I was at 7 months post-op, and desperate for more food options that did not require me to rely on artificial products.

So, once I came back, I started working out my daily meal plans to incorporate healthy, natural foods, with variety. I haven't touched the protein powders since! You will need powders while you are on liquids and purees - the shakes will be your best friend. You can forget them once you start back onto real foods - if you want to.

As for tofu, I only eat it about once a week, but I'm always surprised by its versatility. It really is a wonderful protein source, if you learn how to use it.

Rice and roti expand a bit in your tummy, which makes you get full faster - this obviously means you get less of the good stuff. I never actually restricted myself from either, but found that I didn't miss them much. I might have had a bite or two here and there, but only if something looked yummy, and I was craving it.

Now, I am in a maintenance phase, and I still only have a few bites here and there. If there is something exciting like gobi parantha being made, I will make sure to enjoy a piece of it, and not feel guilty. We have to feel normal, and remind ourselves that there is no "bad" food. Only "better" food. I'm glad you find my outlook to be rational! I sure think it is. The logic in it is what has helped me stay on track, and stay motivated.

Right now, I usually hit my protein requirements before my last meal of the day, so I can enjoy something with my parents - or I can cook something that I'm in the mood for, even if it's a bit low on the protein count. I just make sure to keep a track of my calorie intake.

I didn't have any other weight - related issues, but hopefully I have prevented them from occurring in the future!

[indian 22]

"so I make thicker daal (lentils). Or, I eat more of it. I also sometimes mix daal with subji (veggies) and dahi (yogurt) to give it a thicker consistency, and more substance."

My nut told me the same thing yesterday. Thick daals would do the trick.

[SexyBack517 15]

That's rather ignorant to say. Couldn't any of us just follow the post op diet and lose the weight? Just because something is vegetarian doesn't mean it is low and fat or even healthy. Portion size is also not considered. If a vegetarian eats large portions of meatless food that is high in fat obviously they won't lose weight (and I'm not insisting that is what the poster is doing) but to say someone who is vegetarian doesn't need bariatric surgery isn't fair.

Exactly! I've been vegetarian for 17 years & eat sugar, carby pastas, fat, & other things that have made me gain tons of weight! I got sleeved 2/6 & don't regret it. That was a silly comment. Thanks FallenAngel for addressing it! :-)

[mari.beth 6]

I am a pescatarian who is a little over two weeks away from surgery and feeling stressed about being able to maintain a vegetarian (or occasional pescatarian) lifestyle after. I found this board by googling "vegetarian after gastric sleeve" and I thank everyone who has posted advice and ideas here. I realize this board is old and that this message may not be seen, but it really helped alleviate some of my fears. I really want to transition to a whole foods vegetarian diet eventually. I hate that I am having to do products with Gelatin during the pre-op diet, but I can deal with two weeks and I feel more encouraged that it will be do-able to eat a mostly plant-based diet for the rest of my life!

Edited June 7, 2016 by mari.beth

[BiteAtATime 1]

I second mari.beth's comments! Thank you for this thread! I am a pescatarian and will have gastric sleeve surgery on July 6 (am in a two-week liquid Protein Shake phase as I type). I have been researching high Protein, low carbohydrate options for post-surgery life and am grateful for any suggestions! I can't drink dairy milk or eat dairy yogurt because of allergies (otherwise I'd love to eat high protein Greek yogurt!). I would love to find dairy free options that are lower carb and higher protein. I can still eat dairy cheese (at least my stomach tolerates it before surgery). I'd love to know how everyone is doing and get any other tips and suggestions from people!

[SouthJerseySleever 34]

On 6/7/2016 at 10:02 AM, mari.beth said:

I am a pescatarian who is a little over two weeks away from surgery and feeling stressed about being able to maintain a vegetarian (or occasional pescatarian) lifestyle after. I found this board by googling "vegetarian after gastric sleeve" and I thank everyone who has posted advice and ideas here. I realize this board is old and that this message may not be seen, but it really helped alleviate some of my fears. I really want to transition to a whole foods vegetarian diet eventually. I hate that I am having to do products with Gelatin during the pre-op diet, but I can deal with two weeks and I feel more encouraged that it will be do-able to eat a mostly plant-based diet for the rest of my life!

Try YouTube. There are lots of veg/vegan sleevers there. I follow MadeUpMama (not b/c I'm vegan but b/c I think she's awesome).