I don't do well on a low carb/keto diet. I am willing to change what I eat but would like to go healthy vegan. Is that possible after the sleeve? Any vegans here? I don't mind supplementing with a plant-based protein for life if that is a question you all have!

Edited June 6, 20188 yr by Skinnygirl1984

I’m not a vegan never had been never thought I would be but after my sleeve i rarely eat meat in fact if I had to choose I would definitly eat a salad but talk to your Dr about that

51 minutes ago, Skinnygirl1984 said:

I don't do well on a low carb/keto diet. I am willing to change what I eat but would like to go healthy vegan. Is that possible after the sleeve? Any vegans here? I don't mind supplementing with a plant-based Protein for life if that is a question you all have!

Yes, there are vegans on the site and plenty of others who do healthy foods/moderation vs.low carb. Work with your nutritionist to develop a plan that works for you. You're in the driver's seat!

There is no reason to do any of those fad diets that you hear about online (Atkins/keto, etc.) and generally long term most do better without getting involved in those. Your sleeve works just fine on most any diet that you may choose, but the important part is what will you stick with long term that will allow you to eat sensibly and control your weight.

I second the motion to discuss this with a dietician, particularly if you are new to vegan/vegetarian as there are nutritional issues that one needs to address - plant vs. animal proteins, iron, etc. It is difficult to do early on owing to the low protein density of plant proteins, but after a few months is quite workable.

A couple of specific references to look for is Dr. Alvarez on Youtube and other social media, who is a Mexico based sleeve surgeon and is also vegan and helps many of his patients take that approach if they are so inclined, and Dr. Matthew Weiner, also on Youtube, who, while not stictly vegetarian, does advocate a veg first approach to his WLS and weight control patients. Both are useful in helping take a non-traditional WLS approach

3 hours ago, Skinnygirl1984 said:

I don't do well on a low carb/keto diet. I am willing to change what I eat but would like to go healthy vegan. Is that possible after the sleeve? Any vegans here? I don't mind supplementing with a plant-based Protein for life if that is a question you all have!

go forth and be a happy vegan. You can so do this with green leafy as you main food source.

you will work harder on the protein side but still doable.

remember Vegan doesn't mean healthy - highly refined grains that can put the pounds on you are still vegan so be careful that the carbs you get are from those leafy greens.

I am not Vegan but my daughter is and we talk food choices all the time.

Vegan is doable, but as stated above plant based protein is far less dense than dairy based protein. You may need to plan to supplement with vegan protein powder, shakes or bars long term.

Edited June 6, 20188 yr by sillykitty

Thanks you guys. I have to supplement protein anyway because I am not a big fan of meat or dairy. I prefer dairy free. I was wondering because I knew I couldn't live with or stick to low carb or keto long term. I had heard protein and veggies first so thought I had to stick to a diet like the preop diet which I'm really struggling with. I don't feel satisfied at all.

Edited June 7, 20188 yr by Skinnygirl1984

I do a spin on the South Beach Diet. No white anything.. flour, sugar, Pasta, rice, bread. Better for you carbs that sustain you longer. Thats how I lost 90 lbs before my surgery. Also no sugar, and I tried stevia and it gave me a migraine. So my pastor grows stevia, and i went over and took a leaf and ate it. No migraine! So stevia in the raw is my go to sweetener and splenda for baking, for other stuff!

@Creekimp13 might have some good options!

Yes, kandywolf, that was my plan. I want to get off all the white/ unhealthy, and sugar/fat based carbs and try to have healthy whole grains, fruits, vegetables, vegan protein powder, and maybe sometimes meat/dairy substitutes. I don't have any problems with stevia but do with some other sugar substitutes.

Edited June 7, 20188 yr by Skinnygirl1984

As others have said, a vegan post-sleeve diet is certainly possible, but needs to be well considered and supported by a dietition who knows there stuff to make sure you aren't missing out on things like key amino acids your body may need to maintain your muscle mass while on low calories and losing a lot of fat. Also ensure your vitamin supplements are complete and suitable for post bariatric surgery

If your concern is more not wanting to directly eat meat/dairy, would it also stop you wanting to have any processed protein supplements derived from dairy? (since whey protein seems to be about the most common complete protein used in supplements, and you can get things like "whey protein isolate" based protein waters that don't taste milky at all - I don't really like any milky supplements and make myself yummy protein waters with an unflavored whey protein isolate powder in lovely iced fruity teas sweetened with stevia powder... really refreshing).

Once you are 3 months+ post op and eating larger portions of food you may find you can get at least most of your required protein from plant-based foods.