Hi,

I was wondering if anyone with the band is a vegetarian or vegan? It is something that I have been considering for a long time now and have made the move towards becoming but have not been able to fully incorporate yet.

If you are would you mind sharing some sample menus with me? I know I can find a lot on line but getting info from fellow bandsters is more encouraging to me.

Thanks

I am not vegetarian or vegan but I think you should still be able to get enough Protein in with an alternative diet.

It will be a lot easier to get the protein in if you are vegetarian but can consume some dairy products like milk and cheese (eggs are also an excellent source of protein as well).

Perhaps you can test this out on paper first. Look at consuming between 1/2 to 1 cup of food 3-5 times a day. Look at how much protein you need to imbibe and try to come up with a diet plan which includes those items you want to eat with the minimum amount of protein suggested by your doctor, while still maintaining the calories within an appropriate range. This can help to give you some idea of how workable the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle can be once banded.

One thing to keep in mind, although I feel silly mentioning it. Gas issues are compounded by being banded . . . if you combine that with a diet heavy in foods like legumes that can contribute to gas, the gaseous effects may be multiplied.

Hi there, I am a vegetarian and was banded on 3/11/09. I guess you need to decide how "vegetarian" you want to be. Some people eat just chicken or fish and no other meat. Some choose to eat dairy, and some use the soy products for their dairy. I don't eat any meat whatso ever, but Ill use skim milk and egg beaters. When I can eat solid food, Ill use the soy burgers (Boca Burgers or Veggie Burgers) and different legumes for my protein. I would recommend reading up on it as much as possible. There is a book available in the public library's called " Vegetarian Book for Dummies" its a really good book and has lots of information, it was one of the best books I read when I made the transition.

Thank you for the book recommendation. I will look that one up at my library.

As for what type of vegetarian I will be I have thought long and hard about this.

I would LOVE to be a vegan but at this point I know that I cannot pull that off. I have too many old habits in me from a lifetime to just not eat any animal products. I really don't know how to cook anything but meat. But I'm learning.

Breakfast was never meat really b/c I am allergic to eggs, but lunch was always sandwich meat or tuna, chicken etc. I am trying to get off the wheat too and so sandwiches are out for now. I've been doing big salads. dinner was always meat as the main ingredient and then carb and veggie. So typical.

Dairy is not my thing. I like cheese but milk is gross to me. I cant get past the whole cow, baby cow yukkiness of it. I wish I could like the soy or rice cheese but its sooooo gross that I am stuck with either goat or cows milk.

I'm trying slowly to change things and learn about new foods that I had previously never even heard of. Quinoa? Its fabulous! lol

So that's where I'm at. I hope to keep reading more and learning more about it. Thanks for the info and any other info you come across I am interested in hearing.

Your welcome! Yeah, becoming a Vegan takes A LOT of changes, not only in what you eat, but products you use..leather in your shoes, clothes, etc., lotions and soaps, it would be too hard for me.

I get the Vegetarian Times Magazine, its really good and has a lot of recipes that are easy to do with not-so-exotic food. I'm not a tofu eater, are you?? I don't like the soy milk all the time, if its flavored ill drink it on occasion. Rice cheese doesn't even sound attractive,lol yeah gross

I looked up that quinoa on line, I'm gonna check it out in the health food store to see if they have it here before i order it on-line. When I can start eating a little more solid, I would like to have some Pasta. I know, the carbs, but I gave up bread, so I'm dying for some pasta,lol.

I wanted to ask you why you were giving up the wheat products??

hi my name is amy and i was a vegetarian for 11 yrs, and to be honest it didn't do any thing for my personal health. If u like to cook u should be fine getting all your nutrition from plant sources and dairy. I personally did not give up dariy as it is in everything! there are some wonderful cookbooks out there! go to your local bookstore and you'll be amazed. One thats really good is "quick vegetarian cooking" nice, easy , and tasty recipes. it also is MUCH easier to find foods in the regular grocery store as a vegetarian now. "amy cooks for u " brand is fabulous, also morning star is an awsome brand they carry "chicken" nuggets and their "hotdogs" are the best ive tried. good luck and if u have any further questions please drop me a line.

amy

I'm a veggie! I have not had any problems getting my protein in, but you have to really pay attention to what you eat and eat your protein items first. I eat tofu, Amy's Bistro Burgers, Morningstar Farms Veggie burgers, veggie sausage and etc. I don't really care for Boca Burgers, but I do like Garden burgers. I also eat lentils and other legumes. I tried to be a vegan for 3 months and found it rather easy, however, my weight loss stalled. I have no idea why, but it did.

I go onto www.fitday.com everyday and put in my meal plan. This way I know if I'm going to get my protein in or not. Then if not, I tweak my plan.

Good Luck!