I was wondering if anyone has adopted a vegetarian lifestyle a few years post-op? I've been banded of 1 1/2 now and am about 30lbs away from my goal weight. I don't enjoy meat as much as I used to and find that I have problems digesting it. It 's hard to go down even if I let it cook to the point of the meat falling off the bones. I'm curious to know if anyone has started a vegetarian diet and how it's been, the struggles, and any suggestions for someone thinking of abandoning meat.

Kin

I am not as far out as you are but I have begun to feel the same way about meat. I just don't enjoy it like I used to. I have actually started to take meat out of my dinner. I do have chunky tuna or grilled chicken usually for lunch but I find that if I cut out the meat at dinner, I seem to be losing better. I really don't miss it.

Hi,

I'm a vegetarian. I embraced the diet in December on '08. I hadn't seen my mom in 4 years. I knew she'd switched to vegetarian then vegan lifestyle. She has Lupus. When I saw her over this past Christmas, she looked great and was off of most of her meds. So, I thought there had to be something to this diet. I couldn't go vegan, though, lol.

My surgeon didn't freak at me being vegetarian. But the nutritionist did, big time! After all, we need meat for Protein, don't we? I just had to ignore her.

Right now I'm eating my Breakfast. It's oatmeal with ground flax seeds (for the omega's 3 & 6), goji berries (they have the texture of raisins but contain B vit's and many trace minterals that we need). I put in a bit of cinnamon some splenda and more milk than it calls for, I want it runny. After it's done cooking, I put in 2 tablespoons of vanilla Protein Powder. Viola, I have 30 grams of protein in my breakfast, alone. I should note that me and large amounts of dairy don't get along, so I use soy milk. You don't have to.

Look for Greek yogurt. Most walmarts now sell it. One serving has 80 calories, zero fat and around 8 grams, or more, of protein. It's super thick so it's super filling. It can be a bit tart so I mix in a little honey.

I work full-time and am a full-time college student. So, I basically cook one or two big meals a week. Last week I made chipolte, black bean and sweet potato Chili and served it over brown rice. My non-veg hubby loves stuff like that. But, I also keep frozen meals for that quick dinner. Healthy choice and lean cuisine now make vegetarian options. They don't say vegetarian, you have to read the ingredients. Lean cuisine makes an awesome butternut squash ravioli that has lots of veggies that go w/it, as well. They make some pretty good pizzas, too. Like cheese and mushroom. Iwas really surprised.

Sorry for the long post. It's just that many people thing being a veg is sooooo boring. It's really not. Oh, there's a a line of Soups and frozen dinners by Amy's. Her frozen dinners can be high in fat, but are good for a treat every now and then. Her soups are good but are high in sodium. She's coming out w/a low sodium line. But I haven't seen in walmart, yet. Aslo, V-8 makes some really good vegetarian soups. I find them thick and good.

Don't be afraid to ask any questions. Also a bit of advice my mom gave me, don't get stuck in the salad rut. There is so much more out there than salads. I've got some veg cookbooks. If you want their names, let me know and I'll get them for you.

I'll say that my surgeon has been amazed at how fast my incisions healed. He said it has to by my diet because he hasn't seen anyone heal as fast as I did and I have little scaring.

Happy heating!

I was a lacto vegan for 3 yrs about 16 yrs ago. I aspire to return to that life style. I felt the best ever. My goal is to return to that diet. I am hoping with the restriction I will NOT be able to tolerate meat.... he he he. being married to a major meat eater and with kids it is tough to go back.....