Plant based diet

Hello,

Has anyone gone to a plant based diet after surgery? I just started 2 weeks ago to try and reverse some health problems RYN didn't fix!

Thanks in advance

The best expert information on a plant-based diet after weight loss surgery is Dr. Garth Davis, MD.

He was the son in the father/son team that produced the TV show Big Medicine.

He has a Facebook page, writes books, and lectures on how to lose weight after weight loss surgery with a plant-based, meatless diet.

Dr Garth Davis - Dr Garth Davis

Thank you, I am aware of him.

We have one regular participant that is vegan, if you look at the menu thread, you can see some of her menus and I think she's done. General post about her experience...and I'm sure she will respond when she sees your question!

I'm vegan, though I might not be the person Partlypollyanna is referring to. I had VSG rather than RNY. I lost all of my excess weight, and haven't found veganism to be an issue. My labs have consistently show that I'm getting all the right nutrients, including iron and B12. My observations:

I have to "work" a little harder than a meat-eater, or even a vegetarian, to make sure I have enough protein in my diet. I regularly add (vegan) protein powder to some drinks and foods to help with that. About twice per day I have "hot chocolate": a spoonful of cocoa, a half-serving of protein powder, ho****er, and artificial sweetener to taste. Creamy and decadent! I also have oatmeal with a half-serving of protein powder a few times a week. Aside from that, I rely on veggie burgers, beans, legumes, etc. to meet my protein needs.

I discussed with my dietitian how much protein she thinks I need. I'm female, and we settled on 55g per day as a reasonable target for me. Some say that is way too low. As I said, my dietitian is OK with this, but definitely consult yours.

To top up my B12, I add nutritional yeast to some foods. It has a nutty, cheesy taste. This has worked well for me, and my labs always show high B12 levels. However, I'm not sure if it works as well for RNY patients. I suggest trying it.

One advantage of having to work a little harder to get enough protein is that I'm mostly focused on what I should eat rather than what I shouldn't eat. At the end of the day, if I've met my protein needs but I'm still hungry or just want something in particular, I usually just eat it. Doesn't happen often enough to adversely affect my diet.

I?m not 100% plant based but most of my protein comes from fat free dairy, egg whites , and especially beans in like a thousand forms ( often with rice n salsa )

I have had no problems with my iron or vitamin levels( over a decade post op ) ... but I do try to take chewable vitamins every day .... also I grow and eat fresh spinach, baby kale, butterhead lettuces ... fruits , tomatoes, Japanese eggplants, squash and ..fresh herbs .

I do think the fresh elements make a huge difference.

If you know how to make a great fresh coconut or fat free cream soup base or various curry sauces or a fat free vegetable lasagna you?re pretty much home free .

I make a fat free Mac n cheese that would knock your sox off ( and yes you can use gluten free or chickpea pasta ) .

Miso ( which is super good for you and filling ) is as easy as ( almost ) boiling water and mixing it in ...

A hot fresh lowfat peanut dressing over a salad ... yum !

You can definitely do this successfully as a Vegan ...but I wouldn?t recommend fatty tofu raw chocolate dessert balls .... I mean really what?s the difference between that and a truffle ?

I personally don?t find I have to mess around with protein shakes - once a month or so I might crave a few pistachios or a spoonful of peanut butter . But every week or so I try to eat some meat ( usually these days it gets thrown out or fed to the catz )

Hi,

what do u consider FF dairy?? It's been about 3 weeks and I'm still eating egg white and fish.

I can't do beans or lentils, they expand in my stomach and I hurt for hours!!!

I eat chick peas pasta and sometimes that bothers me as well.

I do drink a protein shake daily, my fear is I'm not eating enough protein.

I made this change because since March I have felt terrible! 5 doctors and a zillion tests later I'm told nothing is medically wrong, it's anxiety!!!!

Can u send me your recipe for Mac and Cheese please and anything else u might have that you love??

My email is- [email protected]

Many thanks

Sure of course .

It?s actually super simple - I start out with a higher end box of Mac n cheese like Kraft or ( better yet ) Amy?s Organic .

I halfway cook the pasta in filtered water then mostly drain it and add fat free half n half mixed with about a teaspoon maybe of freeze dried salted fat free butter sprinkles ? ( find them next to the popcorn believe it or not... Mrs McCormicks ) and add about 3-6 fat free American cheese slices from the fresh dairy aisle .

You can put it under the broiler if you like a toasted top .... its one of the dishes the whole family gladly eats not realizing it?s great for you because it tastes so good . You can add broccoli if you really want but I don't .

Some people like to add fat free cream cheese or a little fresh mozzarella.... but honestly I like the leaner version better.

Yum! Thank you

Hi. I hate to say, but the other poster that is trying to help you, she has her own "demons to deal with".

Look at her posting history and check it for yourself.

Fe some of us, vets, long term post op WLS, we know her by many different names, and her advices, that may be from a good heart and intentions, are probably not the best to follow.