Any particular issues for vegetarians??

I've been a vegetarian for twenty years and already have to take iron supplements.  I'm having gastric bypass in the spring and am worried about the iron absorption.  I would love to hear if anyone else who has undergone gastric bypass was a vegetarian beforehand and whether you had any unique difficulties with the surgery.

I personally know a few RNY post ops who have turned vegetarian as a post op. They primarily do it since they find many protein meats difficult to digest.  Just keep track of protein content of foods and you'll likely have to rely on protein shakes the first couple of months for most protein. You can also get an unflavored whey isolate protein to add to foods--something I still do at 5 years post op.  DAVE

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Thanks so much for all the information and links!!

You might also want to consider the Sleeve rather than the RNY/gastric bypass. With the Sleeve, you'd still have all of your small intestine still working for you---there's no malabsorption component with the Sleeve. While the Sleeve hasn't been around as a stand-alone WLS for but about ten years, so far it looks like it's long-term results will be comparable to those of the RNY/gastric bypass.

Given your BMI, I'd really suggest the DS---except you're a vegetarian and you're already iron-deficient.

I'm actually considering the DS.  For some reason, I feel more comfortable with that than the gastric bypass.  I'm going to present all my concerns and unique considerations to my surgeon and let him make a recommendation.
Thanks for the feedback!!

" For some reason, I feel more comfortable with that than the gastric bypass."

Well, duh! (*grin*) Me too!

Just keep in mind that with a DS, you're going to need to eat a LOT of protein---100 grams a day is a bare minimum, and many DSers eat quite a bit more than that. Animal-based protein is easier to eat in these quantities than plant-based. (Tastier, too!)

I've been vegan (no animal products of any kind) for 9 years now. I had ANY on Sept. 28 of this year and have had no issues. Gardein brand fake meat is high in protein and low in fat/calories plus it tastes EXACTLY like the real thing. They make all kinds of fresh and frozen entrees. Most grocery stores carry it. You can go to their website to find a list of stores near you that do. Just make sure you're getting in your protein just like every other RNYer and you'll be fine.

While I'm glad you're doing well thus far and hope that it continues, two months postop is not yet the time to be making any declarations about how well any eating plan works.

While this may be true, some of YOUR "declarations" make it clear that you know very little about a vegetarian/vegan diet. She asked for advice and since I'm living and breathing the lifestyle she is concerned about, mine is more than valid.