OT - So my kid wants to be a vegetarian...
My now-18yo became a vegetarian at 10. At that age I took her grocery shopping with me and helped her choose the foods she would eat. She could fix herself simple meals (eggs, grilled cheese, etc.) and I would keep the meat separate in family meals. (For instance, I would make one pot of chili with beans and no meat, and one with meat and no beans. Most of us mixed them together, but she just ate the bean version. Or when we'd make spaghetti we'd leave the meat out of the sauce, and those who wanted meat could mix it in.)
At this point she and my 12yo are both vegans. They are totally responsible for their own food. They shop together, cook for each other, etc. And I know the 18yo is well-informed and on top of making sure they get enough protein. They eat a lot of nuts, soy, beans, tofu, etc. And TONS of vegetables. They don't do any artificial sweeteners and very little junk food.
I'm not sure how it's going to work out when my 18yo moves into the dorms next semester. Hopefully by then the 12yo will be independent enough to take care of her own meals. I'm sure she'll be fine.
- Barb, who is at GOOOOOOAAAAAAL!
HW: 274 SW: 244 GW: 137 CW: 137!
Keep on swimming! Keep on swimming!
Not sure if I should be eating that much soy products due to thryoid meds I'm taking but I read that I'm ok if I wait 4 hours after taking my daily pill.
I was shocked to find out my surgeon is a vegetarian! He comes from family with history of obesity. he used to be obese himself.
246 in Dec 2008 before banded 1/28/09 at 215 lbs, band crapped 9/09 at 170 lbs and struggled with it and regained to 203 revised to bypass on 8/1/11 and am very happy.
But... on a side note... Once I decided to be a vegetarian... due to my body metabolizm I gained 30 lbs in 6 months... all the carbs (whole grains, beans. corn, etc) even though I ate a lot of veggies and whole grain, and exercised,
My body was great storing any carbs.. And I was hungry all the time. That's why I had to go back to proteins. Protein in meat , fish - make me less hungry.
Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG
"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"
"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."
But I do like Kelly's idea of researching because I think she thinks it just means not eating meat. Well, what about things that have been cooked alongside meat or may have mingled with meat? I think she needs to understand the full spectrum of both choices.
Something tells me, though, that she will still choose to do vegetarian. She's been talking about it a few years. She's 10.
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
A lot of times kids think it is not eating meats...
But someof the vegeterian choices are such heavily processed... that the meat seams like better solution.
And not everybody responds to vegetarian diet the way I did...
Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG
"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"
"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
To me, in the beginning (age 14), it did just mean not killing animals. It was years and years later that I explored it further.
I would also tell her it's not a lifetime decision she has to make. She can decide to try it out for a while and see what she thinks about it then. There's nothing wrong with changing her mind later.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Sandy
HW 225, SW 219, GW 140, CW 124
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
i don't really have any suggestions since i didn't do the veg. thing the right way anyway, but she likes protein shakes right? having one a day will at least help her get protein in (but you know that lol)
<3 jen <3
<3 starting weight: 252 <3 goal weight: 135 <3 current weight: 151 <3
RNY: 9/27/10 <3 Extended Tummy Tuck w/hip & thigh lipo: 6/6/13
PB&J is cheap and easy. Sliced cheese works well in lunches.
It's not a weight-loss diet though. You can get some major calories in not eating meat.
I have lived with one for 27 years. I'm used to meat on the side and only eating bacon at restaurants.
Deb T.
