Vegan After Gastric Bypass Surgery?

by Christie
(Michigan)

Question:
I would like to go vegan, but I had gastric bypass surgery about one year ago. I am very happy with my weight loss, but I both malabsorb protein, and am unable to eat a very large quantity of food at one time. I also can't consume more than 15 grams of sugar at a time, whether natural or added.

My nutritionist says no, but she also doesn't believe that being vegan is healthy for non-ops, so I'm not sure that her opinion is accurate.

Answer:
I don't know much about going vegan after gastric bypass surgery. However, I also haven't heard about any drawbacks to going vegan after the surgery. We are going to need to ask for other readers to share their opinions/knowledge here so that you have good advice.

My assumption would be that you need to eat good sources of protein, such as beans and whole grains, as well as dark leafy greens. I would add fruits slowly and in limited quantities. I also assume that you will need to eat smaller meals, and eat more frequently. You should not worry that eating these foods will contribute to weight gain as they are simply not the types of foods that increase body weight.

As far as your nutritionist's advice, keep in mind that most medical practitioners know very little about the vegan diet and stick with the old assumptions that they lack important nutrients. Nowadays we know that not only is that not true, but that a vegan diet is actually much healthier and safer than "regular" diets.

That being said, if any of our readers can give more advice, we would love it here. How should one go vegan after gastric bypass surgery?