Can we be vegetarian? PLS GIVE OPINION

Yes, there are vegetarians here. Vegans too. However, you cannot make a major diet change like that without major changes in your function. If you do it more gradually, you adapt easier. But, everyone is different, and maybe it won’t work for you.  The longer you have your j-pouch the more tolerant it like will be of a more varied diet.

Jan

I am far from being vegan or vegetarian but have a rather strange dietary lifestyle....most weekdays I only have juice and coffee for breakfast, some fruit in mid-mornings (bananas, berries, mango, 'chew and spit' fruits like pineapple or melon...) then for lunch it is whole grain breads with seeds, dried fruits or nuts in them with chunks of cheese. Sometimes I have another yogurt or split the bread and cheese into 2 small meals at noon and 4pm. For dinner, it is often meatless like tonight: pasta with a tomato/olive/eggplant sauce.

I do not do this intentionally or for moral reasons (I am not that disciplined) but out of simplicity and necessity...no time to eat during the day and always on the run (or on the limp). I don't drink sodas or sugary drinks or even juice other than in the mornings...Water, tea or coffee (my drug).

For me, giving up meat would be easy but because of my pouch I cannot replace it with beans of any sort (I can eat 1 bean but not 2!) or cooked leafy veggies like spinach or kale...they are not pouch-friendly for me. (but may work just fine for you).

Nuts can be a big part of your diet and offer you quality proteins along with dates and other dried fruits. Beware of raisins and apricots...they can liquify some people's output.

For years I practically lived off of rice and sauce (homemade, rich sauces), whole grains and dark breads with raisins, cans of tuna and sardines with salad.

So it is possible but you must start any change slowly, give your body time to adapt, stop if your body is telling you to and move forward with prudence.

Good luck and keep us posted

Sharon

I have had my j-pouch for 4 years and have been a vegetarian longer than that.  I am one of the lucky ones that can eat salad, most fruit and vegetables, and a moderate amount of beans.  I don't particularly care for cheese and eggs are a staple of my diet.  Peanut butter on toast is a special treat as if I have peanut butter in the fridge it seems to disappear at an alarming rate and I can't blame the cats for that one.  I do not tolerate citrus, diary, or too much gluten.  I have found what works for me and am very very happy.  I sometimes have to get up once or twice in the night but seem to have no problem dropping right back to sleep.  Good luck.  If you want to follow vegan phenomenon can I suggest you look up "Esther the Wonder Pig" on Facebook.  She brings me all the incentive I need to eat an animal friendly diet.

Veggies don't work well with my pouch, sad to tell. I loved broccoli, corn on the cob, peas, and was even at the point where lunch at work was a big salad. I tried all those things after surgery and it wasn't pretty. Broccoli and corn each led to obstructions, peas are uncomfortable on "re-entry," and the salads became very irritating for some reason -- chopped up bits of lettuce passing through wasn't any fun for me. I still partake occasionally, but gone are the days of a big pile of broccoli and a baked potato for dinner.

Meat is funny, though -- no matter how much I eat, I never see much evidence of it later. Guess that's why NASA used to feed Apollo astronauts a low-residue meal like steak and eggs before a mission. I also use that as a strategy -- if I'm going to be away from my home base for a class or a meeting, I'll go heavy on the protein so there's not much ammo in the magazine, as it were.

High protein is very pouch friendly for many...especially when out and about or on vacation.

At work, it is my go-to food...I cannot afford much of anything else. I cannot spend time in bathrooms or blocked up so any protein does the trick. 

It is a balancing act...and you eventually find your own personal balance. Do not let others bully you into a specific eating regime or diet.

You and your pouch are special and it is not a good idea to eat things that constantly irritate it...so try anything that you like but do not forget to listen to what your pouch has to say about it.

Sharon

I think a pescetarian diet is much more sustainable. I have had good success with Fish, eggs and vegetables. My vege of choice is kabocha (Japanese Pumpkin) as a thick soup. Pumpkin soup can really help to slow down pouch movements, i probably eat 2 whole pumpkins a week. Because i have a narrowing above the pouch i remove all skin and seeds and then blend most veges into soups or salsas, although i can eat salad greens raw if they are finely chopped. 

This post by Drone3 reminds me that my mother used to make a pumpkin soup from American pumpkins, which we grew ourselves. It was a cream soup (not sure if she used milk or cream, either way I never had any lactose or dairy issues) and she would also put egg dumplings in it. It was really good.  It was usually made with leftover pumpkins right around Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Thank you everyone for your replies.  I'm getting some pumpkin, but also after reading your posts giving A LOT of thought to how I do feel bullied by superior vegans and vegetarians and others touting that we don't need meat at all.  I just do.  All legumes speed things up, all raw veggies, and I am going to just accept that 12 years post take down, I'm just not an ethical vegetarian/vegan candidate, whether or not I dislike the farm industry.     Thanks so much, I truly appreciate the feedback.

Yes I find that if I eat some bread it helps slow things down

I have been a vegetarian for over 5 years with my pouchy