Managing good diet while plant based /IBS

Hey all

Tldr: trying to lose weight through diet with plant-based diet, IBS and no spoons. Welcome tips.

Like a lot of folk, I'm really struggling with considerable weight gain over the last few years, and bloating, which doesn't seem to be getting any better. My mobility is getting worse and worse so I'm looking at diet.

Problem is I'm mostly plant based and the only thing more dramatic than my digestion is - possibly - my peace lily. I've recently got onto iron tablets so they're adding some extra bloat and then sudden... Debloat.

It seems like the general advice is to get more protein. I know people also say to cut carbs, but I'm really worried about cutting energy sources when I'm already tanking so much. So far I'm just trying to cut down a bit on sugar (which my body craves SO much more now than when I was healthy) - can manage this sometimes but not when I'm in a crash / on my period and need to do anything to help me cope.

Evening meals are easier (well - frequently I don't have the spoons to cook, but at least I've got more options) but I really struggle to get easy protein in during the day.

Breakfast, if I have it, is just bran flakes and oat milk and I don't really have the energy for anything more. At least three days a week, probably more often, I don't eat it anyway because I sleep through to lunch.

Lunch (or breakfast, on the days when I wake up later) is normally toast with something (could be marmite, vegan Philly, sometimes a vegan pastrami etc), some salad, olives, and walnuts. Maybe fruit. Maybe other snacks too.

I'd love to get more protein in there but a) I really can't afford any more effort than this and b) I just don't really know how to do anything really high protein easily. Tofu is ok (though when I blend it uncooked into sauces but body doesn't seem to like it) but I need to cook it to be useful, likewise chickpeas etc, and I'm not sure I can cope with cooking twice, even in batch.

I occasionally mash up some beans and nooch into a sort of houmous, but it's hard to make it flavoursome when my body can't cope with garlic. And it's still more effort than I really want. Vegan pastrami type things don't actually contain that much protein, and nuts/houmous are pretty high fat, though I often have nuts anyway.

I've treated myself to a blender recently but not sure about any plant based protein powder that won't really upset my stomach. I find pea protein difficult. Can cope with the Huel smoothies sometimes (some flavours really upset me), but they're expensive.

Anyone in this situation have any tips please?

I have no idea how the hell to get my waistline down - it's gone beyond self confidence now to being actively unhealthy, as well as making it impossible to buy clothes (I'm a UK size 14 waist at LEAST but 5'3"). Also frequently bloated - I have considered maternity clothes - may be some water retention there too, as I have a LOT of water, and extra salt for OH.

Thanks all.