Protein
- Thread starter Lisa65
- Start date
TraceyT
Member
Hi L
I had GB on 1/22/2020 and I'm supposed to consume 90 grams of protein daily. It was difficult for me in the beginning to get in all 90 grams of protein AND the 64 ounces of liquid/water. I've lost 70+ pounds since surgery. In the beginning there were days I got maybe 40 grams of protein and only 3 glasses of liquid. It kind of levels out. There are days that I have to make myself eat - I hardly ever get hungry - it's a process. We all deal with it differently.
I consume protein FIRST with every meal/snack I eat. I drink at least 2 protein shakes (30 grams each) daily that's 60 grams right there. Dinner I eat whatever protein I fix first - then I may have room for a bite or 2 of something else. I usually have snacks that consist of cheese - nuts - at least once a day and yogurt (15 grams). I don't drink milk and I don't eat scrambled/fried/boiled/poached eggs. I can eat my egg salad. Some days I reach the protein goal - others I don't.
Follow the plan your surgical team has for you. Talk to a nutritionist.
Best of luck to you on this amazing life changing journey!
I had GB on 1/22/2020 and I'm supposed to consume 90 grams of protein daily. It was difficult for me in the beginning to get in all 90 grams of protein AND the 64 ounces of liquid/water. I've lost 70+ pounds since surgery. In the beginning there were days I got maybe 40 grams of protein and only 3 glasses of liquid. It kind of levels out. There are days that I have to make myself eat - I hardly ever get hungry - it's a process. We all deal with it differently.
I consume protein FIRST with every meal/snack I eat. I drink at least 2 protein shakes (30 grams each) daily that's 60 grams right there. Dinner I eat whatever protein I fix first - then I may have room for a bite or 2 of something else. I usually have snacks that consist of cheese - nuts - at least once a day and yogurt (15 grams). I don't drink milk and I don't eat scrambled/fried/boiled/poached eggs. I can eat my egg salad. Some days I reach the protein goal - others I don't.
Follow the plan your surgical team has for you. Talk to a nutritionist.
Best of luck to you on this amazing life changing journey!
Brenda2010
Member
Congratulations on your 72 pounds Tracey!!!
TraceyT
Member
Thank you Brenda! If truly feels amazing!
Tokash
Member
I'm not anywhere near my protien goals, however I'm just coming up on 2 weeks post. Today was the first day that I have been able to get 64 oz of water. I'm lucky, on a good day if I get one peotien shake in at 30g. It too much liquid and since surgery my taste to the protien shakes has changed a lot.
TraceyT
Member
I wasn't hitting protein goals at 2 weeks out either. I also wasn't getting 64 oz of any liquid in a day. I'm not quite 8 months post and there are still days I don't consume 64 oz of liquid. My taste changed as well. It was like it was too thick and the chocolate was just awful. It got better. In the beginning it took several hours to consume 1 protein shake. It was easier to add a scoop of plain unflavored protein powder to my broth to get it in. Now - I have a protein shake in the morning and one in the afternoon. I make certain that whenever I eat - I consume protein first. If I eat that and I'm full - I'm done eating for the moment. I eat 6 small meals daily.
Go slow - you're in the beginning of this amazing journey. It's not a sprint - its a slow and steady pace. Best of luck to you!
missyinacage
Member
In the beginning I drank ISOPURE Zero Carb. It has 40 grams of Protein in 20 ounces. Since I could only hold a few ounces at a time, I could get in 10 grams for every 5 ounces I could suck down. It's kind of expensive and the lemonade was not actually great but I was determined to get my protein. Since it's clear the consistency is a little easier to keep down in the beginning.
Last edited:
3momchaos
Member
I’m not sure if protein goals are individually given, but my surgeon said I need at least 60 g of protein daily. I’m not getting that everyday, but I also haven’t had my surgery yet. I probably get 45-55 daily. Try to get close to your goal, but try not to stress too hard. Sometimes it’s not the protein that causes a weight loss stall, if that’s what’s happening. Remember that the protein consumption after weight loss is stressed because they don’t want you to lose muscle. Gotta keep that muscle so the fat goes away
missyinacage
Member
That should be our motto: TRY NOT TO STRESS TOO HARD! lol I was all like OMG! Gotta get that 80 grams of protein every day right after surgery. Now, most days I do, some days I don't. Before surgery, I had calorie goals to meet, so once the goal changed I was hyper-focused. But it is so great that you have that all figured out BEFORE surgery. You are going to do so amazing once they approve you!!
dianeseattle
Member
My nutritionist told me to get between 50 and 70 grams of protein a day. All the government studies I have looked at recommend a similar amount. They also recommend a higher amount of water intake.
Water helps the process of digestion and nurtures the organs, not just the stomach. It keeps you from being dehydrated for sure, but I think the bonus is that it accelerates weight loss.
But I feel very comfortable with the 50 to 70 grams of protein. I'm 13 years out from my surgery, my weight is stable and I still eat very similar foods and amounts of food as my post-op diet.
I was in a University of Washington study on the effects of bariatric surgery for seven years after my surgery and my numbers were always well within the recommended RDA. And my doctor does least one metabolic panel on me a year and again, my numbers are always near perfect.
I think 80 grams of protein is too high. If you calculate how much food you need to eat in order to get 80 grams, you'll notice that you're taking in a lot of calories. Calories are not as important as protein but they are a factor.
I believe you should always follow your bariatric team's advice and recommendations, but I also think it's necessary to ask, "Do I really have to have X number of protein grams a day?" Sometimes a nutritionist will say it's flexible.
Given the government's guidelines, I would think that a nutritionist would be very informed.
WazzuCoug
Member
The caveat to everything I'm about to say - always follow your doctor's advice. The following is for informational purposes only.
You don't have to meet your protein needs to lose weight, your weight loss will happen with overall caloric deficiency. Protein also doesn't actually build or maintain muscle on its own - only exercise can do that - but to form healthy new tissues, your body needs protein. One of primary reasons for having adequate protein post-surgery is for healing. Protein is very important for tissue growth and repair.
It is an important component of every cell in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.
Obviously, right after surgery you are still obese and have much more muscle and other tissues in your body, and you are healing from surgery. Protein requirements are generally higher to maintain that healthy tissue. The minimum that is usually recommended is 60g, which is probably a decent average for most bariatric patients. The recommendation for some patients may be more at first, but as weight/fat decreases over time, so does your protein intake requirements. A general rule of thumb is to multiply your body weight by 0.3 and shoot for that (or whatever your doctor recommends). For myself, that puts my protein goal at 76g. I recalculate every 10 lbs I lose. Obviously, extremely morbidly, obese people, the multiplication factor will be a little out of whack because it would be practically impossible to eat that much protein, so it really comes back to your surgeon's and dietician's recommendation.
If you reach your goal weight then the common protein requirements are:
So, I guess the short answer should have been: get as close as you can to your doctor's recommendation, it is beneficial for your recovery and good health moving forward. I'm sorry I rambled on longer than that.
You don't have to meet your protein needs to lose weight, your weight loss will happen with overall caloric deficiency. Protein also doesn't actually build or maintain muscle on its own - only exercise can do that - but to form healthy new tissues, your body needs protein. One of primary reasons for having adequate protein post-surgery is for healing. Protein is very important for tissue growth and repair.
It is an important component of every cell in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.
Obviously, right after surgery you are still obese and have much more muscle and other tissues in your body, and you are healing from surgery. Protein requirements are generally higher to maintain that healthy tissue. The minimum that is usually recommended is 60g, which is probably a decent average for most bariatric patients. The recommendation for some patients may be more at first, but as weight/fat decreases over time, so does your protein intake requirements. A general rule of thumb is to multiply your body weight by 0.3 and shoot for that (or whatever your doctor recommends). For myself, that puts my protein goal at 76g. I recalculate every 10 lbs I lose. Obviously, extremely morbidly, obese people, the multiplication factor will be a little out of whack because it would be practically impossible to eat that much protein, so it really comes back to your surgeon's and dietician's recommendation.
If you reach your goal weight then the common protein requirements are:
- Growing teen boys and active men get enough protein in seven ounces per day (about 50g).
- For children between 6-12, teen girls, active women and most men, about six oz (about 42g)
- Children under 6, most women, and some older people, five ounces is plenty (about 35g)
So, I guess the short answer should have been: get as close as you can to your doctor's recommendation, it is beneficial for your recovery and good health moving forward. I'm sorry I rambled on longer than that.
Brenda2010
Member
My program calls for 60 grams of protein a day. With a 30 gram shake each day, I probably average about 50 grams daily. All my blood-work looks great and I feel strong so I don't sweat it!