Protein

I read this on Bariatriceating.com - does anyone have any opinions about it? To calculate your protein needs; you need roughly a little more than half a gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight. A woman who should weight about 145 pounds needs about 83 grams of protein a day to maintain good health. (The actual calculation is 'Ideal Weight' ÷ 2.2 × 1.25grams of protein = Protein Needs). If you can't physically eat this much protein, which would entail eating 10-12 ounces of chicken, fish, eggs or cheese a day, you will need to find protein supplements that you like in order to give yourself that protein boost. If you go for months without adequate protein you will get very tired, have little energy and experience extended hair loss. Stick to your plan and the weight will slowly start to come off again and you will begin to feel strong and very mu*****ontrol. If this is right, then my protein has been way down for ages - no wonder I've been feeling exhausted! Think I'd better get those shakes going again, I haven't had one for weeks.

I struggle to get in the minimum amount that the dietician told me when I first started, which is 60g. If I followed that calculation I would need 90g and that may be more than I can do. I would end up eating protein only... no room for chips and ice cream!

Thats what I have heard, but.... we dont absorb like others so we need more protein.. I have said forever you need to get your protein up.. Now this is my opinion and what I understand... Our body eats a certain way. Our body is fueled by carbs than fat than protein. So if you eat carbs the body automatically takes them for fuel, thus leaving your fat alone. If you cut out carbs you body needs to create fuel so it goes to the next source which is fat. it converts it into carbs and uses it for fuel. Now that takes more energy so in a sense you loose more. Now when you have no more fat on your body it moves to protein which is the hardest part of the body to convert to energy and what you dont want it to convert as it is you muscles like your heart. With this said.. I truely believe this to be true. I lost every oz of my fat off my body because i was not putting any carbs in so it ate my fat off. I can honestly say that I have no fat, even my skin has no fat in it. Now if you exercise fat will also burn and muscle will build giving you that atheltic body. you will weigh more because of muscle mass but its not bad weight. When I stopped working out at the gym because of my legs I dropped 15 pounds. I went from 135 to 120 in a month because I lost the extra muscle I had built. Now that I have started working out again I expect my weight to go up not from fat but from muscle. Does any of this make sense. I lost all my weight by following this plan. Eat between 1000-1200 daily Keep carbs below 70 Keep fat below 50 usually lower. Keep protein over 100 shooting for 120. It worked for me. Yes I hear all the time to get above 80 but I think we need to keep it much higher and if you look at the grad board all the people on the accountability thread all try and get to 100 or more in protein. It just works better for us who have had wls. Carla

Carla, I did find when I added alot of carbs to my daily intake I began getting tired and the weight loss essentially stopped. When I am able to keep my carbs low, the scale moves. I just struggle to keep the carbs low. I can do it for awhile, but then if then if I have a day with higher carbs (say due to a special event), then the next day I have a heck of a time going back to low carb again. Carbs are evil!! Diane

did you mention the amount of protein you intake to your surgeon because now they are getting concerned about the kidney's and all that protein....just ask the nutritionist what they think. ANDI

yep, that's what I have heard, even my plastic surgeon. made me agree to 80 to 90 grams before and after plastics