Ask Amy

As you all know, Spam is a canned precooked meat product eaten readily in the Hawaiian Islands (amongst other territories).  If you were wondering,  4 ounces of Spam (Turkey) is roughly 284 calories, 2 grams of carb, 16 grams of protein, but 24 grams of fat!  After weight loss surgery  you want to aim for <30 grams of fat each day so Spam would not be the best choice.  Opt for leaner meats such as:

Poultry: chicken or turkey (white meat, no skin)
Fish: cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, trout, salmon
Shellfish: clams, crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp
Egg whites/ Egg substitute

- Do you have a favorite protein dish that includes any of the above foods? 

Hiya Amy!!!! There is several of questions i wanted to ask you...

1. i was told that mussel poke has no protein value...is this true?

2. I was informed that i couldnt gain more than 5lbs, or else i would have to reschedule the surgery. I gained more and have 8 days to lose the weight? What would be the fastest and healthiest way to lose it? I was thinking about going on a liquid diet? Would you recommend it?


3. Hopefully i will be having my surgery on the 13th...what is some good ideas for the puree stage?

Hi there!

1. Mussels do contain protein.  In researching them I found that about 3 oz of them (the size of a deck of cards) is anywhere from 70-100 calories (depending on how its cooked), <5 grams of carb, and around 10 grams of protein.  So once you are into the solid food phase you can try them, but make sure to chew them thoroughly.

2. To lose the weight, you'll want to really cut carbohydrates out of your diet.  This means no breads, rice, pasta, potatoes, crackers, cookies, sweets, and very minimal fruit. No fruit juice or sodas.  Eat 3 meals a day that focus on protein and vegetables (but no peas or corn as these are starchy vegs). Keep portions small.  Lots of water between meals.  If you wanted to do a liquid diet, you'd want to use protein drinks.  Costco sells a protein drink called Premier Protein which has 30 g protein per serving.  You want 70 grams/day on the liquid diet. 

3. The stage you're talking about is the soft food stage.  Your Postop Weight Loss Manuel goes through what foods are appropriate.  You always want to aim for 70 g of protein/day so this means: non fat cottage cheese, scrambled/soft boiled eggs, light yogurt, tofu, blended soups, pureed tuna or pureed canned chicken if you'd like. 

Looking forward to seeing you!!