Question regarding protein consumption

Post Date: 11/12/08 11:41 am
I would like a definitive answer on how much protein we need post op and as grads. I'm wondering if too much protein has a danger to us even when we drink enough water (a gallon a day).

I'm eating approximately 1800 calories a day and up to 150 grams of protein a day (on average about 100-120 grams per day) plus 120 ounces of water. Seems that most nutritionists disagree regarding how much protein. I did a simple test this morning and it says 45 grams of protein for me (at 125 pounds) but that's not taking into consideration the WLS surgery..

Is there even an answer? Thanks so much!

I'm glad you brought this up. My surgeon told me to up my protein before I can even have surgery. It's on the low side.

I know that the ps says they want you to eat that much protein when you are thinking about getting plastics done. But do you continue to eat that much after you reach goal?

What do you eat to get that much protein in a day? Which surgery did you have?

Sorry all the questions. Just trying to wrap my head around this.

Take care.

I had RNY on July 11, 2006. I got to my surgeon's goal in June of 2007. I've been right around goal (trying to add muscle weight) since then..I consume about 110 to 150 grams of protein a day in a 1600 to 2100 calorie a day diet. I've lately been concerned that I'm getting too much protein but I'm wondering what the dangers of that are. I'm getting at least a gallon of fluids a day too.

My meals center mostly around protein.

Breakfast:
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/4 Textured Vegetable Protein
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup Motts Fruit Sauce (usually berry or apple sauce)

This gives me 40 grams of protein (give or take) which I know is too much to absorb in one sitting but it's what I do. It stays with me for a long time and I'm not hungry for at least a couple hours with that much.

Lunch is usually a 4 oz chicken or shrimp or some other protein with a veggie like blackeye peas or sweet peas or even a salad with some sort of dressing. Most days I eat two small lunches, one before lunch and one after lunch...More like snacks than actual meals.

Snacks are usually like 1 oz cheese stick with a piece of lunch meat (like turkey or cotto salami) wrapped around it and a piece of fruit. Another one is 1.3 oz of honey roasted peanuts or a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and an ounce of SF preserves.

Dinner is a dense protein meal of steak or pork chop or chicken meat with a veggie and a potato (like a half a small baked potato, baked sweet potato or 1/2 cup mashed potato).

You'll notice I don't eat alot of bread or pasta or any white carbs at all. That seems to work best for me.

I'm on the WLS Grads board each day listing my intake and my calories so you can see my selection for the last few weeks at least. Some days I do have a dessert after I've quit posting. Like two mini SF blueberry muffins or a SF White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie..Even SF those carbs are calling me some nights...

"...a diet in which protein makes up more than 30% of your caloric intake causes a buildup of toxic ketones. So-called ketogenic diets can thrust your kidneys into overdrive in order to flush these ketones from your body. As your kidneys rid your body of these toxic ketones, you can lose a significant amount of water, which puts you at risk of dehydration, particularly if you exercise heavily.

Tha****er loss often shows up on the scale as weight loss. But along with losing water, you lose muscle mass and bone calcium. The dehydration also strains your kidneys and puts stress on your heart.

And dehydration from a ketogenic diet can make you feel weak and dizzy, give you bad breath, or lead to other problems."

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50900

and

"Another issue regarding getting too much protein is leeching of calcium from the bones. The acids released by the body as it digests protein are absorbed with the help of calcium. So if you aren't getting enough calcium, your body will take calcium from your bones.

The Nurses Healthy Study even showed that women who ate more than 95 grams of protein were more likely to have broken their wrist than were women who ate less protein.

There is also some evidence that eating a lot of protein can induce or aggravate allergies.

While it's a popular belief that eating too much protein causes cardiovascular disease, new research shows that a high protein diet that emphasizes vegetable sources of protein is protective to the heart. It is, though, important that you watch fat intake, because many cuts of meat are very fatty."

http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Side_Effects_of_Too_Much_Protein_in_the_Diet