Canton Ohio WLS Support Group
HOW IMPORTANT IS PROTEIN?
In the gastric bypass patient, this normal digestive process is bypassed. So your body has between five and eight feet of digestive tract to do the job pre-op bodies have 20 feet or so to accomplish. This is why you need to watch which proteins you eat and make sure to eat proteins that are most easily digested.
Proteins protect you. They form antibodies to combat invading bacteria and viruses. Hormones, antibodies and enzymes that regulate the body's chemical reactions are all made of protein.
If your body is deficient of protein, it can show up as swollen ankles and swollen calves. You might feel it as bone ache or joint pain.
Without the right proteins, blood won't clot properly and cuts won't heal. You may lose your appetite and your libido. Your skin may become flaky, and your hair may start falling out.
Since the immune system is dependent upon adequate proteins, protein deficiency can show up as recurrent, severe infections.
Before surgery your stomach could hold 32 ounces of food. As a post-op your stomach holds only between one and four ounces, depending on the type of surgery you had.
Your job so far as protein is concerned is to get between 60 and 100 grams of protein per day. But following WLS surgery, your body will have difficulty absorbing proteins. You need more highly-absorbed proteins. Early on you should rely on pre-digested (or "hydrolized") protein supplements to help you get enough protein. A whey blend protein is best. 100% whey protein would be second. Isolates, although they're good for a quick pick-me-up are not sufficient alone for the gastric bypass patients ongoing maintenance. As your body starts to tolerate more types of proteins, you can use the drinks and supplements as snacks. After your first month post-op, consider seafood, tuna, tofu, bocca burgers and cottage cheese. After your second month post-op, you might add chicken, duck, and deli meats. It is advisable to wait until after your third month postop before eating red meats. The human body cannot make protein, it must be obtained through diet. Take care of your body by monitoring your protein.
Terri
ObesityHelp Support Group Leader
www.wlsterrib.com
