Question:
I'm confused about taking protein supplement. Some say to take
to drink protein supplements twice daily and others say not to. I was told by my nutritionist to make sure I get 60gm of protein daily, but not necessarily by the protein drinks. Can anyone share light on this? I up for surgery soon and want to get this right. — Meeky (posted on August 2, 2009)
August 2, 2009
At first you will be drinking your protein because you won't be able to eat
solids. As you can eat more, you will eat more protein and drink less. I
am 8 months out and what my nutritionist said to do is to try to get all 60
grams of protein through food, and at the end of the day if I haven't
gotten it, then to drink a protein shake. After you are on solids, you
don't want to drink your protein because it won't stick with you and make
you feel satisfied for as long as solid food will. You will do fine. It is
a learning situation every day, so just sit back and enjoy the ride.
— Dawn A.
August 2, 2009
Hi, I am in total agreement with Dawn. The priority is to get your
reccomended protein amount irregardless of form, but when possible, it is
best to get the reccomended amount as food. I average 70 grs of protein a
day and, at almost 5 months postop rarely use a supplement now. But if you
need supplements to get to your 60 grams a day then use them. I work
emergency room and we recently had a patient in renal failure with
extremely low total protein and albumin levels 2 years out from rny who
hadn't followed up with her surgeon, hadn't gotten her labs, and wasn't
attempting to moniter her protein intake. Good luck. Kevin
— hapkidodoc
August 2, 2009
Hi, I am in total agreement with Dawn. The priority is to get your
reccomended protein amount irregardless of form, but when possible, it is
best to get the reccomended amount as food. I average 70 grs of protein a
day and, at almost 5 months postop rarely use a supplement now. But if you
need supplements to get to your 60 grams a day then use them. I work
emergency room and we recently had a patient in renal failure with
extremely low total protein and albumin levels 2 years out from rny who
hadn't followed up with her surgeon, hadn't gotten her labs, and wasn't
attempting to moniter her protein intake. Good luck. Kevin
— hapkidodoc
August 2, 2009
I am 5 and a half years post op RNY. I never did protein shakes and I
haven't gained an ounce. Bottom Line Protein Shakes are made for Body
Builders to bulk up Not for people who had weight loss surgery. Get your
protein from foods.
— Kimberly Ten Kate
August 2, 2009
Hi Romika! Everyone has a different opinion on this matter and even the
different clinics have different instructions for their patients. So...I
can tell you what I have been told by the bariatric center at upstate
university in Syracuse. You start off drinking 2 protein shakes a day. It
used to take me several hours to get one in...in the beginning, then later
in the day I would drink a another. My goal was 60-70 grams a day. When I
went onto solids-not mush-(stage 3)- I was told to try to get the protein
from food. But consuming 2 ounces 3 times a day, it was hard to get that
many grams in. I went to 4 ounces at about 6 months out. I am currently 13
months out and still have 4 ounces per meal, 4 times a day, and then a
snack, to maintain my weight, which is below goal. I do consume a protein
drink in the morning every day. You will need to work with your
nutritionist for what is right for you. I also want you to know that I go
the gym atleast 3 times a week and am very active. I hope you have a
wonderful surgery experience and talk to the dr's office about what is
right for you. We can all tell you our experiences, but they may not be
right for you. Our medical problems are not all the same, etc. Best of
luck! hugs,kim
— gpcmist
August 3, 2009
Each surgeon is different in what he recommends, so I'd first talk to my
surgeon. I did a lot of research before picking my surgeon, and have the
utmost confidence in him, and so try to follow his recommendations to the
best of my ability. It is his opinion that once you have weight loss
surgery it is impossible to get all your nutrients through food alone since
the amount we can eat is minimal. Thus, he recommends a protein drink that
provides vitamins and minerals as well as the essential amino acids. The
Metagenics Bariatrix protein drink specifically, as the proteins are broken
down into the amino acids - he says that we are unable to efficiently break
down protein ourselves very efficiently now that our stomachs are so small
(I believe this is primarily for those with the sleeve or bypass). By
having at least 3 scoops (30 grams of protein) every day, plus a bariatric
vitamin, Iron, Calcium with D and B12, and then getting at least another 30
grams of protein from our other two meals, we are sure to receive the
needed nutrients each day. Some of us need more than 60 grams of protein a
day, but the only way to find out if we are losing muscle as well as fat is
for a body composition measurement. My surgeon does these monthly for the
first year after surgery to be sure we are maintaining or increasing our
muscle mass. Many people who are losing a lot of weight quickly are
unfortunately also losing muscle mass. The recent conference he attended
focused on this subject, stating that surgeons need to be more aware of
"what" the patients are losing (muscle vs fat) rather than
"how much" the patients are losing. This is not to say that you
cannot do well without the protein drinks - I am just passing on to you
what my surgeon has told me. The more research you do, the better. Check
out the internet - read as many articles as you can - there is a lot of
information out there - and a lot of opinions. The more you know about
nutrition and weight loss surgery, the better you'll do. Good luck! And
congrats on your upcoming surgery!
— Wendy M.
August 4, 2009
— UNJURY
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