Question:
Protein supplements cause weight regain?

Does anyone know of a specific study about supplemental protein use after WLS? I have been reading the comments and especially Barb D and Michelle C. as long time post-ops recommend the supplements. My Dr. recommends Carnation instant and then food. But I am afraid on not getting in enough protein. A specific study would be helpful. I don't see how using supplements can make you regain the weight? Thanks,    — Mel M. (posted on August 27, 2001)

August 27, 2001
Great question. I am still pre-op so you may choose to take this with a grain of salt, but my profession as a nurse and weight control counselor gives me some experience to answer your question, In my opinion. Protein supplements are not a dime a dozen. You must read labels. If a majority of the calories in a given supplement are derived from fat or carbohydrates, buyer be ware. If the calories are mostly from protein you are probably pretty safe. I would, ofcourse follow your surgeon's advise, but in my experience supplementation is not their area of expertise. your supplements need to be incorporated in your overall caloric consumption per day but again watch those carbs. anything more than 15g carbs per serving is way too much. I would stick to 5-10g and you should be pretty safe. Best of luck to you and visit my webpage for information on my line of protein supplements anytime just follow the link from my profile page. Respectfully,
   — Michelle F.

August 27, 2001
Look at it this way. Body builders use these types of products. They have a similar goal to ours: no fatty tissue, good muscle. They do other things to promote overall wt GAIN, but it is not FAT, they want muscle and develop it accordingly. I also do not want fat. I wish I could point you to some studies, but as someone already said, the docs are not product familiar. They tell you to "get protein" and the only way they know is via the "wt gainer" type supps. They simply don't know that the weight LOSING types even exist, as yet.
   — vitalady

August 28, 2001
Hi I agree that reading labels is KEY! Your body needs the protein and many of the protein bars can be high in carb so you have to be careful.Many MD's are familiar with the high carb "power bar" type supplements that have little protein. The extra carb calories can cause weight gain. Many dont realize this. One pt of mine was eating 4 powerbars a day and couldnt figure out why her weight loss plateaued. I recommend pro bars and drinks so long as the carb content is less than 8gms and the pro content is above 20gms. The bottom line is that if you over-eat anything, you can plateau or regain. In my support group we tried different bars and read the labels. Tonite we are trying a high pro low carb drink. The most important thing is to be aware of what you are eating, the carb/pro/fat content, not just the calories. Hope that helps
   — [Anonymous]