PROTEIN AND BARIATRIC SURGERY

I space my protein out through the day. I really hate nearly all the protein shakes I've tried, so I gave up on them pretty early. Also, I recently read that many of them are adding different amino acids in the product instead of complete protein, so the actual amount of protein you get per serving can be completely different than what is actually on the packaging.

Now I get it from my food & it isn't really that hard as long as I don't skip any meals. If I get to the end of the day & haven't had time for breakfast or lunch, then I'm in trouble because I just don't have room in my stomach to put all the food I need to make up the calories & protein for the day, so sometimes I accidentally end up too low. A staple for me has been Egg Beaters. Just about every day I scramble up 184 grams with 56 grams of diced John Morrell ham & 28 grams of cheddar cheese. I eat it in stages & it gives me 38 grams of protein for 280 calories.

I like the pre-cooked frozen chicken breasts--there are different seasonings. I buy the John Soules fajita meat--both beef & chicken & pair them with a side. I cook up a bunch of pork chops. I just basically have a bunch of lean meat around to eat. I generally get between 80-100 grams of protein a day.

missgerikay wrote: »

I can only have between 900 to 1100 calories a day I have to have 65 to 75 g of Protein

75g of protein is 300 calories so that should be entirely possible.

Just look at my breakfast there is 1100 calories and a 100 grams of protein for you or my dinner 250 calories and 49 grams of protein..

Meat, seafood, dairy, eggs. For protein drinks, try Muscle Milk.

My macros are:
Protein: 101
Carbs: 35 (net max)
Cals: 1,111

You can absolutely make your protein goal every day, but you need to eat your protein first and cut carbs to the recommended levels. My diary is open. My RNY was January 19th. Remember that you'll spend a lot of time eating to prevent incision problems or stretching. This is so incredibly important. You don't want either of those!

Portable protein isn't terribly hard to find. Tuna packets, jerky, boiled eggs, and pre-packed Muscle Milk shakes can make up the majority of your day. Add in some carbs when you can, although that's less important in the first 6 months than getting your protein and making your calorie goal.

Read labels. You'll spend a lot of time doing that. Remember to keep that added sugar out of your foods, which will keep your carbs within range. Compare labels. McCormick Gluten-Free Taco Seasoning has 1 carb less per serving than the non-GF version. Take time to compare labels, because you're going for protein, carbs, and calories, in that order.

Quick question for you guys - I am considering bariatric surgery but I have to be on a medically supervised diet first. The bariatrician put me on a 1400 cal/day diet with 80-90 grams of protein a day. She wants my protein to be higher than my carb intake but gave no guidance as to carb or fat grams I should consume per day. While I get in the required protein daily I am finding that I consume more carbs. Anyone else have this experience or have any suggestions? Thanks!

jcavanna2 wrote: »

Quick question for you guys - I am considering bariatric surgery but I have to be on a medically supervised diet first. The bariatrician put me on a 1400 cal/day diet with 80-90 grams of protein a day. She wants my protein to be higher than my carb intake but gave no guidance as to carb or fat grams I should consume per day. While I get in the required protein daily I am finding that I consume more carbs. Anyone else have this experience or have any suggestions? Thanks!

Meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy should be your first foods at each meal and snack. With 1400 cals to spend each day, you can definitely make your protein and carb goal with no problem. Add nutrient-dense foods like nuts and seeds, use butter liberally. You'll use those cals in no time. My diary is open and my goal is around 1100 each day.

You might also consider investigating ketogenic diets, since that's essentially what you'll be on after surgery. See if you can lose on keto without surgery. If you can, that's the way to go. Here are a couple of groups...

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group (Read The Launch Pad)
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1494-reddit-keto

A VSG/RNY group... http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/637-gastric-bypass-vsg-lapband


If you're not used to weighing and tracking food, I suggest you get a scale that measures in grams and get started. It's a process you should become comfy with, since you'll do it with every mouthful you eat after surgery. Use the recipe builder too. These are good threads to read...

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

Good luck!

jcavanna2 wrote: »

Quick question for you guys - I am considering bariatric surgery but I have to be on a medically supervised diet first. The bariatrician put me on a 1400 cal/day diet with 80-90 grams of protein a day. She wants my protein to be higher than my carb intake but gave no guidance as to carb or fat grams I should consume per day. While I get in the required protein daily I am finding that I consume more carbs. Anyone else have this experience or have any suggestions? Thanks!

I'm really surprised your bariatrician gave you no guidance and didn't refer you to a dietician.

How much weight do you have to lose?