I'm 2 years post surgery. No more shakes for me. Beans and meats, all kinds. Lots of fish and chicken.

I'm getting around 75. I drink a lift on my way to work a shake for breakfast and I'm at 50. This week a shake for lunch too 70 then pureed dinner 6-10 maybe. Next week I'm probably going to have 2 lift's and have a pureed lunch too. Big Lots had lift for $2 for a 4 pack. Lemonade and orange aren't bad the mixed berry is too acidy tasting. Like sour patch but not that strong. Just off putting to me. Dr told me 75 was my number. So I hit it.

StevenGarrigus wrote: »

A afternoon snack of a protein bar gives me anywhere from 14-16 depending on the variety.

@StevenGarrigus - which protein bars do you like? What nutritional values are you looking for in a protein bar?

@Lisidy I really like the Atkins bars. They are low sugar and high protein. My favorites are the Almond & Coconut, Chocolate Chip Granola, Blueberry & Greek Yogurt and Pretzel. They range from 14-16 grams of protein each and all of them have a good flavor. They also break up easily and you aren't chewing on them for hours on end.

Mainly, I look for low sugar and high protein. These also have between 15-25% of your vitamins in them, so I am getting a bit extra on top of the various vitamins I already take.

@Jamieeldred, I agree with starting my day with a Premier Protein shake. It fills me up, gets me a huge part of my protein early and keeps me from being hungry until close to lunch time.

In my material from my nutritionist, we were told that our body can only absorb 20 grams of protein at a time. So don't bother eating more than 20 grams at a time but instead eat some protein every three hours throughout the day. Aim for 70 grams a day. Has anyone else heard the same thing?

@ppmintpatty my nutritionist said 30 grams for the max your body can absorb at a time. With a goal of 60 grams per day.
It is weird they all (surgery offices/nutritionists) say different things!

Question....For example: If you can only absorb 30 gm of protein at a time, but maybe only 50% of what you eat is absorbed....does that mean 60 gm of protein at a time is appropriate and what we should shoot for? I'm still in prep mode and trying to learn.

My surgeon has a different take on the whole protein intake debate...outside of the pre-surgical preparation and initial healing phase, he advocates lower protein intake as a long term strategy. He himself is a vegan, so you can see where this is going...

I don't have a moral opposition to eating tasty animals, but I did cut out meat a little more than 4 months ago and now I've seemed to lost my taste for it.

I eat eggs, cheese, yogurt, some tofu, nuts, beans, edamame, and lots of different vegetables. I also incorporate steel cut oats, whole grains like farro, and some sprouted grain bread products in limited quantities. I drink 2-3 servings of protein shake a day (primarily Syntrax)--because I like them more than anything--so I know that I am getting at least 40-60 grams a day.

I set limits on sugar and carbohydrates in prepared products (chocolate, protein/granola bars, cookies, etc.) No more than 10 grams of sugar and/or 20 grams of carbohydrates per serving.

I run an average of 30-50 miles a week (have done up to 75) and mix in weights, yoga, and elliptical. I use higher carbohydrate bars (Cascadian Farms Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmel Bars are an amazing treat) and more oatmeal in the days leading up to races to give myself a little reserve.

I agree Miss Hattie. Premier protein can be pretty expensive by the 4 pack in the grocery store. But if you buy them by the case at Costco, Sam's Club, or BJ's, they are much less expensive. On sale they work out to be about $1 each, which is not much at all for an entire meal. My favorite is to mix half vanilla and half chocolate. Tastes more like regular chocolate milk to me.

I was told to aim for 64 grams.
I have a Greek yogurt for breakfast with a scoop of genepro protein powder mixed in. Then I'll have a premier shake in the afternoon or I'll mix some chocolate whey protein powder in with a cup of unsweetened almond milk. I have protein with lunch and/or dinner too- either salmon or tuna fish, cottage cheese or a little low fat cheese.

About the protein absorption rate...here are articles showing the 30 grams per meal is incorrect:

https://www.muscleforlife.com/the-truth-about-protein-absorption-how-often-you-should-eat-protein-to-build-muscle/

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/know-your-nutrients/how-much-protein-can-the-body-absorb?page=1

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3595342/

BASICALLY, the 20 - 30g limit is that for muscle repair. The body needs protein for A LOT MORE than just muscle repair. The body breaks proteins down into amino acids. The body can store amino acids for later use. If the body needs energy, it can turn protein into energy stores. The last article from the National Institute of Health shows current research shows there is NO upper limit to what the body can process/absorb in one sitting.

I'm still in the prep stages and found this post, thought I would share my two cents - our dietician has us aiming for 70-90 g of protein for pre and post op. I'm at my liquid prep phase (surgery is on May 31st so I'm super close) and currently, I'm using a completely vegan protein powder called Vega Sport that has 30g of protein - I drink one for breakfast, lunch, snack, and have a regular (closely portioned) dinner. Most everyone I've talked to keeps the shakes in their menu as a good source of liquid protein that gives you a good boost when it's hard to reach your goals otherwise. I agree with Fit_chickx, though - Check with your Medical professional, tell them what you're experiencing, and show them what you're doing (either by giving them access to your MFP feed or by printing off your macro report) and see what they say - They can help you find ways to get in what you need while not adding unnecessary fillers.

@loriloftness - good idea.