BariatricEating.com Health & Nutrition
Rant - Protein Drinks... not?
"How many of your surgeons/nutritionists accept or push the use of protein shakes post WLS? Mine prohibits shakes." -Name Witheld 9 days post-op Lap RNY
You are 9 days post-op and even though it doesn't sound it, I hope you are still open-minded enough to give this some thought… otherwise you are going to have a rough road ahead of you bella!
Sure, it is always better to gain nutrition via food… but that isn't happening with a stomach the size of our thumb.
Let me talk to you at the level of a 9 day post-op so you get this. You know the 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese you were barely able to finish this morning? Well that contained a whopping 4 grams of protein. The soup you sipped this afternoon contained just 2 grams of protein. The chicken you are going to attempt to eat for supper will have 6 grams of protein but you'll have to subtract those grams once you gak it up about an hour later. (too dry… don't worry, it happens to most of us once or twice)
So that will give you a grand total of 8 grams of protein for the day. I am sure your surgeon and nutritionist gave you a daily target of at least 70 grams of protein.
How are you planning on bridging the gap between the 8 grams you got down and the 70 you need? Have you thought about that in the past 9 days? Hmmm… it appears that you are going to be 62 grams short.
When you are 8 months post-op you can eat almost an entire egg for breakfast which has 6 grams of protein. For lunch you can eat two slices of deli turkey, which contains about 14 grams of protein. You plan on making broiled salmon for supper for the family, and the 3 ounces you eat will add 21 grams of protein to you daily count.
How are you planning on bridging the gap between the 41 grams you got down and the 70 grams they told you that you need? Hmmm… it appears that you are going to be 29 grams short. Again.
After 8 months of low protein your body recognizes that it must conserve resources so it has stopped sending protein to lower-level priorities like the hair and nails. Yes, that is your scalp shining through the crown of your hair. No, it is not your imagination that your nails are thin and that you are very tired in the afternoon.
If you can't physically consume enough protein through eating... what are you going to do, NOT drink a protein supplement because a nutritionist tells you that you don't need one? If you can eat enough protein, great. If you can't, you need a protein supplement or your body will eventually metabolize your muscles and organs for energy.
Give this some thought and if you can come up with another way to do this… please let me know! Otherwise I suggest you make a selection from our excellent line of protein products.
Susan Maria
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© BE, Inc. 2011 - Susan Maria Leach. All rights reserved.
