Protein ????

I am still pre-op. I am not a big meat eater. I have been told that I need to increase my protein intake. I get most of my protein from peanut butter. I am looking for other options without going to liquid shakes yet. Any suggestions? Do you eat protein bars? If so, which ones? When you are post op what do you have to watch besides your sugar intake? Should I be looking for low carb ones too? Please help!! Nancy

Are you referring to meat as being beef or all other meats like pork, chicken and turkey to name a few? You will get bored with your selection of food if you do not expand your horizons for protein intake. Now, there are other forms of protein as in dairy products and fish that you can eat also. I would not recommend that you just get your protein from peanut butter, bars and shakes. look into roasted soy nuts and tofu also. You really need a balanced diet that meats can offer to the equation. There are a lot of other options out there, maybe you should see a dietician to get good sound suggestions.

HI NANCY I AGREE WITH CHRISTINE-YOU'LL NEED TO EXPAND YOUR HORIZION AS FAR AS PROTEIN GOES. WITH THIS DIET PROCESS-IT IS PROTEIN FIRST. I WOULD THINK YOUR DOCTOR AND DIETICIAN WILL BE GIVING SOME SORT OF DIETARY GUIDANCE. THERE ARE DIFFERENT PHASES YOU WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH. A GOOD BOOK TO GET IS ONE BY SUSAN MARIA LEACH CALLED BEFORE AND AFTER THERE IS GOOD INFORMATION IN IT GOOD LUCK SUSAN WILLIAMS

If you like fish, that's a great source of protein, I myself hate fish, so i stick with steaks, chili, tuna salad (I like that), chicken, turkey, eggs, and I have carb countdown milk which has more protein, less sugar and carbs than regular milk, with the chocolate unjury protein shake. I do at least 1 shake a day. Tricia

Hi Nancy, My eating was very similar to yours Pre-OP except I would eat chicken and fish. Post Op I eat tons of meat products so I can get in my protein... I also eat hardly any veggies, fruit, and carb items. My routine is protein first then veggies then carbs (if I have room). I rarely eat fruit due to the sugar content and the fact that I don't have room for them. This type of eating has been hard for me to be 'OK' with since I felt as if I'm eating worse now than I was Pre-OP (I don't feel 'balanced' yet). It just recently started getting a bit easier to incorporate more veggies into my meals now that I am (almost) 5 months out so I have good hopes that I'll start being 'OK' with my food choices No I don't eat protein bars or drink the shakes. One reason is that I haven't been able to tolerate the shakes yet... another reason is that my personal goal is to get at least 50 grams of protein from 'real' food... not the processed protein items. Plus a lot of the protein bars are packed full of sugars and/or sugar alcohol. Post-OP you really will have to read the labels! However, you may be able to tolerate a 1/4 - 1/2 of a bar. Here's one's that I have liked Pre-OP: bars by EAS and a Vegan bar from Trader Joes- yellow wrapper w/green writing. Drinks- the only one I was able to somewhat tolerate Post-OP was Isopure, pre-made. I suggest this one directly Post-OP so you can get protein in (40 grams for a big bottle's worth). Re: Sugar, Carbs, protein supplements: This really depends on your surgeon's program. I'm allowed up to 16 grams of sugar, if I have carbs make sure they are complex carbs and it was recommended to get protein from food rather than supplements so you don't get the 'soft' pouch syndrome. Remember to keep trying new foods the farther Post-Op you get so you can test your pouch and not get in a food rut! Oh, weird thing- I loved PB and ate it all the time Pre-OP. Post-OP it is very dense in my little pouch so I cannot eat a lot of it at time. I eat the Reduced Fat Peter Pan PB. Christine gave some great food tips- and I agree with them. Try tofu and soy products if you don't do dairy. I do these items because I'm lactose intolerant. The silken tofu is great for shakes I like the Snapple One-a-day pre-made drinks too (they use Soy protein). I also think that seeing a dietician that is experienced with the surgery is a great choice! You can also start logging in what you consume to see how much protein, carbs, fat, etc. you get from your food. Go to (http://www)fitday.com. Best wishes! Jennifer

Hey Nancy, I'm pre-op too. (surgery date: 4/25/05) I met with the dietician this past week and she said to get some of my protien from cheeses. Cottage cheese is one of the soft solids we can eat before and after the surgery. She also mentioned eggs. Your doctor will probably have you meet with a dietician before surgery, but good for you taking an active approach to start changing habits before surgery. Good Luck! Kerry