Protein and weight loss

I am now 9 weeks post surgery and struggling to get in at least 60 grams of protein each day.  My doc stops protein shakes at 7 weeks so I am relying on food alone.  I have been a fairly slow loser since surgery but some of that is perhaps due to the 60 plus pounds I lost before surgery.  I am going to the gym every day and doing at least an hour on the treadmill.  Saturday I even did 90 minutes treadmill and 30 minutes bike.  I am averaging around 500 cals. a day.  I realize everyone stalls but scale has not moved.  Is it that I am only getting around 40-45 grams of protein, too few cals. or just a stall while my body is readjusting? 

Your doctor cannot prevent you from having a protein shake if that is what you want, like and are getting appropriate nutrition from. No way would I be satisfied with such a low protein amount for myself for weeks at a time. I can get all my protein in with the calories you are outlining via shakes, so the calories are not too low, but the amount of protein that your body NEEDS, is too low.

Stalls happen, sure, but you owe it to YOU to do the right thing for YOUR body. Surgeons do not know it all and if you are failing to get enough protein in, then have a shake--that is my advice!

What you have to remember is that your amount to lose is not 200 pounds, your not going to have big number on scale like others. . So your going to have small numbers. What you have to look at is the % of what your losing. I started at 252 day of RNY and i was a slow loser since I had only 95 pounds to get rid of. At 9 months I was at goal. By 1 year I was under my goal, so i changed my goal weight to 145, right now at almost 13 months I am at 148.

Getting more protein will help, but at 7 weeks I think I was getting about 60 grams a day. The rule of thumb I am told is 30 grams for the first 30 days, 60 grams for the next 30 day and then 90 for the rest. But some people dont need 90 grams of protein. I do between 75-80 and even if I have days of doing 65 I still feel great. You will figure out what a good amount is for you.

Do this listed below. It will help you see how much  you have lost and how much you have left. And do measurements so you can see that even when the scale isnt moving much your still losing inches.

My guess would be your body thinks it's starving you are working off more than you are eating let alone the number of calories you burn just being alive. Whenever my weight slowed I upped my calories a bit and it dropped off again. At nine weeks post I was getting in about 500 calories too, it's all I could do and that was including one shake, I don't like food in the morning never have and never will so I start each day with a protein shake. I personally would add a shake if I wasn't getting in my 60 grams. I still don't get in 60 grams without a shake over a year out, I swear I have the tiniest pouch on the planet. And yes you'll lose slower having lost that much preop, from what I've seen on here. So it's more than likely 6 of this and half dozen of the other. Just keep working and stick to your plan!

Hey! I love Dr. Kligman. Honestly, I didn't even make it 7 weeks with the protein shakes but I understand that some still need them even after that time. He just likes to get you away from drinking your calories. If he thinks you need them he will green light them again. At least in moderation.

Have you calculated your resting metabolism rate? I think that's the right term. It's how many calories you would burn if you just laid in bed for 24 hours. Anyway, it gives you a much better perspective on how many calories you need to just get through the day so you have a better idea of how many you need to consume or burn off.

I think you are exercising a little heavy and your calories are too low. If you are only taking in around 500/day and working out that much your body is not going to let that fat go easily. Either back off the exercise a bit or bump up your calories. Or both. Just for a week or so and I'll bet you the scale will move.

my dr said to stay with the shakes as long as i need to to get the proper protein in. If you can get it all in with food alone then that's great.. but if not, have shakes or protein bars. .. as long as they have good, healthy ingredients and give you teh best for your protein/calorie buck then i say go for it! :)

good luck  & get that protein in!!! :)

I think you definitely need more calories, especially with all of the exercise you are getting. At 12 weeks my nutritionist said I should aim for 1200 calories & up to 90g of protein on days that I exercised.

I think supplementing what you're doing with a shake is the way to go.  I realize your doc is trying to wean you off them and normally you want to follow your center's plan.  But there really isn't a lot wrong with drinking a protein shake. 

I'm further out than you (5-1/2 months) and I have to have a shake some days.  I would estimate I drink a shake five days out of seven.  Otherwise, I'd never get my protein numbers over 60.  Plus, when I work out at night (which I do three to four times a week), I don't want to eat when I get home.  The thought of food makes me nauseous.  A shake is really my only alternative.

Sounds like that might be true for you too.

Good luck!

You absolutely must have the right amount of protein no matter what.