Question:
Confused about protein needs
Hi, I just got off the phone with a staff member at stanford, and she said I must not go over 60 g of protein a day. She wouldnt say why. She wouldn't say how many carbs a day to eat either, as they don't pay attention to that as long as they are not from sugar. She said I must follow their diet, then I'm getting the right amounts. I can't do that because I don't like most of the foods on their diet sheet. Many people on this site eat more than 60 g of protein a day. HELP PLEASE — Sandy A. (posted on October 22, 2003)
October 22, 2003
Sandy: Your profile is lacking in so much information so I need to ask
you. When was your surgery? What kind of surgery did you have? The
"staff member" you spoke with: was she a nutritionist? Does she
work directly with your surgeon on dietary guidelines post-op? While I
know many surgeons recommend 60-70 grams post op, most post-ops I know get
in 70-100 grams. You should not have much more than 100 unless you're a
weight trainer. Maybe you're early post-op and that's all they want you to
get in right now. As time progresses, I would think a little more would
not hurt, but will help. Your surgeon is your best source of advice. Good
luck (and...I highly recommend you update your profile with some specifics
about you and your surgery)
— Amy A.
October 22, 2003
Hi Sandy -- My nutritionist told me a good rule of thumb is multiply your
weight by .3 and that's how many grams of protein you should have a day.
When you are ready to "maintain" your weight, then multiply your
weight by .2. This has been working well for me and I am 5 1/2 mos post op
rny and doing well. Hope this helps.
— Brenda D.
October 22, 2003
Yes, you did, you did not multiply your weight by .3, don't forget the
"Point" that makes a world of difference..My daily intake of
protein always ranges around 80 grams, but that is with a protein shake
every morning for 50 grams of protein, I could never get all my protein in
on my own, I just can't eat that much. Good Luck!
— Beth K.
October 22, 2003
Hey Beth. it looks like you're doing great. However, I'm curious about your
50 gram protein shake every morning. I was told we can't absorb more than
30 grams of protein at a time unless we're body builders. So you may be
"wasting" 20 grams of protein.
— Le P.
October 22, 2003
I know the question didn't start out asking this, but I am highly skeptical
of the dietitian's formula listed below. By this formula, a 150 pound
person trying to maintain their weight would take in only 30 grams of
protein a day, which is only 120 calories worth (or less than 1% of a 1500
calorie a day diet). Where are the remaining 1380 calories (or 99% of the
food) coming from? All that's left is carbohydrates and fats. That can't
be healthy.
— Vespa R.
October 22, 2003
Thanks, Vespa for the calculations. I came out with 29 grams multiplying
by .2, which of course, is far below the 60 plus I try to maintain. Back
to the poster: 60 is the average amount of protein advised with the RNY
however, many post op'ers go above that. You should try to follow your
doctors diet if possible. If you absolutely cannot, call back and aske to
speak to the nutritionist and explain that you cannot eat the food on the
list and can they recommend some alternatives to you.
— Cindy R.
October 22, 2003
Sandy- Thanks for highlighting what is a pet peeve for many of us:
nutritionists who refuse to accept that the most efficient way to lose
weight is by following a ketotic diet (one that is high in protein and low
in carbs) and who refuse to consider that carbs can be a real trigger food
for many of us. And then, despite the fact that they refuse to acknowledge
that years of research has undercut their beliefs, they become militant
when we question them. I try to maintain myself well above 60 grams of
protein a day-- most days I am closer to 80-100 grams; in any given three
day period, I will average about 40 grams of carb. Following this
regimine, I chose salads and other greens for vegetables, berrries for
fruit (as opposed to more carb-intensive varieties) and make the first food
choices of every meal a protein choice. I guess we should all encourage
one another to follow our surgeon's program-- but, if you are being told to
seriously limit your protein and to not worry about non-sugared carbs (as
if the only problem carbs come from sugar), it sounds like it is definitely
time to find a more progressive nutritionist who understands the needs of
bariatric surgery patients.
— SteveColarossi
October 22, 2003
I think that that calculation is supposed to be more like.6 not .3. I would
feel like crap if I ate 30 grams of protein per day. I agree with Steve
that your nutritionist may not be fully aware of the post op's needs. I
happen to be very fortunate that my nutritionist is well versed in weight
loss surgery diets and I eat 80-100 grams of protein per day as reccomended
and am still losing with just 10 pounds to go and have never hit a real
plateau. My sensitivity to carbs after years of obesity and carb abuse is
far too great to dare to eat 100 grams per day maybe ever. I stay under 40
and am comfortable with that.
— Carol S.
October 22, 2003
When using the calculations the main thing people forget to take into
account is that they need enough protein to support their visceral weight
(their body organs) not their total weight, because that includes the fat.
My nutritionist does a body fat analysis (little electrode thing) each time
I see her to see my hydration level, my body weight and how much is made up
of fat versus muscle/organs. You only need enough protein to support the
parts you want to keep, not your total body weight. When I saw all the
posts about people having 80-100 grams or protein a day I got worried and
called my nutritionist to confirm I am supposed to be getting 60 grams like
she had originally told me. She went over the calculations with me and 60
was just right for my muscle mass. This has been working great for me - at
the 50 pound mark before 3 months is out. Obey your nutritionist, as long
as she is in sync with your surgeon and is experienced with WLS.
— bethybb
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