My Two Cents On Protein

[PdxMan 4,292]

Time for a Come to Jesus post from PdxMan ... sorry if I offend ... don't mean to.

... most of us, I believe, have or had a NUT to consult with. From my discussions with them regarding the whole Protein question and the research I have been doing regarding nutrition and running, there is a limit to the amount your body can effectively absorb and use at one time. There is a general rule out there which suggests consuming more than 30g of Protein in a single sitting does you no good and the overage should not be counted, but for more active people and athletes that number is higher. I discuss my activity level with my NUT and integrate her dietary suggestions. Afterall, I paid for it and she went to college for it, so ...

I see here and on other threads about people taking the Protein Shots and getting all their protein in before morning and using ShakeX because it has 48g of protein ... From what I understand, this is not how it works. Drink two 48g protein shots AND I'M DONE FOR THE DAY!!

Nope.

Your body will absorb what it can and store the rest as fat and for the day you will be WAY short on the protein your body needs.

So, don't even ask what my NUT told me to do because my body and activity level is not your body and activity level.

Don't ask me what you should do because I don't know your body and activity level.

What works for me will not work for you.

Bottom line here is if you don't know what to do or you are struggling with protein, you really need to be discussing this with your NUT. They know your body and your activity level FAR better than we do here on the forum. Protein intake is very important. Do yourself a favor and use the resources your team has provided you. If you don't have a NUT, talk to your surgeon, if you can't talk to them, contact your PCP. Surely someone in their office has access to a nutritionist.

To echo what I have said before, I know I can come across harsh, but I want us all to succeed in this.

[Lissa 2,631]

I worry about those Protein shots, myself. Lots of them get their "protein" from collagen, which is not available to the body for use as Protein.

My nut says they are not a good choice for Wls patients, so I will be passing them thank you for your info, pdx.

Lissa

[Dooter 1,457]

Good to know! Not harsh at all. Facts are good.

[sleeve 4 me 910]

AMEN!

[gettingthere 11]

Very useful. I am more in the "little but often" school of thought and that is what my NUT advised.

[Soup-a-Woman 43]

I get all my Protein from actual food, and haven't had a Protein shake or any other disgusting form of Protein since about week 1 or 2. I work consciously at eating small healthy meals, usually Soup. I almsot always include 2 different sources of protein in my Soups. In fact, my latest blog post just this morning was about sources of protein!

Thanks for the good info!

[PdxMan 4,292]

And just an add on, here, that I forgot in my original post ...

There is also the popular question of, "Which Protein drink/powder should I use?" Again, this is going to be different for everyone and what works pre-op may not work post-op. My cousin LOVES Isopure, but I adopt the name isopuke. Muscle Milk is too thick and sweet for me, but I know lots of people love it.

This really is a path you are going to have to find on your own. There is a solution for you out there. You and your nutritionist are going to have to experiment, find samples and do taste tests. NOBODY on the forum is going to be able to tell you what is going to work for you. It may not be Protein powder/shakes. It could be broths or something else. Just find what works for you.

[PdxMan 4,292]

I get all my Protein from actual food, and haven't had a Protein shake or any other disgusting form of protein since about week 1 or 2. I work consciously at eating small healthy meals, usually Soup. I almsot always include 2 different sources of protein in my Soups. In fact, my latest blog post just this morning was about sources of protein! Thanks for the good info!

That's great Soup! That's what I'm talking about. You found a solution that works for you. Good!

I get most of my protein from soups!

But I am curious, if you could share, how you came to this. Did you try a variety of protein shakes/powders and none of them were palatable? How many did you try? Did your NUT suggest trying to get all your protein from food ASAP?

I think the path to finding a solution is what troubles most people.

[Soup-a-Woman 43]

That's great Soup! That's what I'm talking about. You found a solution that works for you. Good! But I am curious, if you could share, how you came to this. Did you try a variety of Protein shakes/powders and none of them were palatable? How many did you try? Did your NUT suggest trying to get all your Protein from food ASAP? I think the path to finding a solution is what troubles most people.

I probably didn't try very many in the big picture of protein shakes/powders. Every one I did try I absolutely hated. I've always been a foodie, and I enjoy cooking (I used to be a caterer before I went back to school and got my teaching degree), and it just made more sense for me to get my protein my way. I have loved coming up with new Soup recipes! In fact, I'm working on one today that is a blended kale and white bean soup with a poached egg. I'm all drooly just thinking about it.

My journey has been enjoyable, really. Waking up healthy every morning is AWESOME!

http://www.soup-a-woman.blogspot.com

[aroundhky 1,174]

I think excess Protein is a lot like the other stuff our bodies get rid of after it reaches it's useful limit. Like Vitamins and other supplements such as carnitine, glutamine etc. We need all of that stuff and I think some of society thinks that "If some is good, then more is better" kind of approach. I agree, I think our bodies only need a certain amount of protein, much like many vitamins, then anything more than what our body needs is disposed of or not used in the way it's intended.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Great post PDX, as always! I'm never able to fully respond to any of the "what Protein shakes should I use?" posts... I only give them directions on where to get them. Everyone's taste buds are different, and some folks don't like them no matter how much they've tried, that's ok too! Not only that, but lets not forget that I myself hated all foods post op. Everything tasted weird and I pretty much had to force myself to drink/eat anything for the first few months.

I certainly don't encourage anyone to take advice over an internet forum over their nutritionists advice! When in doubt, always FIRST speak to your health care providers, which are getting paid the big $$$ and huge education to provide.

As long as you're doing your best and following the guidelines given to you by your medical staff, then you are doing fine.

For the record, www.vitalady.com does sell individual samples of many different types of Protein Shakes, if anyone might want to check it out. It helped a lot in my many years as a bariatric patient.

Best to all.

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

PDXman - you are so right. My NUT told me that same advice early on. Also, Protein is what keeps us full the longest, and it is good to not try to get all your day's protein in early in the day.

[Weigh2Go 35]

Great topic. I am new at this (finishing my 3rd week sleeved) - my thoughts are that I had the surgery to help me jump start a healthier life - one that I plan to continue after I get my excess weight off. I do drink one protien shake each morning to jump start the day since at this point I can't eat much.... but other than that I have changed my eating to "real" foods that are high in protien. I feel better than I have in years - and I think a lot of that comes from simply eating better quality foods (and no longer drinking cokes).

I always tried to find a way to cheat my way to thin through crazy diets - and in my opinion the protien shots and the like are a way to not eat healthy but try and meet the protien requirements without really changing ones lifestyle to eat clean.

[LoserMama 37]

Totally right. I admit at this point (2 weeks out) I'm still using Protein shakes as a primary source of Protein, but I learned from my NUT quickly about the Protein Shots and have an unopened box of New whey bullets now. She was clear that the type of protein they offer is not well utilized by the body unless you are already getting significant protein from animal sources. Bad advice from that Before and After book. I am looking forward to getting to soft foods and beyond and being ABLE to get my protein from sources other than the shakes.< /p>

And it really does vary on taste. I liked Isopure drinks before surgery, ordered two cases, and now, like PDXman, they are isopuke to me. I guess I have to use them up, because ironically, even though bodybuilding.com is approximately 2 miles from my house, I can't return them to them without shipping them back and paying a fortune to do so. The ones I didn't like, Premier Protein shakes from costco, I've now grumblingly become accustomed to and while I don't love them, I like that they have a decent amount of protein, are portable, and have some other nutrients in the mix.

I also second the opinion on getting samples from Vitalady. I ordered a bunch of them and am working my way through them as supplements and seeing what I like . I learned that Gaspari Myofusion is one of my favorites and I would not have even known about that without Vitalady.< /p>

In the spirit, however, of my work background for many years in patient education, I do encourage people to research and consider their own options. Even though they get paid the big bucks, I spent seven years interviewing and working with healthcare folks who didn't take the time to update their knowledge, or applied a one-size fits all approach to everything they do. Not all do this, of course not, but some do. So ask questions, look stuff up, verify what you find with your healthcare team. (This is not in particular about the protein, just my general soapbox about being the head of your healthcare team)

[SouthernSleever 236]

It's my opinion that just relying solely on a NUT for information or even a PCP for info is not a good idea. The reason why is because some of these professionals do not keep up with the latest info. They get their degrees get a job and are fine handing out the same information they learned 10 years ago. The best way is to be an advocate for yourself. It used to be that all the info was in libraries or by professionals but it isn't that way anymore. We are connected to a huge web of knowledge and some of it is published by very reliable sources. You must sort out what is truth and what isn't and just reading a forum on the internet doesn't cut it. However, I find I get much better and more complete information by doing my own research and then if I have any confusion or want clarity on a specific topic to then ask a professional since their time is usually limited. If I learned anything in nursing school it's that most of what is said in the medical field is pulled straight out of an old text or your ass. I, at least, choose who's ass I pull it out of.