I understand the whole theory of needing protein to stay full longer, and eat protein first because we fill up quickly. But as we start to eat normally & in maintenance, is protein intake at such high levels still so crucial? The wonderful threads about 'eating normally' got me thinking about this.

Hi! I was required to track my protein before surgery, and without trying very hard, I was eating 100 grams of protein a day. I'm not sure if eating high levels of protein will be necessary when we're maintaining (that would be good for me to know!), but I do notice that I crave protein more than anything else, so I lean toward protein when I eat.

I was asking around the same question. My thinking was that I ate fast food all the time and not great sources of Protein before surgery. Now all the focus is on so many grams of protein. Why is this? Is it just for the fact of eating healthy or is it something more? I hope this wasn't confusing. Lol

I know the reason I gained weight was because of my eating habits. Is the emphasis on protein just to become and stay healthy?

I'm glad that l am not the only one who is confused.

I think it depends on the person's goal/ diet plan. When I did low carb and lost a ton of weight, I was eating high Protein. I have a friend who lost weight with South Beach and ate not quite as much protein as I did on Atkins.

My friends who lost weight on Weight Watchers ate a lot of protein but not as much as those of us on low carb. I do know that my friends that lost and kept it off (various different methods/diets) are all high protein eaters. They tend to average roughly (they measure in oz) 12-16 oz or more of protein daily. So depending on the source, that can be a lot of protein.

I think I read in the research I did before surgery that protein acts as fuel for us and keeps our metabolism revved up! So, by eating lots of protein we are burning the fat!

I will add a little bit of healthy carbs back in during maintenance, but I will continue to eat high protein.

No, I doubt it unless you consider the body builders out there. Most people eat far less protein than we do because they focus on what tastes good first rather than eating for fuel. Remember, we were like that, everyone of us.

How much did you eat pre-op?

12oz steak has 96g of Protein.

12oz of shrimp has 97.2g

12 med chicken wings is 102g

Pre-op I could easily eat a 20oz steak, or a 12 oz steak & 6oz of shrimp. That's +- 150g protein. And that's just 1 meal.

My son can drink a gallon of milk in a day, that's 130g protein.

How much did you eat pre-op?

12oz steak has 96g of Protein.

12oz of shrimp has 97.2g

12 med chicken wings is 102g

Pre-op I could easily eat a 20oz steak' date=' or a 12 oz steak & 6oz of shrimp. That's +- 150g protein. And that's just 1 meal.

My son can drink a gallon of milk in a day, that's 130g protein.

[/quote']

Good point. I stand corrected.

I find it hard to get protein in. I am still pre-op. I don't care for milk, meat, or cheese. When I was tracking my meals I was only averaging 30 grams of protein per day. So I am supplementing with shakes. Seems I may always be on protein shakes

Two reasons to focus on protein post-op:

• We are eating less, esp. at first, so protein needs to be first until we can eat larger portions or you won't get enough protein in.
  
• Eating a firm protein first fills your little tummy. You will see later out that certain foods you can eat a lot of, and they can be pretty high calorie: desserts, breads, chips, crackers, etc all go down easier than firm protein. For example, I can eat a medium movie theater popcorn over the course of the day. At first, I could only eat a few bites of popcorn. If I only eat popcorn after eating my sold protein, I still can eat only a few bites of popcorn.
  

Lynda

Ok, I have a question, I've seen people posting about eating "dense" protein, what would be examples of that?

Dense Protein is solid meat, poultry or fish. It takes longer to digest, so it makes you feel full quicker and you stay full longer. For example, chicken breast or thigh, slice of roast turkey, piece of salmon, or a pork chop.

Lynda

I didn't read all the replies, but I read potatoes not prozac last month, and he recommends a lot of protein ( up to 41 g) at every Meal to keep sugar addiction and depression at bay. I'm eating 25g/ meal as a goal now, PRE surgery.

I didn't read all the replies' date=' but I read potatoes not prozac last month, and he recommends a lot of Protein ( up to 41 g) at every Meal to keep sugar addiction and depression at bay. I'm eating 25g/ meal as a goal now, PRE surgery.[/quote']

I think 25-30 grams a meal is fine. Your body cannot process any more than that at one time, probably more like 23 grams at a time. Either the extra protein passes through you or gets stored as fat for later use.