Hi - I've had to mostly give up dairy, including whey Protein drinks like Isopure, and am struggling to get in enough protein.

My nutritionist wants me to shoot for 75g of protein every day, but offers very little help with dairy-free diets that can get me there.

If I shoot for 50g of protein every day, which so far seems do-able, will that be adequate?

My Dr. says 55-61 grams for my height (5'4) If I go below that I feel fatigued and sickly. I'm on softs and can't wait till I start eating solids so I can have more to choose from.

My NUT said 60-80. I guess you will have to depend on beef, chicken, fish, eggs(unless that's diary too), edamame, peanuts, etc...

Always go with what your NUT or surgeon suggests not a forum....just saying....

If this is a lactose intolerance problem, which is not uncommon post-op, then whey Protein isolate can be used as it has had the lactose filtered out of it as part of the process. Isolate is expensive, so the cheaper Protein drinks are usually blend of cheaper whey concentrates, isolate and other sources. Yogurt also has had most, if not all, of the lactose consumed in the fermentation process, and many cheeses are very low in lactose. One can also take :Lactaid tablets just prior to consuming dairy with lactose in it.

On the minimum amount of protein required, that is largely dependent upon lean body mass. A small, light (will be light!) woman who may end up with a healthy weight in the 100-110 lb range will need somewhere in that 55-60 g range while a fairly muscular man may require 100g or more to maintain their lean body mass. Inclination towards increasing muscle mass or healing from major trauma can add 50% to those figures.

My requirement per my surgeon is 40 g per day. Your requirement should go down as your weight decreases. I currently weigh 160.

My nut said 90 grams per day (because I'm taller and in my childbearing years). However, my understanding is that the requirement does go down the smaller we get; definitely worth checking in with your nut on that. Good luck!

Thanks very much for your suggestions. I have a follow-up with my surgeon next week and I'll check with her then about the protein intake. NUT is hard to get in touch with.