I went into a GNC and was talking to a guy about protein and he says I should DEFINITELY be having a high protein diet. I keep going back and forth with this.

Dr. says to get it through food. Friends say through food. Some bandsters say have a shake too…and Dr. and Hubby says NO SHAKE. The guy who worked at GNC is a personal trainer and says he suggests a high protein diet to all his clients. He says “What harm can a protein shake do you?” True right? I drink a cholcolate Isopure that has 110 cal per serving and 25g of protein. Should I or shouldn’t I. I keep getting a lot of mixed reviews on this but then I keep coming back to what the Dr. said about it. I dunno. I just want to lose some weight. I’m working my but off but getting a very slow response. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Yep,

My surgeon says the same thing. 80 grams of protein a day. It's so hard for me to get in unless I use the unjury protein powders.

I have never been a huge Protein shake drinker. I drank what I had to as a new post op, then got my protein through food after that.

For what it's worth, my doctor has never given me a gram amount for protein consumption. As long as all my labs come back within normal ranges, we (doc and I) are happy.

Hi Krystal, I just saw my nutritionist this week and had expressed how I had fallen away from my protien drinks. She and doc want me to drink 1 protien drink between each meal the last one is to be before bed, 3 total. Each drink should be between 100-150 or so cal. with at least 15 grams of protien per serving. She explained that in the small amount of food that we consume while losing weight that there is no way we could get in the recomened 60 grams. Makes since to me, and may help keep your hunger at bay between meals. What they don't want you consuming is high calorie meal replacements like Ensure,etc.... I don't see how it could hurt as long as you are still consuming healthy meals at mealtime. Sunnysea

There's two problems I have with this.

Number one is I dont believe in a high Protein diet. People seem to forget that the high protein diet has had its day and it didnt work to stem the increase of obesity. Its not "new" or "recent", high protein low carb diets were the fad all through the 60's and 70's - they didnt work then long term and they're not going to now. The ONLY way to lose weight long term is to eat less calories than you expend. None of the supposed justifications for low carb dieting have been scientifically proven. You lose weight because you're cutting out an entire food group.

Secondly is Protein shakes are most often soy protein based, and there's a LOT of evidence around that a constant, high intake of soy can have negative health effects such as a dampening of thyroid function. Again, moderation. I dont think protein shakes every day is moderation.

I'm quite happy to be proven wrong but I'm certainly not jumping on the bandwagon until the high protein peddlers are proven right.

If I were you I would just do what ever your Dr tells you to do. Mine tells me to do a shake diet per op so me liver shrinks. (Or someting like that) He also wants me to keep my protein intake up afterwards but tells me after 4-5 weeks get it from my food. best of luck to ya.

Hi again, I agree with you Jacqui on the drinks if they contain alot of soy, I have to look into that better because I do suffer from an underactive thyroid, I was just reading something about soy and the thyroid. But on the subject of high protien and low carb I wasn't suggesting that, I should have made myself clearer, I was told to eat a variety from all the food groups at mealtime. And 60 grams isn't high, just the recommended:confused: It's what works for each I guess, just like raising kids. Take Care, Sunnysea

If I were you I would just do what ever your Dr tells you to do. Mine tells me to do a shake diet per op so me liver shrinks. (Or someting like that) He also wants me to keep my protein intake up afterwards but tells me after 4-5 weeks get it from my food. best of luck to ya.

Hi, At 4-5 weeks is fill time when you can't get as much food in!?!? I don't know:confused: Sunnysea

It's like the saying goes, a rabbit can get fat eating lettuce...

I take what I consider to be the best Protein shake on the market, Myoplex. www.eas.com. Not only does it pack a whopping 48grams of protein, and a ton of Calcium and other Vitamins.

The downside to protein shakes is that they do not make you feel full for very long. I use them primarily as my small meal supplements. I try to eat 6 protein-based meals per day, three of them being small meals between Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Also...working out is key. The Proteins that you take in WILL metabolize directly into muscle, provided you work out. If you have no idea how to work out, buy a book that has good reviews on Amazon.com. The knowledge is out there.

hi storm,

what myoplex shake do you use?

i am using the isopure shakes but i have used mypolex in past and they are pretty good.

so far my hunger hasnt returned and in fact i am having trouble eating (get nauseous) so my doctor said to keep up with the Protein shakes, Vitamins and hydrate.

i know when my hunger returns food keeps me satiated longer then liquids..

thanks

I think it really depends on what works for you. In the little time I have had my band I have noticed that the weeks when I have more protien(ie shakes) I lose wieght, on the weeks that I was not having them daily I was maintaining wieght. If I don't have a lot of protien I don't lose wieght. That has always been true for any diet I have tried. I always lose when I increase my protien. You need to do what works for you and makes you comfortable.

I usually have one Protein shake a day (the EAS Advantage carb sense chocolate, yum), after a cardio workout or before weight lifting. The fitness trainer said that was the best way to do it...cardio needs done on an empty stomach and with weights you need the protein in you before you start. But anyway, that has worked well for me.

Now that the weather is getting nicer I'll probably switch on and off to the nectar Iced Tea. It tastes just like iced tea and has 15 grams of protein per serving.

Virginia

There's two problems I have with this.

Number one is I dont believe in a high Protein diet.

I don't believe K was talking about a high protein diet, just required protein. There is a big huge difference.

Anything over 20-30gms at a time isn't going to be absorbed anyway and it's hard on the renal system. But people do need to get at least 60gms daily in.

Many people are tight in the AMs and the only thing they can get down is a Protein shake. For many people that will kill hunger. I see nothing wrong with this.

There's two problems I have with this.

Number one is I dont believe in a high Protein diet. People seem to forget that the high protein diet has had its day and it didnt work to stem the increase of obesity. Its not "new" or "recent", high protein low carb diets were the fad all through the 60's and 70's - they didnt work then long term and they're not going to now. The ONLY way to lose weight long term is to eat less calories than you expend. None of the supposed justifications for low carb dieting have been scientifically proven. You lose weight because you're cutting out an entire food group.

Secondly is Protein shakes are most often soy protein based, and there's a LOT of evidence around that a constant, high intake of soy can have negative health effects such as a dampening of thyroid function. Again, moderation. I dont think protein shakes every day is moderation.

I'm quite happy to be proven wrong but I'm certainly not jumping on the bandwagon until the high protein peddlers are proven right.

There is two things I see wrong with YOUR post. Based on the information that you gave, I see that you MUST know what you're talking about...but the problem is that you don't...and you're wrong. Sorry.

There have been NUMEROUS studies done with HUGE samples of people that indicate that people on a high protein/low carb diet have not only lost a significant amount of weight by following a sensible HP/LC diet, but also decrease the need for insulin regulation in diabetics AND lower risk for cardiac events in some patients with heart disease. If you would like to see those, I'll do my best to find them online, but I have the hard copies in my room. I will agree, though, the best method is calories in to calories out.

Now, on to soy protein. Soy MAY have an effect on hormones if taken in high doses, yes, particularly isoflavones. In the beginning of the century, and even now still, there's debate about whether certain isoflavones increase the risk of breast cancer. They tell menopausal women to take soy because it MAY help soothe hot flashes. There's a lot of reputable studies out there that say, also, that soy protein can decrease the risk of cardiovascular events. The benefits go on.

I really apologize if all of this comes off in the wrong way, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't tell people something if you're not 100% sure that it's correct. That kind of thing is what creates panic about everything causing cancer.

It doesnt come off in the wrong way, like I said I"m entirely happy to be proven wrong. What matters is that we all get healthy. But the thing is I dont believe you can be sure you're correct either. None of that, absolutely none of it has been proven without a doubt.

I agree entirely with you that insulin dependence and diabetes are a different kettle of fish, as are the entire group of people that fall into that metabolic disorder category, PCOS, hypercholesterolaemia, insulin resistence etc etc and there is much research supporting the fact that a decrease in carbs (mainly high GI carbs) is the way to go for these people.

None of what you say is any more supported than what I lean towards believing. Sure, get on the internet, you can find plenty of info to support both sides and you always always have to question the quality of information you find online. If you search out information on the glycaemic index there is plenty to support the fact that its not carbs per se but the type of carbs that matter and that is open to debate as well.

I dont for one minute wish to say that I am 100% right, I just wish to point out that there is plenty of room for debate on both sides of the argument.

There's loads of people around who will swear that low carbing works for them, good luck to them, if its the way you want to do it then that's fabulous. I personally dont wish to take the health risks inherent in a low carb diet but that doesnt make me right. But my ticker below is proof that its entirely possible to lose weight and become healthy without cutting out carbs.

You can also espouse the virtue of a high Protein diet for inexplicably improving blood chemistry and cardiovascular event risk and completely ignore the effect that a basically low carb diet has on bowel healtth. Its the same with other food fads, you can find PLENTY of information supposedly irrevocably proving that dairy causes mucous build up and is diabolical for humans - but that hasnt been proven either yet.

I just think we all have to do what makes us personally feel best but it alarms me that people think protein shakes are a substitute for food - a canned, processed product in place of food the way nature made it? That's maybe my own personal bias I know but I dont think 1 or 2 soy based protein shakes a day as moderation - a couple a week is moderation!

My Dr. says to get all my calories from dry foods so I have the feeling of fullness. I like Protein shakes, but I hate putting all that artificial sweetener in my body...It raises my blood sugar and gives me cravings. And it never gives me a full feeling.

I doubt if our bodies can metabolize the super high protein shakes above 25g. Seems like we're just asking the liver to work overtime for no benefit with those.

I'm looking for a good pure whey product without flavorings or sweeteners, and I pan to add that to my salads, etc.