I am exactly 6 weeks out from surgery and things are going well but, even after talking to a dietitian, I am still uncertain on what my protein target should be. Her advice was that 60-80 grams of protein per day would be good, but 100 grams per day would be good, too. I am eating virtually nothing except protein-rich foods, but it is pretty tough to get much over 60 grams of protein a day and stay at the 600 calories per day that the dietitian recommended. From reading these forums, it seems that most men aim for a higher protein target. I would normally defer to the advice of the dietitian, but my consult with her turned out to just be a less than 12-minute phone call that was pretty uninformative.

I am five weeks at and from this point on my doc says minimum of 75 g of Protein and try to get 100. I feel ya. I wonder how to get it all in. I know that I will have to add Protein powder to everything I can. coffee, milk (I love milk, fairway milk has more protein than normal milk). My nurse got me to get the New whey bullets. liquid Protein that has 42 g. It doesn't taste very good so I put some in Water and squeeze some lemon or orange in it. Helps me get my liquid and protein in which I constantly battle with.

Like I said I will just have to add powder to Soups, make Protein shakes that have a full scoop of powder. When I am eating real food again in another week, maybe it will help getting in some fish and chicken.

Good luck!!!

I forgot to mention that I make sure if get my protein for fear of losing hair. @@Babbs says some people are just going to either lose it or not lose it. I believe her cuz she has been through it. I'm sticking to my protein so do what you need to to get it in.

In the early stages where the calorie count is low, it's challenging to meet the Protein requirement. Even more challeging the body can't absorb more than 30 gms of protein an hour. Try eating(drinking) 3 meals and 2 Snacks, or 5 small meals. Things that helped me was adding protein powder to everything. Unflavored powder in my Soup was a big help. I also added greek yogurt or nut butter to my protein shakes. Buy clear Protein drinks like Isopure NoCarb and add into your Water.

I am exactly 6 weeks out from surgery and things are going well but, even after talking to a dietitian, I am still uncertain on what my Protein target should be. Her advice was that 60-80 grams of protein per day would be good, but 100 grams per day would be good, too. I am eating virtually nothing except protein-rich foods, but it is pretty tough to get much over 60 grams of protein a day and stay at the 600 calories per day that the dietitian recommended. From reading these forums, it seems that most men aim for a higher protein target. I would normally defer to the advice of the dietitian, but my consult with her turned out to just be a less than 12-minute phone call that was pretty uninformative.

Hey there, T. I was not quite as heavy at the start as you but BMI was over 50. Now down 120+ but still have a ways to go. I think my NUT said it best -- she said for my size a target of 800 to 1000 cal a day was good and 80 to 100 protein is good, with 80 oz of Water. During the first six months I did this and lost weight very rapidly, eating no more than 3 cups of food total a day, not counting liquids. I have to say, I have the best nutritionist I have ever met. I mix whey powder half and half with dry non-fat milk powder, with water (I use the SAS brand of whey Protein Drink, from Target, comes in vanilla and chocolate). This gives me a 25 g protein in 1/2 cup of liquid, so for 2 cups a day I could get my protein in those early months. I can't stand slimey thick protein drink that is sweet and this does the trick... now at 8 months out, I do the protein drink once a day and get all my other grams from chicken, fish, pork, lamb. Still can't eat beef. Then, I eat 5 servings of fruit and veges a day, low carb types. Good luck, I feel great at 8 months out from by-pass.

I'm not a guy, but my surgeon's target for all men is at least 100 grams in case that helps.

My nut requires 1 gram of protein for every inch you are tall minimum.

If you have kidney problems it is not a good idea to drive your protein even higher than that.

Most people are now getting the 80-100 G a day recommendation. It is hard to get all that in, but over time it gets easier. I lost hair even though i had plenty of Protein and Vitamins (I guess zinc can be an issue too) so no guarantees on that front.

I think the reason they push protein so hard is that it helps minimize your lean muscle loss during rapid weight loss AND, lets face it, if you are having all that protein, following the eating recommendations you probably don't have room in your diet for crappy food.

I am 4 years out, and I still have a Premier Protein daily (30g protein, 5 carbs, 160 calories). Recently I was advised to up my protein from my current target of 80, up to 100 because my goal for 2016 is get my body fat % lower which means I need to build lean muscle mass. I am of course in maintenance.

Side note, I don't track anymore but did for a couple of days as a reality check and was getting more like 50-70G a day - yikes. That is when I got serious about adding those premier Proteins drinks back to my diet. Guess what, I got back down to goal when I had been a few pounds over...hmmmm...

@@VDB Thanks so much for providing the information in your post. What are SAS whey Protein drinks? Are these target brand protein drinks? I'm looking for something that's not so sweet, thick, or chalky tasting.

Also, what is your trick to getting in "1) 800 to 1000 cal a day; 2) 80 to 100 [grams of] protein; and 3) 80 oz of Water"? That's amazing and you make it sound so easy. I'm self-pay and haven't met with the NUT yet, but I'm sure various ways will be explained as to how I can get it all in. I have two family members who have undergone bariatric surgeries...one had the RNY and the other was SLEEVED--both stress the importance of all of this as well as the struggle of getting it all in.

@@VDB Thanks so much for providing the information in your post. What are SAS whey Protein drinks? Are these target brand protein drinks? I'm looking for something that's not so sweet, thick, or chalky tasting.

Also, what is your trick to getting in "1) 800 to 1000 cal a day; 2) 80 to 100 [grams of] protein; and 3) 80 oz of Water"? That's amazing and you make it sound so easy. I'm self-pay and haven't met with the NUT yet, but I'm sure various ways will be explained as to how I can get it all in. I have two family members who have undergone bariatric surgeries...one had the RNY and the other was SLEEVED--both stress the importance of all of this as well as the struggle of getting it all in.

EAS is sold at Target and other places, but Target is the place I can find the right type of EAS brand of whey powder. It is in a 2# container, container is purple, and it says "26g protein; 150 cal; 6.3 BCAAs" on the label. I buy any non-fat powdered milk. I mix the EAS and powdered milk half and half, dry. I put 9 heaping tablespoons in a pint of water (a mason jar with a tight lid) and shake it well, keep it in the fridge, drinking half a cup at a serving. I am just like you, I hate sweet, thick, and chalky. Try this mix, it works for me and the chemistry is good. Whey and powdered milk have different and complementary Proteins. Add or subtract dry mix to your taste, it has lots of protein, is thrifty, and the chocolate is my favorite.

About the water, of course no water 25 minutes before or after a meal so that your sleeve or my pouch can absorb maximum nutrients, but I start the day with 12 oz of water, and then keep a glass or container of water handy all day, going through 80+oz by sipping it whenever I am not in the eating window. I end the day with another 12 oz glass of water. When I get tired of water, I drink water with lemon juice and splenda, with ice. I watch my pee color -- when it starts to darken I drink more, I go for light yellow. That is a bit gross but it is the best indicator of good hydration.

You may be on a lower calorie than I was, but I kept it to 800 to 900 range back then, still do. Now that the weight loss has slowed, I don't lose much unless I exercise alot -- now so much lighter, the treadmill and bike are my go-tos. But in the early days of 40-53 BMI, swimming was my chosen exercise as it saves the joints. Now, I need more aerobic so the treadmill and exercise bike combo does it as well as my four legged walking machine (yellow lab pup, demands three walks a day).

Always willing to help -- this has saved my life. My diabetes is 90% better, horrible edema gone, blood fats superb, high blood pressure gone. I am off 80% of my medications. sleep apnea is better but will likely never get off the CPAP as mine is more genetic rather than fat related. My mobility was going -- now am very active. I admire that you did the self-pay, incredible!

Thanks everyone for your really helpful information. It sounds like I need to up my protein intake from what I have been doing.

@@VDB Thank you.

Aha! Yes, I am familiar with EAS...I see now that the SAS in your original quote was simply a typo. I will definitely try your recipe.

My Doc and his coordinator are working on getting my RNY surgery scheduled for January. I am an administrator and I plan almost every aspect of my life, except for when it comes to my wife and son...I try and loosen up a bit once I leave the office. That being said, I have been eagerly testing the various Protein drinks ever since I have been off work for the holidays. I also watch my urine color and gauge whether or nor I'm staying hydrated. I've been off work since Dec 7th and it's only been since last Friday where the color of my urine has been lighter. I'm thinking it could be because I've been more conscientious about the amount of liquid I'm getting in--using a drinking reminder app to remind me to drink more has been helpful.

I guess I'm more curious about how you were able to manage the liquids during the first few months of your post-op. I have been researching since my PCP suggested that I see the bariatric surgeon and most folks seem to really struggle the first few weeks to a month post-op. I'm hoping and praying that I have no complications and I too will be able to free myself of the blood pressure meds, nexium, CPAP machine, and lower my LDL and A1C levels...no meds for those just yet and I've been told that the weight-loss that happens after getting my pouch and concentration on eating healthier and exercising regularly will truly help.

Thanks again for your response and please let me know if you have any secrets you can share on getting in the liquids during the first few months of post-op.

I am exactly 6 weeks out from surgery and things are going well but, even after talking to a dietitian, I am still uncertain on what my Protein target should be. Her advice was that 60-80 grams of protein per day would be good, but 100 grams per day would be good, too. I am eating virtually nothing except protein-rich foods, but it is pretty tough to get much over 60 grams of protein a day and stay at the 600 calories per day that the dietitian recommended. From reading these forums, it seems that most men aim for a higher protein target. I would normally defer to the advice of the dietitian, but my consult with her turned out to just be a less than 12-minute phone call that was pretty uninformative.

Today was a really good food day for me. I'm vegetarian but if you adjusted it, you could easily hit over 60 gms and keep calories low.

Breakfast - 1 large egg, ¼cup shredded cheese, Cup of coffee using vanilla Protein powder instead of creamer - 286 calories 38gm protein. (I wait a ½ an hour between food and coffee)

lunch - ½ cup frozen chopped spinach, ½ tbsp of rotel diced tomatoes with chilies to season, 3 ounces diced chicken breast - 126 calories, 20gms of protein

Snack - Nuts Pistachios are my nuts of choice. Good protein, healthy fat, nice bit of crunch. Try the Wonderful - Roasted and Salted Pistachios- Single Serving Pack. Nuts are my weakness so I only buy the single serving packs and I only buy them 1 at a time. 1.25 Oz - 100 calories, 4 gms of protein

dinner - ½ cup of romaine, Target - Market Pantry - Corn & Black Bean Chunky Salsa, 1 Tbsp, 3 ounces of Grilled Chicken Breast, dressed with ½ tbsp of olive oil - 13 calories, 18 gms of protein

Totals for the day: 626 calories 16 carbs, 80 gms of protein. In between drink all the Water you can. You could also swap out the egg from breakfast for something more filling like steel cut oats and add the protein powder in that. It will easily keep you full until lunch. I'm not a big early morning eater, so light meals work best for me. Things like steel cut oat and romaine lettuce will also help prevent constipation. Especially if you make sure to get in a minimum of 64 ounces of fluids. I used to aim for 24 ounce in the morning 24 ounces in the afternoon and another 24 ounces before bed. I carry a water bottle everywhere I go and sip all day long.

That's really helpful, BLERDgirl! Thanks to the great advice here, I added a Pure Protein shake and used some of the other recommendations here. That got my protein up to 105 g today, kept my calories at 670, and even allowed me to fit in some vegetables!

Between my 4-week pre-op diet and 6-weeks post-op, I am completely blown away by (1) how good I feel and (2) the fact that I have absolutely none of the junk food cravings that I had before. It is nearly Christmas and I just realized that I have made it through Halloween, Thanksgiving, and nearly Christmas without any candy, Cookies, pie, etc. That would have been unthinkable just a few months ago!

You're welcome. It's take some being creative, but it can be done and still leave you feeling full.