Hi all, I am 4 weeks post-op today. My surgeon/dietitian recommend eating 60-80g of protein per day. It also says not to exceed this amount. At my 6 week check up I will be able to start trying more solid foods but still the recommended protein is 60-80g, and this is the life long recommended from my program. Yesterday while talking with my fitness coach (I am a triathlete) he wondered why it was so low. We agreed I would follow my program recommendations but would ask at my 6 week appointment why this is so low. I am curious to know what other surgeons/programs have recommended.

Your daily protein requirement is met by a combination of the amount of protein you obtain from food combined with the amount of protein from protein supplements (protein shakes, protein bars). Right after bariatric surgery, the volume of food you consume is minuscule (2 ounces) per meal. But as you get further along, the meal volume increases. Therefore you have a very important option available to you. As a result, you can begin to reduce your reliance on protein shakes if you concentrate on consuming high protein meals. I went from 3 protein shakes a day, down to 2, down to 1 and eventually none when I reached 1 cup per meal at a year and a half post-op.

Your protein requirement is dependent on your lifestyle and the level of exercise that you perform. http://www.eatright.org/resource/fitness/sports-and-performance/fueling-your-workout/protein-and-the-athlete Your stomach needs some time to heal after surgery, therefore go a little easy at the beginning.