I was banded on 3/2/04 and have lost 26 lbs so far. I think that I am, losing muscle instead of fat, I talked to my muscle disease Dr., and we discussed me having the band, and as I have a pre existing medical condition. I have sarcoidosis it affects my muscles, to where they break down, and the Protein from my muscles breaks down, and it turns my urine black like a cup of coffee. It is usually treated with a massive amount of steroids and a couple of weeks in the hospital. My dr. thinks that I may be losing muscle instead of fat, and that I really need to increase my protein intake. I have only been drinking slimfast shakes, and he thinks that is not enough. He told me that I need at least 50 gms of protein a day. I was not given a specific amount by my band dr, so i am assuming that he knows what he is talking about. I need some suggestions. Give me some advice on what to get/ where? taste is very important, because i know if it is nasty i will not use it, or want to spend my money on it. My labs aren't that high right now, even though the urine is dark, and i don't want to go on steroids because of band erosion, so we decided to see if this would work first? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

Caramel, I would suggest you call your doctor's office and ask them to do a muscle vs weight test. My doctor's office has a gizmo that's like a regular scale, with a computer attached and all this info is computed. The last time I had it done, I had gained 12 of muscles, but I eat a lot of Protein. eggs everyday for me.

You're wise to stay in touch with your body, if in doubt, check it out!

HI ya Diva:

Here is a link to a thread talking about Proteins that is very informative. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3498

Yes I was told 50 to 60 grams of Protein a day is the amount ot take in. I do a nice chocolate USANA Brand Protein Drink in the mornings that I put a tablespoon of Peanut Butter and a whole banana in a blender with 8oz of milk. YUM YUM!! That gives me about 25 grams of protein for the day. I get the rest with tuna, chicken, or some other meat. But the thread will help you decide what to eat.

Lisa (DELARLA) on here also has sarcoidosis so you might wanna contact her.

I don't believe the slimfast shakes are the way to go. Someone on the board recommended the Atkins shakes, and I found the chocolate royale to be quite tasty. These have 20 grams of protein each, so getting 50 grams a day is easy. Good luck!

Hi Caramel,

Slimfast shakes aren't really the high-Protein kind we need if we're using shakes to support our diets. They're OK for a once in a while Meal Replacement, but if you're really needing to add significant protein you should go to GNC or somewhere like that and get the heavy-duty stuff. There is a huge variety out there, and many that you can add to milk or other beverages and are essentially tasteless.

Sounds like you're up against something that could be serious, so you're doing the totally right thing by keeping a close eye on it. Your banding doctor probably isn't up on sarcoidosis and its complications, at least not as much as your other doctor is. Follow his advice, because this has nothing to do with your being banded, not specifically. Your band simply is a factor to be taken into account when determining a course of treatment: in your case if you need to increase your protein intake you can't do it by eating three steaks a day. You need to find another way.

Good luck, and good health!!

Hi Diva,

I myself Drink 100% On Whey it has 23grams of Protien and I usually have 2 scoops mixed with 1 cup of milk. I usually shoot for 100 grams per day of protein but I usually fall right below or around. There are so many different types of drinkable plus bars I sure you will find what is right for you.

The brand Worldwide Pure Protein shake has 35g protein and doesn't take bad at all. I get them at Trader Joe's, but I'm sure they are available at other locations

Their website is http://sportnutrition.com/ but only says to call them at 1-800-854-5019

Another good one is Unjury...put the vanilla in some milk and mmmmm it's like a milkshake and it's 20 grams per serving not including the milk protein too. I think there's only like 5 grams in a slimfast shake...not worth the calories either...please let us know what's going on with you! Did your doctor suggest having the band removed??

Hi Carmel, first can I suggest you re-name the thread to included "Sarcoidosis" in the title? There are others with this auto immune disease that would be more apt to respond if the title was more specific.

I have Sarcoidosis as well, which was diagnosed by nodules on my lungs. I was extremely ill 15 years ago, so I'm petrified of getting anything bronchial, but I don't have muscle weakness to an extreme right now (knock on wood).

Looks like everyone gave you great suggestions for Protein. I learned the hard way by wasting money on all different types of Protein shakes. You have to read the labels before buying the stuff since some canned shakes have very little protein. I personally like the Atkins ones the best as far as flavor goes, and I used the Milk & Egg protein when I make my own shakes. The ones with more protein tend to cost more, and the ones with less protein can be loaded with sugar.

An excellent Band-Friendly source of protein is Beans... any kind. If they are soft enough you can mash them. A favorite around here is refried beans with cheese, and you can buy the non-fat ones. Breakfast doesn't always have to be shakes or eggs or Cereal, you can have beans or liverwurst, which are both mushy and filling.

Good luck with the Sarc Monster.

I'm with Katie, I love Unjury! With a cup of milk it has 29 grams of protein. It has a wonderful taste. not gritty like alot of them and it is very easy to mix. I just shake it up and go! unjury.com They have a lot of receipes on their site also and they also sell samples so you can try it without buying a lot.

Good luck.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I went to GNC yesterday, and got some 100% whey protein choclate caramel. Don't know about the taste yet, I have it on ice. I like mine real cold iI dirnk it better that way. No, my Sarc Doc didn't say take the band out. In fact he said that it was a good idea considering that I've gained all my weight from the years of steroids, nad haven't been able to take it off until now. He just said my labs were good, and that I just need to make sure that I have a high amount of protein in my diet, and that should eliminate the muscle breakdown. I also bought a protein bar yesterday that had 30 gms of protein in it, ate half of that for lunch instead of meal, and had the other half for breakfast on my way to work. Minus the 2 bites my 2 yrs old begged for. I can defintely tell the difference in the amount of protein intake. I am way less sore today almost to my normal self. So I think that this was the right choice. I ma also lucky that I have a good sarcoid doc that listens to what I have to say, and not just dump the steroids back on me.