Answer this question before you read my response.

Are you eating enough Protein? How many grams of protein a day should you eat?

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Are you eating enough protein? How many grams of protein a day should you eat?

Remember the First Rule of Lap-Band eating? “Yes, Dr. Vuong. Protein First.” Great! But how much is enough? Most physicians recommend 60-70 grams per day of protein for the average person, but the necessary amount is probably even more for bandsters.

“Yes, I know the number of grams, but how much should I EAT?” Putting the knowledge into practice is a struggle in itself. As a guideline, I recommend the “1-2-3 Rule for Protein.” You should eat 1 ounce of protein for Breakfast, 2 ounces for lunch, and 3 ounces for dinner. Ok, now how much is an ounce, you ask? A good approximation is that a deck of cards is about the size of 3 ounces of protein. One of those slim Motorola Razor cell phones is also about 3 ounces. Now you have a guide to go by. To get two ounces, just approximate a portion size about 2/3 the size of a deck of cards! Another easy trick is to remember that one boiled egg is about one ounce of protein. That should make breakfast a cinch!

The preceeding was an excerpt from my new book, Ultimate Lap-Band Success: The Support Surgeon's Guide on How to Get More From Your Gastric Band! The book will not be available until April, but if you found the excerpt helpful, you can get on the waiting list by sending me an email at morefrommyband@gmail.com. By preordering, you will get a 10% discount!

Best wishes,

Dr. Vuong

O.K. that all sounded good BUT, How many grams of protein are in 1 ounce of protein????

Forget the deck of cards I need to understand teh simple way.. And thank you for your post on here .. Its great to see a Dr and be able to ask questions.. What state u in? I am in NC.. Banded June 2, 08.. I had a great Dr..

I Havent been able to swallow well since surgery.. Finally after the Dr told me its normal and I knew it was not I had an upper GI.. Showed a narrowing of my esphogus... Now I am going thursday to a gastro Dr to have my esphogus dialated... Ever hear of this problem??? I have read over and over about people who have A dialated esophagus But no one seems to have my problem... I am worried about perforation while they dialate....

My name is Rose.. Hope to hear back from u....

Rose,

the amount of Protein (in grams) in one ounce depends on the source of the protein. some foods have more protein than others. that is why the example i gave with the deck of cards is more practical. soy is a very good source of protein. also beware of the fat content in some meats, so pick leaner cuts of meat.

best of luck with your Dr. visit.

Dr. Vuong

Hi , there is a pocket bookat Walmart that tells you how much protein is in foods. we eat venison due to the low fat but its high in protein. We grew up on a farm and I have spoken to many of them about Soy, and this is what they will tell people about eating soy..... Your body cannot break down Soy it just loads up in your body. Now for me I pay attention to what the farmers tell me. So soy will never be an option. So I find my protein in the everyday foods that I eat. And I do manage to get all my protein in. sorry but just my opinion..

Dr. Vuong

Would not eating enough protein inhibit your weight loss? I am not eating much at all, probably about 600 calories a day and the weight is not coming off. I am also exercising faithfully 3-4 times a week at the gym. I was wondering if not getting enough calories would limit the amount of weight loss. Banded 3/9/08 only have lost about 40 lbs.

Dr. V,

You said that soy Protein is a good source of protein. But i heard that soy protein contains estrogen. Is this true? I heard extra ammounts of estrogen can cause a whole mess of things.

thanks

carrie

banded 3/9/09

Soy is an amazing source of Protein, and there are about 1 billion skinny Asians who eat it regularly to prove it. chicken and beef (unless certified organic) contain lots of hormones and antibiotics.

Cpendlet--sounds like your caloric intake is too low and your metabolism has come to a crawl. I would suggest you increase your calories to around 1100 (depending on your size), focus on protein, and take a break from the gym for 1 week--then hit it again. I actually cover this in my new book.

Thanks to all, and best of luck!

Dr. Vuong

If you eat 1 oz of Protein at breakfast, 2 at lunch, and 3 at dinner, and each oz has around 7 g of protein (which is a typical average), then you are only eating 42 oz. of protein with your meals. That means you have to eat a lot of protein in your Snacks to catch up.

Not only that, but half of your protein is being consumed in the evening when it won't be available to give you energy to support your daily activities instead of consuming protein throughout the day when you need it.

If you eat at minimum of 3 oz. of protein at every meal, you'll average around 63 g of protein and it will be evenly spread throughout the day. Even better is to make breakfast or lunch your biggest meal of the day and spread out your protein consumption so that 2/3 of your protein is consumed by about your halfway point in the day.

After a successful Lap band surgery my friend is very delighted with the results. She is taking care of her eating habits which helped her to be healthy. She takes 45 grams of protein daily and drinks plenty of fluids. One can find proteins in beans, meat, eggs, dairy products, fish, fruits and vegetables, cereals, etc. It is important and generally recommended to drink plenty of fluids during the day in order to stay hydrated and replace the fluid that is lost due to weight loss. Water is a good, but other drink options can also be include like low-calorie, non-carbonated liquids, such as broth, tea, and black coffee. Follow the diet information that goes along with the procedure instructions to recover soon.

Interesting my medical team tells me to eat soy...I have learned in this journey to follow the simple directions of the medical experts I have chosen. I do find it very intersesting to observe others on their journeys too.

Again I find even more interesting the number of "teachers" on this sight or even experts. again I follow the simple directions of my physicians. I have observed those who do not usually in the long run do not do well over time.

Hi,

Dr Vuong, your book sounds interesting and informative. I was banded in 07 and have done fairly well. I lost 100 lbs.quickly but I am having some issues now. I have gained back 15 lbs. I know my eating is not what it should be. How much is your book? I am sure it will help me to stay on course.

I was told yesterday 03-23-09 that i need to take in at least 90 grams of protein. My doctor gave alot of ways to get it all.

I have a question. You are saying to eat 3oz at dinner. My surgeon only wants me to eat 2oz. at a time because the size of my pouch. Any suggestions.

always do what YOUR surgeon tells you.

having said that, you can see from the posts the wide variance from one surgeon/patient to the next.

that is why i have devoted my practice to only lap-band surgery.

thanks.

Do you mind posting some of those ways?