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

The 1-2-3 Rule makes sense for bandsters because most tend to be tighter in the morning and looser in the evenings. And yes, while this rule falls slightly short of the 60 gm/day goal, it gets close depending on what you eat. The Rule is a guide for the actual "meat" portion of your entree. You will also get extra Protein from other nonmeat sources like milk, cheese, Beans, and whole grains. If you eat this variety and stick to the 1-2-3 Rule, you should have no problem meeting the protein requirement.

Best of luck and thank you to everyone for your posts,

Dr. Duc Vuong

THE Support Surgeon

Thanks for all the info. I was curious about the soy protein as well since I basically live off of the Proti 15 food from Prescriptions For Wellness. Everything has about 15 grams of protein in them. They help me reach my daily goal. Now I am more comfortable living off it knowing that Soy Protein is good for you too. Thanks again for your knowledge.