Hi All, I'm being banded tomorrow morning - 7/23/09 - and just curious what amount of calories you all take in once you're eating again...what's the best calories count to get the best weight loss? And....do you manage to hit your protein gram requirements? Thanks!

You have to really work at getting the protein in each day. At least, I do. I think it is common because it is a lot of protein. My surgeon recommends 1200 calories a day and 50 grams of protein at least.

I'm pre-banded, but am fiddling around with Protein sources--especially liquid ones for the pre- and post-op periods. So far, the hands-down winner is Isopure. A 20-ounce bottle of clear fruit-flavored whey Protein Drink has 40 grams of protein, 0 carb, and 0 fat. I like this a million times better than any of the shake-like protein supplements--though it's best very cold, from a bottle with a lid. (It does smell weird---a sports bottle eliminates this. And it really does taste good.)

I can't yet quite envision achieving the recommended protein intake without at least some supplementation, even when eating solids again--I have a feeling this may become part of my daily intake. Expensive, but with all the stuff that's going to fall by the wayside (soda, for example), I'll still come out ahead.

my surjon recomends 1000 cal a day and 60 grams of protein i was only able to do that calorie restriction after my last fill since then i need to eat at least one protein drink a day i just dont get hungry till 5-6 hours after i get up and im not hungry for another 7-8 hours after that since i get up late i usaly only have one meal a day only about 3-4 oz of food and im full so yes i have to take suplements(protein and vitamins) i often have 2-300 cal left by the time i go to bed im just not verry hungry anymore

I can't yet quite envision achieving the recommended Protein intake without at least some supplementation, even when eating solids again--I have a feeling this may become part of my daily intake. Expensive, but with all the stuff that's going to fall by the wayside (soda, for example), I'll still come out ahead.

I also thought that I would continue to need Isopure when I went to solids, but I was surprised how much protien i can get from fish. meat, some cereals and other choices. I do add protein powders to pudding, and on days when I'm not hungry or too busy, I have half bottle of Isopure. I never noticed the smell, but then I don't have a great sense of smell. I always keep a few bottles of my favorite flavors of Isopure zero carb in the fridge.

Eggs have about 6 gm of protein each, beef and chicken close to 10 gm per ounce; in light of this I find I don't need to supplement much. I learned in my nutrition class it's always best to eat the food rather than take the supplement so I try to get my protein in the natural way. I don't worry about calories; done enough cal counting to last me the rest of my life.

I try to eat around 1000-1100 calories with 50-60 grams of protein. I don't use protein shakes at all. I think they taste horrible, and liquids just don't keep you full for as long as real food does. I eat tuna, chicken, ham, salmon, and low fat cheese a lot. Sometimes for lunch I have a cup of fat free cottage cheese mixed with sugar free jelly (10 calories/tbs), and this has 26 grams of protein. I also eat kashi go lean cereal with 13 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber in a cup. If you focus on choosing protein rich foods for all of your meals you will feel satisfied and probably not need to rely on protein shakes too much. Fiber also is good to eat, so just focus on protein, veggies, and complex carbs. Try to eat 3 meals, each with 20 grams of protein.