A Question About Protein - HELP!

[TurtleGal]

I've been reading a number of different forums and I see a common theme about protein, making sure to get enough protein and people using protein drinks to make up the difference.

I am living in the Netherlands and I post on a forum for the clinic I am going though. It is all in Dutch so I (Canadian) can speak a fair bit but it's still very hard for me to express myself properly... but I asked them what they all eat or drink to make up the protein needed after surgery.

They didn't seem to know what I was talking about!

When I explained that it seems to be common knowledge after bypass surgery that you need to make the effort to take in enough protein and that often it's not possible to do so with food alone, so people drink protein drinks, they didn't seem to agree.

According to them, protein drinks are absolutely not needed, they have never been told to drink them and that you should be able to get enough protein from your day to day food. They don't seem to keep track at all of how much protein they or getting or see it as a concern of any kind.

So now I am wondering, are all those (who seem to be everyone else) somehow going overboard and worrying too much about nothing, or are the Dutchies on this site and at the clinic I will be going through missing something???

Most have been operated on by Dr. Dillemans, who has a really remarkable reputation as being one of the best bariatric surgeons out there, so if the protein thing really is an issue, how were all these people not told about it?

Also, they all seem to be getting along fine, so is the protein thing REALLY as big an issue as it is made out to be if none of them were ever told about it and they are all getting along so well?

I'm very very confused...

 

[happy days]

Protein has never been mentioned to me from my Hospital. But I always eat my meat first on a meal so i not concerned.

 

[Caren]

is protein more of a weight loss thing?

 

[TurtleGal]

From what I've read on different forums, you need to make sure you take in at least 60g of protein per day, meaning actual protein. So like 30g of chicken doesn't = 30g of protein because chicken isn't 100% protein. Rather actual protein in grams.

Apparently this can be quite hard to achieve when you can't eat a lot in the beginning so people will drink protein drinks or mix protein powder (like the body builders use) in with milk or yogurt to try to up the amount of protein they are getting. From what I've heard from them the reason given for it is that it aids in healing, helps prevent hair loss and stops you from losing muscle while only taking in limited calories.

I have a few friends who have had surgery (bypass and sleeve) and they were all told this, but when I asked on the forums for the clinic that I'll be having my surgery through, they had no idea what I was talking about.

So you guys also haven't heard about this? Maybe it wasn't like I thought... I thought everyone heard that but the people on the Dutch forum and was like "Omg! They must be missing something!".

Now I'm REALLY confused haha

 

[hmd12]

Hi, so glad you started this thread I'm in UK but went to Belgium for my op on the 23 Sep had it done by Dr Dillimans, at my pre op meeting both with him and the dietician before and after the op i bought up the subject of protein and calories asking how much would be best to aim for on a daily basis. Was told each time by both him and his staff concentrate on having a varied healthy diet with plenty of exercise. I have found myself getting quite obsessed since regarding calories and protein but am starting to make a deliberate effort to stick to the advise given - healthy diet and exercise. In the past I have failed all weight loss diets and piled the weight back on by becoming obsessed and then failing to stick to the rules I have made my for myself. My aim is to use the opportunity given to me to stop all the bad habits, make good choices with my food on a daily basis and make this a way to eat for life. I need to give up being obsessed by food and just eat to be healthy not to be fat or thin ( but hopefully thin and healthy will go together) I ave noticed this is how all my slim healthy friends live their lives. At the end of the day though you have to do what is right for you so if counting protein and cals works for you and you don't get obsessed as I did then I would say great that's what you need to do.

 

[TurtleGal]

Oh I REALLY don't want to count calories, I just got the impression from other people that in order to heal well and to try to prevent hair loss etc, that it was important to try to get in as much protein as possible.

I think I may have gotten the wrong impression that this was a widespread idea, apparently it's not as common as I thought! That's a bit of a relief to be honest because I wasn't keen on counting anything. I want my life to STOP being about obsessing about food as well and I don't want to spend my days tracking and calculating food :/

 

[TurtleGal]

Hi, so glad you started this thread I'm in UK but went to Belgium for my op on the 23 Sep had it done by Dr Dillimans

I would love to hear how it went for you, btw!! I will be operated on sometime in late January or early February and I'm quite nervous. What was the hospital like? Were there many people to a room? Were the nurses nice?

So many questions!

 

[hmd12]

More than happy to answer all your questions why don't you friend me on face book you'll find me if you search for Helen Devlin( I have no photo not technical enough for all that) I know how desperate you must be for any information you can get.

 

[TurtleGal]

There are quite a few people by that name on Facebook hehe Maybe you could send me a PM on here?

 

[hmd12]

As I don't have enough posts I cant pm try [email protected] that's my email address

 

[Sharonimo]

Was told each time by both him and his staff concentrate on having a varied healthy diet with plenty of exercise.

Hi TurtleGal and hmd12,

I had also read quite a bit of research about how important it is to get enough protein at each meal for post bypass patients ..... but then when I started to ask around amongst people who I know who have had the op, they didn't seem to be quite so concerned.

I was becoming obsessive -- will I (post op) have to have lean meat or scrambled eggs for breakfast etc ...? Thinking I might have to end up calculating a specific amount of protein at every meal, but I now get the impression that such levels of obsession are not quite necessary(!).

The advice hmd12 says they were given: "concentrate on having a varied healthy diet" seems to work for most people.

i.e. if not having eggs or meat for breakfast, try to include at least some milk, and ensure that your lunch and evening meals contain *some* protein, plus veggies etc.

As long as you don't go SILLY and eat small mini meals entirely of the wrong things (e.g. half a pack of crisps for breakfast, half a white bread jam sandwich for lunch, a few spoons of mash and chocolate mousse for tea) you should be OK.

The danger is with only being able to consume small amounts, that if you were to make the wrong choices and choose small amounts of over processed food (e.g. white bread) with very little nutritional value, then you could end up protein deficient, and with malnutrition.

 

[greyputy]

I wonder if it stems from the theory that when you arent eating enough calories your body starts eating into the muscle (which needs protein). Maybe eating protein prevents your body from diving into starvation mode.

Only my theory mind . Any thoughts!?!?

 

[TurtleGal]

I wonder if it stems from the theory that when you arent eating enough calories your body starts eating into the muscle (which needs protein). Maybe eating protein prevents your body from diving into starvation mode.

Only my theory mind . Any thoughts!?!?

When I asked my dietitian about it that's what she said. That the protein was important to aid in healing and most importantly to stop you from losing muscle mass when you are taking in so few calories.

I think I will find a happy medium, mostly try to just eat a healthy meal and throw a few protein drinks in for good measure hehe

 

[TurtleGal]

As I don't have enough posts I cant pm try [email protected] that's my email address

Cool thanks! Just making dinner, will shoot you off a mail soon!

 

[Dee friel]

Hi turtlegal , you can facebook me dee friel my photo is of 2 adults and 2 children who's on a beach. Helen is my sister and we went to brugges together and both had the operation. From my fb page you can link to helen. We will be more than happy to anser and questions you have . Overall it was a good experience and we have both recovered well and can eat almost anything. Do get i touch and good luck with your journey

 

[minxie]

Hi, this is a question that has been in my head since my op! My nutritionist says to make sure I eat the protein part of a meal first, then veg and lastly carbs if I am still hungry. She has not been able to tell me how much protein to eat.

However as a frequent lurker on a US forum it seems they do things differently over there. They are told how much protein they need to consume each day and lots of them use protein shakes and similar products to achieve this. Certainly some of them feel that they do not achieve a good regular weight loss without it - when they increase protein intake they lose more.

So I guess we make our own minds up! Certainly a lack of protein can cause more muscle wastage and slower healing...........but I've yet to find a protein shake that didn't
make me shudder lol