What is protein and why is it so important? Protein is an essential part of life and it’s found in almost every part of our bodies. It makes up the enzymes that power many of the chemical reactions in the body and the important hemoglobin that carries oxygen in the blood. Appropriately, bariatric surgery or not, its classical meaning is “first importance.” Indeed, the protein heavy diet prescribed after surgery helps the body heal and regain its former strength.
We’ve all had a sensation of being hungry shortly after a big meal. This is usually a result of eating emptier calories in the form of sugars and saturated fats and foods low in protein. Foods that are high in protein, such as chicken, beef and most beans, slow the movement of food from the stomach into the small intestine and reduce the blood sugar spikes that can be disruptive to the continuity of our day (and eventually cause insulin secretion problems).
The result of eating a diet high in protein is that you will feel full sooner and stay full longer. Protein also has a secondary effect in that it forces your body to work harder to break down and digest the food you’ve eaten. This means that you’ll burn a few additional calories just by eating the right foods.
The benefits of eating protein after bariatric surgery are huge. Not all protein is equal though, so check to make sure that what you are eating is a “complete protein,” which means it contains all the amino acids you need.
So when planning meals after your surgery, make sure you have plenty of protein. You might find that you are not able to consume enough protein to satisfy your daily requirement in which case you speak to your dietitian about supplementing your diet with appropriate bariatric friendly protein shakes. No two people are the same, so stay in touch with your dietitian who will work to make sure you lose weight safely and receive the appropriate nutrition to remain healthy.
When we were getting larger, the scale was an evil evil device. It was originally designed by man to assist in the development of early commerce, but over time it took on a new and insidious venture. It became the device that quantified what we already knew - we were getting bigger. It was not a secret. We knew it. We knew we were not eating right and could tell we were getting bigger. But as long as those elastic waists and comfort fit pants hung in there, we could kid ourselves into believing that it was not that much weight gained. It was all so vague and easy to ignore.
But the evil scale ruined all that. That "couple of pounds" we had gained since last summer was actually 14.7 pounds!!! And what total chucklehead decided we needed a decimal point on a bathroom scale? What an idiot. I am not a pharmacist carefully measuring out a deadly drug. I am just a fat guy on a bathroom scale. The size of the number is bad enough, the decimal is just sort of an insult. "I weigh 277." Scale: "No, actually you weigh 277.6!" GRRRRRRRR, Stupid scale! I will tell you where you can put that .6 pounds….
BUT NOW….
I have come to reconsider my position -- and being down 50+ pounds has everything to do with it. That decimal point is an amazing and important invention. When I lose .6 pounds, you can bet I want to know all about it!! Don’t be depriving me of my 9.600 ounces of hard earned weight loss! I did not just go to the bathroom, dry my hair, clean out my ears, burp, get naked and take off my glasses to get some vague estimate!!!
I have concluded that the scale is, in fact, not inherently evil. I have come to this based on recent events. Since I have had my surgery I have noticed something amazing that I had never noticed before. It may have been there all along, but I just did not know it. Maybe you knew….but until just recently, I did not know that ….. (wait for it) …..
The scale can actually go DOWN!!!!
Here are three great scale jokes!!!
A lady noticed her husband standing on the bathroom scale, sucking in his stomach.
Thinking he was trying to weigh less with this maneuver, she commented, "I don't think that's going to help."
"Sure it will." he said. "Now I can see the numbers."
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Two youngsters were closely examining bathroom scales on display at the department store.
"What’s it for?" one asked.
"I don’t know," the other replied. "I think you stand on it, and it makes you mad…at least it does that for my Dad."
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Bob was in trouble. He forgot his wedding anniversary. His wife was really angry with him. She told him "Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 250 in 6 seconds AND IT BETTER BE THERE !!"
The next morning he got up early and left for work. When his wife woke up, she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway. It was not big enough to be the sports car she demanded, so she put on her robe, ran out to the driveway and brought the box back in the house. She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale.
Bob has been missing since Friday.
