For those who plateau (like me), I just learned...

[voodoo 0]

...That you cannot lose weight if you

don't get enough Protein.

You know, it seems almost common sense.

But I went in for my appointment,

not having lost any weight for a month

(and losing more hair than normal).

I was quite disheartened.

The band is at a good restriction

(don't know if it's the sweet spot yet)

and my food choices are, for the most part, pretty good.

I went over my routine with them

and there in lies the problem.

For awhile I was skipping Breakfast...

band feels tighter, not a Breakfast person.

Sometimes I would skip lunch...

maybe some almonds or my handful of Vitamins

and PCOS meds I have to take!

Normal dinner.

I was getting around 30 grams of Protein a day.:thumbdown:

The nutritionist was like "whoa!

No, you should be getting about 60-70 grams per day.":scared2:

I'm thinking..."gee, would have been awesome

had you told me that bleeping THREE months ago!"

:thumbup:

So I've added Muscle Milk Light (15g) as breakfast

and I'm gonna work on pushing my protein through the day.

I just wanted to let people know...

in case they find themselves in a similar situation.

It's very frustrating when the body does

exactly what you tell it to do,

but you don't know you are telling it the wrong things.

:thumbup:

[caldwell33 0]

I think I may be having the same problem, but it's me. I keep forgeting to take the Protein and have been at a stand point now for a week. I will try what you say and get back on the protein on a regular basis. Thanks for the reminder. Eileen

[Drasan 23]

Wow! I'm sorry you've missed all the posts on here about Protein. My 'former' NUT put me on a diet that was too low in Protein. I worked up the numbers and they came out around 45 - 50 grams a day. This was only 1 of many questionable recommendations that my 'former' NUT came up short on. So I took the initiative of finding another nutritionist.

I knew from reading all the posts on here and the other literature that I was given at seminars, pre-surgery and post-surgery that we should be getting 60-80 grams of protein a day.

I've come to the conclusion that I am the project manager of me. I am taking responsibility for my diet and my health. I use the information that I'm given by my NEW nutritionist and my surgeon. But I've also done my research and if something isn't jiving, I ask questions until I'm satisfied.

Good luck on your journey and don't take any wooden nickels.

[Barb119 0]

Enough Protein? I've been at a weight standstill for a while, and I haven't been keeping up with my protein. Will start this today to ensure I get the minimum 60 gr. and see what the scale says. Guess I'm afraid to have too much protein because it runs the calorie count up, so have been limiting. thanks for the post/info.

[illuminationlady 7]

Yes, very informative post and reminder. I, too, am not getting enough Protein and have stalled in my weight loss. Even gained 5lbs on a long journey across the US. We went on an 18 day road trip. I will try to up my protein to and see what happens. Thanks, Voodoo for the reminder that protein is key to weight loss.

[jdg 0]

Drasan - Any suggestions you can give us newbies for getting that 60-80 grams? I am using Protein shakes, but the calories definitely add up! What is a typical day's menu for you?

Thanks!

[JoJo1 0]

The American Heart association, and American Diabetes Association, both recommend a diet lower in Protein and higher in carbs because of the supposed fat content. This has been going on for the last 30 years at least. In that time, america is 35% fatter than before. When I was young,(now I am giving away my age), we used to diet by giving up bread, french fries, and deserts. Now the AHA and ADA are recommending the opposite. We are humans not cows. We need protein and we actually need very little in the way of carbs. We can get everything we need by eating protein and green vegetables. We also need some healthy fats, but an ounce or two of avacado will give us that too. I eat some avacado everyday. I love it, but love how good it is for me too. I researched the hell out of this concept because I am a diabetic and need to do low carb. I found out that if we could actually do it, we can do away with high blood pressure, and high cholesterol completely. I have done it and I have also completely controlled my blood sugar. Once I knew it was healthy, it was actually easy to do. It is worth looking into for those who have their doubts. I don't doubt it at all any more. I have done low carb for about 12 years to control blood sugar. I have always had trouble with Portion Control which is why I needed the band. Now with low carb and the band, life is only 20 lbs from perfect!!! Hugs!!!!

[NoName-AZ 0]

My surgeon wants me to get all of my protien with food and not supplements. It seems to be working!

I always eat my Protein first, 3 to 4 oz then green veggies, then a starch. (usually only 2 tbsp of starch) The idea of eating your Protein is that it, actually fills your upper pouch up and stays there for a while and does not immediatly slide down to the larger pouch.

I am not suggesting that supplements are wrong, just sharing what I have learned.

I average 60 to 80 grams a day.

Edited April 7, 2010 by Starting-overin-AZ

[btrieger 21]

Wow! I'm sorry you've missed all the posts on here about Protein. My 'former' NUT put me on a diet that was too low in Protein. I worked up the numbers and they came out around 45 - 50 grams a day. This was only 1 of many questionable recommendations that my 'former' NUT came up short on. So I took the initiative of finding another nutritionist.

I knew from reading all the posts on here and the other literature that I was given at seminars, pre-surgery and post-surgery that we should be getting 60-80 grams of protein a day.

I've come to the conclusion that I am the project manager of me. I am taking responsibility for my diet and my health. I use the information that I'm given by my NEW nutritionist and my surgeon. But I've also done my research and if something isn't jiving, I ask questions until I'm satisfied.

Good luck on your journey and don't take any wooden nickels.

My surgeon and nutritionist drove home the point that men should be getting at least 63 grams and women 50 grams of protein a day. These numbers almost jive with what your "former" NUT told you.

Where did you get the 60 - 70 number for women?

I play it safe by making sure I get at least 70 grams a day and think more is better but am interested in your source.

[jensmallwood 0]

The American Heart association, and American Diabetes Association, both recommend a diet lower in Protein and higher in carbs because of the supposed fat content. This has been going on for the last 30 years at least. In that time, america is 35% fatter than before. When I was young,(now I am giving away my age), we used to diet by giving up bread, french fries, and deserts. Now the AHA and ADA are recommending the opposite. We are humans not cows. We need Protein and we actually need very little in the way of carbs. We can get everything we need by eating protein and green vegetables. We also need some healthy fats, but an ounce or two of avacado will give us that too. I eat some avacado everyday. I love it, but love how good it is for me too. I researched the hell out of this concept because I am a diabetic and need to do low carb. I found out that if we could actually do it, we can do away with high blood pressure, and high cholesterol completely. I have done it and I have also completely controlled my blood sugar. Once I knew it was healthy, it was actually easy to do. It is worth looking into for those who have their doubts. I don't doubt it at all any more. I have done low carb for about 12 years to control blood sugar. I have always had trouble with Portion Control which is why I needed the band. Now with low carb and the band, life is only 20 lbs from perfect!!! Hugs!!!!

The ADA and the AHA are absolutely NOT recommending that you get your carbs from french fries, Desserts or bread. What they ARE recommending is that we humans (omnivores and some could argue closer-to-vegetarians than not) is get our diet from a mostly plant based source. And by this they mean mostly vegetables and fruits and whole grain sources. This means brown rice and Beans, not french fries and cake. People who eat plant only food are the thinnest people (vegan). The ones who get their carbs from white bread/french fries and sugar are the heaviest-- and I daresay -- probably also eat the most meat.

Unfortunately, our medical associations have NOT been good about pointing people in the right direction about carbs. They've led many to believe that all carbs are equal when they are not.

Some do best on a very low carb diet. As a person who works in the fitness field-- I would argue that active people would do better with a higher percentage of carbs in their diet (and I don't mean just athletes- but active people in general). Not tons and tons-- just a balance.

On another note-- weight loss can stall from too few overall calories as well as low amounts of specific nutrients. Something else to think about.

Sorry for the book... :thumbdown:

[XxMariposaxX 1]

JDG, to answer your question about the sources of good Proteins... greek yogurt, cottage cheese, almost all fish, Beans and (of course) meat.

On another note, my NUT also recommends 50 grams a day and says that my average (70 grams) is too high. I don't agree so I'm still sticking to my plan of averaging 70 grams.

[JoJo1 0]

The ADA and the AHA are absolutely NOT recommending that you get your carbs from french fries, Desserts or bread. What they ARE recommending is that we humans (omnivores and some could argue closer-to-vegetarians than not) is get our diet from a mostly plant based source. And by this they mean mostly vegetables and fruits and whole grain sources. This means brown rice and Beans, not french fries and cake. People who eat plant only food are the thinnest people (vegan). The ones who get their carbs from white bread/french fries and sugar are the heaviest-- and I daresay -- probably also eat the most meat.

Unfortunately, our medical associations have NOT been good about pointing people in the right direction about carbs. They've led many to believe that all carbs are equal when they are not.

Some do best on a very low carb diet. As a person who works in the fitness field-- I would argue that active people would do better with a higher percentage of carbs in their diet (and I don't mean just athletes- but active people in general). Not tons and tons-- just a balance.

On another note-- weight loss can stall from too few overall calories as well as low amounts of specific nutrients. Something else to think about.

Sorry for the book... :thumbdown:

Actually my reference to french fries and bread, came from a teenagers stand point. I am aware of the true nutritious nature of quality carbs. However, when the ADA and AHA figured out that once eaten, fruit, starchy vegetables, and sugar, all do the same thing to blood sugar, instead of recommending that these carbs be elimintated, they decided that sugar was okay to be eaten by diabetics. To me and many other diabetics, these things are the same as poisen. The high carb diet recommended by these institutions is not likely to go anywhere any time in the near future, and I also agree that not everyone benefits from the low carb. diet. I do however, think it is worth looking into because it gave me and many I know, their life back. Just another opinion, backed by extensive research. Hugs!!!!

[voodoo 0]

Wow! I'm sorry you've missed all the posts on here about Protein. My 'former' NUT put me on a diet that was too low in Protein. I worked up the numbers and they came out around 45 - 50 grams a day. This was only 1 of many questionable recommendations that my 'former' NUT came up short on. So I took the initiative of finding another nutritionist.

I knew from reading all the posts on here and the other literature that I was given at seminars, pre-surgery and post-surgery that we should be getting 60-80 grams of protein a day.

Good luck on your journey and don't take any wooden nickels.

I am sorry I missed those posts

because I spent a whole month feeling like a loser.

I was like, "How can I get a fill,

get better restriction, and not lose an OUNCE of weight?"

:mad::thumbup:

Well, it's basically science, isn't it?

So simple...yet so tough.

[kay.jones@gmail.com 0]

I use Isopure. It comes in bottles and is not a shake. Each bottle has 40 g of Protein. I will drink about 1/4 to 1/2 a bottle a day to supplement what my diet doesn't cover. That being said, I do really well at getting my Protein via the diet.

I like the Isopure because it isn't a shake. I do not like the shakes. While it's expensive (a case of these bottles is almost $50!) I've had a case last me more than a month. So, it works well.

Just a few tips on what I do. I hope it helps. Good luck in getting that protein!

[RavenClaw779 2]

Check out Before & After by Susan Maria Leach. One point she makes is one that my NUT echos - (I'm paraphrasing) - Eat as if you had RNY to maximize the amount of weight your lose with your band. The book has a formula for figuring out your Protein needs. For example, a women my size(241) whose goal weight is 145 should take in about 80grams of protein a day. It's a goal I'm still working on.