Hello everyone. I'm a newbie here to this thread. My friend told me I should go ahead and start getting my protein in before my operation, but what I was wondering was how much is enough? Right now I hardly get any. I bought a protein powder mix, and was wondering how many grams per day I need? Thanks for your help.

well hi there salem... nice to see you. why did your friend say that you need to start the protein before hand? most of us spend quite a bit of time tasting different protein shakes so we can pick something that's not too bad for later. but our tastes change after the surgery and what we liked beforehand we don't usually like afterwards.

sooo, maybe that's what your friend was suggesting? i have no idea..

but. check with your doc. most of us were told to have 60-80 grams per day AFTER the surgery [i had to consume 100 grams because i was SPECIAL - much larger than most people with serious leg edema, so i got more protein]. and remember that because of the malabsorption thing we are able to absorb only about 20 grams at a time. AND we have to consume it within 20-30 minutes. that's because of the insulin response.

does this help?

Hey guys, and thank you for your answers. I go for my nutri. consult friday. My phyc evluation went well. They called today wanting to know who to send the letter too, and said I was cleared, so I'm very excited about that.

Maybe Paula (my friend) was talking about taste. Protien powders are so expensive, is there any cheaper place I can get them.

I don't have a definitive answer, only my own experience.

Because I have never been a big meat-eater, I gave it a "trial run" before having surgery. I spent several months consciously eating more protein, because I need to know I could/would do so after surgery. I also began taking vitamins (not the megadoses we need afterward, but a general multi and some calcium). Again, for the same reason, because I knew these were lifelong necessities after WLS and I needed to KNOW I would follow through.

In the end, I think it was a really good idea. I think it is a good idea to up those stores, because we all know we are losing rapidly after surgery. Starting out in a better place in view of these nutrients just makes sense to me.

Dawna