Re: Protein Needs

[Guest guest]

Thank you for keeping me on focus, you are so correct in this.

My doctor told me I'm to have 80 a day. If I followed the math here it would

say about 50....

Betty

Re: Protein Needs

In a message dated 9/8/02 3:13:22 PM Central Daylight Time,

bhopple@... writes:

(Betty says) Yes..... this month's " Shape " magazine has a mathematical

configuration..... Here it is from October 2002 issue p176, 177:

*************************

(I say) I've deleted the text of the above-referenced article here bcuz it's

so long. But my comment is that all this info is for the GENERAL POPULATION.

It does not address the fact that bypass post-ops malabsorb a certain

percentage of anything they consume, depending on how proximal or how distal

they are. Personally, I would not advise strict adherence to the

recommendations in this article for that reason. I think that the concensus

among " those who know " on most WLS support groups is that we need between

120-160g protein a day. My surgeon's recommendation was only 60g/day. I do

120g worth of pro shakes daily, and if I get anything more from food, I

consider it a bonus.

-----------------------------------

(Betty says) The next question in the magazine is interesting as well....

p177

" Is it a problem if my protein intake is higher than the RDA? "

" If you consume more protein than you really need, you risk several

negative consequences. First, you could gain weight. Consuming more

calories than you need in a day, even if they're protein calories, will cause

your body to store the extra calories as fat.

... it can cause dehydration because it takes a lot of water to

eliminate extra protein...

Excess protein also has been linked to bone loss because the more

protein you eat, the more calcium you excrete, for reasons scientists don't

fully understand. "

****************************

(I say) 1. Most people find that when they hit a plateau, or start to regain,

UPping their protein shakes and their water helps them to start losing again.

This is experiential evidence contrary to what the article's author is saying.

2. None of us should be drinking so little water as to get dehydrated. It's a

given that after WLS we need a lot of water, maybe bcuz of the emphasis on

protein consumption. I'm not 100% sure if protein SHAKES require the same

amount of water consumption as protein FROM FOOD.

3. There is a basic difference in the protein from shakes and the protein

from food. Too high protein consumption from food is hard on liver and

kidneys and can even lead to damage of these organs, a problem that's even

larger for diabetics. However, the protein in shakes is pre-digested and so

these organs don't need 2b involved to the same extent in the breakdown and

conversion of the protein the way they do with protein from food. I cannot

say if the same is true for the calcium issue, but I would suspect that it

is. If anyone knows for sure, I'd like to hear from you, with citation of

sources.

Regards,

Carol A