Protein Benefits and Quick Reference Guide for Bariatric Surgery Patients

Weight loss surgery causes severe trauma to the body. After bariatric surgery, you must take in sufficient protein every day to speed wound healing, preserve your lean body mass, enhance your fat-burning metabolism and minimize hair loss. Foods that are high in protein should always be eaten first during meals. The recommended long term post-surgery protein intake may vary from 55 to over 100 grams per day, depending on your individual needs and the bariatric diet provided by your surgeon or dietitian. The generally accepted minimum protein requirement for women is about 50 to 60 grams per day and men need at least 60 to 70 grams of protein per day. The preferred sources of protein from food include poultry, eggs or Egg Beaters, lean meats, fish, low fat cheese, skim milk, beans and lentils. Some red meats such as beef, pork, lamb or veal can be difficult for a bariatric surgery patient to digest.

It's very difficult to consume enough protein from foods alone during the first several months after weight loss surgery. Most bariatric surgery patients integrate liquid protein supplements such as shakes, cold drinks, hot drinks, soups and puddings into their diet after surgery, and many continue to use them as a balanced, convenient source of protein and nutrition for the rest of their lives.

Protein's Key Benefits to the Bariatric Surgery Patient

• Protein aids in proper wound healing after bariatric surgery. It helps to build and repair body tissues including skin, muscle and major organs.
• Protein helps keep your hair, skin, bones and nails healthy.
• Protein helps form hormones, enzymes and immune system antibodies to help your body function properly.
• Protein helps your body burn fat instead of muscle for a healthier weight loss. When you are trying to lose weight after bariatric surgery, you reduce calories. Unfortunately, the human body tends to view fat stores as more precious than lean muscle tissue, and will burn or "catabolize" muscle tissue, before it goes to fat for energy. By consuming sufficient protein each day, you will spare and preserve your muscle tissue, which forces your metabolism to go to your fat for energy. This particular benefit of protein is often referred to as "protein sparing" or "anti-catabolic".
• Protein supports your natural metabolism so you lose weight quicker. The more muscle you have on your body, the higher your metabolism and the more fat calories your body will burn, even while at rest. Pound for pound, your lean muscle burns 25 times more caloriesthan fat! Conversely, less muscle tissue means a slower metabolism. To illustrate this, one pound of muscle can burn 30 to 50 calories in a day, or 350 to 500 calories a week. On the other hand, one pound of fat only burns about 2 calories a day, or 14 calories a week. Therefore, building and preserving lean muscle tissue not only makes fat loss easier, put more permanent.
• Protein curb's your hunger between meals and avoid "snacking temptation". One of the amino acids in protein, tryptophan (a precurser of serotonin) has been shown to work on the satiety (hunger) center in the brain.

Your body is actually made up of thousands of different proteins. Because your body is constantly making new proteins and because you don't store amino acids (the building blocks of protein) as you do fats, you need to intake a new supply of protein each day. The body can make 13 amino acids, but 9 amino acids are essential, meaning they cannot be made by your body and must come from food sources. There are both complete and incomplete protein sources. Complete proteins contain all the essential amino acids needed for the body to make new protein. Incomplete proteins are lacking one or more essential amino acids. A good source of complete proteins is animal protein which includes meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Vegetable or plant protein is incomplete protein.

As you follow your bariatric diet, keep in mind that plant proteins are not "complete" proteins. (A complete protein is one food item that contains all of the essential amino acids). Plant proteins should be used together with animal protein sources to provide you with all of the essential amino acids you need.

Protein Content of Popular Foods

Examples of Animal Protein FoodsAmountGrams of ProteinBeef, lean1 ounce7 gramsCheese (American, cheddar, provolone, Swiss)1 ounce7 gramsCheese, cottage1/4 cup7 gramsCheese, ricotta1/4 cup7 gramsChicken1 ounce7 gramsEgg or egg substitute1 egg7 gramsFish, catfish1 ounce7 gramsFish, clams1 ounce7 gramsFish, cod1 ounce7 gramsFish, crab1 ounce7 gramsFish, flounder1 ounce7 gramsFish, haddock1 ounce7 gramsFish, herring1 ounce7 gramsFish, lobster1 ounce7 gramsFish, orange roughy1 ounce7 gramsFish, oysters1 ounce7 gramsFish, salmon (fresh or canned)1 ounce7 gramsFish, scallops1 ounce7 gramsFish, shellfish (imitation)1 ounce7 gramsFish, shrimp1 ounce7 gramsFish, trout1 ounce7 gramsFish, tuna (fresh or canned in water only)1 ounce7 gramsMilk, skim (recommended)8 ounces12 gramsPork1 ounce7 gramsTurkey1 ounce7 gramsYogurt, nonfat or low-fat fruit flavored3/4 cup12 gramsYogurt, plain nonfat3/4 cup12 gramsExamples of Plant Protein FoodsAmountGrams of ProteinBeans and peas (black-eyed, garbanzo, kidney, pinto, split, white)1/2 cup7 gramsCereal, ready to eat3/4 cup3 gramsCorn1/2 cup3 gramsLentils1/2 cup7 gramsLima beans2/3 cup7 gramsNon-starchy vegetables (tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers)1/2 cup cooked2 gramsOats1/2 cup3 gramsPasta1/2 cup3 gramsPotatoes, baked or mashed1/2 cup3 gramsSoy burger, veggie burger1 ounce3 gramsSoy milk8 ounces7 gramsTofu4 ounces7 grams

Liquid Protein Powder Supplements

ProductPortion SizeCaloriesProteinFatCarbsSugarBariatric Choice Concentrates1 Packet8015g0g4g2gWonderSlim Pudding/Shakes1 Packet10015g1.5g7g4gWonderSlim Fruit Drinks1 Packet6012g0g1g0gWonderSlim Smoothies1 Packet10015g1g7g5 gWonderSlim Gourmet Shakes1 Packet9012g1.5g9g3gNature's Best Low Carb Isopure1 Scoop10025g0g0-3g0gWonderSlim Hot Cocoa1 Packet7012g1g6g3gWonderSlim Puddings1 Packet8012g0.5g9g4gWonderSlim Soups1 Packet70-10012-15g0-1.5g5-10g1-4gBariwise Gelatins1 Packet6015g0g0g0gBariWise Cappuccinos1 Packet9015g1g5g3gBariWise Teas1 Packet65-9015g0g>1g0g

Examples of Animal Protein FoodsAmountGrams of ProteinBeef, lean1 ounce7 gramsCheese (American, cheddar, provolone, Swiss)1 ounce7 gramsCheese, cottage1/4 cup7 gramsCheese, ricotta1/4 cup7 gramsChicken1 ounce7 gramsEgg or egg substitute1 egg7 gramsFish, catfish1 ounce7 gramsFish, clams1 ounce7 gramsFish, cod1 ounce7 gramsFish, crab1 ounce7 gramsFish, flounder1 ounce7 gramsFish, haddock1 ounce7 gramsFish, herring1 ounce7 gramsFish, lobster1 ounce7 gramsFish, orange roughy1 ounce7 gramsFish, oysters1 ounce7 gramsFish, salmon (fresh or canned)1 ounce7 gramsFish, scallops1 ounce7 gramsFish, shellfish (imitation)1 ounce7 gramsFish, shrimp1 ounce7 gramsFish, trout1 ounce7 gramsFish, tuna (fresh or canned in water only)1 ounce7 gramsMilk, skim (recommended)8 ounces12 gramsPork1 ounce7 gramsTurkey1 ounce7 gramsYogurt, nonfat or low-fat fruit flavored3/4 cup12 gramsYogurt, plain nonfat3/4 cup12 gramsExamples of Plant Protein FoodsAmountGrams of ProteinBeans and peas (black-eyed, garbanzo, kidney, pinto, split, white)1/2 cup7 gramsCereal, ready to eat3/4 cup3 gramsCorn1/2 cup3 gramsLentils1/2 cup7 gramsLima beans2/3 cup7 gramsNon-starchy vegetables (tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers)1/2 cup cooked2 gramsOats1/2 cup3 gramsPasta1/2 cup3 gramsPotatoes, baked or mashed1/2 cup3 gramsSoy burger, veggie burger1 ounce3 gramsSoy milk8 ounces7 gramsTofu4 ounces7 grams

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