Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery News and Info

There are big benefits to getting the right amount of protein after surgery–a strong immune system, healthy hair and nails, better weight loss and maintenance, strong muscles, peak energy, and improved appetite control.

While there is an abundance of benefits to meeting daily protein goals, not meeting them can have negative health effects—including weight regain. Getting the right amount of protein each day is all about food choices. It’s not hard to do, if you know what to do. Unfortunately, studies have found that many obtain less than 60 grams of protein a day. And one study found average protein intakes of just 42 grams a day.

Since, a major factor for maximizing weight loss success and promoting good health is getting the right amount of daily protein, let’s get this right.

 

Benefits to Getting the Right Amount of Protein

Protein for Good Health and Immune Function. Our bodies use protein to preserve muscle tissue, maintain nutritional status, increase feelings of fullness, support a healthy immune system and maintain weight loss.

In this era of COVID, many people supplement with things like vitamin C, zinc, elderberry, and vitamin D to support immune function. It’s important to realize that an optimal protein intake is essential for a peak performing immune system too.

Healthy Hair and Nails. It is not uncommon to see some hair loss 3-5 months after surgery. The main reasons for this are 1) the surgery itself and 2) the rapid weight loss that follows. These stressors cause more of the hair follicles to go into a resting state—then 3-5 months later that hair falls out. To prevent or lessen the severity of hair loss, meet daily protein goals and take vitamin and mineral supplements as recommended.

Keep Your Lean and Improve Health Outcomes. The goal of weight loss surgery is to improve health and reduce excess fat tissue. The reality is that some lean tissue (muscle) is also lost during the weight loss phase. If care is not taken, muscle can account for up to 31% of weight lost.

Reaching daily protein goals has been shown to reduce the amount of muscle tissue lost during weight loss. Not only does this impact weight loss and maintenance, but has many health implications as well. Maintaining muscle helps:

• Reduce the risk of falls
• Improve ability to walk and exercise
• Keeps your heart beating strong—remember the heart is a muscle too
• Reduce the risk of infections
• Regulate insulin and blood sugar
• Live longer—a higher ratio of muscle to fat improves life expectancy
• Muscle mass is the biggest factor impacting metabolism (the rate at which your body burns calories)

The bottom line: meet daily protein goals to minimize muscle loss and maximize fat loss. You’ll have better results from your surgery and improve your overall health as well.

Peak Energy

Muscle weakness and fatigue are signs of protein depletion. In addition to meeting protein goals daily, recommended vitamin and mineral supplementation and a healthy diet of fresh, unprocessed vegetables, fruits and whole grains is needed to optimize the body’s ability to process energy.  

Improved Appetite Control

Eating six small, protein-rich meals help to reduce appetite. Hunger is not generally a factor immediately after surgery, but months after surgery, some may notice that their appetite begins to increase. An out-of-control appetite often signals a lower protein intake. Protein reduces levels of the hormone ghrelin that causes hunger. It also boosts appetite reducing hormones.

 

 Regular Exercise Helps Too 

When it comes to muscles, use them or lose them. A good diet will only get you so far, regular exercise is essential to maintaining muscle mass. Ideally, a program that includes both strength training and cardio (like a good brisk walk) is best.

In addition to maintaining muscle mass, regular exercise helps you lose weight and keep it off, keep bones strong, build strength, have greater endurance, improve balance, increase metabolism, boost energy and improved mood.

When you put the parts of a healthy lifestyle together, they build on each other. Regular exercise increases energy, confidence and mood. Those positive feelings help you select healthy foods. The combination of healthy food and exercise gives you more energy, more muscle mass, and a stronger heart. You improve your endurance and the ability to exercise. This wonderful synergy helps you build a healthy, fit body.

Track Your Intake

To assure you’re meeting your daily protein goal, track food and protein intake. This proven tool will help you reach your protein and weight loss goals. Use an app, a pencil and paper log, or create a spreadsheet. It’s easy to assume you’re meeting your goals, but tracking will give you the real scoop.

Where to Get Protein

The majority of protein should come from higher protein foods. These include lean meat/fish/poultry, low fat dairy and eggs, and beans. If protein goals are not met with food, protein drinks can fill in the gaps. Some people choose to start the day with a protein drink; others use them in the evening if their intake of high protein foods was lax on that day.

Liquid Phase

The volume of fluid that your body can handle is very limited during this phase, so it is especially important to use a concentrated source of protein to help meet your goal.  Protein drinks fit this bill and work well for many people after surgery. Make sure the supplements you select have 2 grams or less of added sugar. Keep an eye on what you add to your protein drink so you don’t end up with more calories than you realize–use limited amounts of juice and peanut butter, and avoid adding sugar-free ice cream. Protein drinks are available in both ready-to-drink and powdered forms.

Pureed Foods

Once you start on the pureed food phase, you can add smooth-consistency foods to all of the liquid options.

Soft Foods

In addition to the liquid and pureed options, ground meats, flaky fish, eggs, low-fat cheese, and soft deli meats can now be used to help you reach your protein goal.  At this stage, it is important to learn to take very small bites and chew food to a paste-like consistency before swallowing. Be sure to take a few small bites, pause and check your body signals for acceptance. Stay away from untoasted bread, rice, pasta and solid meats like steak, roast, pork chops, chicken breast, etc.

Regular Foods

Solid meats (chicken, pork, beef, etc) can now be added to the diet. High-protein foods (lean meat / fish / poultry and low-fat dairy products) may begin to replace protein drinks. Many people choose to include a protein drink daily as one of their six meals. Be sure to build your diet around high-protein foods and eat six small meals. 

Six Small Meals

It’s best to divide protein between meals and snacks throughout the day. This doesn’t have to be exact and it can change based on your meal plan for the day. Here’s how it could look:

Protein Goal	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Each Snack (3)
60	14 grams	14 grams	14 grams	6 grams
75	18 grams	18 grams	18 grams	7 grams
90	22 grams	22 grams	22 grams	8 grams
110	26 grams	27   rams	27 grams	10 grams

Mix and match the foods listed on the Best Foods to Meet Your Protein Goals chart below to meet your daily protein goals with ease.

Signs of Low Protein Intake

Meeting daily protein goals is certainly easier than correcting the bigger problems that build up from even small daily deficits. It can take months for signs of low protein intake to surface. If you fall short of your protein goal for a day or two, it is unlikely that you will notice any difference. But when you miss that goal day after day, symptoms seem to suddenly show up. Common signs of low protein intake include:

• Edema (swelling most often in the hands, arms, feet, ankles or legs)
• Thin, fragile, or loss of hair
• Low hand-grip strength
• Changes in appetite (nausea or increased hunger)
• Fatigue
• Loss of muscle mass

The Best Foods to Help You Meet Protein Goals
	Full Liquid	Pureed	Soft	Regular
Ready-to-drink protein shakes or protein water	x	x	x	x
Protein powders mixed with water or milk	x	x	x	x
Protein powders blended with fruit	x	x	x	x
Fairlife milk (higher in protein)	x	x	x	x
Milk, skim, 1% or 2%	x	x	x	x
Carbmaster white or chocolate milk (only at Kroger)	x	x	x	x
Carbmaster yogurt smoothies (only at Kroger)	smooth	x	x	x
Yogurt, Dannon Oikos Triple Zero	smooth	x	x	x
Yogurt, Dannon Two Good	smooth	x	x	x
Yogurt, Carbmaster (only at Kroger)	smooth	x	x	x
Yogurt blended with Fairlife milk and fruit	x	x	x	x
Yogurt, plain Greek, add fruit flavored protein powder	x	x	x	x
Pudding, no added sugar (ready to eat)	x	x	x	x
Pudding, instant mix – increase protein with Fairlife milk or protein powder	x	x	x	x
Soup, blended and strained	x	x	x	x
Soup, blended		x	x	x
Soup, add extra chicken or meat, blended		x	x	x
Soup			x	x
Soup, add extra chicken or meat			x	x
Chili, (beef, turkey, chicken, vegetarian) blended		x	x	x
Chili, (beef, turkey, chicken, vegetarian)			x	x
Hot cocoa, no added sugar, made with milk	x	x	x	x
Fudgesicles, no added sugar	x	x	x	x
Carnation Instant Breakfast, no added sugar	x	x	x	x
Refried beans, mashed		x	x	x
Refried beans			x	x
Cottage cheese, mashed		x	x	x
Cottage cheese			x	x
Low fat gravy blended with meat		x	x	x
Egg substitute (Egg Beaters), lightly scrambled		x	x	x
Eggs (scrambled, fried, hard or soft boiled)			x	x
Tuna, add seasoning and light dressing, finely chopped		x	x	x
Tuna, add seasoning and light dressing			x	x
Tuna, add fresh celery, onion and light dressing				x
Chicken, canned, add seasoning and light dressing, finely chopped		x	x	x
Chicken, canned add seasoning and light dressing			x	x
Chicken salad with fresh vegetables				x
Meat, fish or poultry blended		x	x	x
Meat or poultry, ground or finely shredded			x	x
Fish, flakey, baked			x	x
Meat, fish or poultry (moist and tender is best)				x
Deli meat (lean turkey, chicken, ham, or roast beef)			x	x
Hummus		x	x	x
Beans, mashed (avoid baked beans with added sugar)		x	x	x
Beans (avoid baked beans with added sugar)			x	x
Vegetarian burgers			x	x
Vegetarian meat substitutes			x	x
Tofu			x	x
Turkey sausage				x
Cheese, low fat (light mozzarella cheese sticks, light Baby Bell, Light Laughing Cow, 2% milk cheese)			x	x
Protein bars, low sugar – great for emergencies				x
Peanut butter, smooth, in liquid recipes (limit due to high fat)	x	x	x	x
Peanut butter, smooth (limit due to high fat)		x	x	x
Powdered peanut butter, in liquid recipes	x	x	x	x
Powdered peanut butter		x	x	x

 

 

You know that eating small, frequent meals after your surgery will help your body get the nourishment it needs to run smoothly.  But, who has the time and does it really matter anyway? We’ve put together some compelling reasons why you should eat mini meals throughout the day and 10 steps to do it the right way. Once you get it down, it’s easy and you’ll find that you have more focus and more energy to get through your day.

Download On Track with Barix: What Happens When You Eat Mini Meals 

A Mini Meal?

A mini meal is a small, ¼ cup to 1 cup, healthy meal or snack. It generally contains a low-fat protein source along with healthy fat or carbohydrate. A mini snack could be as simple as a 100 calorie pack of almonds, a Greek yogurt, or apple slices with a small smear of peanut butter. A mini meal might be 2 ounces of salmon, a small baked potato with butter and roasted asparagus, or it could be a slice of light bread with 2 oz of lean deli meat and a side of mandarin oranges.

Why You Should Eat Mini Meals

Take a look at what happens when you eat mini meals throughout the day rather than 2-3 larger meals:

• Blood Sugar Control. Six small, protein-rich meals help to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range, minimizing peaks and valleys. The valleys, dips in blood sugar levels, cause the stress hormone cortisol to rise. A higher cortisol level can lead to cravings, increased belly fat, hormonal imbalance, and decreased immunity.

 

• Blunted Reward System. Rewards are good, right? Not-so-much when it comes to food. When we eat larger meals or sweets, the brain releases chemicals that increase feelings of euphoria. Over time, we learn to see food as a reward and are more likely to reach for it when we’re not hungry. Avoiding added sugars and eating smaller meals helps us to enjoy food and the emotions surrounding it in a moderate and controlled way.

 

• Concentration and Mood. Mini meals fuel your body evenly so you’re able to stay focused and calm. Waiting too long to eat crashes your blood sugar level and you feel irritable and agitated. Eating larger meals diverts blood to your gut to aid in digestion– leaving you feeling sleepy and unfocused.

Steps to Mini Meal Right 

• Portion right. The purpose of eating small frequent meals is to spread your intake throughout the day, not to increase the amount of food that you eat in a day. Use the Meal Planning Guidelines on pages 3-4 to get right sized portions. Measure food when you can.

• Graze not. There are 3 mini meals and 3 mini snacks in each day. That works out to a meal or snack every 2 ½ – 3 hours. Don’t eat between meals and snacks; instead this is your time to sip on calorie-free beverages. 

• Choose healthy foods. Build your diet on lean sources of protein—think lean fish, poultry and meat; dairy and legumes. Add in fresh vegetables and fruits. Balance with small amounts of whole grains. Move away from highly processed foods and eat foods prepared from scratch whenever possible. 

• Look for convenience. Life is busy and we can’t always prep from scratch. Consider pre-cut vegetables and fruit, single serving cottage cheese, and tuna packs just to name a few.

 Divide protein throughout the day. Divide protein between meals and snacks. This doesn’t have to be exact and it can change based on your meal plan for the day. Here’s how it could look:

Protein Goal	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Each Snack (3)
60	14 grams	14 grams	14 grams	6 grams
75	18 grams	18 grams	18 grams	7 grams
90	22 grams	22 grams	22 grams	8 grams
110	26 grams	27   rams	27 grams	10 grams

• Pack it. Take your snacks and lunch with you to insure you have healthy options at your fingertips throughout your work day.
• Start your day right. Don’t skimp on breakfast. You need a good protein source at the start of your day.
• Get efficient. Rather than getting into the rut of eating out at dinnertime, become an efficiency rock star.
  • Cook once and eat three times by repurposing food. Cook lean ground beef (or turkey) and mix it with marinara sauce to top spaghetti squash one night, season it for Mexican another night and make low-sugar sloppy Joes or shepherd’s pie on night 3.
  • Use a slow cooker and you’ll have an easy meal ready when you walk in the door.
  • Keep the ingredients on hand for two or more family favorites. It’ll be easier to resist the draw of eating out.

 

• Prepare for the unexpected. Keep protein bars, portion-controlled nuts, ready-to-drink protein shakes or other convenient foods on hand for the times when healthy options are not available. Life happens–be prepared.

• Plan Ahead. All of this does require that you set aside a little time each week to plan out meals and snacks, stock up on health foods and pack your lunch/snacks the night before. It’s well worth your investment of time and energy to insure that you’re prepared to eat healthy.

Meal Planning Guidelines

Use these meal planning guidelines to plan mini meals and snacks to fuel your body throughout the day.

Meals (200-250 calories, at least 12 grams protein)
Select 1 at each meal (6-23 grams protein, 60-120 calories)
Food/Drink	Calorie	Protein	Fat	Carb
Lean cuts of meat (2 oz)	80	16	2	0
Chicken or turkey breast (2 oz)	84	17	2	0
Tuna, in water  (2 oz or 1/4 cup)	60	13	1	0
Crab, lobster, shrimp (2 oz)	81	15	1	2
Fish (2 oz)	73	15	1.5	0
Egg (1 large)	72	6	5	0
Egg substitute (1/2 cup)	58	12	0	2.5
Premier Protein (1/2 carton)	60	15	1.5	2.5
Cottage Cheese 2% (1/2 cup)	90	13	2.5	4
Dannon Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt	120	15	0	14
Whey protein powder	110	23	2	2
Fairlife fat-free milk (1 cup)	80	13	0	6
Fat-free milk (1 cup)	83	8	0	12
Select 1 for at least 2 of your meals (7-20 calories)
Food/Drink	Calories	Protein	Fat	Carb
Non-starchy vegetable (1/2 cup)	20	2	0	7
Salad greens (1 cup)	7	1	0	1
Select 1 at each meal (40-80 calories)
Food/Drink	Calories	Protein	Fat	Carb
Fruit, fresh (1 small piece or 1 cup)	53	1	0.5	13
Sweet potato (1 small)	60	1	0	14
Baked potato (1 small)	60	1	0	14
Bread (1 slice)	78	3	1	14
Bread, light (1 slice)	40	2	0	9
Pasta (1/3 cup cooked)	73	3	0	14
Rice (1/3 cup cooked)	68	1	0	15
Cereal, cooked (1/3 cup)	53	2	1	9
Beans, 1/4 cup	59	4	0	11

 

 

 

Select 1 for at least 2 meals (45-65 calories)
Food/Drink	Calories	Protein	Fat	Carb
Cheese (1/2  oz)	57	3.5	4.5	0
Mayonnaise or salad dress. (2 tsp.)	63	0	7	0
Oil (1/2 Tbsp.)	60	0	7	0
Butter/Margarine (1/2 Tbsp.)	51	0	5	0
Salad dressing, ranch (2 tsp.)	48	0	5	1

 

Snacks (100 calories, at least 4 grams protein)
Food/Drink	Cal	Pro	Fat	Cho
Almonds (14)	98	4	8	3
Apple (1/2 medium), Babybel cheese, light (1 wedge)	97	6	3	12
Rice cake (1) and peanut butter (2 tsp)	98	4	5	9
Walnuts (8 halves)	104	4	8	4
Hardboiled egg
Dannon Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt	120	15	0	14
Kroger Carb Master Yogurt	60	8	1.5	4
Fairlife fat-free milk (1 cup)	80	13	0	6
Kroger Carb Master Chocolate Milk	80	11	0	7
Cottage cheese 2% (1/2 cup), cantaloupe (1/2 cup)	117	14	2.5	11
Babybel light cheese (1) and Ritz crackers (3)	98	6	6	6
Blueberries (1/2 cup), Kroger Carb Master Yogurt (1)	102	9	1.5	14
Strawberries (1/2 cup), Dannon Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt (1/2 container )	104	8	0	13
Cheddar Cheese (1 oz)	113	7	9	0
Deli turkey breast (2 oz), Laughing Cow Light cheese (1 wedge)	95	11	2.5	3
Deli lean ham (2 oz), Laughing Cow Light cheese (1 wedge)	85	11	2.5	2
Robert Irvine’s Fit Crunch protein bar (1/2 of 44 gram bar)	95	7.5	4	7
Premier Protein (1/2 container)	80	15	1.5	2.5
Cottage cheese 2% (1/2 cup)	90	13	2.5	4
Shrimp cocktail (5 jumbo with sauce)	110	22	1	10
String cheese, light (2)	100	14	5	1
Soy nuts (1/4 cup)	130	12	6	9