The Role of Protein in a Post-Bariatric Surgery Diet

After your bariatric surgery procedure, your body will have a harder time breaking down and absorbing protein due to the anatomical rearrangements of surgery. As such, it is very important that you get enough protein in your bariatric post-surgery diet. After surgery, women typically need 60 to 80 grams of protein per day, and men need 75 to 100 grams or more per day.

Why is it so important to get this much protein in your diet; and what are some high-protein foods that we recommend at the Bariatric & Metabolic Center of Colorado? Let’s walk through these questions together.

Why Is Protein Important to Have In My Diet?

After bariatric surgery, getting enough protein in your diet is essential for several reasons. First, it helps your body to preserve and rebuild lean muscle mass. Second, it can give you the energy that you need to exercise on a regular basis, which will be an essential part of your weight loss plan. Finally, getting enough protein may help slightly with loose skin.

As you lose weight, your body will naturally try to shed both fat and muscle. Getting enough protein in your bariatric post-surgery diet can help your body to preserve your lean muscle. This will help you to feel better and have more energy to exercise and do ordinary day-to-day activities. After all, losing weight isn’t just about numbers on a scale; it’s about feeling better than you have in decades, and having the energy to do things like go on a hike or have a super-soaker fight with your kids. Maintaining lean muscle mass also helps to support a higher base metabolic rate, which can help with your weight loss goals.

After surgery, a regular exercise regime will be an essential part of your weight loss journey. We recommend that most patients build up to at least 150 minutes per week (30 minutes per day, 5 days per week) of moderate intensity activity with 2 days of resistance training. Patients who are especially dedicated and want to have a maximum weight loss result are encouraged to go up to 300 minutes (60 minutes per day, 5 days per week) of activity per week with 2 days of resistance. This exercise regime is essential to losing weight and keeping it off, but the benefits go far beyond weight loss. Exercise is associated with better mood, lower anxiety and depression, feeling better physically, and even improved energy levels and mental acuity. Getting enough protein in your diet is essential to making sure you have the energy needed to exercise multiple times per week and maintain the muscle mass to optimize weight loss.

After surgery, many patients struggle with loose or hanging skin. They lose weight so rapidly that they can sometimes end up with excess skin. Getting enough protein may slightly help to address this issue. By maintaining and building lean muscle mass, you can better “fill out” your skin even as you shed fat, which can prevent sagging skin. Protein can also improve your skin elasticity, helping your skin to shrink to match your new frame and further minimizing excess skin.

What High-Protein Foods Can I Eat Post-Surgery?

After surgery, many patients want to gravitate to lean moist meats and fish. These can be excellent sources of protein, as long as they’re lean; it’s much better to eat lean turkey lunch meat than bacon, for instance. Poultry tends to have about 8 grams of protein per ounce, and fish typically has around 6 grams per ounce. Because your meals after surgery will tend to be very small (starting at just a few ounces), animal and fish protein can be a good way to get your 60-100 grams of daily protein.

However, it’s important not to overdo it on animal or fish protein. Animal sources of protein can include harmful toxins such as environmental toxins and TMAOs, which can increase your risk of heart disease and cancer. We recommend that our patients also include plant-based sources of protein such as legumes (such as beans or lentils) and even some whole grains (such as quinoa).

Immediately after surgery, protein shakes can also help you to hit your daily protein goals while eating solid food is still hard on your stomach. But long-term, shakes should generally be traded for more sustainable solid sources of protein as any refined liquid including protein shakes is associated with weight regain.

If you would like more bariatric meal ideas, we have a list of a few good bariatric recipes or you can call our office and our dietitian will be happy to make recommendations for a bariatric meal plan. We also offer bariatric surgery support groups, where patients meet on a regular basis and can (among other things) trade recipes that work for them.

What Are Good Protein Supplements That I Can Use?

There are many protein supplements on the market, some of which are better than others. Additionally, some of these supplements work better for patients of bariatric surgery than do others. After surgery, our registered bariatric dietitian will work with you to find a bariatric surgery protein supplement that can help you to get enough protein and hit your weight loss and lifestyle goals.

Taking the Next Step On Your Weight Loss Journey

After surgery, it is vitally important that you get enough healthy protein in your diet in order to maintain lean muscle mass and have plenty of energy. If you have any other questions about protein, or if you would like ideas for healthy high-protein recipes, please feel free to give our friendly office staff a call.