The Importance of Protein

At my recent appointment with my nutritionist, we talked about the fact that I am not getting enough protein.  I am supposed to get at least 65 grams of protein per day and I am averaging less than half that.  Malnutrition is always a possibility after gastric bypass, and I knew that going in, but I don't think I fully understood what would happen were I to be malnourished.  

Because let's face it:  I think I'm invincible.

But then I went on vacation and noticed that my hair was coming out by the handful in the shower and there were strands of espresso hair covering the bathroom floor.  It's disturbing.  I'm fortunate, though.  I've always had an abundance of super thick hair, so despite the heavy loss, it's not noticeable on my scalp, i.e. I don't look like my hair is thinning.

Despite the appearance, I decided it was time to get back on the bandwagon.  I haven't been eating properly (and it's not just the lack of protein).  I hadn't been exercising.  I don't drink enough low-calorie beverages (or really, any beverages for that matter).  And my weight loss is stagnating because of it (and yeah, the tequila didn't help, either).

So last night, I stopped into GNC and picked up unflavored whey protein powder.  At 110 calories and 21 grams of protein per scoop, this will give me a great boost.  Today, after some experimentation, I determined that a half scoop to my normal serving of oatmeal was the right combination.  I added the half scoop to a packet of HMR hot cereal (with apples and currants - yum!) for a breakfast that has 265 calories and a whopping 21 grams of protein.  It's actually so filling that after 30 minutes, I still have a significant amount left to finish.


I also picked up a complete multivitamin because we discovered that the chewables I purchased were not, in fact, complete.  Sure, they had the vitamins I needed, but not the minerals, so that was exacerbating the situation.  There wasn't much selection and I don't like horse pills, so I only purchased a 4-pack.  We'll see if I like them once I get them down.


I thought it was some fluke that I felt like exercising earlier this week, but apparently not.  This morning I woke up with a burning desire to walk/jog the two mile loop at Breakheart Reservation.  It was such a beautiful morning (temps in the high 50s/low 60s, full of sunshine) and I had a great time, much to my surprise.