Eat protein first: it still applies
You know one of the first rules after weight loss surgery is to eat your protein first. When you lose weight, you don’t lose just fat. You also lose lean body mass, or muscle and water. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the goal is to lose fat and maintain the muscle mass.
A recent study fed three groups of young men and women a controlled diet for 31 days with varying amounts of protein within their calculated total calories. They were also given a daily exercise prescription. All meals and exercise were supervised by the research staff.
The results? The higher the protein intake, the less muscle mass lost during weight loss. Simply by choosing protein first, you can preserve muscle mass. So while you are encouraged to eat your protein first, make sure to be choosey in your selections. Protein foods can also be high in fat and it is saturated fat. Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, seafood, low fat dairy, and beans.
Eat Smart…
Vicki Bovee, MS, RDN, LD
WBI Dietitian, Reno, NV
Western Bariatric Institute

Resource
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (2013, December 2). Short-term energy deficits increase factors related to muscle degradation. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from https://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2013/12/131202142733.htm