Gastric Band Surgery

To Be Successful At Losing Weight, Keeping It Off And Maintaining Your Health, PROTEIN IS ESSENTIAL!

The gastric bypass surgery results in weight loss two ways:

• It limits the amount the stomach can physically hold.
• It also limits digestion and absorption of nutrients because it bypasses part of the intestine.

As a result, weight loss can be substantial. To be successful, not only at losing weight, but at keeping it off, and maintaining your health, protein is essential.

Protein Requirements

You need to get 80 to 90 grams of quality protein per day during the first year, 80 grams after that, forever.

Protein Quality

Whey protein isolate is the highest quality protein along with egg protein. Whey protein isolate is particularly easily absorbed – an important consideration when your digestive tract has been restricted. Recent medical research indicates that whey protein has special ability to reduce blood sugar. If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, see UNJURY® for Diabetes.

• Other high quality proteins include beef, pork, fish, dairy, chicken.
• We don’t recommend rice, hemp or chia protein. They are lower quality protein and some rice protein has heavy metal contamination.

Protein Advice: Always Start Your Day With Protein

A few surgical practices recommend that patients eventually switch to "solid foods" and reduce protein supplements.

Here is why this is a mistake for most patients:

1. It is very hard to get the same amount of protein from foods. To get the same amount of protein as 3 one-cup (just 8 oz.) servings of UNJURY® in skim milk (87grams) you would have to consume:
   • Beef that starts out at 16 ounces before cooking, or
   • 13 eggs per day, or
   • 2/3 of a gallon of milk, or
   • More than a typical whole chicken
   • For most WLS patients, any of those choices, or any mix of them, is just impossible.
2. We talk with a lot of WLS patients every day, and they tell us when they switch off protein shakes, their results suffer.
   • We believe that when patients stop losing weight, or worse, start regaining, it’s when they switch away from UNJURY® and switch to “solid” foods. Whey protein-the kind we use in UNJURY-is special for its ability to make you feel full.
   • When patients stop using UNJURY, then they get hungry. Then they start looking for other foods to keep them feeling as full as UNJURY. As a result, they take in more calories, and gain weight.

If you are unsure about any of this, you can call our toll free number 1 800 517 5111 Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 6:00 PM, and we can help.

There is no charge to talk with us.

What Is Gastric Band Surgery

The gastric band surgery results in weight loss by limiting the amount the stomach can physically hold.

This procedure is usually done laparoscopically through small incisions in the abdomen. During this procedure a silicone band is placed around the upper portion of the stomach, creating a small pouch. The pouch can only hold a small amount of food, so it does not take as much food to become full. As a result, you will naturally eat less.

The silicone band is hollow. It can be made tighter or looser by adding or removing saline. Adjustments to the band are made to meet each patients’ weight loss goals. Typically adjustments are made to the band every 4 to 6 weeks.