QuestionHello, I recently had surgery done on my ribs and am now recovering. Should I typically eat a little more than I normally did before during this healing stage? Or should I eat less? I'm concerned because I am not able to be active at all right now. I walk a little, not much at all, and I'm mostly sitting and sleeping during the day. I am a fit person. I'm 25 year old female, 5'3 and about 110-112lbs. I do not want to gain weight during this time, however, I do want my body to get adequate nutrition to heal itself as quick as possible without anything hindering it to do so. I've read a few different things. Eating more helps the body recover and heal itself faster, but then I've read that eating less is better because the body will heal itself faster. I've also read that eating slightly more will not cause weight gain even if not active because the body is using those extra calories to busily repair itself.... What is the correct information? And based on the information I have given, can you give a ballpark range of calories that I should be eating daily during this time? THANKYOU.
AnswerKristy,
I completely understand not wanting to gain weight during this time. However, what's likely to happen from the combination of inactivity and healing is that your weight will stay the same or even drop a little. The bad news, though, is that the weight loss is going to be all muscle.
Normally, with your stats, you need to eat a minimum of 60 grams of protein a day. However, with an injury, the rule of thumb is to eat double your minimum requirement, or 120 grams a day. You should also eat some protein within an hour or two of waking up, and also right before bedtime (something small like a small handful of deli shaved meat or some cottage cheese-you don't want to get heartburn, whcih can be a side effect of lying down after eating protein.) This will help you keep as much muscle as possible. It really isn't necessary to change your calorie intake-just avoid extra snacking out of boredom while you're laid up!
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