4 1/2 Months Out and Questions About Restriction and Dense Proteins

Hi All,

I'm four months out and have questions about restriction.  First of all my labs are all perfect and my weight loss is on track.  Doctor is happy with my overall health picture.  I am now off meds for hypertension, which was one of my goals.  I am tracking religiously and feeling pretty well overall.  My challenge is in eating dense proteins.  I would just love to be able to eat any kind of meat, poultry or fish and feel comfortable!  Even as little as 1.5 oz of any of the above leaves me feeling uncomfortable (too full - not foamies or nauseous - just too full) whereas a small dish of nuts and seeds or legumes or yogurt or cheese or pretty much any other kind of protein leaves me feeling comfortable.  At this point I am pretty much eating vegetarian, which is fine, but I'd like to be able to eat meat/poultry/fish occasionally and feel good. Also I find without the benefit of eating meats/poultry/fish I have to work hard to get my protein requirements in.

Does anyone have some insight into this?  Is it just a matter of needing to be patient?  Will my ability to enjoy dense proteins change in time?

Thanks.

Trudy

try chewing it better , and start with a smaller amount , maybe you need some gravy  to keep it moist

Yes, this is happening to me as well at a little over 3 months out.  I have found that tilapia is one of the best fishes for me to eat.  It goes down so much easier than salmon.  Chicken still makes me uncomfortable.  Haven't tried steak.  Too scared.  Strangely, jerky has been working out for me which is weird because it's so dry.  But I make sure to chew, chew, chew.  I have no trouble with salads or veggies.  

Thanks for your response. I tried 1.5 oz of filet mignon lately and I'd say it felt better than chicken although still not comfortable.  I've tried jerky too and it's not so bad.  I guess it's a matter of time before we feel a little closer to "normal".

Ya I would suggest trying to make sure these foods are more moistened. I was kind of feeling the same way (I'm 6mo out) but if I add some more moisture it's is sooooo much better. However i cannot eat fish! I don't know what it is being thats suppose to be something easy to eat but that's a negative here lol. Goodluck!

Thanks!

Dense proteins are tough, literally.  If you're going for meats, focus on meats that are extremely tender - think slow cooked, roasted, crock pot kind of stuff.  Sauces and gravy are your friends here. 

For steak, go for something tender like filet, prime rib or ribeye.  Everything else will sit in your stomach like a rock.

For chicken, forget about chicken breasts at first.  Instead, go for thighs and legs.  Rotisserie chicken is awesome for this, or roast your own.  I do roasted chicken twice a week.  Once you can tolerate legs and thighs, only then should you try for the dry, dense chicken breast.  When you do, pound it to break the protein up a little, or have your butcher run it through the tenderizer like a cube steak.  Brine it for about 20 min before you cook it.  It makes a huge difference.

For pork, brining is also a great practice to help tenderness.  Slow cooking so it's nice and tender after that.  My favorite is simmering pork chops in mushroom soup. 

Ground beef, strangely enough, was a tough one for me.  I think because it was broken into so many small pieces, that I wasn't chewing as well as I would a hunk of meat otherwise,  but it just didn't sit well with me.  I found that I could eat burgers easier if they were rare to medium rare.  I gobbled them up !  Meatloaf on the other hand...not a friend to me for several months.  Salisbury steaks were a little better, since they were simmered in sauce.   If you're having struggles with that, know that you're not alone. 

I hope this helps.

If 1.5 ounces is making you uncomfortable, try smaller amounts. There is no minimum that you are required to eat!