Feeling more restriction eating meat......

I am on my sixth week post op and my doctor wants me to add more meat and things to my diet.  I will have to say I don't know how to get my protein in or how to count it all.  If I eat the meat I cant eat but very little.  Maybe two small bites..... not to a point you cant really measure it.  Then when I eat it I don't want to drink the protein shakes because I am majorly full. 

What suggestions can you guys give to help me manage adding the meat in?  I don't want to fall short of my protein but it is very hard to get it in.  And then I feel so full today I don't want to drink anything either.

Sample menu for today:

4 oz cottage cheese with no added sugar peach cup (I don't like it plain)

Wise health protein hot chocolate with 8 oz of whole milk

2 very small bites of ground beef

3 whole wheat crackers with canned chicken and mayo ( very small amount but crackers help my stomach not feel so sick

3 whole wheat crackers with one piece of turkey pepperoni and one laughing cow cheese wedge

I feel like I am eating a lot.  I feel like it is so much food but I know it really isn't much.  I let it set for a while and nibble on it slowly.  It takes me forever just to eat it.

I don't drink fluids 30 min before or after I eat.

Now I think because it is hard to measure that I need to get at least 15 more grams of protein tonight and I don't think I can fit it in..... I feel bloated lol  I know taking away the crackers might help but I cant seem to stomach the meat without them at the moment

I can do the protein shakes if I just do them most of the day but it is hard to try things and still get it all in.  I am happy that I can eat more though without getting sick...... This is a plus for me for sure.

There is a 30/60/90 plan for protein that those of us who don't do protein shakes follow:

You get 30 per cent of your protein needs at 30 days

60 per cent of your protein needs at 60 days

90 per cent of your protein needs at 90 days

Many of us have been successful on this plan

I agree with what Kim said.  The first time I got all my protein in was when I was almost 3 months out.

Ditch the crackers and the peaches.  You will be glad you did later.  

Absolutely, ditch the crackers and peaches. Crackers are the worst habit many people start.

It seems counterintuitive, but ground beef is actually not easy. You'd find a piece of tenderloin steak easier than ground beef. Chicken can also be difficult. Deli meats go down well at your stage. Try the ham. Deli meats are moist, and thinly sliced, so they chew up better.

You can drink right up until you eat, but not during or for 30 minutes after. There is no need to stop drinking 30 minutes before eating.

I just tried ham and swiss and heated it in the microwave for 20 seconds and it is delicious and gives me no problems at all.  I was so pleasantly surprised!

Deli ham was easiest for me early out. Deli chicken too, but definitely not regular chicken. Cheese is always easy, it will just melt in your mouth if you let it.

Ground beef is very tough meat.  That is why they grind it up.  I started eating meat at three months and could only tolerate beef tenderloin until about six months out.  It was expensive, but I was only eating two or three ounces at a time so a pound counted for at least five meals.

I still don't use peaches, crackers or whole milk.  Why would you want all that sugar, fat and carbs added to your body?  Those are things that will making losing difficult and maintaining almost impossible. 

Just for comparison, if you were on my surgeon's plan you would just be starting the process to wean off protein supplements so the fact you're not there yet is entirely normal.

What you're eating is also pretty close to a text-book meal from my surgeon.  Yes, maybe we could make the case that a couple crackers are not a superior choice but they are whole wheat and if they help you eat the protein I think it's fine.

I strongly disagree with the advice to cut out fruit.  Yes, yes, protein first, but as a rule you can't go wrong with anything that grows from the ground.  :)

My plan doesn't include peaches nor crackers.  At 11 months out, I still wouldn't eat them.  Of course, every plan is different.  

In the early weeks, seafood and whitefish were very easy for me to digest.