Struggling with the Sleeve

I've been having a hard time eating from the get go. I know several other people who have had procedures done and they had a really easy time with it. Idk why my journey is so difficult. :(

We are all different. I am sorry you are having a hard time. When did you your surgery? Are you still healing and on a liquid or soft diet? Tell us more and perhaps some of us will have ideas that may help.

I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble with eating. My tummy was really swollen for the first 2 months and I could only eat an ounce to an ounce and a half until the 8th week. But other than the tiny quantity, I was able to eat most anything on my plan.

Are you having a problem with quantity? or holding foods down? or getting an upset tummy?

I hope it remedies soon so you can start to enjoy your sleeve. I think it will!

best wishes,

Carol

What are you trying to eat and at what stage are you in diet? These stages that the DR's give you are not set in stone as far as the speed to get to next stage, if you cannot get to that stage in diet just don't worry and stay on your last stage longer, but that rule doesn't apply to speeding up and moving ahead in your stage as that is counter productive. So going back is fine but speeding up is not. It isn't a race. You body is yours and is unique to you. Hang in there.

I'm at Stage 4. I've been trying to eat hamburger, steak, (eggs are terrible) I can't do chicken. I do better on soup and stew textures, but I've run out of options. Honestly I'd do better if all i had to eat were veggies..... Meat is really heavy on my tummy, but alas, thats all we are really given isn't it!

It took me many months before I could handle eggs, they didn't sit well with me.

Sometimes, we have to go a bit slower than our surgeon's plan prescribes. Some folks heal faster than others! There's no shame in going slowly and doing an extra week of full liquids, or supplementing with protein shakes for a bit.

If you're trying meat, opt for things that are well-mashed or shredded, cooked in liquid, and maybe with some broth or sauce. I had good luck with baked fish, boiled chicken, and hamburger with a little bit of tomato sauce. Chicken and tuna salad (canned meat with a little bit of mayo) worked well also.

Do you like seafood, they say fish and shrimp are easier to digest? They also told me to try the dark meat chicken 1st..I don't know the reason but I reckon it is moister than breast? They also told me that poached eggs were better than scrambled, no idea why on that? But I have read many many posts and they also say meat was difficult, I think that is because even if it is chewed thoroughly there are still sinew and connective tissues that are very hard to digest. When babies start eating meats, lamb is usually recommended as the 1st choice as it is supposed to digest easier. I love lamb, you might do better with ground lamb. I put Tsatziki sauce on it, which is yogurt cucumber sauce on top..I add spearmint leaves to the ground lamb meat as it is supposed to help digestion and is in the Greek recipe already. You can also use it in place of hamburger in things like Shepherd's pie. Or you can just eat in chops with mint jelly...yum! But if veggies do you the best, than I don't see why you can't keep having them as long as you supplement with protein. Thick Stews are fine but soups are pretty liquidy and may go through sleeve too fast and get you sick. Good luck!

You might try raw meat. Carpaccio, Tartare, Sushi are all easier on the system than cooked meat. Sort of counter intuitive, but true.

Do you like fish? Try some talapia or tuna, very good protein. Your stomach is still in the healing process, try something a little more easy on the stomach. I couldn't eat hamburger and definitely not stea****il 5 months out. Eggs were a little hard on my stomach too. I did well with egg whites! You'll be able to eat meats soon, just not yet.

You don't always have to eat meat to get your protein. Try marinated tofu (lots of recipes on-line), very gently cooked fish and shellfish, and beans. All very easy on the sleeve and just as nutritious, if not more so, than red meats. I'm almost 9 months post-op, and I still can't eat steak. I can get hamburger down, but it's sometimes difficult.