Question:
Anyone having problems eating chicken?
I'm 7 months post op (Open RNY). It has been a learning process in what I can and can not eat and how much. I used to be able to tolerate everything, but now I find that bread (and flour) products can often cause me to have to bring it up as it sits like a stone. Another problem I have is very much a surprise to me, and that is eating chicken. I did a library search on chicken and all I seemed to come up with was "chickening out of surgery" type questions. lol Anyway, since the surgery I often have problems with chicken. In fact there is hardly a time when I don't. Most of the time I have to bring it up as it hurts. I've tried hard to think, "why"? The only conclusion I can come to is this. It is almost as if when I'm eating it, it doesn't register WHEN I'm full. It's like by the time I know I'm full, I'm EXTREMELY full and have to get it out. I don't have problems with any other meat. In fact I love beef and it causes no problems whatsoever. Only chicken does this to me. Of course, breads (flour products) do this to, but I know my limitations and stop before trouble (most of the time). But for some reason I can not tell the trouble point with chicken until I'm to full, or whatever it is that triggers this problem. I love chicken but it almost isn't worth the hassle. Am I the only one? Is there anything that makes eating chicken easier on the stomach? Other than to eat slower and leave more time before bites, I have no idea what to try. Thanks. — Danmark (posted on December 15, 2001)
December 15, 2001
I was told to make chicken my main protien, but I too can't tolerate more
than 2 or 3 bites, have you tried in in a sauce? that is the only way I
seem to be able to eat it. I put spagetti sauce and then melt cheese on
the top.
— acluff
December 15, 2001
Well, I've tried everything with chicken and I can't deal with it. I can
tolerate about two small bites and it just doesn't taste the same to me
anymore. I used to eat chicken all the time, but not anymore ... well,
except for buffalo wings. I can have a couple of wings, but that's about
it. The only things I have really been able to tolerate (now at one year
post, lap RNY) is steak. I've been eating steak and shell fish, usually
shrimp for most of my protein. I just avoid chicken now, as I don't want to
have to bring it back up.It's really amazing how your tastes change after
surgery.
— Maria H.
December 15, 2001
Early on I cut ALL meat products into pencil eraser sized pieces and then
chewed well. Its best to not eat till full, Just eat a amount that looks
right, even if its just a one inch cube then cut up. Moist meats go down
better too. I found some gravy on meats helps too.
— bob-haller
December 15, 2001
My surgeon told me that chicken, steak and roast beef tend to "ball
up" in your pouch. I've found that I have much more trouble with
chicken than with steak or roast beef so I don't try to eat it very often.
If the meat is very moist it helps. Eating fresh veggies between bites of
meat helps too. Good luck.
— [Anonymous]
December 15, 2001
Hi, Daniel. I can relate to both the chicken problem and the "by the
time I know I'm full I'm too full" problem. Chicken for me is a
problem off and on; meats in general (other than ground beef) are. I find
that by the time I've chewed it sufficiently it's kinda...yuck. Just seems
to sit there. Then I have to wait a while to try it again. Only thing I can
suggest is to put it in something to make it less dry...
As far as the suddenly finding yourself TOO full, no suggestions...I'm also
7 months post-op and have the same problem! Good luck!
— Mary Ellen W.
December 15, 2001
I sometimes cook chicken in the crock pot. After cooking in a sauce all
day long, it is so tender and juicy, goes down super. There are great
recipes at www.allrecipes.com for the crock pot for all kinds of meats. I
am 5 weeks and can tolerate all meats. It could just be 'one of those
things' that you will not be able to tolerate. Personally, I would keep
trying it about once a month, but that is your choice, getting stuck feels
awful. Good luck.
— Cheri M.
December 15, 2001
If you could just generalize and make sweeping statements, you'd say VBG's
don't do beef & bread and RNY don't do chicken & rice. Of course,
that doesn't apply across the board, but largely, if there is something
that hangs up for RNY, it's chicken. Many switch to dark meat and it works
cuz it's a little slippery. Yuck. That one can't get past my lips! Some
just put the chicken in gravy or sauce. I'm past 7 yrs now and chicken is
still iffy enough that after I test the first bite, often I still won't eat
it because if I am not ultra careful, 2 bites and my meal is over. It's
just not worth it to me. The protein is useless for me, so why block the
outlet trying? And I SWEAR I am chewing it. I test it by spreading it
across the roof of my mouth to be sure it is broken down, not just softer
but still a "net". For some of us, it just never works. My
husband has been able to eat chicken (and rice) from his first day of
solids. But green beans and lettuce hang up for him. Figure it.
— vitalady
December 15, 2001
I cannot eat chicken if it is fried, boiled (normally), or baked but if I
cook chicken breasts in the pressure cooker with garlic, celery and onion,
it comes out very moist and tasty. I cook several breast on Sundays like
this, store it in the juice, and cut it up on my tomato and lettuce salad
with light dressing for my lunches at work. BTW, at 9 mo. out, rice still
hurts, as do pita pockets and wraps. Tonight, very tender swiss steak made
me ill and I had to vomit to feel better. . . . however, I ate only the
meat. . .I should have ate it along with salad and a vegetable. I read
somewhere that combining foods makes meat easier to eat. Maybe that is why
it works so well for me to put the chicken in with the salad.
— Doris R.
December 15, 2001
Thanks all! I did miss the other question on chicken but did finally find
it. ;) It's funny, other than bread and chicken I have little problems. I
can eat ALL the turkey I want too, with NO problems! Come to think of it,
the only chicken I can eat with NO problems is Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Perhaps it's because I "only eat their thigh meat" (thigh's is
all I would eat if I had a choice). The other chicken I eat (when I have
problems) is at other places or in tv dinners where you DO NOT get a choice
of the cut of meat. Usually those are white and I don't like white meat
very well. But then I have problems with the leg & thigh meat at the
Chicken Bar B Ques so dark meat causes problems too. At least I can eat
beef, steak and jerky with NO problems. Chicken I can live without, beef I
can'nt. ;)
— Danmark
December 15, 2001
I'm two years post-op and still cannot eat breaded chicken that is fried
like KFC, Churches, etc. ( I can't do any fried foods for that matter)
When I make my own recipes with chicken I have to have a sauce or a
casserole type recipe and cooked very tender. I remember the first time
I ever got something caught in my pouch it was chicken.. So I am very
careful still today with how I prepare it.. If I get caught out
somewhere and just have to eat something like fast food chicken .. I
remove the skin part if any or order a tender roast..
— Victoria B.
December 15, 2001
I love chicken breasts and turkey breasts. But since the surgery, I can
only get either down if they are moist or smothered in low-fat/fat-free
gravy or something. I have found that making them in the crockpot helps
keep them moist and it's a very easy way to prepare chicken and turkey.
— [Anonymous]
June 11, 2002
I can't eat chicken or anything with chicken protein in it. No soups,
boullion, nothing. Chicken and I are not friends! :)
— REBEKAH T.
May 18, 2004
I DID AT FIRST I COULD NOT EAT CHICKEN NO KIND OF WAY!!!!!!! ANYTHING
HEALTHLY I THROWENED UP!!!!!!!!
IT BEEN A YEAR AND HALF AND NOW I CAN GET SOME CHICKEN DOWN BUT I HAVE TO
GO SLOW.
I HAVE LOST 173 POUNDS SINCE MY SURGERY IN FEB 6TH 2003
I FOUND THAT I CAN HAVE CHICKEN LIVERS AND THEY STAY WITH ME BETTER THAN
CHICKEN.
REMEMBER THE PROTEIEN IS FIRST I EAT ALOT OF PEANUT BUTTER AND NUTS AND
BEANS AND CHEESE BITES SIZE PIZZA FISH NOW I DO HAVE CHIPS NOW AND AGAIN
BUT I NOT EATING THE WHOLE BAG
I HAVE YET TO EAT A HAMBURGER I JUST THIS WEEKEND FOUND OUT I COULD EAT
HALF OF A HOTDOG SO I DOING GOOD.
WHEN I CAN USELY ON MY WAY BACK FROM DOCTOR VISIT WE STOP BY I HAVE NOT
MADE THIS A HABBIT CAUSE THE BREAD IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU BUT ME & MY
MOTHER STOPS BY CRACKER BARREL AND HAVE A SMALL BOWEL OF CHICKEN &
DUMBLINS ON THE WAY BACK FROM NASHVILLE.
I ALSO LOVE SALADS NOW !!!!!!! COTTAGE CHEESE & TOMATOES
— pam J.
May 18, 2004
I've always had problems with chicken and I'm almost 2 years out. Chicken
makes me feel awful, so I don't try it very often. I do best with seafood
and beef. Pork is okay as long as it's very moist, but I just don't eat it
very often.
— Cathy S.
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