Anyone else having trouble bridging from ground food to solid food?

I'm 10 weeks out today, still can't food that isn't ground beef, ground turkey, etc. Soft foods like cheeses are okay, atkins protien bars work also. A piece of turkey, or chicken bothers my pouch no matter how little i cut it or how much i chew it. I can't eat broccoli either, or lettuce. Anyone else experience the same problems?

Hi, Frank! Experiences vary from person to person, but I'm 14 months out and still have trouble with a lot of meat: chicken and beef in particular. Unless it's in some very wet, creamy sauce, I have problems with it sticking on the way down. Ground beef, chicken and turkey are not a problem, unless it's in a burger that is overcooked. I have the same trouble with hard-boiled eggs. Can't eat 'em, not devilled eggs, either. Broccoli can be tough to get down WITHOUT any surgery, so I guess it's not too surprising it's a tough go now. I just take small bites and chew the hell out of them, and usually don't have a problem. I have, on the other hand, become a big fan of what I call "squishy" foods, like tofu and fat-free ricotta cheese, that can be hidden in all kinds of recipes, and slide down easy. Also have fallen in love with more types of fish than I like pre-operatively. Stop and Shop has been having "fake" crab and lobster BOGO for months, and I am loving that stuff!

Fake lobster. I never heard of it. I dont like the fake crab. Is the fake lobster any better.

I never liked either one of them, preop. Now I like 'em both. If you dislike the crab, I think it's a safe bet that you won't like the fake lobster, either.

Everyone is so different. I couldn't eat any chicken or turkey until I was four months out, but was eating red meats with no problems at four weeks out. I also had a problem with lettuce until about six months out. I was told from the start that broccoli was a no no for WLSers so I haven't touched any since surgery. Stick to what works. It will all eventually go down ok. Maggie

I'm almost 3 months out, and can eat all meats, except any fish, can't stomach any fish. I would go easy with the raw veggies, and I still don't eat much salad yet. But lettuce has no nutritional value anyway, it's jus****er, so why bother? You're probably getting bored, but just keep trying certain things, and some things you may never be able to eat again. But that's the choice we made right? Good luck! Pam

Thanks all. My surgeon said not to worry about it. Haven't tried raw veggies at all. Tried broccoli - steamed very soft, didn't work. Carrots and celery (in soups) are tolerable. The lettuce thing? Everyone wants to feed me a salad because they think I am on a diet. I try to educate them. Just trying things one at a time. 10 week visit with the surgeon tomorrow - hope I get good news. (haven't been on a scale in 6 weeks!)