Trouble eating..still

So I am almost 6 months out and I am still having a lot of trouble eating anything other than slider foods..usually drink a protein drink for breakfast, yogurt for lunch, cheese stick for a snack and try to eat a normal dinner..but I still cant eat a whole taco, eat more than a few bites of chicken..can eat no more than 2 meatballs. My husband who had a sleeve a year ago doesn't think this is normal as he was able to eat a lot more than that 6 months out..so just wondering if any one else experienced this or not. My surgeon is known for making his pouches small but I don't know if its too small??

I can understand your second guessing. I eat very little compared to my DS friends who are only a year out and I'm 3 1/2 years out. If your surgeon makes his pouches small, perhaps his dietitian knows what is "normal" for his patients 6 months out. I think as long as your labs are coming in good and you're getting close to 100 grams of protein in a day, you're fine. To get 100 grams of protein in, I'd go with more shakes and keep your pouch as small as you can for as long as you can. Just my 2 cents.

--gina

I am 8 months out.  I have not even tried to eat a taco....but I am sure that would not work!  Chicken, pork, meatballs or any kind of ground beef are not on my list of OK things to eat either...I get sick everytime I try.

I stick to the things that I know work..the list is pretty short. 

You sound like you are within normal limits.  Focus on what you can eat and use protein shakes to supplement

thanks guys I appreciate your feedback..right now I am drinking one protein shake and im thinking of upping it to two, I am getting like 70 grams of protein but am feeling pretty weak, I think I need to get some more protein in.

What were your labs like the last time they were done and when were they done last? Feeling weak doesn't sound good and could be a vitamin issue. If you have a copy of your labs, post them so Gina can look at them and help you with them. She's good at that.

I don't have a copy of my labs..I have seen other people posting them but I have never been given a copy before. I had labs done at 3 months and they were okay, I get new labs at the 6 month mark which is coming up in February..

You have to ask for your copy, they don't typically give them to you unless you ask. And their "okay" isn't always okay. LOL. I have low D but mine is just now high enough that a doctor would tell me it's okay. My husband's is the same way. My iron was low on a pre-op testing but no one raised a flag except here. So I started supplimenting it back then.

Liz

good to know, when I get my labs done in about 2 weeks I will ask for a copy...

I think your choice of foods may be why you can't eat much. chicken can be dry even when you don't think it is, and it needs to be chewed very well. Sometimes I found frozen meatballs that way too, but I can eat homemade ones. Tacos may be too greasy and the shell may be what is causing that problem too. I couldn't eat a tortilla for about a year and a half.  Try lean ground beef, crab, scrambled eggs. I can eat chicken or beef made in a crock pot or cooking bag if it's cooked slowly for a long time. Just make sure everything is chewed really well and not greasey or bready or gristley and see if that helps. I'm almost 3 years out and I can only eat 1 fajita, but I eat about 4 meals and 3 or 4 snacks a day.  Small meals throughout the day is good. There is a formula for amount of protien you should have. For a woman who is 5'4" (me) around 80 or 90 grams is recommended. I wouldn't worry about your pouch being too small unless you are losing too much wieght and are underwieght and can't get healthy.  Over time the swelling goes down and the pouch stretches a little normally, but it may be another 6 months before all the swelling in the stomach is gone. If you are throwing up, that is a problem, but just being full quickly isn't bad. You sound normal to me.