Question:
yes i need some help with the food being to heavy when i eat

eating is so hard i hate the feeling of the food being so heavy in me can anyone help i am not getting enough food in me to help me.i have not been sick,sick but my pouch sure feels sick i will be 4months out oct.10.2003 lost so far 67pds.gone for good .thanks and god bless    — nancy A. (posted on September 28, 2003)

September 28, 2003
Hi Nancy, It does improve with time. I found that things that were chopped or shredded went down well for me when I was having trouble with the dense heavy things. Some of the best were: The Turkey Store Shredded BBQ Turkey (very low in carbs and fat and great protein), Manwhich made with ground round and the fat drained. I ate both with a slice of reduced fat cheese to boost the protein. 1/2 cup of the BBQ turkey is 20 grams of protein plus the cheese makes for a total of 24 grams. Try making chili. Think of things you can have lots of protein in but chopped up meat. Also maybe try adding unflavored protein powder to foods to bump up the protein. Cottage cheese and eggs (hard boiled whites only allows you to eat more and the white is where the protien is) are good too. Shrimp works very well for me. It is the one food I can eat way too much of because it does not sit heavy at all, at least in me. Albacore white tuna doesn't sit too bad either. These were my staples when I was having problems keeping dense things down. String cheese was also my salvation back then. Since about 6-1/2 months out I can even eat steak with no problems. So hang in there! I also like Carb Solutions high protein bars but let me tell you they sit the heaviest of anything I eat. First time I ate a whole one it took 4-5 hours before it felt like it was gone.
   — zoedogcbr

September 28, 2003
I agree with Chris: try softer, less dense proteins. In addition to Chris's suggestions, some of my early favorites were refried beans, mixed bean salad, any kind of seafood (any kind of white fish, crab, artificial crab and lobster especially), anything made with ground beef, homemade barbequed beans (use Splenda instead of sugar and molasses), ricotta cheese, deli meat (rolled up with sliced cheese is good), and skim milk. Dense proteins like pork and steak felt very heavy. At six months out, I still cannot eat pork or peanut butter. Try the lighter proteins for awhile, and gradually add back in the denser proteins as you can tolerate them.
   — Vespa R.

September 29, 2003
I was the same way, even some protein drinks felt to heavy, but I always seemed to have good luck with Louis Rich's Grilled Chicken (by the lunchmeats - red cardboard packaging) for lunch I through some on a salad, mix with veggies, or just have with cheese and crackers, this is always my stand by at work because I know that I can eat it. I haven't got bored with it yet. I still HATE the feeling of being full, so what works for me is to have 5-6 mini meals a day. I eat until I am satisfied, not full. Somedays I can eat 1/2 sandwich, others I can only eat about an ounce of chicken with some cheese and no crackers or bread, it varies day to day. Just listen to your body and if you can't eat enough, find a way to supplement that with protein shakes, and be creative. I'm not afraid to through out a shake that I experimented with and don't like, heck, I would have eaten more $$ worth before surgery than I can through out now, one PROMISE I made to myself is that I will not eat any foods that I don't like ever again. I was so mechanical prior to surgery I ate to eat, and never took time to enjoy my food, that has all changed now. I don't miss any food prior to surgery, because I have experiemented and found replacements. I don't deprive myself anymore and never use the word DIET.
   — Dana B.