Question:
Its been 6 mo and I cant eat BEEF. Is this normal?
My surgery was 09-14-01. I'm now down 120 lbs. But I cant eat beef in any form, no matter how lean or prepared I end up throwing it up. Even one bite does not work. 30 minutes later I'm in the bathroom wishing for death. Is this normal? I had RNY by Dr Waits-Dr Macik in Atlanta. — Jennifer H. (posted on March 11, 2002)
March 10, 2002
I wish I could tell you that you will someday be able to eat beef again. I
am 1 year post and still cannot eat beef. I have now found that I have lost
interest in it altogether. I eat chicken and fish only. It was very hard to
get over my beef fixation that I had previous to the surgery, but as time
passed, I found I didn't care. This doesn't mean that you will never be
able to eat beef again, but there is a possibility that you won't. Another
thing is that you might need to make sure you are carefully chewing and
chewing the meat. Good luck.
— Janie C.
March 10, 2002
Interesting - I 'm at about the same stage as you are, in fact today is my
6 month anniversary. You are doing great! I've lost 108 lbs. As to beef, I
am able to eat it with out any trouble, but chicken in most forms sends me
running for the restroom to vomit. I guess we all have our own set of do's
and dont's.
— Bobbie B.
March 10, 2002
Jennifer - the day I was able to start eating regular foods again, I had no
problems with beef. Tuna, however, still makes me run to the
bathroom....and my surgery was 10/17/2001. I used to love tuna salads,
too. Oh, well...I guess we all have to get used to our own
"restrictions". Just keep trying.
— linmazz
March 11, 2002
Hi!
I was a big beef eater before my distal RNY, now I can't tolerate it at
all. I don't really miss it anymore. I have found that I can tolerate the
bocca burgers, or other vegan burgers ok. They aren't beef, but they are a
decent substitute. Good luck! ;)
— Robin T.
March 11, 2002
If you like beef try eating beef tenderloin AKA filet mignon. Yes, it is
expensive, but you aren't going to eat much, so it is worth it. My husband
is jealous! LOL He has NY Strip and I get filet mignon! It is the fibrous
nature of beef which makes it hard to eat. But, tenderloin is VERY tender
and chews well. I cook mine on the rarer side. That helps to make it
easier to chew also.
— Karen B.
March 11, 2002
Hi I am 4 months Post op (down 97 lbs) and I cannot tolerate beef either. I
thought it was just me so I am glad to see all your answers.
— Lynda T.
March 11, 2002
I ate beef jerky on day eight with no problems. I can eat all the beef I
want (within small portions of course) with NO problems. However forget
chicken! No matter how moste the chicken it sits like a stone and I usually
throw up. Bread is very hard to eat too. And this is rather strange as I
came across someone who had the very same surgeon as I had. She said she
can eat bread just fine but NO beef! Yet it is just the opposite
(thankfully) for me. I guess what this says is that even with the same
surgeons, and procedures, we have no idea what we can or can not tolerate.
Sometimes I think it is a crap shoot... we get what we get.
I'm so glad that I did'nt have to give up beef and feel very fortunate.
However I use to love to eat dinner rolls with butter.... now half a one is
all I can stand (pain wise) and sometimes that is to much. I hope you can
tolerate beef later on, but I would guess that you might not be so lucky.
— Danmark
March 11, 2002
I'm 8 months post op. It took me about 6 months to be able to eat beef
(hamburger). I coul eat steak, but hamburgers, no matter how lean the meat
was, it made me sick. I take a bite at a time and then maybe 10 minutes or
so later eat another bite. I've leared to eat meat, especially beef very
slowly. Eventually, you'll be able to eat it, but not in the big portions
as before.
— dolphins94
March 11, 2002
i am 12 weeks out & the ONLY beef i can tolerate is in wendy's or
hormel chili. no matter what cut or form i have tried other beef in, it
makes me sick. im ok with chicken & ham but cant get turkey chewed enuf
to even swallow it no matter how long i chew it. i have no problems
whatsoever with fish, crab, shrimps or scallops. they r my favorite foods
anyway, so who cares about the other stuff! lol.
— sheryl titone
March 11, 2002
I was well over a year when I could eat beef again , other than ground. But
now (almost 2 yrs post) I have to eat my steak medium or at least have some
sauce or gravy on it. Tiny bites and chew well. Pork still kills me. But I
eat bacon and ham. I don't care , I'm a size 8!
— Rose A.
March 11, 2002
My mother is TEN YEARS postop and she still can't eat a steak to save her
life :P Like they say about cars, your mileage may vary :) Everyone's
different.
— jammie B.
March 11, 2002
These things take time. I, too, had a hard time with regular beef (not
ground) for ages. I found that if I marinated steak overnight so that it
was really tender, that helped. But at nine months out I still can eat
very little beef compared to chicken or fish. Try ground turkey, too, for
a leaner alternative.
— PT LawMom
March 13, 2002
As a 3month old post-op, I have found out the hard way that I cannot eat
nothing if Iam not completely calm and relaxed. I have eaten chicken,
hamburger meat, shrimp, with success. If I try to eat with my family I get
too stressed or I don't chew my food right and I have big problems. So if I
want to have meat that day I eat alone in my den and sit at the computer
and take my time to enjoy my meal in peace. You'd be surprise how your body
responds to the slighest thing that can upset you! Just looking at my gas
bill makes my stomach tighten up. Good Luck!!!
— Laura G.
January 15, 2003
Absolutely.. I was told that you shouldnt try red meat for the first year
and It is quite possible that even then you may not be able to take it.
— Katie S.
January 15, 2003
I am 3 1/2 mo out. I had the worst trouble with any meat that was not
ground. A person in the chat room gave me the solution that worked for me.
I was eating very lean cuts and they were sometimes a little dry. she
suggested getting well marbled cuts such as a ribeye stak rather than the
really leaner cuts. put on plenty of meat tenderizer and make sure it is
not over cooked, no more than medium, so it is really moist. It worked like
a charm. I eat mostly fish and shrimp, very low fat the majority of the
time. i can only eat a couple ounces of meat max anyways so I am not
freaking out about a little fat occasionally. By the way after 6 weeks my
Drs. instructions said I could eat what I could tolerate as long as I get
in the minimum protein recommended by the dietician, and drink lots of
water.
— **willow**
January 15, 2003
oopps-- also not to eat anything with more than 2 grams processed sugar, he
said for MOST rny patients they can tolerate fructose such as in fruit,
lactose in milk, but to stay away from things with added table sugar, honey
, maple syrup types of things.
— **willow**
March 3, 2005
I cannot tolerate ground beef (burgers in particular). I've read that
because of the short time that beef comes into contact with the digestive
juices in your pouch, it cannot be sufficiently broken down and properly
absorbed. Therefore, you may notice a sensation of fullness in the chest
or esophagus when you eat it. Try to eat more chicken, turkey and fish and
avoid beef until you are 6 months or more post op
— CHARLYLVN
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