Hello All

My surgery is fast approaching and Im putting together a shopping list for all the stages of eating. I have heard a great many people talk about the benefits of things like sliced deli turkey. I love deli and this will not be a problem for my protein fix. The problem is that i LIKE deli and im a little scared that with the meat being so thin that I will not get a feeling of fullness and will overeat on the stuff. Do you guys feel restriction with deli meat? Is it after 1 or 2 slices?

Heck yes. I definitely feel the restriction. I feel it with everything.

You will feel it just eat slow...wait a few seconds before taking the next bite. When you progress you can add cream cheese to the middle of turkey..yummy.

FYI- I couldn't eat sliced deli meat until about 5 weeks out...You may want to hold off on buying it until you are ready to move to that stage of your program.

I like the deli meats better than regular meats. They goes down easier and settle in my stomach better. With regular meats, they can hurt going down and can feel like they are stuck. I still feel full with about 2 slices of the deli meats and it is low fat too.

I don't like a lot of the preservatives (for me or my kiddo) in most deli meats but I buy the Hormel natural choice ham and salami. The salami bugs my tummy as it's pretty greasy/fatty, but the ham is WONDERFUL. I just actually ate 4 slices (2 oz) of the ham and 1 oz of 50% reduced fat Cabot cheddar cheese (and a mini dill pickle) and am STUFFED. (for the record, the ham & cheese was only 140 cals total, 18 grams of protein and only 3 carbs).

For me the deli meats don't seem to be quite as solid as steak, chicken or pork but they are definitely restricted - more so than soft things like yogurt or more compressible things like fruits and veg. One slice of around 2 oz with a slice of cheese wrapped in it was filling enough early on while two are now quite filling. I don't use them so much anymore, five months out, as I usually have enough leftovers around to use for lunch and the odd breakfast when I'm not having turkey sausages or bacon, though I am starting to have open faced sandwiches sometimes, with some ham and cheese toasted on whole grain bread when I need a minor carb boost before a long workout (that's right, not all of the docs out there bow to the lo-carb god.) Like everything else, I'm balancing nutrition with calories on everything, though early on compromises are made to ensure enough protein gets in.

deli meat is good, soft and easy to chew a lot. Nibbled on a slice or two during week 2 postop.

I feel restriction with them. Not as much as solid Protein, but enough to keep me from overeating.

Lynda

I do deli and sliced meats a lot these days. If I know I'll be out around lunchtime, I'll put a couple of roll-ups of sliced meat and cheese in my bento box (with its own freezer container) and that will hold me until dinner time. Since I love cucumbers, I'll add a couple of slices of that to the box for my "crackers". I usually don't eat it all at one time because I feel full very quickly.

Oh yes, you will feel restriction. I am 6 months out and still can only eat like 2 slices of deli meat with a piece of cheese. The only difference between deli and regular meat is that the deli meat is not as dense, therefore it doesn't stay with you as long as say tuna, beef or chicken would.

Kelly

I eat deli slices all the time. They are quite filling, and I can usually eat one serving with something else which is usually egg beaters or something like that. They go great with Breakfast. Keep in mind too I'm almost 14 months post op so my stomach is at capacity now. Right after surgery I'd never be able to get even half a serving down with nothing else.