I'm 6 wks post op and have pain when I eat chicken or beef. I don't take big bites and I eat slow but get pain/discomfort within a few bites. Is it just because it's still early on in my recovery or will it always be like this?

Probably because it's still early. Wait a month and try again. Sometimes by 2-3 months we can eat everything, sometimes it takes 6 months or a year. Rarely do things continue causing trouble long term.

I still get sick when i eat meat....7 years out

Because it challenges your restriction? I'd much rather eat a softer food, but I know that I need to keep persevering with it at least one meal a day. Much rather have lunch meat or tuna than beef or chicken but I know I need to power through sometimes.

Also, for me, dark meat > white meat (used to be the opposite), and I use gravy/mayo/butter/ketchup/BBQ sauce to lubricate the journey.

Been there, and it's getting better. It gets a lot better.

You did the right thing having this surgery. We all have doubt along the way.

Not sure what type of beef and chicken you are eating and how you are preparing them, but I have a couple of suggestions that have really helped me.

I am 1 year post op. If I try to eat bites of drier cuts of meat such as steak, chicken breasts, pork chops or even homemade hamburger patties, I still have trouble getting them down, they cause some discomfort and don't feel nice in my chest or tummy.

My favorite foods that sit well are chili, with the meat broken up very well, moist chicken thighs, homemade meatloaf made with eggs, hamburger, small amount of breadcrumbs and also on occasion, finely chopped chicken made with mayo (chicken salad). What all of these things have in common is that they are much moister than the other meats that I listed first.

I don't know if years down the road whether or not steak or the drier meats will work better for me than they do now. Time will tell. Steak is still one of my favorite foods. Mmmmm

Just experiment and you will find what works best for you.

Edited November 15, 20178 yr by mylighthouse

I'm almost 11 months out. Beef has never been an issue for me but chicken was early on. I had to make sure it was super moist and if it wasn't I needed to add some sort of sauce to it. It's gotten better as the time has gone on but chicken still triggers my restriction hard and I can eat very little of it.

I gave up chicken breast because it felt like a stone. Boneless skinless chicken thighs soaked overnight in teriyaki and grilled work well for me. Or I can eat a couple chicken tenders from chic fil a or wherever if I chew them thoroughly.

For steak my best best is thin cut ribeye at just one minute per side on grill. Or a mid rare filet. Sirloin and ny strip don’t work well.

I agree with waiting a month and trying again. Chicken hurt fir me at 7 weeks out but now at almost ten weeks I can tolerate it if it is moist enough. Still hurts if it is grilled dry. I eat a lot more tofu, baked turkey and stewed meats now. And I still drink shakes. Egg white are also a great source of my daily protein. Hang in there. Time makes it all better. I finally realized I can drink up to 50 oz of water a day now. For the longest was stuck on 32oz. My point is that things get better everyday and with time. I am in no hurry, I am glad I can't eat much yet. Makes the weight loss effortless.