Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

First day "soft" food- too dry?



Recommended Posts

So today was my first day on soft food. I had oatmeal earlier, no problem. Tonight I tried rotisserie chicken. Chewed for at least 30 bites, very fine, took at least half an hour. It feels a little stuck in the chest area. About a half an hour later, drank some Water, and then a few moments later vomited some up.

I still feel like some is a bit stuck. Should I be really freaked out? Our menu plan says just eat the chicken plain, but then they also say to eat bread, toast and english muffins at this stage, and to avoid Protein Shakes at all costs in any stage. We think they're a bit crazy. Should I have put some sort of sauce or something on the chicken to help moisten?? It looks from other posts that a lot of other groups don't do plain meat? ?

Edited by Lizaboo

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

All food progression is usually listed "as tolerated". The food lists are suggestions. Start with the softest food at each level and work toward the more solid foods. chicken should be at the tail end of your progression. For most programs, chicken is not on the soft food stage at all unless it is ground. No need to freak out, just go much more slowly and you'll do fine.

Your program isn' crazy. Even though your soft foods include bread and toast, you're 8 weeks out. My program was soft foods at 4 weeks. So some of the differences are more about the timing than the actual foods. Right now, from experience, you know that you're not ready for chicken, yet. Try again in a week or so. (And if chicken didn't work, beef and pork are unlikely to work at this stage, either. You may be able to handle ground meats or sausages, though.) Good luck!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

All food progression is usually listed "as tolerated". The food lists are suggestions. Start with the softest food at each level and work toward the more solid foods. chicken should be at the tail end of your progression. For most programs, chicken is not on the soft food stage at all unless it is ground. No need to freak out, just go much more slowly and you'll do fine.

Your program isn' crazy. Even though your soft foods include bread and toast, you're 8 weeks out. My program was soft foods at 4 weeks. So some of the differences are more about the timing than the actual foods. Right now, from experience, you know that you're not ready for chicken, yet. Try again in a week or so. (And if chicken didn't work, beef and pork are unlikely to work at this stage, either. You may be able to handle ground meats or sausages, though.) Good luck!

Thank you so much. They gave us a calendar that actually has us starting both the breads and meats at the beginning of soft foods. So puree at 3 weeks then starting this today, with chicken as the lunch. I was a little off schedule today, hence chicken at dinner.

I will pick and choose out of the options and go back to this later, like you said.

Thank you so much!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

try some fat-free gravy and or a little diet margarine the next time, things go better with a lubrication.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Frustr8 said:

try some fat-free gravy and or a little diet margarine the next time, things go better with a lubrication.

LOL, I had a feeling that did not help the situation either!! Good thought, Frustr8. I will definately pick some up before making an attempt next time.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Lizaboo said:

So today was my first day on soft food. I had oatmeal earlier, no problem. Tonight I tried rotisserie chicken. Chewed for at least 30 bites, very fine, took at least half an hour. It feels a little stuck in the chest area. About a half an hour later, drank some Water, and then a few moments later vomited some up.

I still feel like some is a bit stuck. Should I be really freaked out? Our menu plan says just eat the chicken plain, but then they also say to eat bread, toast and english muffins at this stage, and to avoid Protein Shakes at all costs in any stage. We think they're a bit crazy. Should I have put some sort of sauce or something on the chicken to help moisten?? It looks from other posts that a lot of other groups don't do plain meat??

I had surgery around the time you did and plain white chicken meat is a bit tough for me too. My doc told me to stay away from turkey which is even more fibrous and dry.

If forced I could chew down chicken thigh meat, especially if it is simmered in sauce or cooked with a bit of butter/fat to help it slide. Minced or ground chicken is fantastic though and I have no problem with that. I've had in the form of Chinese Chicken and Egg Drop Flower Soup, Chicken Bolognese (w/o the pasta), and tsukune (Japanese ginger chicken meatball skewers).

My doc said there really is no rush, it's not a race, in fact more problems are caused by people pushing themselves too hard. Even though they would like me to follow a 5-week plan to normal foods, he told me realistically there is no concern unless I can't get to that point by 3 months, which is the end of November.

I would also say—and I am mostly saying this to remind myself—when you feel that lump-in-chest feeling—don't eat or drink for a while. Give it more than the 30 mins. Act like the meal ended and go about your day before ingesting anything else. That should stop the vomiting and let your system process whatever you just ate.

Best of luck!

Edited by John Kitsu

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My coordinator told me that when I’m allowed chicken on my soft food stages, it needs to be super moist- like cooked in the crockpot and drizzled with sauce moist. She specifically used rotisserie chicken as an example of what not to eat when I enter soft foods.

I love crockpot recipes, and while I have tons of favorites a good simple one is chicken (thigh will be juicier, breast if that’s what you prefer) with a can of cream of mushroom Soup. Cook it on low for a few hours until it easily shreds. Mmm my mouth is watering now- I can have this in two weeks!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, John Kitsu said:

I had surgery around the time you did and plain white chicken meat is a bit tough for me too. My doc told me to stay away from turkey which is even more fibrous and dry.

If forced I could chew down chicken thigh meat, especially if it is simmered in sauce or cooked with a bit of butter/fat to help it slide. Minced or ground chicken is fantastic though and I have no problem with that. I've had in the form of Chinese Chicken and Egg Drop Flower Soup, Chicken Bolognese (w/o the pasta), and tsukune (Japanese ginger chicken meatball skewers).

My doc said there really is no rush, it's not a race, in fact more problems are caused by people pushing themselves too hard. Even though they would like me to follow a 5-week plan to normal foods, he told me realistically there is no concern unless I can't get to that point by 3 months, which is the end of November.

I would also say—and I am mostly saying this to remind myself—when you feel that lump-in-chest feeling—don't eat or drink for a while. Give it more than the 30 mins. Act like the meal ended and go about your day before ingesting anything else. That should stop the vomiting and let your system process whatever you just ate.

Best of luck!

Thanks, John Kitsu. That is good to know, especially since turkey was on their calendar for lunch today. LOL. Oh dear. It sounds like all of my grocery shopping I just did won't do me much good now.

I really am appreciating everyone's feedback a great deal. It sounds like you are all finding some wonderful methods and your coordinators have had some great suggestions. Thank you for helping!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Dark meat poultry is usually better tolerated than light meat at this point - the extra fat and moisture helps it go down easier. Likewise, meat lube - gravies and sauces are helpful now (but not so much later when they might lead to over eating.) While it is generally good to get away from the Protein Drinks as soon as one can and get into real foods, we still need the Protein, so one should use them as long as needed until all of your protein needs can be met with real food - that can be a big variable.

Don't be concerned about how other programs define their stages or what they allow when - we never had a liquid or puree stage as it was all mushed together along with soft foods that we could progress through as our tolerances dictated for that first month or so. If mushy things like oatmeal or cream of wheat are what settles well for you now, go for it, and just sample other things in small quantities to see how they work.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×