Hi Everyone, I am being banded on 7/8/10 and want to know, post surgery, how is it eating out at restaurants? (I can't give up all of my pleasures even if I can't eat alot.)

I order off the childrens menu alot or split the meal with my husband. Our fridge also has a lot of left overs.

I dine out for lunch every day and bring half home for dinner.

A little trick that makes it easier is to ask for a take home container as soon as you get you food and put half of it in there. Out of sight, out of mind.

I do not enjoy dining out like I used to because after just a few bites, I am FULL!! It's GREAT though because my whole life revolved around eating. If you don't mind leftovers you'll be fine :-)

I've been really open about my surgery, so most people I dine out with know about my dietary needs. I order something I know I can eat...or take it home. Last week I was at a business lunch, enjoyed a few bites of the appetizer, and was too full to eat my steak cobb salad (yum!!) when it showed up to the table with our entrees. I let it sit there, boxed the whole thing up and took it home. If you're open about your surgery, no one asks...they just know you're full (and get amazed by how little you ate!).

I order soup as an appetizer, fish as my entree and sorbet for dessert. No one asks any questions and it's something I look forward to. That part didn't change. I don't worry about how the fish is prepared. If it's buttery and saucey then there's less of a chance of getting stuck and it's a treat!

I used to love to eat out but since having surgery there just isn't the fun in it like there was. The waiter brings this heaping plate of yummy food and I can only eat a few bits and then I'm full. My husband loves the leftovers so that is a plus.

My husband and I eat out quite often. He asks where or what I want to eat and to be honest it really isn't fun for me to pick where to eat - simply because I know I won't eat much - so I would prefer he choose unless there is something I'm REALLY hungry for.

Lots of times I will order a burger without the bun, a wrap without the wrap, chicken breast, etc. I still like the same things, just avoid the bread/wrap part of it. I still get fries once in a while - knowing I will only eat about 3 of them and my husband usualy eats the rest of them. I always have leftovers to take home and depending on the restaurant and portion size I can get anywhere from 2-4 more meals out of it.

I guess I'm also more careful when eating in public than at home as I've never had a stuck episode while eating out.

I seem to order soup a lot when I go out.. I don't like creamy soups so the ones that I get are usually pretty low cal- I also order grilled chicken... I once even ordered "chicken parm"- they made it for me with grilled chicken (not breaded or fried, melted some cheese and put sauce on it) at the restaurant down the street. Just this past week I have ventured onto salads...

When I ask for accommodations like no sauces, no bread or pasta etc... or when I order starters or sides as meals no one looks at me weird- I think since I am fat that they just assume I am dieting (which I am) and the whole band thing doesn't even cross their minds.

Well, we were always "foodies" and we are still eating out and I still enjoy it.

I am almost at my 60% excess weight goal so am doing OK.

The fills work a bit better each time and I could eat a lot

without getting stuck to start with but as I have got nearer restriction and am now there, my behaviour has modified steadily.

At home I don't drink with my meals at all but when we go out I do- Water and wine as well.

However I start examining the menu and deciding what I can eat. I cannot burp so if I get stuck it is painful and I have had to go to the loo and kind of retch a bit - as if I have got an airlock, sometimes. So this influences my choices as I really don't want to do this went out!

So starters-if there is a soup I would probably go for that. Or I might not have one at all.

Mains I find I am tending to go for fish rather than meat, or possibly a Pasta or rice thing that does not need lots of chewing and is easy to eat.

For pudding I will choose icecream or sorbet or some kind of fool.

It helps that posh meals in nice restaurants are slooooowwww meals as well.

So you can still enjoy meals out, but I do regard them as treats and with slightly unusual eating behaviour which is an exception to the usual rules.

I still go out to eat quite a bit. If I'm feeling very tight, I'll usually just have soup. But most of the time I'll get an appetizer (might be able to eat it all) a regular entree (can usually eat half or so), or a salad (which I can usually eat more of). Bread doesn't usually go down well so I avoid that, and I rarely feel like dessert (even a bite or two). I LOVE food, going out to eat, and love to cook and bake as well, but it's been wonderful being banded--it makes me so happy to be full and satisfied with less!

I have been going out to eat regularly. Sometimes I make good decisions, sometimes poor ones, but the band does seem to make some decisions for you. I've ordered plenty of sandwiches without the bread. I haven't really attempted ordering off the children's menu. I can eat more than a typical bandster, but far less than I used to. Sometimes I'll take leftovers home, and sometimes I'll just pick out the best parts of the meal and leave the rest. I do get stuck sometimes, and my husband is used to my excusing myself to go to the bathroom (usually just standing and walking helps me, and sometimes it's to deal with the sliming, but I don't PB or vomit). It also helps that my husband is an extraordinarily slow eater, so it's not like one of us is done waiting for the other.

I don't do very well when we go out to eat. I usually make sure I know ahead of time where the restrooms are.

I do best if I order fish, or if at a Mexican restaurant, I order cheese enchilada. I stay away from all beef and chicken because I tend to have stuck episodes.

I haven't had a piece of bread in over 5 months because I have read that so many people have problems with it. I just don't want to go there! Closest thing to bread that I have had is a tortilla and thin Trisquit cracker.

All in all - the LapBand has been amazing for me!

My husband and I love to go out to eat. I have noticed that most of the larger chain resturants are extemely accomidating and allow you to order from the kids menu (which is plenty of food). I was nervous about going out to eat after my surgery but now it is not an issue. I do find myself watch how I eat since I do not want a stuck issue.

I concur with a lot of the previous comments. I almost immediately draw a line in my food, down the middle. I'm at 6 ccs and not at restriction yet, so I have to tell myself my limits.

One thing I did learn today for Sunday brunch: Old Country Buffet does NOT honor our Lap-Band cards, so corporate will be getting a phone call from me! If my family members want to go there, I'm not going to ruin their moods by nixing their choice, ya know?

When dining out, I stick with fish AND I always make sure to have a table close to the "facilities"! I have had several "stuck" episodes & have been SO glad to have been close!