Hey guys, just wanted to share this experience to maybe help save someone out there the anguish I went through!

So, I went to a restaurant this weekend for the first time since surgery. We had spent the day Christmas shopping...building up quite a hunger I must add. The family chose Cracker Barrel for dinner because they are known to have Soups, applesauce, and cottage cheese - you know, things I can have. Well, after waiting almost an hour for our table, we find out that they only had chili (yikes!), don't serve cottage cheese, and I was afraid to put applesauce in my tummy (it makes the runs even runnier in my case)! I was already struggling with the visions of people stuffing their faces with all that yummy food - everywhere I looked there was something I will never eat again being shoved into the pie-hole of someone who obviously didn't want it as badly as I did! Adding to that was the fact that I could not have anything there but Water - the next thing I know the tears come streaming. How utterly embarassing!! I was completely horrified with myself, how could I be so upset over something so stupid!?!? Well, no matter how hard I tried to chill myself out, the tears just would not stop! I excused myself from the table (did I mention that my MIL had been staying with us for the past week, and was heading home the next morning? ... ah, that's a whole other story), went out to the car, sat there and cried until I was almost sick! I had NO idea food had such a hold on me! Point of this story - next time I go to a restaurant, I will be certain I am mentally ready to face all of my issues head-on!

Anyway, I hope everyone out there is doing well. I hope you are all finished with your holiday shopping, and I pray for continued wellness for all of us here!!!

~cheri

Two weeks after banding DH and I were out shopping. He was very hungry and wanted to try a new catfish resturant. We went in and he ordered a four piece catfish.I ask for a childs plate with no fries.The food comes. Here I sit with one tiny piece of grilled fish and a 1/2 cup of beans. He has this hugh plate pilled with fish, fries,hush puppies and a bowl of beans.I started turning red.I chewed him out for not ordering a baked potatoe that we could share.It is hard and I feel for you.But we know it will get better.

What's a yum cha??

I was curious myself. This is what I found.

Yum cha (Cantonese:飲茶) literally translated as 'drinking tea', refers to the Cantonese custom of eating tiny tastes of many different foods while sipping some well-brewed Chinese tea. It is an integral part of Hong Kong's culinary culture, likewise the Guangdong Province’s. In any city with a sizeable Cantonese population, yum cha is a tradition on Sunday mornings, and whole families gather to chat and eat dim sum and gulp pot after pot of Chinese tea. The tea is important, for it is said to help digest the rich foods, which may be included in the choice of offerings. In the past, people used to go to a teahouse for yum cha, whereas dim sum restaurants have been gaining an overwhelming popularity of late.

Yep - its common here, its a morning thing. Dont you guys have yum cha? Trouble is the foods always little dumplings and things like that - I'm thinking 3 days after a fill might not be such a good idea. I guess I can always get soup.

I'm sorry to hear about your restraunt ordeal. (Also, sorry myself I haven't ever eaten at Craker Barrell....but eh, I've eaten my fair share of thrice fried country vittles.) I've only been banded since Friday and I can't count the number of times I've wanted to rip my band out and devoure a fried chicken sandwhich. This whole bad up and down relationship I've had with food, either being a nazi about sugar,calories,carbs, and fats, or throwing any caution to the wind and plowing through six double cheese burgers in one sitting...It's finally hitting me that it is something i'm going to have to deal with not later, but now. It's comforting to see i'm not the only person with food related issues. So keep your head up! Things will get better eventually, and i'm sure you'll still be able to eat the majority of great food you had prior to your surgery....albeit, in much smaller portions. Take Care.

So a Yum Cha in the south would be a pot luck dinner? Or in my case, a family reunion. LOL

Mykdsdad - I think we call it a BAR - B- Q around these southern parts!! Of course, everything is called a barbecue around these parts!! LOL

Fried chicken, burgers, hot dogs... I thought barbecue was ribs and chicken!?

Cheri - sorry about that - I can just imagine.... I'm having a hard time with the thought of what I'm about to go through and thanks for helping me to realize that that's probably going to happen! I'm excited, but I think I'll feel the same way you did - food is such a HUGE part of my life! But look at you - you're already down 22 lbs! That's lots of sticks of butter! You're doing great - hang in there! By the way - I just spent 2 wks with the MIL and you're right - that's a WHOLE nother story!!! :-) Take Care of Yourself!

Kim

I'm really sorry about your experience. I was so nervous this past weekend while out shopping with a friend. There was a Boston Market and we went in. I had creamed spinach--but I'm so afraid to push my band I stop eating after a few bites. My FI and I have decided not to eat out anymore--not only because he doesn't want me to feel like I can't enjoy dinner, but because we're saving money for the wedding :confused:.

have faith and know that this even though won't probably be your last breakdown (ive had several) that your journey has just begun and even though now you feel as though you can't eat everything around you that you desire... you will be able to eat the foods you want when the time is right.

I think that was the biggest shocker for me is i was aboslutely hurt to see how much food had ahold of me i felt like i lost my dog or something. The truth is.. i only was telling it goodbye for a short time. The beauty of the band is you *should* be able to eat anything when the time comes. (i say should because ive heard some ppl cant eat certain things) but in my case.. i can eat anything i want just in a lot smaller portions.

The way i looked at my experience is that i finally woke up from the nightmare that has held me for so long. I finally could see how much i relied on food. Its a bumpy journey but one i would do all over again in a heartbeat.. even the bad parts like falling apart telling my husband id rather die fat then unhappy. over 100 lbs later i can tell you.. it was just my emotions talking and now i see a brighter tomorrow. (as i sit here and type this during a liquid phase after a fill hah!)