Like most of us, I really enjoy eating. My question is this: After the surgery, will I ever be able to sit down with family and friends to enjoy a meal? Or is that part of my life over?

James42

I think you will be able to enjoy a meal, just not the same quantity and probably not all the dishes offered. I have a friend who has had the band for 5 years and we have eaten out together many times, you would never know the difference!

You will learn if there are any foods you have problems with, avoid these and step 1 is done. The band doesn't change the taste of food, only the amount you take in. When we go out for dinner, I order my entree with a to go box, get an extra plate small) so I can put the proper amounts on and box the rest.

I usually just order off of the appetizer menu and tell them to bring it with everyone else's meal. Mealtime with loved ones isn't about the food...it's about the time spent together!

Having a lap-band makes you a cheap date. haha.

I also order off of the appetizer menu and do the half-order thing most often. I try not to go out all that much, though.

I still enjoy eating, just not as much as I used to. I also have a newfound love of cooking so I love to try out new dishes on my fiance. So far there are no foods I can't eat so I just try small amounts of everything, making sure I eat more protein than anything else. As for going out to eat I will usually just get an appetizer or just stop eating the second I am satisfied and get the rest of my meal wrapped up.

I also really enjoy(ed) eating. I love to go out to Breakfast with my husband on the weekend but it is a lot less enjoyable now as I can't eat what I really want to. The band for me has taken the joy out of eating which for me is a good thing. I can no longer eat for enjoyment - except occasionally when I eat ice cream or something, I have to eat to fuel my body. If I don't look at it that way I am miserable and feel really deprived.

I am so wanting to take a big bite out of a homemade hamburger or a Chicago-style hot dog it's not funny but I don't do the bread and it's just not the same without the bun. I tried to eat some cheesecake yesterday and it got kind of stuck and I felt really bloated and miserable so I know that that's off the menu.

Good luck to you! You will find a nice balance just give it some time.

My husband and I order together so I can just serve the amount I am going to eat onto my plate. No one else seems to notice that I only eat a tiny amount, especially as we talk and laugh and enjoy each other's company.

Thanks for your honesty. You stated what I have been fearing. Do you regret having the surgery? Would you do it again?

Jim

I also really enjoy(ed) eating. I love to go out to breakfast with my husband on the weekend but it is a lot less enjoyable now as I can't eat what I really want to. The band for me has taken the joy out of eating which for me is a good thing. I can no longer eat for enjoyment - except occasionally when I eat ice cream or something, I have to eat to fuel my body. If I don't look at it that way I am miserable and feel really deprived.

I am so wanting to take a big bite out of a homemade hamburger or a Chicago-style hot dog it's not funny but I don't do the bread and it's just not the same without the bun. I tried to eat some cheesecake yesterday and it got kind of stuck and I felt really bloated and miserable so I know that that's off the menu.

Good luck to you! You will find a nice balance just give it some time.

You can go out to eat, you'll just eat less. Last night I had a CE dinner with work. There was a buffet. I took some salad, some meat, a little pasta, and I did have a piece of bread (which I probably should have skipped. That's the first time I had a buffet dinner like that and I think I did awesome! Did not go back up. Though I did treat myself to a small piece of this pie/cake thing. I didn't like how I felt after that. So I learned I will skip that next time. But it's a learning process to know what to do. So yeah, you can go out to eat just fine.

Jim, it's complicated.

Sometimes I do regret having the surgery but....that's usually when I want to emotional eat and I can't do it and it pisses me off. With that being said, no I don't regret it overall because with me, my biggest problem is with portion control. I needed to have built in willpower to avoid overeating because I couldn't do it by myself. I tried really hard the year before my surgery and gained all that I had lost back except a few lbs. I had to really soul search to come to the decision to have the surgery and came to the conclusion that I indeed needed medical intervention to lose weight. Do I have issues about needing to have the surgery in the first place? You bet, and that's where the soul searching came in. I have a lot of emotional issues with food. A good friend of mine had the band surgery a year before me and I was really pissed at her for taking the "easy way out" you know? I didn't think she even tried to do it on her own. A common misconception amongst folks who don't know. Having the band is harder than I ever thought it would be but also really beneficial as I am on the way to losing 40lbs soon and know that I would have given up if I didn't have the band. Yes, I struggle with it every day emotionally but yes, I would do it again in a heart beat.

Thanks for your honesty. You stated what I have been fearing. Do you regret having the surgery? Would you do it again?

Jim

I've only had the band a week and have already enjoyed meals out socialising!

I'm on liquids only, so when I went to a Chinese restaurant with my hubby and daughter, I just ordered a Soup off the appetiser menu and sipped it while enjoying the atmosphere, the company and the conversation - right through their appetisers and mains!

I've been to a couple of cafes too, with my mum, friends and hubby, and either ordered a soup and did the same thing - sipped it with a teaspoon - or just had a cup of tea. It's about the company and convesation, not the quantity of food you eat.

If you look a lot of places post their calories for the meals. I check on line first before I go, I can then order without worry. (if they don't have a list out ask) I eat healthy and in small amounts. I have had a very easy time with my lap-band until this last fill on Monday. Now there are a few things I cannot eat but for the most part I eat what I want. Protein first, then veggies, and if I still have room.......that is rare to still have room! As for doing it again, I would in a heartbeat! It is the best thing I have done in a long time and is worth anything you go through to get it.

I've only had the band a week and have already enjoyed meals out socialising!

I'm on liquids only, so when I went to a Chinese restaurant with my hubby and daughter, I just ordered a soup off the appetiser menu and sipped it while enjoying the atmosphere, the company and the conversation - right through their appetisers and mains!

I've been to a couple of cafes too, with my mum, friends and hubby, and either ordered a soup and did the same thing - sipped it with a teaspoon - or just had a cup of tea. It's about the company and convesation, not the quantity of food you eat.

I agree, I am still on the liquid diet and I have been out twice. Ordered soup both times, and I had an awesome time.

I go out to eat with family and friends regularly and enjoy it as much as ever. I don't eat as much as I used to, so I often take home leftovers and enjoy them again the next day. I don't feel deprived at all.

Like most of us, I really enjoy eating. My question is this: After the surgery, will I ever be able to sit down with family and friends to enjoy a meal? Or is that part of my life over?

James42

The Lap Band completely changed how I enjoy eating. I used to enjoy just grazing on all kinds of food not being selective and I kept eating until I was full...and getting full allowed for a good amount of food. Looking back I didn't really enjoy the food itself as much as I enjoyed the process of eating it and how eating it made me feel. I am not even sure I took the time to taste the food half the time.

I am now more selective of what I eat and by selective I don't mean low calore, low carb, low whatever... I am not diet-crazed. By selective I mean something that tastes good and will satisfy my needs nutritionally, I am more in tune with what my body needs at meal time whether it be Protein, fruit or even a little sugar. I know that I will not be able to eat a lot so I get something that will taste good and will satisfy me. I still take pleasure in my meals, probably moreso than before because I eat slower and taste and enjoy what I am eating more.

The Lap Band no longer makes the old way enjoyable which is a good thing.