I am thinking about after you have moved onto eating regular food, how do you handle eating at places like the cheesecake factory or Japanese restaurants, Chinese , Indian, Thai?

I know how to deal with these eating out situations from long time membership in weight watchers. But, I would like to hear from successful banded people who handle these situations. Thanks!

Honestly, I haven't found a good way yet. I never know, depending on the day, how tight I'm going to be. Although most of the people I eat out with know I've been banded, I still feel bad taking so long to eat. They always tell me not to worry and take my time, but I still feel that pressure. For right now, I prefer to eat alone. But at restaurants, there are some things I know I can't eat, like deep fried, Asian dishes with bean sprouts (they just don't work for me)....I usually prefer to order a soup (I know, not the best for a bandster but I'd rather have that and get hungry again soon and not PB in a restaurant bathroom) and an appetizer. Sometimes I'll have a couple of spoonfuls off a friend's plate with a soup. And really, I find a glass or two of wine really helps at a restaurant. Seems to make things a bit looser. And then I still make my good choices.

When I was well restricted and would go out with friends to a restaurant, I'd always order something more slidey than I wouldn't eat at home. I know it's counter productive but I don't eat out with friends often and I don't want to have to slow things up or spend my evening PBing in the toilets instead of socialising.

If there is nothing too slidey, I would order and then pick on my food, and drink my wine instead. All my friends know I have a lapband though so they tend to ensure that there's something I can eat or we go somewhere else.

Tried and true foods. I still am very carful to eat extra slow which isn't hard when I eat out with friends we gab a lot.

I eat out once or twice a week and don't have any problems. If it's a new place I always check out the menu and nutritional info on computer before I plan on going. As for the Cheesecake Factory, they have a great skinnylicious menu and I had salmon the last time I went that was really good. There is almost always an option for me at places, if not I wont eat there!

And at the Cheesecake Factory you have to ask for the special menu that has all the calories on it. Atleast at the one I have gone to the values weren't on the regular menu.

Take home. I usually order appetizers or share a meal with the hubby. Most places don't mind sharing anymore. If it is a place that serves a lot of starchy or dense foods, they usually have something on the appetizer menu that will work.

Wow, I looked at the Cheesecake Factory menu, I am impressed! I always loved that place!

I usually have a fish item and substitute any potato with a veggie. I love salmon so that is the usual choice. yesterday I went out and forgot to have the sub and had wild rice pilaf with the veggie. I obviously used all my carbs once I ate that! It was delicious but I do not want to do that, way to stressful! I took a look at the baguette they put on the table and decided it was not worth it. At least I made that choice correctly!!!

i tend to drink a cup of coffee at a restaurant before my meal, this A, helps the stoma open up to prevent food from getting stuck and B, helps feel me up a bit, then I order a salad with dressing because that goes down well for me but no broccoli on it and I always get some sort of chicken and steamed veggies, chew slow, small bites ask for a take home bag. chinese i find that the pepper steak goes down well and it is alot of protein. good luck

Always know where the restroom is. When you are first banded and getting fills, you never know. I got stuck alot the first year no matter what.

If you feel like it might come up don't wait, because it will. I am 2½ years out and that does not happen anymore but did at first. That is the first thing I always look for is where is the bathroom. I still get stuck sometimes but it does not come up, I just have to wait it out till it goes down and take my food home. I can still visit and talk when I am stuck just can't eat.

As far as food try to stick to things you know will go down. Sometimes you just have to consider it a treat. Once for Breakfast I wanted biscuts with gravy (I know it is not healthy) but I would have rather had 3 bites of that and end up stuck then scambled eggs that day. I was of course stuck after 3 bites and that was it but it was so good.

Cheri

I always research new restaurants online so I know going in what I am getting. And then just follow the basic portion control rules.

There are some places that I just really don't go to anymore because there is nothing on the menu that fits my lifestyle. These are the chain restaurants.

Luckily, I live in a big city with wonderful restaurants and chefs are very willing to make your meal as nutritious and tasty as possible! Just ask!

Oh and I have been known to ask the waiter to get the chef to please overcook my pasta, because I don't like my pasta al dente.

Resturants are a challenge for me, not because of what I might eat, but because I have to search the menu for something I CAN eat, Band Friendly Foods. Many of your chain resurants like applebees, Outback, etc, have lots of Beef or Fried food entre's which I cannot eat. Pasta is wasted calories IMO. Once I determine what is safe, then from there I choose what is the most nutrional in value. NOT BASED ON CALORIES! or Portion Size.

I eat what I can, and bring home the rest.

No appetizers or salad, that would only fill me up and be my meal! I can always pick at my Wife's appetizer.

Of course, no drinking with my meal,only before. And because I get full very fast, there's no chance for dessert.

For me, it is no longer about dieting...But eating with and following the Band's Rules.

Something slidey for me too - I'm maintaining now and have for years and to be honest, eating Pasta or rice doesnt scare me. I sometimes eat steak, I occasionally instinctively know I really need some red meat and even pub cooked steak is less tough than Jachut cooked steak, lol. I pretty much eat what I feel like, only eat a little and enjoy a glass of wine.

it is NOT worth overdoing it, so I dont. Eating out is not even a weekly event for me anyhow, I'm at that stage of life where I have three kids and work full time and such and am well into the cooking and family life sort of lifestyle, so it really doesnt matter what I order the once or twice a month when I go out.

I have a huge fancy for pancakes at the moment though - we might go out for Breakfast tomorrow, just DH and I. I just order what I want and eat a little bit. And dont eat again then till I"m hungry, which might not be till 4 in the afternoon.

Hi guys! Thanks for the input I'm 2 weeks out just wondering what PB stands for?

PB is a productive burp... Essentially it's vomiting.

PB or coughing up the stuck food and spitting it out

Cheri