We eat dinner out almost exclusively (I'm pre-op), We both work jobs where we are just drained by the time the day ends. I know I need to start makign meals at home more (I'm lecturing myself, don't worry. )

BUT anyway....

preop, I am able to make pretty decent choices. I am curious if you just avoid eating out until you resume eating normal foods entirely? Are there any places that have decent options for the mushy phase at least (I'm sure liquid phases are out )

Once you don't have form restrictions any longer, what do you eat, at what place, when you go out, that you feel is a decent choice?

I'll give a pre-op example. At chili's, I either get the margarita grilled chicken (don't eat the rice, and eat maybe 1/2 a cup of the black beans) or I'll get the grilled chicken fajita,s and not eat the tortillas or guac or anything. Just sprinkle a bit of the cheese on the grilled chicken. I could imagine that post-op, once I can eat somewhat normally again, that i could eat either of those two again, just wouldn't be able to eat as much of it. is that a fair assumption or am I deluding myself?

I understand food intolerances could make things freaky, but am just curious what you do if you like the social/having someone else do the work aspect of going out?

Soup.

It really all depends on what you're able to tolerate. I think a lot of people would eat part of a grilled chicken or fish or shrimp salad--get dressing on the side so you can take your leftovers home without them getting completely soggy. That's what my 1-1/2-years-sleeved husband eats when we go out. I always go for soup or something soft. Today, for instance, at lunch, we went to a Mediterranean restaurant. I had a taste of his hummus and 1 cabbage roll (a little bigger than the size of my thumb). I was entirely full. When we eat Mexican food, I usually get a scoop of taco meat and mix it into some cheese dip and eat slowly (it's more dense and harder on my sleeve). Shrimp cocktail is great--I can now eat 3 shrimp instead of just the 2 I started out being able to eat--LOL!!! I find that at this point, I'm able to find acceptable choices wherever we go, even if it's something like soup and eating a bite or two of my husband's steak or whatever. I also try to sneak a bite of his salad--my sleeve isn't fond of raw veggies yet, but I keep trying.

You can definitely find tons of acceptable choices--maybe have to look at the "appetizer" portion of the menu instead of the Entrees, or think about splitting with someone. My husband and I split meals now on a regular basis--I always order an appetizer of something that can either be refrigerated or will reheat, so if there are leftovers, we're good to go.

I never order an entire meal. I tend to overeat when I do and feel sick. I order items a la carte or share with my hubby if he is there. I order a cup of soup a lot too. Some restaurants are WLS friendly. Red Lobster will let you just order a side of crab legs if you tell them you are a WLS patient. The hard part of eating out for me is all in my head. I "think" I want to order a normal portion, but I just can't eat it. I know to just order the smaller portions since I am not a big fan of leftovers. The waiters can be a big pain though! They always think something is wrong. It gets annoying to deal with.

I'm pretty much having the same things now that I had pre-op, but less, though I now choose things that are more doggie-bag friendly. Soft tacos from Chipotle were an early addition and good for when I was travelling - leave the tortilla behind, but most everything else in them were in my mush/soft Protein plan - chicken, rice&Beans, salsa, cheese, guac; you can order a single taco, or get the standard meal of three and have two leftover for other meals. Steaks work fine, and then I have leftovers that I use in salads that I make at home. Fajitas are a good choice at mexican places, as are the tacos and enchiladas - I will have the corn tortillas in the enchilada now at six months out, but I have been somewhat lucky in that protein hasn't been a big problem for me so I have some flexibility in what I have. Chicken Parmesan at our local family Italian place is also a routine dish - I can usually get three or four meals from one of Vito's dinners (and still have room for a bite of his Tiramisu)! At places like Panera, I will get their half sandwich and small soup or salad and have one for the meal and the other for a snack later or the next day. I don't have a lot of entree salads like I used to, mainly because they aren't that doggie-bag friendly.

So, you are not deluding yourself on that issue - it may take you a longer or shorter time to get to the point of having semi-normal restaurant meals, but it will happen - that's one of the benefits of the VSG; it's just that, as before, we do need to be careful of the overall calorie count of restaurant meals, particularly if they are a regular thing long term.

At first, I ordered appetizers, but now if I don't see something I like on the appetizer menu, I just order off the entrees. If it comes with soup, I ask for it to go. I don't have room for soup and dinner. If i have a choice, I get veggies as the side. I eat beef, pork, chicken, fish, or shellfish. I mostly eat at local restaurants, so I can't weigh in on what's good at the chains except at PF Changs: I love their Oolong marinated sea bass. Its served on a bed of spinach. Hubby and I usually split it and maybe an appetizer too now that I'm further out and can eat more.

Lynda

turkey burgers no bun no sides but with tomato and lettuce and i make it into a turkey patty salad

tonight i had shrimp skewers with a litle bit of sauce... took a few bites of a salat just kinda picked at it for the egg part and a bite or two of my hubby desert.. bad i konw but you know.

<p>I'm coming up</p>

<p>on six weeks out and I've eaten out several times. Here's some of the choices I've made:</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Mexican - Grilled Shrimp with refried Beans (about 3 meals worth)</p>

<p>Vietnamese - wonton soup (I opened the won tons and ate the contents and the broth); Steamed dumplings (discarded the wrapper and ate the contents)</p>

<p>Greek - chicken Franchese (chicken cutlet in egg batter and a lemon sauce about 3 meals worth); Soup</p>

<p>Fast food - Grilled chicken thigh (discarded the skin); Wendy's chili</p>

<p>French - Grilled salmon (sauce on the side 2 meals +)</p>

<p>Bistro - Crab dip (shared with my wife); Hu

We have gone out quite a few times and when I go to mexican it is usually the fajita's that I get....a new mexican delivery place opened this past week and my hubby and I tried it and I got a fajita burrito and just ate about 1/3 of the insides.

Italian I mostly always get the chicken parm. I don't eat rice or Pasta sides ever. I do try to get a good couple bites of my salad, never eat bread or rolls anymore. I will eat a couple torilla chips and salsa if we are at a place that has it. I often have at least another meal or two when I leave anyplace.

At Panera even the half soup and salad is too big for me so I may need to rethink what I get there. At a steak place, I am in heaven with my small steak and I will never push aside a baked potato so I indulge in it. I have even on occasion been known to have a thin crust pizza but I really can only get about 2 slices and they are usually loaded with meat/mushrooms.

It got easier the further out I got. My eyes are still bigger than my stomach and I often have more than I could ever eat. That is one thing I need to practice is trying to order smaller portions or sharing with my husband if we are ordering the same thing.

Chicadee, I just told my hubby this morning that he's going to gain all the weight I'm losing if he keeps finishing my meals!

I usually order whatever it is that I'm craving. I love BBQ ribs, so I order the kids meal at Sonny's BBQ with a side of veggies if they have something I like. At Denny's I order from the senior menu. This morning it was the senior scramble and I ate the meat and about half the eggs. Hubby had the rest.

Mexican places almost always have something with chicken and a sauce I can eat. I love refried Beans, but can't finish them and much chicken, so I usually box them up for later.

I haven't tried italian or pizza since being sleeved, although I did order chicken wings when son ordered pizza a few days ago. About 4 wings were enough for me. Luckily, son finished the wings for me.

I'm very restricted on veggies right now because of medication issues, so it looks like I eat really high fat! LOL I also like to order Wendy's chili, or a cup of Soup if they have something I like.

Somebody else posted that they prefer to order individual items and build their own meals. That's a great idea if you're someplace where none of the meals are compliant with your sleeve's wishes.

Chili's is my toughest place to go because my sleeve doesn't like spicy anything, not even black pepper is agreeable to Rex. So, I always order salmon there and ask that they "just" grill it, then I add a veggie and some kind of sauce on the side. The first time I did it, I had "When Harry Meets Sally" flashbacks! LOL

I pretty much do what MeginNOLA does. Some places that I regular eat or get food from:

Mexican - fajita meat cooked in onion and tomatoes (different places call this dish different things) and it comes with steamed zucinni at my favorite place. An order is 2 or 3 meals for me.

Chinese - chicken and veggies or shrimp and veggies - no rice

or Hot and Sour Soup with no crunchy yummies for the top.

Chicken Wing place - I get the naked wings or naked tenders

Cracker Barrel - I get the roast beef or the meat loaf with green Beans and carrots. This lasts me 2 meals now.

I have always considered a restaurant menu a list of suggestions. I typically read the menu thinking "protein" and "veggies" and then order what I want based on what they have. If I want a baked chicken breast with sliced tomatoes, I order it that way - even if it isn't listed on the menu in that form. This works best with full service places, but some other restaurants are accomidating. I can sometimes be the customer from H**l, but I was the same way before the sleeve. I sometimes take the meat from one "suggestion", the veg from another and the sauce from a third. If they serve it to me willingly and graciously, I overtip like crazy. If they choose to not accomodate me, they don't get my business a second time.

I still love eating out. I went to lunch this week and ordered the cajun chicken burger without the bun. It came with soup and salad bar. The soup was nothing special for my diet, so I skipped it, but I had some salad and ate 2/3 of the spicey chicken breast. It was delicious. The week before I went to Texas Roadhouse. I always get the petite sirloin, salad and a side of veggies. I can eat about half of the meal. (Unless I get the sweet potato - they're huge and I usually only have a couple bites) Last month my 10yo daughter and I shared an adult portion of grilled shrimp. She ate the rice, I ate the vegetable and we split the shrimp. Food is still delicious to me and I still enjoy eating out. I just order differently and stay on my diet.

I crack myself up...the other night we stopped at Cracker Barrel ...I used to get the "big breakfast".......what was I thinking? I ate the over easy eggs and was STUFFED..........oh well.....usually my 4 year old and I share so she ate the rest..........it is weird what your head wants and what your stomach can hold is two different things.

On the good side.....I am down 75 lbs.....YEA!!! Went from a size 22 to a size 14 (which is LOOSE) ..........

Not in the fat girl sizes anymore...........get to go to the normal racks which is kind of weird..........

I eat whatever looks good, just much less-- as you plan to do. This works for me cause I have a SLEEVE OF STEEL and can eat anything. Some others are not as lucky. Hopefully you will be lucky like me!

Went from a size 22 to a size 14 (which is LOOSE) :smile1: ..........

Not in the fat girl sizes anymore...........get to go to the normal racks which is kind of weird..........

That is just so awesome. this thread is SOOOOO useful to me, thanks to all of you for sharing what works for you when you go out and how to manage special ordering. I really like the ala carte/sides idea too. Although it will be a long time post-op before I can do any of these, I'm going to save a link to this thread! This is awesome!

Keep em coming, I'm sure everyone will appreciate the suggestions!