I just ran across this and thought I'd share. Its a card you have your surgeon sign stating you have had gastric surgery and your stomach can only hold 3 oz and to allow you to order from kids menu.

http://www.obesityhelp.com/magazine/RestaurantCard.html

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I just ran across this and thought I'd share. Its a card you have your surgeon sign stating you have had gastric surgery and your stomach can only hold 3 oz and to allow you to order from kids menu.

http://www.obesityhe...aurantCard.html

copy and paste in URL

Thank you

Oh my gosh! that is hysterical! lol I'm only 6 days post op and I completely forgot that I'll have to order on the kids menu. hahah Thank you so much!

I used to want one, but now I prefer to not mention it - but good to have it!

I order normally. It's not everyone's business. I just eat the leftovers the next meal or day. It's funny how they look at you and you've only eaten 1/4 of the meat and none of the sides.. LOL

The problem I've seen with the "kids" menu, in most restaurants, is that the options available are typically high fat, high carb meals. I'd much rather order from the regular menu, where I can make choices that are healthy, rather than smaller. I can always eat the left-overs the next day.

I order from the senior menu - smaller portions like the children's menu but usually more nutritious food. Learn a while ago from a waitress that a restaurant cannot legally "card" you for your age for the senior menu - they are only allowed to check ID for alcohol.

Thank you so much for posting the link!!

My surgeon gave me one of these; it looks a little different, but it's essentially the same thing. I thought it would be great to have one, but now that I have one, I don't use it. For one, I prefer to keep it on the down low. The waitress doesn't need to know the details of my life. Second, I feel a little guilty asking for a discount. Yeah, I can't eat much now, but there's leftovers, and it wasn't like I offered to pay the restaurant more when I could eat three times what the other customers could. Just my opinion.

My surgeon gave me one of those. I've decided not to use it. The kids menu sucks at most places. I'll either order for myself and have leftovers for days or eat off my husbands plate, LOL.

I copied this from a post on another forum and agree totally with what the poster says. Every one is entitled to have opinions, and I am not trying to sway anyone one way or another. This is just how I feel.

It is a pretty long post.

Some other options to flashing a card:

1) Order just Protein A La carte (a half rack of ribs, just a chicken breast)

2) Order a Soup or appetizer

3) Ask for a to-go box when you meal is dropped off, scoop off what you know you won't eat, and make 3 more meals out of that entree with sides

4) Buffets, Pay by the pound, you get a little to go box, get what you want, pay for it, and enjoy your food with your family without paying full price

I bookmarked this from a previous topic on this subject because it sums up why I wouldn't ever use a card to let strangers know that I had my guts altered so I wouldn't be a fatty anymore.

[Latest Posts]Post Date: 10/13/09 1:03 pm

A “Restaurant Card” is a business cards sized card, often laminated, usually given by surgeons reading something to the effect of: The holder of this card has had a surgical procedure which has permanently reduced their stomach capacity. Therefore… It is greatly appreciated if you would allow them to order from the children’s menu or to purchase half-sized adult Entrees. Thank you for your consideration.

1. WLS Restaurant Cards differ from REAL Discount Cards such as AAA, Entertainment Book, etc. in one very important aspect: The REAL discounts are negotiated and agreed to by all parties in advance. The restaurant staff is briefed on how to handle the card. It is PRESUMPTUOUS to create and distribute a card asking/demanding a discount.

2. Restaurants are put into a losing position to start. If they say “no” to the card, which they had no part in creating or marketting, they are already making the customer unhappy. How is this fair even putting them in that position? Were I a restaurant owner, I would resent this card about as much as someone demanding a discount because they are a VIP (Very Important Person).

3. I had surgery. It was my choice to have my stomach modified so that I could only eat 3-5 ounces of food at a sitting. There are many people that have not had surgery that CHOOSE to eat 3-5 ounces of food at a sitting (imagine that!). I do not deserve a discount, or a special menu, any more than they do.

4. “I eat less than most children; I should pay what they pay”. Children’s prices are a marketing tactic to get parents to bring their kids (and themselves) to a restaurant. Children’s menu’s are not because children eat so little. Children’s menus are designed for children’s tastes. Bland and greasy.

5. Seniors Menus are also a marketing tactic to get seniors to come to the restaurant. If you’re not a senior, you don’t DESERVE a discount because you eat less than a senior. Many restaurants offer a ‘For Smaller Appetites’ Menu, this you may qualify for.

6. I don’t want the hostess, waitress, people behind me or near by, the busboy, or anyone else to know my medical history. It is none of their business, and I should not be making it their business simply to get a discount.

7. Buffets are “All you can eat for…” If all you can eat is 3-5 ounces, the price is the same as when you ate 30-50 ounces or 300-500 ounces. When you could eat 2, 3, or 4 times what the average person could eat, did you ask to pay more? Of course not. To remain morally consistent, you cannot ask to pay less now.

8. “I didn’t choose the buffet, my family did… Why should I pay when I only eat 3-5 ounces.” See #7. Further, you are there to be with your family or friends. Eating out now is even more about the company you keep rather that getting the most food for the least price. Actually, it should always have been about the company.

9. “I didn’t choose the buffet, my family did…” So, before WLS, did you pay less when you wanted Mexican food, but your family outvoted you and you ended up with Chinese? No, you went along to keep peace, to enjoy the company. Whatever your reasons were then, they’re the same now.

10. “I can’t eat all that, I can’t take leftovers home, I don’t want to waste it.” Waste it. Leaving leftovers is not the end of the world. In spite of what your mama said, leaving food on your plate is not a sin, and it will not help starving children in China for you to clean your plate now. You are not obliged to clean your plate. IN FACT, restaurants try to serve enough to satisfy large appetites and they expect people NOT to eat it all. They have trash cans out back for all the left over food.

11. Do you demand a discount at convenience store on a bag of potato chips because you can’t eat the whole bag, and a lot will go to waste? Why not, it’s the SAME THING.

12. dinner at Chili’s cost $15 before WLS, and you left satisfied. Post-op, the same dinner costs $15 and you leave satisfied. The only difference is you leave food on the plate rather than nose marks. Often, rather than ordering a $15 dinner, you can order $10 appetizer, and you are ahead of the game.

13. "Restaurants should be considerate of WLS Patients." Restaurants should be considerate of EVERYONE. There are many groups of adults that eat less than 'normal', yet they do not expect discounts. Obviously, or perhaps not so obviously, these arguments presume that people have integrity and that they desire their actions and opinions to be rational, supportable, and consistent. There are those that will do whatever is necessary to get a discount, which these arguments will not dissuade from this course.

Using the card isn't asking for a discount. It's asking to order a smaller portion at an already set price that happens to be reduced. I already order from the kids menu in most places and have never had an issue or been told no. This leads me to believe its not that much of an issue to most establishments.

Everyone has their own financial situation and a lot of people here are self pay. So if they want to save a few bucks by ordering only what they can eat I say let them. If it doesn't affect me who am I to complain?

I am not trying to be confrontational. As I said everyone is entitled to an opinion and I am not trying to sway anyone one way or another. What I posted was just a post from another forum that I happen to agree with.

I just have no intention of embarrassing myself by announcing to total strangers that I could not control my eating and had to be surgically altered.

Like I have heard my grandsons tell each other "You're not the boss of me". I am definitely not the boss of anyone but myself. Everyone is entitled to do as the so choose.

My office gives these out. I misplaced mine...thanks!!!

Littlebits

I kind of agree with TinkerToyz. If money is an issue, then do what I do...order nothing, and take a couple of bites from my hubby's plate. I don't see the point in paying for a full meal when I can't eat it. A couple of bites from my hub's plate satisfies just fine.

Personal opinions aside, Looking Ahead was simply sharing a link and making it available to those of us who want to utilize it. If you don't want to use it then there should be no issue.