I am still pre-op, but for those of you post-op, I'm wondering what it's like eating around other people? Ie, can they immediately tell that you have had surgery based on what you order and how much you eat?

I'm a pretty private person and haven't told anyone, including family, about the surgery. It's not that I'm embarrassed or ashamed, I just don't think most of my friends will understand as they are all thin or only slightly overweight. Plus, i think i just want to seem "normal". I may feel differently after I've had the surgery, but that's where I am right now. My surgery date is tentatively scheduled for October 17th, so I'm already thinking I need to bow out of thanksgiving as I will barely be on solid food then.

But, I am single and live alone, so I don't want to become some sort of recluse either! . It's not changing my thoughts on the surgery, I'm just trying to figure out how to process it. What has your experience been like?

If you go out with a SO or close friend or family member who knows and others who dont know then you can share a plate with the person you know. Also people are going to notice you are losing weight and if you choose not to tell them about the sleeve, you can tell them you are dieting and exercising. The smaller portions would be part of your diet. I am only 4 days post op but my fiance and I have already looked at the menus of our fav places and what I can and cannot eat once I am okayed for solid foods, for example since ive heard a lot of people have a hard time with carbs, I can go to our fav burger place and order it atop greens instead and probably eat only 1/4 of the burger and bring the rest home.

I'm almost 12 weeks out and have been out several times with people. Like most of the above posts said, no one really notices what you are or are not eating. We are usually to busy talking and catching up.Portions are so huge in restaurants these days, asking for a to go box is pretty much the norm.

I haven't told anyone except my boyfriend so when I go out I find it easier to say I'm on a no carb diet and order a couple of wings from the appetizer menu. You can just pick at them and no one really notices you aren't eating very much then I pass off some to my BF. if I'm not at that kind of establishment, I order soup and salad to come before the others get their meals.