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What do you order at restaurants after weight loss surgery?



What do you order at restaurants after weight loss surgery?  

74 members have voted

  1. 1. What do you order at restaurants after weight loss surgery?

    • I look for any menu item with some sort of lean protein and plan to eat only the protein (for example, I only eat the turkey and leave the bun if I get a turkey burger).
      36
    • I ask the server if I can have some grilled chicken and steamed vegetables.
      10
    • I order whatever looks good and plan to just eat a couple of bites. You might as well take advantage of the restaurant?s good cooking!
      27
    • I bring my own food so I can enjoy spending time with everyone else while they eat the restaurant?s food.
      0
    • I don?t go to restaurants anymore. There?s nothing I can eat with my weight loss surgery.
      1


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Restaurants often serve high-calorie, high-carb, high-fat foods that fit into your weight loss surgery diet very well.

What do you do when you are figuring out what to order at a restaurant?

Mark your answer and share your own suggestions in the discussion below!

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I don't restrict carbs, but I check anything I'm considering ordering on Lose It first. I then decide on what to order based on the healthiest option and least calories. I also order a half portion whenever possible.

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Restaurants often serve high-calorie, high-carb, high-fat foods that fit into your weight loss surgery diet very well.

What do you do when you are figuring out what to order at a restaurant?

Mark your answer and share your own suggestions in the discussion below!

For me eating out is a treat. I don't want to revert to OLD BAD HABITS. I try to have healthier choices, which include chicken, fish, and meat. I also, attempt to have them prepared either grilled or baked. But I do restrict on the carbs. I save those for the NEED occasions. I'll also, request a double on the vegetable instead of potatoes, and usually the restaurants have no problem with that. I've removed the rolls from the table, and the waitress usually rolls her eyes too. I look for things which are made without carbs. No Pasta, no sandwiches, and sadly no burgers either. I've only had one burger since i started my journey. :D

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I order what looks good, but that has changed dramatically since surgery. If I order any type of burger, I leave the bun behind, and take home whatever meat I can't finish. I don't restrict carbs, but find that the bread takes up too much room in my already limited stomach capacity. Sometimes, if there is a salad on the menu that I love, I'll order it as is (my favorite is Sheila's Cashew chicken Salad at the Cheesecake Factory), but get the dressing on the side. Overall, as long as I listen closely for the band signal, and abide by it, I can eat just about anything.

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I also ask for extra veggies , don't have any bread and if there is something I don't think is good I give it to the other people I a with as everybody I know , knows I a banded so they understand and we have a good time .

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i order grilled anything. i restrict carbs but will eat a 1/2 of grilled chicken sandwich with no mayo but i do pay very close attention to my band telling me i'm full. i believe that we all should be following a low fat, sugar free, low cal. diet. most restaurants will adapt to what you ask for.

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I always go for the lean Protein or fish dishes, or ask to have a special dish prepared the way I would like it.

I never have an issue eating only the Protein, I never eat the bread or macaroni salads that come to the table and often times ask the server to take it away.

If the dinner is very large I eat the portion I am comfortable with for my band and take the rest home. Often I am able to make a couple of meals out of one dinner.< /p>

If I am out with my husband who is also banded often times we will share the full meal with each other. Very cost effective as well I might add!

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Guy, I will do that with wings! :) and that's when I splurge. :D

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I have found since surgery restaurants to be a waste of money for me as I can only eat a small portion , a lot of times even the apps are not suitable as there are a lot of deep fried or bready items .The times I have ordered I stick to fish of chicken and order it with veggies

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I have found since surgery restaurants to be a waste of money for me as I can only eat a small portion

Since surgery, I've learned to keep a cooler in the car for leftovers. We don't always go straight home after eating, so this way I don't have to waste good food.

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I have not had a fill so I don't have much restriction and can eat anything I want. I limit my eating out to once a week at most and only on my "cheat day" when I allow myself up to 1000 extra calories. This day is usually Saturday or Sunday. I usually make a healthier meal selection like grilled chicken of some sort but I do enjoy the appetizer as well. My favorite is going out for mexican food and having chips and salsa.... I work hard all week staying focused on my goals and eating clean and my cheat day is great. This Saturday I plan to eat a bacon cheeseburger for a late lunch/early dinner. Haven't had one in months....we'll see how it goes! LOL

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Whenever possible, I preplan what to order, and avoid the menu altogether. I LOVE salads, so my go to meal is some kind of salad with grilled chicken, or shrimp, and I ALWAYS get the dressing on the side. I also ask for a box right away, because I know I'll have leftovers. I do enjoy dessert if I budget it into my calories for the day (hello, pumpkin cheesecake from Olive Garden!), but now I get one dessert and share with my family of 5.

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I'm only 2 and a half months post op so I'm OVERWHELMED when I read menus. I usually go for fish or soup.... But at home I'm able to eat just about anything.... Give or take a few things here and there.

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I just order side orders that I know I can eat that's low calorie like veggies or eggs.

Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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