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!

Depends on the restaurant, but often I will order a starter size salad, and share a couple of bites of what my husband ordered. Or i'll order an entree and ask for a to go container and make a few meals out of it. I love tapas restaurants where I can just have a bite of each dish and be done. I try to focus on lean protein dishes.

I will sometimes add grilled shrimp to my husbands meal then get a side of a veg or take a few bites of his. Otherwise I be sure to order something I know will be good for several more meals.

The biggest reaction I get when I eat out is over the fact that I order, specifically, no drink. This simple request causes a great deal of confusion and even occasional concern (i.e. "Oh my! did your waitress neglect to get your drink?! Can't I get you something? Not even Water?").

I order water just so they leave me alone LOL

I have asked for just a grilled chicken breast and they look at me like i am sick. Fast food do not knowm how to handel it when you order a sandwitch with out bread.

Fast food places normally gets special orders wrong, McDonald's once forgot the fish on a fish sandwich my mom ordered once.

Fast food places normally gets special orders wrong, McDonald's once forgot the fish on a fish sandwich my mom ordered once.

I think i may depend on the part of the country you are in. I've been on low carb for 13 years, and I've been ordering hamburgers without the bun from Wendy's, Hardees, Burger King, McDonalds, Jack in the Box, etc, all this time and never had a problem with it.

"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!"

Thats me. I go out to eat about once a week and enjoy everything in small amounts. I'm of the school of thought that I'm no longer dieting so why should I diet at a restaurant? I know I'm probly gunna hear about my way of thinking (usually do), but there's got to be more of us out there (those that don't count anything, measure anything, just listen to our bodies). And I never order off the kids menu (who wants chicken nuggets or pizza?). I ALWAYS bring home about 3/4 of my meal. I enjoy my leftovers till I'm sick of them and toss them.

Last nite my in laws took us to Hometown Buffet (who refuse to honor my wls restaurant card) and I ate 1 bite of about 8 different items. I had a lot of food on my plate but when I was done, it looked like I hadn't even touched it.

I'm such a waste of $$ at a buffet...

Edited October 11, 201312 yr by marfar7

At upscale places, I usually order an "add on" like grilled shrimp, or scallops. Or I get an extra plate and steal a few bites from my hubby, and daughter. If we are at a Mexican place I will get some pintos, or a single steak taco, I leave the shell behind and eat the filling. At the local Chinese place I get a small cashew chicken, and what I don't eat makes for lunch the next day. I tell them very very little rice. I will have a bite or 2 with each meal. My favorite place to eat out is chipotle, I get a soft chicken taco, with a little of each kind of Beans, very light rice, chicken, fresh tomatoes, some sour cream, and light cheese. Again I just leave the taco shell behind. I get chili at Wendy's, or a grilled chicken sandwich with no bun. Also burger king does a "low carb" option on every sandwich they offer. It's all the veggies and meat with no bun, in a side salad container. I had a whopper jr made low carb for lunch today, it was the perfect lunch for $1.50. There are options anywhere you go, you just have to look for the right choice. I also always ask if they bread their chicken or fish on site. If so I can ask for things to be super lightly breaded. You would be amazed at the places that can do just that.

Luv me some Chipotle! I get the chicken burrito bowl with brown rice, pintos, lettuce, cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream, and guac. I eat maybe 6 bites and the rest becomes about 6 more meals for me (which I eat maybe 2 more of before I'm sick of it and toss it).

Hubby is a low carber and luvs Chipotle too. he gets extra meat, no rice, no beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, and guac. But he'll eat his whole bowl in 1 sitting.

Even before I had wls I couldn't eat a whole burrito bowl from Chipotle...

I have been in Hawaii all week with my husband. I am 9 weeks post-op. I just take bites of the protein (meat/cheese/egg) and bites of carb or veggies/fruit. Then I'm done. It's so weird my new life. I just don't enjoy good like I used to. But I'm still having fun and vacationing without focus on food. Snorkeling, shopping, hiking. It's been a blast!!

We went to Applebee's for my daughters birthday on Wednesday for dinner. I got the Napa Chicken. YUM. I ate about half of my chicken (very moist), and like 2 slices of zuchinni and 2 slices of the portabella mushrooms that came with it. It also had mashed potatoes and I took 2 bites of them....they were so good. And I had another meal for work the next day. It had 25g protein in it.

We go to Sushi Train on Friday nights quite often. I have sashimi, one plate, while my husband has three or four plates of whatever he fancies. It's yummy and good protein. Today we had Chinese, he ordered rice and two dishes which I chose! I had a few bites of the chicken and beef and two bites of veges. He loves how cheap my sleeve is to feed!

I stay away from fast food, but if I'm going to a sit-down restaurant, I usually try to order something high protein--mostly chicken or beef every so often. I've also begun sharing dishes with people which I never enjoyed doing pre-sleeve.

Edited October 12, 201312 yr by Cait12

We generally eat out a couple of times a week. I often share my husband's plate - he has me order most of the time so there will be something that I both like and feel comfortable eating. Alternatively, I'll order something small from the appetizer menu or have a cup of Soup. On those occasions where I really want something I know my husband doesn't care for, I'll have my own entree and just box up 3/4s of it for lunches later on.

The restaurants we visit regularly near my home all know about my special needs, and are perfectly happy to come up with creative ways for me to be able to enjoy my meals, too. One (very new!) restaurant is even cheerfully coming up with half-order menu items for me. A Chinese buffet that is nearby just charges me by the ounce (like they do for takeout), or $1.50 if I just want a cup of one of the Soups. I've found that many restaurants are happy to find ways to help!

Red Robin lets me get kids meals, so i get the chix with a side salad and make a little chix salad . I also order a side salad and ask for an a la carte chix strip from other restaurants. I have found them to be quite accommodating to me!

Red Robin lets me get kids meals, so i get the chix with a side salad and make a little chix salad . I also order a side salad and ask for an a la carte chix strip from other restaurants. I have found them to be quite accommodating to me!

Red Robin will also let you order just a hamburger patty without a bun or fixings. I think it's about 1/3 the price of their regular burger.

I am 4 weeks post op, I went to a restaraunt with my husband and 2 teenage daughters to celebrate a school acomplishment, I ate 2 steamed crab legs, and 1/2 of a grilled shrimp, and felt very satisfied, and part of the of the family dinner:)