my folks have been hosting all their grandkids this past week and called us today inviting us out to eat. the place they were going to was my ABSOLUTE favorite place pre-op. of course it's an italian place but very small limited menu and pretty much ALL Pasta dishes. my kids love it there too so i was happy that they were able to enjoy it since we haven't been there in quite a while.

i ate a meatball from there when i first started on softs and had terrible heartburn for the entire night afterward. i finally figured out it was their tomato sauce-way too acidic for me right now.

they have broth but of course i need some Protein, being almost 6 wks out.

it was just easier to not eat. i think my mom got sorta insulted and maybe a little annoyed by the whole thing but believe me, it wasn't that i didn't WANT to eat. i could have eaten half the menu! the worst part is this place has THE BEST garlic bread which they ordered two orders of, then when it came, the family parked it right in front of me because 'it was the only open spot'. URRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!

i came home and ate a 'portabella pizza' which is a baked portabella cap, with some turkey sausage, lean ham, green pepper, onion, and cheese on it, baked until soft. SO GOOD. i'm proud of myself but also a little disappointed. of course we couldn't have gone somewhere where they had some basic grilled fish or chicken or a broad menu...

I get it. You did the right thing. Stuck it out until you could eat whats on your plan. I just drink tea and enjoy the conversation. I told my inlaws that I had something to eat before we went out..(my excuse for eating light to nothing at all).

It's your new life.....speak up. Tell 'em it's no longer the type of restaurant you go to. If they can't adjust, too bad. Plenty of people that haven't had bariatric surgery eat the way you do now, so it's not at all unreasonable. Don't let others take you down that slippery slope or force you to go where you're uncomfortable.

When I'm out with friends and the subject of stopping to get something to eat comes up, I pretty much make the suggestions of which places are acceptable and no one has ever disagreed or complained.

Edited August 1, 201412 yr by Recycled

I am sorry your family is being insensitive. Speak up...and don't let them bully you into failure. You are your own best advocate, so let them know what your limits are, and if they can't respect that, then start turning down their invitations until they get the message. You could invite them over for meat and veggies, with some sugar free Jello for dessert, then see how they feel about you not accomodating them. What goes around comes around.

Oh, I forgot to mention, I am going to ty that portobello pizza. It sounds delicious!

I personally have found I cannot expect others to suddenly stop doing what we used to do due to my surgery. I drink a lot of Water during these times and make sure I have a healthy snack or meal before going. I still enjoy the company, but I'm too full to be tempted.

I must try that pizza. That sounds fantastic!!!

I may have it easy because my Mom partially funded my surgery so she definitely wants me to succeed. That being said, our family ritual is that we go to dinner every Wednesday night with my Mom and her boyfriend. But again, I may have it easier, they asked me if I would choose the restaurant, my favorite place has been a Mexican Restaurant that during my early days had a clear broth based Soup that I took all of the veggies and shrimp and put in a to go container for my Mom, and today has a grilled fish fillet with grilled veggies that I am able to eat a few tablespoons of and then take the rest to work for lunch for a few days.

Even so, it was tough, seeing everyone else eating yummy Mexican food but it was also a lesson for me in the dedication that I to use this tool to the best of it's ability - honeymoon period and beyond.

@@mi75 you did very well and should be proud of yourself - you used your sleeve's strength to make the healthy choice by having the portobello pizza! I am so stealing that idea! I have also heard of using eggplant slices and zucchinnis as "boats" or slices when they get huge...

And maybe next time you can pick the restaurant :-D

thanks for your replies. i know my family wants me to succeed, i just think that in their minds i can just 'eat a little' and that's it. the importance of nutrients would not really occur to them at all.

my portabello pizza recipe is an oldie, i forgot to mention that you can use either a little bit of pizza sauce, marinara or even a sliced tomato for the 'sauce' of the pizza. i LOVE these and hadn't made them in a long time since i let my health decline. they are super easy. thanks!