I am in week 10 of VSG and I am doing good. Eating with my boyfriend is a challenge as he always wants to eat out. Well I ordered grilled chicken bites and he brought it with ranch dip. So, I carelessly dipped two bites in the dressing. Omg I felt instantly sick on bite two. I have been up all night with ranch burps and indigestion! I have tried taking Opremozol and a chewable acid tab. As long as I belch I feel relief but if I hold it in it burns like fire! Lesson learned!!!!

Maybe the dressing was bad(?) It has mayo in it.

When hubby and I go out to eat, we share a meal.....saves $$ Once in awhile I will order my own entree and have enough leftovers for at least 2 more meals. I've had the Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch dressing a time or two on salads in the recent past and did not have any trouble with it. When I get something like chicken tenders, I always eat them plain.

Funny coincidence, I had ranch dressing for the first time this weekend myself. Prior to surgery, I loved ranch dressing for a veggie dip and on salads. I have had a few types of salads and veggies since surgery, but they were with vinegar based dressings or the dip has been hummus.

The first bite I had of the ranch made me want to spit it out! I thought at first as BeagleLover did, the ranch was bad. Nope, brand new bottle. It was so salty and just generally... odd tasting. I just chalked it up to another food that I no longer like. It's weird, but I am okay with it. I thought I would miss bread, potatos, tortillas and other foods terribly, but I am finding that it really is not that big of a deal.

I felt weak and sick right away like I bottomed out...that feeling went away after 10 minutes or so. I was thinking maybe the carbs or sugars? I had similar experience with store bought peanut butter. From now on, my chicken will be plain....and I am not taking process foods as lightly!!!!

You don't have to go plain. I am one of those people must have a sauce or dip for just about everything. I know it stems from my childhood. Mom made pork and chicken dry on purpose. Fear of trichinosis back then meant everyone overcooked their poultry and pork. But I digress; I don't want the empty calories of condiments now.

You can get the common hummus flavors that works well for veggies, but I have found some stores that have more options in their hummus. Spinach & Artichoke, White Bean & Basil, Curry, Sun Dried Tomato, Cilantro & Jalepeno... some really awesome stuff! But I have to say my favorite combo is the one I found first. Deli roast beef, swiss cheese, and horseradish hummus. The meat, cheese, and bean combo makes it Protein packed. I don't bother with bread or tortilla's or anything like that. Roll the meat up in the cheese so that your fingers stay clean and dip it into the hummus. Hummus has been a life saver for me. Prior to surgery, it was just hummus and pitas.

I recently started buying plain Faget yogurt. I tried it right after surgery but my taste buds were not ready for it. Now it reminds me of a super soft cream cheese. I can mix sugar free coffee flavorings to make a desert yogurt. I can add spices or herbs to make a dip.

Don't be afraid to try new things!

I just remembered you were talking about in resturants. Whoops! Don't be afraid to take your own condiments. I bring my own drinks to places I am going in case they don't have anything I can have. In restaurants, I have no problem showing my surgery card telling them I am just here as company with my family.

• Prior to surgery I was addicted to catsup and coffee. Now I haven't used catsup but just very very little and coffee just does not taste right. I still look at potato chips with a longing but I am trying to stay strong now....

There is a Paleo recipe for something called Dump Ranch. I've heard great things (including that it's both delicious and easy to make).

Was it light or fat-free ranch? I eat ranch every day but I use a full fat one and don't eat a lot of it. And I had to switch to Ken's Steakhouse brand. I used to use Kraft and now it tastes funny.

Hey BigViffer what is and where can I get one of those cards to take to restaurants? Need one for the Golden Coral.

Hey BigViffer what is and where can I get one of those cards to take to restaurants? Need one for the Golden Coral.

Mine was given to me by my surgeon. So far, I have seen about 10 different variations so I am guessing they are specific to the hospital.

Here is an example of one I found on the net:

Mine actually has an example diagram of what surgery I had done. So it doubles as a medical emergency card and a restaurant disclaimer.

Most restaurants I have mentioned my card to have a policy about kids meals being only for under a certain age. Prob would work at buffet but I haven't braved that yet. I usually take a friend and we share. Lol

Was it light or fat-free ranch? I eat ranch every day but I use a full fat one and don't eat a lot of it. And I had to switch to Ken's Steakhouse brand. I used to use Kraft and now it tastes funny.

Have you tried the Bolthouse Farms Ranch? It's a yogurt dressing and it is SO good. A much better choice than regular ranch, you get more bang for your buck.