Hi All

I am traveling to Florida for a months vacation at the end of July :clap2: and I am looking for ideas of restaurants and ideas of food off the menu that I will be able to eat.:hungry:

On previous trips to the States I remember the portions being quite large and I am unsure if I will manage eating out without wasting lots of food.

I have good restriction at the moment but would also like to enjoy being part of the family sat at the dinner table.

Has anyone any good suggestions of great places to eat?

We like the Liberty Tavern as it is served family style. You can take your own portions from the platters provided.

Have Fun!

I dont see why in the world having a lap band would mean you cant eat out with your family, I get frustrated when people say this because I think its the wrong attitude.

What I've gotten out of my band and what I feel I want to share so much with everyone is that I am no longer afraid of food. I dont HAVE to worry about where we're going to eat, what am I going to eat because I dont really care about food that much. Eat anywhere, there's ALWAYS something you can eat if you're one that cant tolerate certain foods. Dont worry about the portion sizes. If they're too large, leave most of it. Who the heck cares? Trying to get your money's worth out of food is an old dysfunctional idea that you had when you were fat. Obsessing about what you're going to eat is an old dysfunctional behaviour you had when you were fat. Just dont stress over it.

Eat wherever you happen to end up, whatever you happen to see on the menu that fits in with what you can eat and what suits whatever particular style of eating you happen to follow, and if there's nothing low carb or whatever, well ONE meal is not going to make or break you.

Just enjoy it! Focus on the holiday, not the food.

Subway, just eat the salads. Shulas just eat the steake and salad. Mcdonalds just eat the eggs and sauage for breakfast big meal. Pizza Hut eat the chicken wings. Arbys eat 5 oz of roastbeef. breakfast bar eat the fruit, eggs and bacon and sauage. Japaneese chopum up eat the salad, soup, and meat and veg only if you can. Wolf gang pucks eat the soup and salad. You get the idea, have fun and walk off the big meals and small meals. You shouldnt:faint: gain a OZ. Drink plenty of water and diet drinks if you can. A little liquior would not hurt a think.

I'm going too!!! In Oct!!<O:p</O:p

<O:p</O:p

We're staying in a townhouse with a full kitchen. Only 1.5 miles from Disney! We don't plan to eat out a lot. We’re taking my sister and her son and she's on a tight budget anyway. Plus, I think it will be better for me.<O:p</O:p

<O:p</O:p<!-- google_ad_section_end --><!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

I kinda agree with Jaqui. But Im figuring your trying to get the most bang for your buck. Well Id suggest finding really great appetizers if you can only eat smaller portions. In Disney the only decent restaurant I found have been in epcot if you mean within the parks. Outside of the parks your choices are unlimited. Perhaps you may want to take Snacks with you into the parks considering food choices arent all that healthy I really cant recall seeing anything healthy while in a few of the parks. Id pack some nuts maybe a nutrition bar so at least you can snack on healthy stuff between actuall meals but otherwise you should be fine.

Eva

...What I've gotten out of my band and what I feel I want to share so much with everyone is that I am no longer afraid of food. I dont HAVE to worry about where we're going to eat, what am I going to eat because I dont really care about food that much. Eat anywhere, there's ALWAYS something you can eat if you're one that cant tolerate certain foods. Dont worry about the portion sizes. If they're too large, leave most of it. Who the heck cares? Trying to get your money's worth out of food is an old dysfunctional idea that you had when you were fat. Obsessing about what you're going to eat is an old dysfunctional behaviour you had when you were fat. Just dont stress over it.

Eat wherever you happen to end up, whatever you happen to see on the menu that fits in with what you can eat and what suits whatever particular style of eating you happen to follow, and if there's nothing low carb or whatever, well ONE meal is not going to make or break you.

Just enjoy it! Focus on the holiday, not the food.

:clap2: OH how I NEEDED this today!!!!!!! This is EXACTLY my problem!!!!! I am STILL afraid of food! I still obsess over it...I'm still afraid I won't have enough...of I will eat too much!!! Jachut, if I could hug you right now, I would! But this will have to do :hug:

Old Attitude: I MUST clean my plate

New Attitude: It's OK to stop when I'm full and leave food behind

Old Attitude: I'm afraid of food (too much or too little)

New Attitude: I will listen to my body and stop when I've had enough, eat right, exercise, enjoy my life, and the weight will come off in time.

Old Attitude: I'm afraid of social situations with food

New Attitude: I will enjoy the company and occasion and concentrate on the people. I will enjoy the food, but not more than the people/occasion.

"oo..oo..oooooo I got a new attitude...."

And P.S. YES, take food WITH you into the parks...it's hard to find healthy choices and even when you do, it is WAY too expensive. It's nice, when you're waiting in line, to pass the time with a banana or lf cheese & multigrain crakers.

P.S.S....it's hotter that H*ll in orlando in July/August...take lots of talcum powder to avoid heat rash and I ALWAYS wear a pad (sanitary napkin/panty towel depending on where you're from) to cut down on moisture. Makes the heat more bearable Have fun!

When I was there (in 1989) there was a mideval restaurant in the top of Cinderella's Castle and it was WONDERFUL!

Hrm I dont know about just eating anywhere you are there are some pretty gross restaurants in the parks lol. Ok maybe Im just a super picky eater but really like in animal kingdom they only pretty much serve fast food and I dont eat like that so I waited untill we left to eat anything that day. In epcot they have 2 rally good restaurants the one in japan and the one in morocco. Outside the park theres a tappas bar that really nice in downtown orlando I cant remember the name of it but it was really popular. Now I wish I was going I love Disney. But it is hot as all hell so I would definatly make sure you have sunscreen.

Here is a site will all the menus for Disney restaurants Deb's Unofficial Walt Disney World Vacation Information Guide - WDW Planning Guide - Walt Disney World it has prices, and copies of menus. I am there a few weeks a year, feel free to ask me any questions you may have. I also write a food column for a Disney page each week. Make sure you bring your band card with you, they will let you pay kids price at buffets and order off the kids menu too. Disney is better than most theme parks for healthy foods. You can get grilled chicken, at most quick service places, they also have wraps, and a healthy kids menu in place at each place. They offer carrots in place of fries, they have no sugar added apple sauce and most places have a sugar free dessert too. ~Mandy

...Make sure you bring your band card with you, they will let you pay kids price at buffets and order off the kids menu too... ~Mandy

Really??????? This is GREAT news!!!!!!! I LOVE Disney and am going back, for the umteenth time in March. I am SO glad they'll accomodate WLS folks!!!

I have always found Disney to be SO accomodating...two years ago, my 5 year old (now 7) got separated from us. I was FRANTIC (understatement of the century!). The cast member assisting me was SO wonderful. She kept assuring me that they have never lost a kid yet ...then 45 LONG minutes later, there she was, with another cast member that found her!!! They were SO wonderful to us, they even gave us passes to pass the line for 5 rides of our choice, since we were detained for so long...and it wasn't even their fault!!! They know how to keep ya coming back!

They totally take care of us. I have a special needs child and they always make sure she is comfortable. I also have a mushroom allergy and they make sure I am safe eating whatever I order. The chef comes out and talks to me about my choices and how they are prepared. If you need something while there, ask they will usually make sure you are accomadated. I forgot my card and my mom faxed it to me, they even took a faxed copy. ~Mandy

I live in FL and go to Disney at least once a year. The guide Mandy posted about is great, but it only tells you what kind of food the restaurant serves and how expensive it is. My advice would be to eat Breakfast and dinner outside the park to save yourself a lot of money. That has nothing to do with attitudes toward food, it's just because all theme park food is expensive. As for specific choices, stay away from the "fast food"-type places and you'll be fine. They generally frown upon guests bringing food into the parks, but if you have a card from your doc, they won't say much about it, especially if it's snack-type stuff and/or Protein shakes. In our post-9/11 world they do check bags and could ask you to not take it in.

Now as for non-food suggestions, while you're there try to get out of the parks and go to one of the local dinner theaters. There are several in and around Orlando. We've been to Medieval Times and the pirate one (can't remember the exact name) so far. There's also a murder mystery one we're planning on going to next, as well as Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede. They are a ton of fun, and you don't have to stand in a never-ending queue in 100 degree weather!

PM or e-mail me if you want any other ideas...