We all know restaurant meals can be challenging for WLS patients. There’s the sheer size of the portions you get, the trouble identifying healthy options, and – especially for sleeve and bypass patients – the potential for dumping syndrome.

It’s harder to get a healthy, small meal at some restaurants than others, but you can often end up with one if you order right. It’s just that “ordering right” might involve a lot of creativity on your part, and some lengthy discussion with the server!

I don’t have any particularly crazy stories to tell. I just know that during many of my restaurant trips, I take a long time to order! I am used to ordering something from the menu and seeing the server write it down and turn away. But I’m not done ordering yet! I then ask my server for a long list of modifications…sauce on the side, no dressing, veggies instead of rice, etc. Sometimes it feels like it takes forever and the server seems stunned that one person could be so fussy. But they’re almost always extremely good natured about it!

What is the craziest thing you’ve done at a restaurant? Maybe you’ve lied so you can order off the kids’ menu? Have you ordered nothing and just taken a bite from your friend’s or spouse’s plate? Share your restaurant stories here!

I've done the "Big Mac - No lettuce, no bun, extra Special Sauce" thing once...

Still couldn't eat it all...

I make what I call a Big Mac salad at home - so I can portion the ingredients to my tastes.

I usually find that it's easier to "modify" my dish when it comes to me. It's not going to be any cheaper if I don't get a bun or bread so I'll just order it as is and take off what I don't want when it comes to me.

I still get rice or noodles with my chinese because other people will eat it

Ugh...poutine with short rib gravy. Don't judge me.

@, but 10-15 fries and I'd be stuffed. Poutine, yum...cold,leftover fries, yuk. Short rib gravy DOES sound delish...

I ordered 1 meatball at an Italian restaurant. I had just been cleared for such foods and I could barely eat it all.

@@DavidOso - I ordered a grilled chicken breast salad at Fridays. I asked that I ONLY get a handful, at the most, of the assorted lettuce w/no croutons, and that the rest be laid out separately. The rest was the Protein filled goodies: eggs, cheese, avocado, chicken. It all arrived on one plate but I still got the BIG pile of lettuce

I hate to waste food and that's why I have backed off ordering salads at restaurants.

To avoid "the look" I usually dissect my food and load into my to-go box that I get after my food is delivered.

I will order the kids pizza, grab two slices and only eat the toppings...LOL

I order off the kid menu at most places

or will order 3 small to go boxes and a bag be brought to the table and I will separate my meal into 4 meals before I start eating at all.

I frequent the same places, so its weird when they ask me if I want my usual LMBO!

Depending on who I'm with or where I'm at, i may just share from my husbands plate or order on my own with a request for a to go box be brought out immediately. I went to the local Breakfast place alone the other day. Ordered a feta cheese, mushroom and spinach omelette- I literally ate 1/16th of it!!!! Ate another small piece for dinner and one of my boys finished the rest.

This weekend for breakfast I ordered the strawberry and banana crepes. It came with strawberry syrup swirls on top. I carefully scraped it off- didn't want the sugar- only to bite into a piece to find not only the fresh strawberry a and bananas, but the same strawberry syrup inside. Ugh! Didn't risk it. Gave them to my daughter to eat later and just had a piece of my hubby's omelette. Now I know to ask....

I'm always ordering one of the subs or sandwiches without the bun. It seems simple enough but the servers really have a hard time understanding it. The first time I did it, the guy at the counter kept saying "but how will you eat it? Will you eat it like a pancake?" He said the pancake thing enough times that my co-workers (we were at the airport waiting for our flight for a business trip) still tease me about "eating my food like a pancake"!

I no longer order rice which is an odd one for me. I find that I don't really like rice but it's a mental thing for me that rice isn't on my plate and I'm not mixing it into the food. Weird that it bothers me.

At a really good Italian restaurant in NYC, I just ordered meatballs. Got lot's of weird looks but it worked for me.

I went to a sushi restaurant and I ordered a California roll with no rice. I had to explain like a dozen times. I eventually just said I was allergic to rice and just needed seaweeds wrapped veggies and crab meat. LOL

Quite a few restaurants now have on the menu, a lettuce wrapped burger instead of a bun. I love that!! I have never ordered it but I think the next time I see it, I am going to, just because I love them for doing this!!

Quite a few restaurants now have on the menu, a lettuce wrapped burger instead of a bun. I love that!! I have never ordered it but I think the next time I see it, I am going to, just because I love them for doing this!!

You can get any of Red Robin's chicken sandwiches or burgers this way. I have gotten them a few times. Yummy.

I have added a lobster tail or shrimp skewer to hubby's meal as my meal and will steal a couple of bites of his Caesar salad.

I have ordered a single meatball.

I get appetizers mostly. One of my favorites is the Ahi Tuna from Outback. It comes with just a little bit of Asian slaw. They have small and large. The small is perfect.

I have ordered off the kid's menu. Most places don't mind.

I travel about 10 times a year for business so eat out a lot.

Ugh...poutine with short rib gravy. Don't judge me.

mmmmm poutine

or as we call them in Jersey...DISCO FRIES

Having Breakfast at a place with my kids, I ordered 1 piece of plain, whole wheat toast.

The waitress just looked at me puzzled?

I have to charge you for a full order ...
I know. It's OK. But just bring me out one piece, please. I won't eat the other one.
... brings me out 2 slices, buttered with jelly ...
I just couldn't bring you out one slice


I left a slice and a half