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How to Make the Most Out of Buffets

Beck90

By Beck90, in Food and Nutrition

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Lema    236

Lema
Posted

My family are taking my granddaughter out to her favourite restaurant, pizza Hut. It will be my first time going out with the family. Have no idea how I am going to deal with it. My granddaughter wants me there but what on Earth will I eat? The little one will notice if I sit with Water and don't eat and ask why. Feeling really stressed about how to fake my way through it

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They have the Greek and Caesar salad. Depending on how long ago you had your sugary, you could probably munch on a quarter of a pizza slice after scraping off the cheese and unhealthy toppings off.

I can and I will.

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GinaCampbell    434

GinaCampbell
Posted

I can't believe how stressed I feel about it. It's so odd. The normal routine of ordering a drink when you arrive is different, all just ordering a buffet plate together, different. And our pizza huts here in the UK only offer basic salad. Lettuce, Tomato, cucumber, carrot, beetroot. They do offer mac & cheese though which I thought might be an option. My concern isn't calories or weightloss, I just want to go with my granddaughter and appear to be normal. She is only five but sharp as a tack and will notice if I don't eat.

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madadams    130

madadams
Posted

Gina...they have a salad bar with all kinds of stuff on it that you can pick at. Or order just a starter...some chicken wings and nibble on them. I take it you're feeling much better now if you're eating solids and are up to going out. That's great progress!!

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GinaCampbell    434

GinaCampbell
Posted

Still on Soups, milk and Water at the moment which is my problem. I also have a very aggravated bowel for whatever reason. I am trying Soups with more substance. I have even tried a couple of things like thin readybrek and mash potato but they don't sit well and pass straight through. The only way to calm my bowels down is to stick to Water, a bit of milk and the lightest soups I can find or make. I am better as in the rapid weightloss has stopped, I am no longer dehydrated despite the constant runs etc. But I am still very weak with no energy. The abscess is still there at 3 cm but can't be drained. Can't have my gallbladder out until it clears. But I have sat with my family twice and I don't want to miss out on this trip in August because my granddaughter thinks that I am so sick that I might die. She has nightmares about it so I am pretending to be well a couple of hours a week to ease her mind.

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NeedaBreak4Me    1,755

NeedaBreak4Me
Posted

Gina, is it possible to bring your own Soup?

Maybe you can bring your own and explain to the restaurant manager prior to your arrival, and ask them nicely to provide you with a bowl and spoon so you "look" like you are having something from there.

Don't be too hard on yourself.. she won't care what you are eating, she will be happy to just have you there.

Can you get a menu prior, maybe they might have something suitable.

I have become a pro at making it "look" like i haven't had surgery as no one knows i had it done... i usually do some light research before i go and decide prior to going so i don't have the stress of trying to figure it out on the spot

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GinaCampbell    434

GinaCampbell
Posted

They said no to bringing my own food. I have been looking at the menu and all they have is solid food. I am thinking that I will just order whatever and fake it.

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NeedaBreak4Me    1,755

NeedaBreak4Me
Posted

Thats such a shame... it amazes me how businesses see people as customers first and people second.. it doesn't hurt them if you bring your own food for medical purposes... that ticks me off.

Do they serve tea or coffee? Maybe you can have a cup so you don't have to fake it

pizza hut here is very limited, they got rid of the buffets years ago, so i have no idea what they do in the UK

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GinaCampbell    434

GinaCampbell
Posted

They still do the buffet here but it is nothing like the American version. Just a few basic pizzas, Pasta and salad. I can order things off the menu but again, it's all solids that will be outside my comfort zone

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NeedaBreak4Me    1,755

NeedaBreak4Me
Posted (edited)

Hmm thats a tricky one....

I would sneak something in... choose a booth in the corner and wear dark sunglasses and a trench coat lol .. what are they going to do if you get caught.. arrest you? Lol

Edited by AussieGirl81

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GinaCampbell    434

GinaCampbell
Posted

lol this new life is sooo tricky!

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madadams    130

madadams
Posted (edited)

That's sounds like good progress. Have you tried anything a bit thicker?how do you tolerate say a little cottage cheese? I found rusks easy to digest early on. You can make them thinner. Weetabix now do a Protein version which you could try things with milk and Protein powder? May give you more energy. When you go out please be careful. You might make yourself Ill if you try solids and can't tolerate them. Why don't you ring them before you go, explain your situation and ask if you can take some Soup of your own and they can bring it out in a bowl for you with the others food. I've done this before with my son at pizza Hut. He didn't eat pizza but they allowed him to take in a macdonalds and they just put it on a plate for him! They're usually very accommodating.

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Edited by madadams

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GinaCampbell    434

GinaCampbell
Posted

I couldn't tolerate readybrek or thin porridge. pureed cottage cheese didn't work either. So far, small amounts of milk, Water and Soup, blended seem to sit okay. But I am basing some of this on the result once it hits my bowels. I can't tell the difference between what my sleeve doesn't like and what my bowels don't like. If I use imodium, I then can't get anything in, no Water, nothing so my bariatric nurse said to stop using it. Still can't find any Protein that I can get in so nearly eight weeks out, I am getting no Protein and less than 400 cals a day. Which is an improvement on 100 cals a day though. Ironically, the weightloss has stalled (which I don't mind).

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Go To Topic Listing Food and Nutrition

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      1. Selina333

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        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

    • Alisa_S

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

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      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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