I am 10 days post op and in the "soft foods" stage. My son wanted to take me to the store and I know he loves going to Breakfast so I suggested we go before hand. I ordered from their "light" menu a single scrabbled egg with cheese and bacon. Out came what looked like about 3-4 scrabbled eggs of which I took maybe 3 "normal" sized bites of leaving 98% of my food. I gave the bacon to my son. When I was done I asked for a box and the waitress saw all my left over food and asked "did you not like it"? I don't know what it was about the question that made me panic a little but I did. Being someone who has almost always cleaned my plate my entire life I just didn't know what to say. I didn't want to offend her or the cook or have an "awkward" moment of me and my mouth that just has no filter by saying "I just had weight loss surgery and can't eat much". After awkward silence my son saved me by saying "my mom already ate at home but I made her come get breakfast with me". Thank God! But this long rant does have a point..... when only being able to eat a very little portion of food when going out, how do you answer that question? "Did you not like your food?" I am sure this will not be the last time.

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Fortunately I've never been asked that question and I'm over a year out. But I think I would say, "I loved it! But I'm just so full". It's the truth

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This is a really limited time problem. I never went out to eat at 10 days. The further out you get the more you can eat.

I went to waffle house at like 6 weeks. I was able to make a decent dent in my food.

Scrambled eggs are the worst eggs to try and eat. You can eat a lot more of a fried, or poached egg. Scrambled eggs are dry and dense, I still can't deal with them. I can easily eat 2 fried or over easy eggs. 2 poached eggs.

At a year and a half out I can eat a 2 egg omlette if it isn't over packed with stuff.

The key to being able to eat with your sleeve is a higher moisture content.

I go out to breakfast with people all the time and my plate looks pretty normal.

Edited December 23, 20169 yr by OutsideMatchInside

This question is one that has plagued me since my bypass over 2 years ago. At first, it was almost embarrassing because like you I literally could only eat 2 to 3 bites. Down the road it became a little easier because i could at least make a small dent in my food.

In good restaurants where they actually care about their food, you need to be prepared.

Here are some tricks I have learned:

- Ask questions about portion size - if you do that, you give them the sense initially that you are not going to eat a lot to begin with.

- When they do bring your food, ask right away for a to go box letting them know that you won't be able to eat much, I simply say I eat like a bird and want to take home my leftovers.

- When eating with someone like my husband, I never order my own salad/soup. We will usually pick a salad and sometimes even an entree to share again telling the server that I only eat a small amount

Hubby and I enjoy going to very nice restaurants. If it is a steak restaurant which is almost always the case, I will order the smallest filet mignon I can and so will he. We learned that he can eat his plus more than half of mine.

He is often told when he orders that his steak will be very small and he simply says, yes I know but my wife will only eat about half of hers so I technically get both. I will also share a few bites of his salad. Any leftovers of the sides which are usually spinach, mushrooms, corn......we take home and have with another meal.

I also order off the tapas (small plates) menu most of the time. I can always find great options here.

I do remember in those first few months, when a server would ask, my husband would share the fact that I had surgery and cannot eat much. Now for some reason that really bother me and I asked him not to. He then shared with me that he always felt like they were worried their food wasn't good. LOL. I just said, if we set it up right, they wont even notice.

And so we learned how to eat out all over again. LOL

That is great advice and something my husband and I have talked about. However, we normally order completely opposite things lol. The "to go box" before hand is a great idea and something I would do when I was dieting and portion controlling so I would still psychologically be "finishing my plate" while only eating a portion.

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Edited December 23, 20169 yr by AllyInDallas

I just tell people my stomach is bigger on the outside than it is on the inside. I have been doing that for years, and it always works. It is even more true now. I also assure the person asking that if I had not liked it, they would have had no doubt in their mind.

I let my family order and just share off of their plates Cuts out the questions and is cheaper.

If it bothers you, ask for a to go box at the beginning. This is also handy for making sure you don't overeat when you are first learning your limitations. You can transfer all the food you don't plan to eat into the box right away, and that way you won't accidentally take that one extra bite that puts you over the edge.

I have really gotten used to just saying something like "oh, no it was delicious, I just don't eat very much" or something along those lines when the question comes up now.

I respond similarly to how your son responded for you. I simply say I wasn't very hungry but it is delicious so I'd like to take the rest home for later so can you please bring me the box? and smile sweetly

I am 3 years post op RNY gastric bypass surgery. Generally when a waitress or waiter gives me that strange look, I just tell them that I was obsess, had an operation, lost a hundred pounds and now my stomach is smaller than my fists. That seems to make them happy.

"It's good, but I've had enough just now. I'll take the rest home with me." No big deal.

Edited December 23, 20169 yr by WLSResources/ClothingExch

I hated going out to eat for quite a long time after my RNY. I couldn't justify ordering something and not eating it. I don't like many leftovers at all so it was kind of a waste for awhile. Hubby finally convinced me that it isn't the quainty it is the quality and I should enjoy it. Now I had almost begged him to let me eat a few bites of his food, Well we have been married for 43 years and we never were the SHARING KIND. LOL So he always told me NO I want it all. Fast forward to June of last year and he had his Sleeve done and you know what!!! He still can eat more than me but guess what!!! WE SHARE our food!!! I LOVE IT!!!

I don't get that question *a lot*, but after 19 months out, I still do occasionally. Early on, I told people I'd had abdominal surgery, but then I just started saying I wasn't very hungry. Although usually it doesn't come up because I'll often order soup and have a few bites of my husband's entree, or we'll split an entree, or I'll just order an appetizer. That way, no one notices or asks.

I say yes it was great. You don't need to say more. Truthfully if you didn't like it you wouldn't have asked for a to go box. I once had a waiter say..you don't eat very much. I replied no I don't. That's really it you don't owe an explanation. And it is none of their business

Pack it. No one is offended, you save yourself your money and you have a nice snack/meal for later on during the day. But yeah, no point of ordering big when you go to eat out after surgery.

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