hi, i am recently post-op and recovering well. I am curious as to how others navigate going out to eat with family and friends once you've been cleared to eat regular food. Any tips? Do restaurants allow you to order half portions or do you just nibble a bit from your family member's/ friends plate? Are you allowed to order from the kids menu? do you just take a doggy bag home and spread out the food over several days? Thanks for the help and support.

try to look at menu ahead of time so you know what to order before you get there. Also if your significant other is willing to split entree that can help you both. Or take leftovers home or just throw it away.

I plan what I will eat and order things that will keep and once I get home, I separate/weigh/portion them into small contaners for other meals.

I have a 10 year old with a small appetite, so if we can agree, we share and I skip the leftovers

I often order from the appetizer menu or get a cup of soup. When I have a choice, I like "tapas" restaurants so I can order small bites. I too take home a lot of leftovers.

Two ways...

if I'm out with my husband and son I just order an extra plate and pick of their plates. I love that because I get a good variety to choose from.

If I'm with others I'll order a meal and eat what I can and ask for a go box. Most people don't notice that you didn't each much unless you make it obvious. Lots of times I will pass some to my husbands like "here try this!" He doesn't have a weight problem so he is happy to oblige.

If I have lots left over I eat it for lunch and dinner the next day. I have a teen-aged son so many times it never makes it that long:-)

I never eat at fast food and will pass up an invitation that is offered. I only eat at restaurants that I am familiar with and have healthy options to choose from. Most people understand when we try to eat healthy and will step in line. If they don't, or they get snarky, then re-evaluate the friendship or embarrass the hell out of them by bringing a sack lunch to the eatery because they've chosen a place with no options:-) Yes, I've done that. My girlfriends wanted to go to Arby's for lunch even after my protests...I stopped at the grocery store, picked up a yogurt and sat with them while they ate crap...HA! Now that I'm down 40+ pounds they get it and have stepped in line:-)

I order a regular portion and take the rest home.

Usually the kids menus are things we can't eat like chicken fingers and Mac and cheese. Sometimes I'll order an appetizer or a side. Other times I order an entree and save part. I have a sushi place with a sashimi appetizer that's a go to. The other day I had dinner with a lap band friend. We shared a plate of pulled chicken with a side of cottage cheese. I had In & Out protein style 2 weeks ago. Icouldn't finish it but ir was a nice change. I try and stay away from places where I have no ootions.

I always order a meal and take the leftovers home. I usually get three or four meals from any dinner out. I will be on a long road trip and plan to share meals with my family because we won't be at home to eat leftovers.

I''m nine months out. I can eat about 4-5 ounces of protein. Last night we went to Capital Grille (old-school style steakhouse) to celebrate my older daughter's high school graduation. I split a shrimp cocktail with my sister (I had 2 shrimp and told her to have 3) and ordered a gorgonzola crusted NY Strip with port wine reduction. I ate about 2 ounces of steak (after the shrimp) and about 1/4 cup of creamed spinach. I had a taste of my daughter's coconut creme pie. We all brought everything home and reheated for dinner tonight - I was able to give 3 ounces of my leftover steak to my husband for dinner tonight. I just order things I can take home or make peace with leaving it behind. (I don't like to reheat fish - it never tastes the same to me.)

Leftovers definitely. Try to order it as if you were packing it for lunch at work. All the sauces/ veggies on side so you can avoid soggy or wilty food.

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I go out to eat often enough with people who don't know I was sleeved. I order a regular meal and eat my small bit of it and pack up the rest. Nobody has ever commented on how little I ate. Sometimes I'll order an apetizer as a meal. A favorite place to go to is to a sushi restaurant then I just get a couple pieces of shashimi a lacarte. It's cheaper too.

I will either split a meal with my husband or I will take the rest to go for another meal (lunch or dinner). he challenging part is when I go out with coworkers who don;t know about my surgery and question why I barely touched my food. I usually just tell them I had a snack before we left, lots of water, or wasn't that hungry.

I was sleeved on June 1, and my first restaurant experience was Father's Day. My family was amazing! I ordered a plate, and my sweet family let me eat from theirs. It worked great! I had some sweet potato and applesauce. Yummy! ?
I will tell you that my doctor gave me a medical restriction card that allows me to order from the kids menu at any restaurant. You might want to check into that.

Just keep swimming!