Hello wondering how everyone deals with eating out whether it's lunch with friends or dinner dates etc.

I always order water to sip on while waiting for the food. I don't touch any appetizer, and I usually just order a cup of soup (to be brought with everyone's entree). I'm a cheap date

The one time I had to get a full size entree, before eating, I boxed up the extra so it wasn't so intimidating.

I suppose my restaurant habits would be considered weird, but since I only eat with people that know about the surgery, it doesn't matter.

If I had to eat with people that didn't know, I would have to learn some skeelzzz...

I am going to dinner tonight for my anniversary. I plan to just have a cup of soup. I know that I can handle that. I think in the future, I will share a salad and plate with the wife and/or kid. That way, I don't have leftovers, and don't feel bad about spending a lot on a few bites of food. It will definitely save on food costs as well. A friend of mine that has been banded will only order the healthiest appetizer that they offer, and eat on that until she gets full. She will then take the rest home. She said that ordering the appetizer helps her to avoid questions from the waiter about whether or not she liked her food.

I order some kind of meat and either a salad or green vegetable. I eat what I can eat and box the rest up. I've been open about my journey, including the surgery, with anyone and everyone, so if they don't know about it before the meal, they'll know before the end of it.

During the liquid phase I ordered a soup and didn't worry about finishing it. Tonight I ordered a 2 egg taco omelet with cottage cheese. I managed about half of the omelet (not much of the filling,) and a couple nibbles of the cottage cheese. The leftovers will be breakfast and lunch for tomorrow. I eat slow enough that I don't have to spend half the meal watching my companions eat, which is nice. My boyfriend and I plan to go in on meals together. American serving sizes are plenty generous so my maybe 4 ounces isn't going to make him go hungry, lol.

The hardest parts for me so far have been remembering to not drink with my meal, and not getting so caught up in conversation that I miss the 'satiated' point and go straight into 'full.'

I'm 9 months out currently so eating out isn't much of an issue. I've found that I eat a "normal" amount of food compared to many of my girlfriends. Most of my close friends know I had the surgery so there isn't any weirdness but if I go out with work people or family who doesn't know I just usually say that I'm not super hungry.

My go to meals now are a burger with no bun and veggies instead of fries, grilled chicken with veggies or something off the lighter fare menu that many restaurants now have.

I have to do lunch all the time for work meetings. It can be tough but I check the menu out before I go. Sometimes I'll even order something and have my own food with me and put it on my plate when no one is looking!

For the most part, no one seems to notice what I order or how much I eat. As long as I don't make a big deal out of it, no one else seems to care.

Appetizers or "side orders" are a go to. Several places will add on to an entree orders. For example, my husband will order a steak & shrimp combo...I get the shrimp skewer and everyone's happy.