I'm sure this question has been asked before... but I'm new on here and I'm so curious about the "dining out" experience. I love to eat out and now I'm really curious if everyone just orders off the children's menu. How do you partake with family and friends and not feel a little bit like an outcast? Right now I'm on my liquid diet (day 12)... I went out with some friends to a concert in Seattle (we've had the tickets for months) we spent the afternoon out there, so of course they got hungry and I sat there and watched them eat mexican food while I was starving and my stomach was just growling. Talk about torture!! haha... that was very difficult. Any suggestions on what to order?

I really appreciate the feedback!

Kayla

(getting band in 2 days)

OH YEAH! I also wanted to ask... WHERE do you like to eat out and what do you order on the menu??? I absolutely loooove pizza and I'm assuming I'm gonna have to give that up for good. No more Jack n the box sour dough jacks either haha.

Kayla, first off, congrats on your upcoming band date.

As for eating out, I have found that almost all restraunts have something that I can eat. I usually look at the appetizers because of the portions and get either crabcakes, tuna/chicken salad in pita (without the letuce), or theres always soup. If I order off the regular menu, I get a box before eating and put most of it away. My friends know I have had surgery, so they understand why we avoid pizza places, buffets, mex. food and Thai food. Hooters works with the grilled mahi sandwich minus the bun or the clam chowder. They also have grilled chicken. I get that and have them put wing sauce on it. Hope this helps....Dave

I order whatever I like withing reason. I consider the healthiness of the choice, look for high protein, ease of swallowing and resonable fat content. I avoid bread and pasta. I also try to choose something that reheats well, because I usually get 4 meals from a restaurant portion!!! I occasionally will eat a slice of pizza, but just don't find it as irrisistable as I did before surgery.

I eat a lot of salad. I get something with like grilled chicken salad and eat the chicken first, then the lettuce. I know some bandsters can't eat lettuce, but I haven't had a problem. I avoid bread.

A lot of restaurants have items that are "low carb" on the menu. These items avoid bread/starches which I have been told not to eat. These restaurants are big chains like: Cracker Barrell, Applebees, TGI Fridays, Bennigans, etc.

Also, if the restaurant serves Breakfast all day you can get breakfast food like eggs and ham (Cracker Barrel serves bfast all day).

I travel a lot for works, so I eat out a lot. the key is to PLAN. Know where you are going and decide even before you get there what you are going to eat. Look at their menu online. This will help you from being tempted when you get to the restaurant and see all the yummy food, bc you have already made up your mind.

First of all I think I would discount children's menus. They are notoriously geared to "good tasting kid food" and NOT nutrition (i.e., check on how many restaurants serve things like mac and cheese and hot dogs on their kiddie menu). The first thing I look at when I go out is the appetizer and sides menu selections. The first few months after banding when I went out, I always chose from the appetizer section. I had stuffed mushrooms, grilled shrimp, all kinds of yummy things in SMALL SMALL portions. Sometimes you may get things with a higher caloric content but listen, if it is your WHOLE MEAL instead of the prelude to three or four other things, you can sit and relish it, cuz remember, you are most likely NOT going to be able to finish it anyway. I had some decadent stuffed mushrooms from Magnolia Bar and Grill (Houston)...I ate about 4 bites and then had it wrapped up to go and finished it the next day and it was wonderful and I felt like I had the most wonderful gastric experience! Now, don't get me wrong, I don't make these choices on a regular basis...I stick to healthy lo cal items too, a majority of the time. Generally when I go out to eat, I gear my food choice to the SMALL PORTION rather than specifically WHAT it is...oh and of course....something that WILL go down. I try not to get full meals and big items I know I will just have to take home (they're are NEVER as good later and often soggy). That's just me, though.

Hello!

I tend to get salads...I thought about ordering off of the children's menu...but they are fatty and high in calories. I've thought about eating appys...but they are generally very fattening as well. So, I tend to go for the chicken breast plates or salads. If a place has a good clam chowder, I'll eat that because it is my FAVORITE soup and while it is high in calories, I won't eat anything else.

At Applebees there is a spinach and shrimp salad...I just had it the other night and it was great! And, I ate it for two meals and a snack.

At Fridays there is the key west shrimp...basically, it's just shrimp and broccoli...very yummy!

What I normally do, if we are going to a major chain, is go online and get their menus...then I figure out what I want before I get to the restaurant...then I don't have to look at the menu.

Oh, and at Outback, I get steak....and then I eat it for a long time!!! At least three meals...yummy!

Best of luck to you.

Rain

I eat out as much as I used to before the band. And I haven't told most of my friends about the surgery, so I just keep saying I'm on a diet, and nobody really makes a fuss about it.

There 's always soup, salads, appetizers, grilled stuff, even pizza (I eat a slice or two). No problem whatsoever.

My husband (both of us bandsters) went to a pizza place to satisfy our cravings a while back, and ordered a large pizza and antipasto salad. We ate the salad and one piece of pizza each, then took the rest of the pizza home. I froze it in zip lock bags, one piece of pizza per bag, and occasionally had a piece for a treat. That pizza lasted us about two weeks, which was a first!

PS Thin crust only!

I typically pick Mexican. Cheese Enchiladas go down really nice.

I totally second Rainer's suggestion about thinking what you'll order before you get the the restaurant. You'll be less tempted by the other "goodies" on the menu.

When I go out I normally eat sashimi, Soup, or salads. I try to make the right choices most of the time but if I want chicken fingers, I get them. I can't eat more than one and I try to get my Protein in first so that also limits me to maybe 3 or 4 french fries.

Salads are always a pleasure to eat for me. There are so many different flavors and textures and they are just a party in your mouth! I still order my dressing on the side and dip my fork prongs into the dressing before spearing my lettuce. Trust me, I do not want my calories coming from salad dressing!

Fish is always a good choice for me too as it's light and flaky and I can not worry about getting stuck. One of my favorite meals is filet mignon. As tight as I am, I can eat a few bites of fliet - especially if it has a delicious bernaise sauce on it.

Also, every Sunday I make a pot of soup for the week. I eat the soup for lunch and dinner on various days. It's healthy and I know everything that's in it! Some favorites are white bean and spinach and my chicken tortilla soup.

So, your choices are out there... life is so much better with my band! I have pizza maybe once every 3 months or so - just no interest at all. As for Chinese food, well - I prefer Japanese now - but if it's Chinese, I usually do garlic eggplant (nice and mushy!) or get this, Pork Lo Mein.

It takes a lot of trial and error but you'll find what works for you... and you'll probably be surprised by how much variety you'll be able to have. Good luck to you!

dani

do you have a reciepe for the Soups you make on a weekly bases. all reciepes i have are very high calorie. I am trying to stick under 1000 cal a day.

thanks

beth

We went out to eat for the first time since I got my band last Friday. We were having brunch at a Mexican restaurant. There were several choices I could have but most came with so much food. So I ordered a migas taco off the sides menu. Since I'm still on pureed foods/full liquids, I didn't eat the tortilla. For those who don't know Mexican food, migas are eggs scrambled with tortilla pieces, so I did eat some bits of soft tortilla. I ate slowly and didn't have any problem during the meal or after and it was great to eat so little, especially seeing all of the other plates piled with food. Frankly, their plates looked obscene! It's ridiculous how much food they serve at restaurants these days but I know people would complain if they didn't.

I don't eat out anywhere near what I used to. I left the fast food alone w/out even really realizing.

One of my favorite local places here is 42nd Oyster. I love seafood and you can pretty much get anything seafood there. I usually get an shrimp appetizer and either a baked potato or side salad and take the rest home.

If I go to TGIF, Applebee's, Chili's type places I usually get an appetizer and maybe a side veggie and take the rest home. For lunch maybe some soup @ Panera Bread or a salad.

I never tried any kids menus. I love leftovers so that works for me.

I eat a lot of salad. I get something with like grilled chicken salad and eat the chicken first, then the lettuce. I know some bandsters can't eat lettuce, but I haven't had a problem. I avoid bread.

A lot of restaurants have items that are "low carb" on the menu. These items avoid bread/starches which I have been told not to eat. These restaurants are big chains like: Cracker Barrell, Applebees, TGI Fridays, Bennigans, etc.

Also, if the restaurant serves Breakfast all day you can get breakfast food like eggs and ham (Cracker Barrel serves bfast all day).

I travel a lot for works, so I eat out a lot. the key is to PLAN. Know where you are going and decide even before you get there what you are going to eat. Look at their menu online. This will help you from being tempted when you get to the restaurant and see all the yummy food, bc you have already made up your mind.

Thanks for the info - I travel alot for work, too, and was wondering the same thing. Like right now, I am in the Rio Grande Valley and the Mexican Restaurants are unbelievable. This is my last week to travel before surgery. Yikes!

applebees has weightwatchers meals that are great. The shrimp and steak terryiaki is fabulous. I also eat salads and grilled chicken. I avoid bread and creamy sauces just because of the calories.