hello everyone!!

I was banded 8/3/06 and have about 70ish pounds off. I let myself slip for quite a while and am now after a fill and feeling the benefits agian of this wonderful band.

Anyway, my family does go out to eat often and I like to go to lunch with friends. I am curious how you handle eating out? I have one of those "I had surgery" cards, but I've yet to use it. Until the past fill (the first in almost a year...tsk tsk, I know) it wasnt THAT big of an issue.

But since this last fill, i can eat only a little (I think I'm finally at my optimal fill). We tend to go to salad bar buffet places (not often, but there are times we all just crave salads) and when i went this past week, I was only able to eat MAYBE one cup of soup. I paid $6 for this one cup of soup.

I'm wondering if anyone uses their card, or how they handle eating out? Are you sharing? Are you eating from the child menu? I'm just curious how I can not spend so much money on such little food.

Thanks for anything you can say in advance!

Tootles

Dawn

I dont go out to lunch often but when I do we usually go to Baja Fresh and I order from the kids menu without a problem. When I go out to dinner with friends I will normally have them wrap up half of whatever it is that I ordered so that I have a better chance of stopping myself from eating too much. there have been a few times when I have gone out to eat and shared a dinner with a someone and I've never had a problem from any restaurant staff.

My husband and I go out for dinner once a week, or we try. I will enjoy a glass of wine and order a bowl of soup or an appetizer, depending on what kind of restaurant we go to. BTW, I am at goal, so I don't worry so much about 'what' I am ordering, just worry about the waste of ordering too much.

I go out to lunch a lot and I haven't had any problems. I never order off the children's menu as the food usually isn't as good. I take home left overs a lot and eat it for dinner. Buffets are where you will spend a lot based on the amount you eat. I look at going out for lunch as an escape from the office and just accept the fact that I spend more based on the amount I eat now. For me it is worth it.

Hi!

I go out to eat often and have a couple of strategies. If someone else is ordering something that sounds good to me, I ask if they want to split it. I only eat 3-4 bites anyway, so it usually works for me. My husband and I do this constantly.

If we go to a fast food place, I just order off the kids menu. I'm a picky eater anyway.

If we go to a nice restaurant, and no one is ordering anything I like, I just order my own, but I ask for a doggy bag very quickly...not to stop me from eating (the band does that for me), but so I don't look so weird if I stop after 3 bites :-)

I've been to one buffet and spent a lot of money on my 4 bites. Oh well...to me, the company was worth it.

Hope that helps!

I just take home leftovers and eat from the regular menu.

I also order from the regular menu - I don't deprive myself, just try to order carefully. I take the leftovers home and usually take them to work the next day for lunch - which is a treat twice!

The going out is a social event not a food-a-thon...buffets here in Chicago seldom honor the card--nor do I care to discuss it with people. Ameal at McDonalds these days is as costly as a buffet and does not give the variety nor do I wish to take it home so the money is all the same. If you go to a regular place you can share or take home whats left if you choose....all that said, I make up my mind that the company is what I was going for and whatever the price it was the price of entertaining myself with friends...it is a insite...and what a pleasure it is now to go to a concert and be able to be comfortable in the seat...costs the same but the pleasure is much greater now that my thighs are not black and blue from squeezing into the seat!! Why bring attention that is negative to yourself by ordering from the childrens menu that probably does not have what you need to eat anyway?? I am after all trying to be "normal" and normal people leave food on their plate and think NOTHING of it...I am done with the clean plate club/ and the starving children in Europe...just a few thoughts!! THANX!!

I don't use the card. At best it maybe encourages a restaurant to give me a discount, but it's not a guarantee, it's honored at their discretion. That's kind of an integrity thing for me personally. I never offered to pay more when I ate more than everyone else, so why would I ask them to charge me less now that I eat less? I'll just pay what it costs, and eat what I want. As I see it, the price is more than the food, it's the company. But that's just me, and doesn't necessarily apply to anyone else.

If the cost of the soup bothers you, maybe suggest somewhere else to go? A place that lets you carry home your extras, so you can have multiple meals, or some to share with someone else. Lots and lots of places have soup/half sandwish, soup/salad, soup/potato combo lunches that are good options (and I'm TIGHT during the day, very limited on what I can eat and quantity, so I've looked just about everywhere).

I don't eat from the children's menu usually because it's such poor quality food. When I can find good quality items I order them, no card, I just say I'm not that hungry, won't eat that much, and want to order from the kids' menu. Been doing this for over two years and no objections so far.

Most often I order a regular menu item and just make several meals out of it.

Or I go with a side. We went to a steakhouse with friends this weekend, and I ordered the side item baked potato.

I also order what I want and just have them box up half or more before they even bring it to the table. It's funny - I feel like I'm "cheating the system" because I get 2 or 3 meals out of any meal I get at restaurants.

This strategy makes it much easier on my friends and family - who were constantly asking, "Where can Becca eat?" I now answer "Becca can eat wherever you want to eat - but if you see me start to peek into the 'to-go' box, you'd better slap my hand."

When you go to a buffet and barely eat anything, think of all those times you probably ate more than your moneys worth. It all evens out in the end.