So, I was invited to a dinner party at my friend's house tonight. She was nice enough to ask me what my restrictions are and what I can eat. She told me a menu that sounded good. I told her I don't eat many carbs and that I mostly protein and veggies. So, I get there and what has she made? Lasagna and garlic bread! I thought I had prepared well for the meal, but I guess I need to be more specific and clear. At least at a restaurant there are more options for me to pick from. I guess live and learn!

I also eat before I go out to someone's home. I am lucky that my mom wil hook me up with the same thing everyone else might be eating but bake or G. foreman it for me. I also have no problem with taking my own salad and peanuts with me where ever i go, I always traval with my cooler, extra crystal lite and spelnda packets.

Also someone said something about getting the band thinking we could eat the samething as everyone else but less. I am still trying to lose as much weight as i can before I get to my goal weight. There has been very few times that I have been able to eat the same dinner as my family. I try not to eat very few carbs, salt or reg. sugar items. I can eat some of the food they eat but just prepared differently.

My doc's philosophy is that he would like his patients to be less hungry, more easily sated, to make good food choices, and to eat smaller portions- but NOT to feel restriction to swallowing and NOT to be unable to eat certain foods or food groups.

I was banded 1 month ago. So far, there isn't anything I haven't been able to eat. I eat many of my meals out, or catered at meetings, and it has worked fine. I do pick and choose, keep my portions small, my bites small, and I chew well. I have never vomited, PB'ed, or slimed, though things have briefly gotten stuck a few times. I'm learning to feel the signals on that. I have lost 20lbs in the first month. I have 40 more to go.

Isn't this how it's supposed to be? Or am I just a really lucky outlier? I hope to get a small fill next week, and it would be nice to be a little less hungry like I was in the first week post-op, but honestly don't want to get where I can't eat real food and need to put a lot of energy into special eating requirements.

I was able to eat whatever I wanted the first 3 months, but after my second fill last week I'm very limited. I think a lot of it depends on your fill and how restricted you are.

I agree that it depends on your fill and restriction level.

At any rate, it gets a lot easier after you have been banded for some time. After six months to a year, you pretty much know what you can tolerate and what you can't.

I tell people I am dieting in a lower carb fashion and don't make mention about banding. Usually that provides better choices . . . but not always. I just accept that unless I am really close to someone, dinner at their house is a bit of a crap shoot. However, most dinners will have at least one thing I can eat.

I was banded on Oct. 13, 2008 and for me its been hard to eat around people. I went out to lunch with a bunch of co-workers and ordered some chicken and veg. could only eat a small amount and asked for the rest to go. I got tons of nasty comments from people. They did not know that I had the surgery, but it still bothered me. My family is also still getting use to me eating small portions. One thing I cant eat is carbs even one bite of bread or Pasta and I am throwing it up.

Me too!! Breads, pastas... any carbs are insta pukers!

Hmmm, how to say this without sounding mean?

I dont expect anyone to "get it" either. Its fair enough if you dont want to eat carbs and like to follow a low carb diet. But expecting people to cater to that is a bit unrealistic, this is only about you and nobody else really gives a flying you know what, nor is family going to not enjoy their meals or husbands going to give up their ice cream. I think bandsters need to deal with their families and friends, not the other way around.

Nor do I agree with all the obsession over "getting your money's worth" in a reastaurant, taking home containers of uneaten food, arguing about ordering off the child's menu (who on earth would WANT to) or trying to get senior's discounts when you're not a senior etc. Its all just dysfunctional food behaviour. Just eat what you can/what you want/keep the portion small, leave the rest. It seems so simple to me.

I honestly wouldnt even think to post that someone had cooked me lasagne, I'd just eat a small bit of it, leave the garlic bread and never think about it again. Banding is not about obsessive diets, its about a new lifestyle and one meal of lasagne does not make or break a lifestyle.

Sorry, that DOES sound mean. I truly dont intend it to but I just think its important to gain these life skills, not think that you can control the menu or proceedings to suit your band.

I feel that am able to handle most situations now that I am banded. HOWEVER, she specifically asked me what I would like to eat for dinner as she knows that I had surgery. She even sent me a bunch of options prior to the event that I could choose from, all things that I could eat. Then, when I got there it was something totally different. Otherwise, I would not presume to tell someone what I want to eat at their house for dinner. I told her I can eat whatever, but I eat low carb mostly because I am diabetic. Had she not asked specifically, I would have eaten something prior to the event or brought something I could eat. Since I am only 3 months post op I am in a learning process and now I have learned to be prepared in that situation.

That is what I call an "Oh well" situation.

She was kind enough to ask. Cool. She didn't understand, or didn't worry or whatever. Oh well. If she is a friend, forgive her mistake. If she is not, shoot her... (of course, that's a joke).

Just say "oh well" and move on. Don't take it as a big insult. It is a pretty small part of life.

Since only DH knows Ive been banded (almost 1 year too!), and I take frequent business trips and have meetings where food of all kinds is presented, I have learned how to eat and not have the focus be on who is eating what and how much. So I carry a yogurt, water, and a few nuts in my briefcase if I go to a meeting; yes, snacks before I go to someone's house if historically their food was not the best choices. In the case of someone serving me lasagna, I either (depending on my mindset at the time) would eat the filling and leave the pasta (and just say if someone rudely commented on it I'm watching my carbs), OR take a few bites including the pasta and then cut up, move around, and leave the rest. In restaurants, I usually order only an appetizer, and make it last through the entire meal. Unlike Jachut though, if there are leftovers, I do take them home - DH is a walking talking stomach and I've paid for it, so someone is getting my money's worth!

To be honest, I was just venting the night it happened. I'm over it, moved on! I was just responding to people's messages. Thanks for the advice.