Going out to eat with the Band

[NJGirl32 43]

Going out to eat on the weekends is a big part of our social life. Is this still possible on the Band? What dort of foods are best to order or avoid?

Thanks!

[icequeen813 3]

Going out to eat on the weekends is a big part of our social life. Is this still possible on the Band? What dort of foods are best to order or avoid?

Thanks!

I've been eating out on an average of 2-3x/week since being banded! For me,it's been about food choices....high Protein, lowfat,low carb,no alcohol. Why waste calories on liquor when I can eat! I don't count calories,i don't weigh or measure my food.The band is fickle,sometimes I could"eat the hair off a ragdoll" & other times,when stressed at work, I can't eat much.

[HolliJ 24]

I definitely don't eat out as much as I used to. If I want restaurant food, I typically get it "to-go" and bring it home. It usually takes me 30 min to 2 hours to eat a meal. It works for my life because I can eat at my desk at work, at my house, or at my parents' house. Most of the time when I go to a restaurant, I eat a couple bites of food and box up the rest. A couple weeks ago I got Eggplant Parmesan at an Italian restaurant in NYC (vacation). I couldn't eat more than two bites and had to box it up for later. Many times after eating a bite or two of a meal, I have to wait 20 minutes or so until it's loose enough for me to eat at a semi-normal pace. But that's not reasonable most of the time when you're eating out. You have friends/family with you or you end up holding a table for far longer than you should (which means the server doesn't get to turn around the table and makes less money).

I think it really depends on the person and how tight you are. If I eat out, I usually get something from Outback Steakhouse. Usually a Soup and then the Seared Ahi tuna (I'm obsessed with it). The Soup loosens me up and allows me to eat the tuna. Otherwise, it could be anything I'd normally eat. No matter what I get, I can either eat it at that time or I can't. Sometimes I feel tight/stuck, other times it goes right down.

Last time I sat down in a restaurant with people who didn't know about my band, I had problems eating. I had a couple bites of my meal and then boxed it up. No one said anything, but they were probably like, "WTF eater?"

[Mimilou2004 13]

Grilled chicken breast could be a disaster, depending on how tight you are.....I avoid it completely when out and I don't prepare it that way for myself. Be careful with soft doughy bread, too. It forms a lump in the pouch very easily. I eat out a lot and have learned what works and doesn't work for me.

Good luck.

Mimi

[CarrieRN2006 1]

eating out is def something that i did A LOT prior to my lapband and now i try to avoid it. Its really uncomfortable to be in a public place and have your food get stuck and have to throw it back up. I try to get Pasta and cut it really really small. It seems to be the most successful for me at a restaurant. you will find what is easiest for you to do and what isnt. Like the previous person said, it takes a while for me to eat so eating out is hard. i usually get it boxed and take it home to eat at MY normal pace. good luck

[agdunkle 3]

I eat out on occasion..maybe once every few weeks. Some of my faves are: crab cakes and grilled fish from a local seafood restaurant, "grilled" fish from long john silvers, mac and cheese from panera bread. I'm not one that has problems with food except beef tends to disagree a little.

[HeatherinCA 10]

I go out a lot. I still personally, order a regular meal and just eat what I can usually about 1/3 to a 1/2 of it (appetizers usually have a crapload of calories, not worth it). If I can plan ahead I do.. I like to check out the menu and see what I can eat. Generally just look for anything grilled, baked or broiled and doesn't have a sauce on it... Or if I don't know the calories, I just try to guess, and eat a small amount, I don't over do it. Don't get the bread basket, a salad, Soup, dessert, soda, alcohol.. then a meal isn't so terrible.

I don't get sick or puke, I haven't had any problems yet. But if you do, then you may want to be more careful.

[kll724 3,055]

My favorite restaurant is "Catfish Country" here in Lakeland, Florida. I order the baked haddock and sweet potato. I cut off 1/4 of it for myself. I box up the rest for my husband who doesn't enjoy eating out. He and I both have plenty to eat. I really enjoy sweet potatoes because they get real oft, and easy to get out of the skin. As the Catfish Country serves all you can eat cole slaw with the meal, that is plenty for me. Hope that gives you some idea what you can eat, too! Karen

[stateofzen 46]

I eat out, maybe 1x-2x a week on average.

The only thing my band doesn't like is french fries. I do try to order low carb (most of the time) and I don't eat out of the bread basket. I pay attention to my hunger and I mostly stop eating when I'm "not hungry" though occasionally I push it to "full" and then regret it all night-- I hate that too full feeling with my band.

On Sundays, my husband and I go to a barbecue place. I might order a pulled pork sandwich, and just eat the meat (no bun/no side). Or I'll get a half-salad with smoked turkey and eat 1/2- 2/3rds of it. If I go to a Greek place, I might order a gyro and just eat the insides. If we do Mexican, I might get a burrito and eat 1/3 of it. If you stay away from bread and starches while eating out, you can usually do it fairly low-calorie. And the best part is, you can ALWAYS take leftovers home for the next day or two.

[Cocoabean 430]

My eating out is very much like stateofzen's. I avoid the bread if it is soft. I avoid chicken breast (almost guaranteed to get stuck).

I figure out where the bathroom is right away, just in case. Like Heather, I check out the menu ahead of time if I can and have a plan before I get there. I do sometimes order from the appetizer menu, especially if I am with a group. Mainly because appetizer tend to be easier to eat and thus, less likely to get stuck. In a group, I tend to pay less attention to what I am eating, and more to the conversation. So I am more likely to take a bigger bite, or swallow before fully chewed. This tends to lead to getting stuck, so I'll go more with slider type foods in that situation.

With my hubby, we often share meals. Or if there is a split fee, I'll order a blow of Soup, and then take a bit of his entree. If he wants his own entree, then I order one and know that I have my lunch for the next day.

It doesn't have to be stressful. And dining out should not be something you avoid because you are banded. You just have to made some adjustments.

[Llyra 3]

I eat out regularly, though not as often as I did pre-band. Wednesday nights I go out with my dance students after class; my usual order is Soup and crackers (the place makes divine pepper cheese soup), though occasionally I splurge and have a chocolate malt. My daughter enjoys Chinese food, so I order kung pao chicken, eat the Soup and a few bites of rice, chicken, and vegetables and box the rest for later.

bread doesn't work for me any more, neither does dry meat of any kind. I always loved sandwiches and my friends like to meet at sandwich shops. It has been an adjustment, but I've learned to love soup just as much.

I'm a little concerned about eating on the road next week, but I will manage.

[MaggieB 6]

We eat out at least once per week. I don't have any trouble. Sometimes I will split with one of my kids or husband & sometimes I order my own and take leftovers home. I can pretty much eat whatever I want - I try to eat "healthy" - I stay away from breads, meats can be difficult depending how they are cooked. This lapband has not stopped me from eating out or having an occasional alcoholic beverage - I just need to think about my choices.