male only Foodies in restaurants

[Cpt. Ahab 5]

Hi,

So...I'm getting banded in about 2 weeks and I've started my pre-op diet - started it a bit early - been on it about 5 days. So far so good - shakes are tolerable and lean lunches aren't that bad either.

My problem is with the fact that in order to do the pre-op right the choices and tastes are rather limited. Yes, I have a list of all the wonderful "shakes" you can make - but I'm not really a shake/smoothie kinda person.

I enjoy food, not for emotional or stress reasons, but for the quality and taste (I know - a form of addiction). So my question to those who've been banded for a while is: Will I be able to eat high-end, quality restaurant foods or will a trip to a restaurant be a total waste of time not to mention money?

I don't mind eating in small quantities, but I would still like to enjoy the foie gras, good stinky cheeses (bread I can live without), a nice steak (a small one) or really unique and different foods that I have access to while traveling on the expense account

I don't care about burgers, fast food, cakes and all other junk - that I can totally give up and never care a bit, but when I'm faced with a chocolate soufflé with grand marnier - it's kinda hard to say no - again I'll only have a bite - it's the taste experience that's enticing.

I'm also a sucker for street food - especially in NY.

Have any of you thought about this before the surgery? How has your restaurant experience been affected by the band? Did you have to give up all the delicious things and replace them with shakes or meh chicken just to deal with the band? Have any of the awesome gourmet foods been a problem because of the band?

Any insight would be great. Thanks in advance!!

Ahab

[Jack 855]

Hello Ahab, welcome to the wonderful world of BandsterLand!!!

Here's my personal responses to your inquiries:

My problem is with the fact that in order to do the pre-op right the choices and tastes are rather limited. Yes, I have a list of all the wonderful "shakes" you can make - but I'm not really a shake/smoothie kinda person....[maybe not yet.....]

: Will I be able to eat high-end, quality restaurant foods or will a trip to a restaurant be a total waste of time not to mention money? [i attended a banquet just a few days after my 3 week liquids/3 week mushies phase. The biggest thing I could eat was a poached egg....but it was sheer heaven. Watching the people at my table stuff down their third full plate of heavy starches just to dive into their gooey Desserts was a real lesson for me!]....and there are phases in which you will not care for much, but still have a taste of restaurant fare with great enjoyment. The amounts will be considerably decreased. And do not be surprised to find your tastes may have changed, for what you think you may like.

re: enjoy the foie gras [i've never been able to tolerate even the odor of it], good stinky cheeses [probably no change there] (bread I can live without) [i lived for bread but now often go weeks without any and don't miss it]

, a nice steak (a small one) [i can really enjoy a properly grilled petite 4 oz, rarely 6 oz...typically when I grill burger, I'll do a pound as one large pattie and cut into quarters which last most of the week] or other nice juicy medium rare steaks...I can't chew the fibrous 'well done' versions enough to enjoy them]

or really unique and different foods that I have access to while traveling on the expense account [mostly I can eat about anything I choose, heeding certain matters....dry chicken for instance remain a problem....preparation is important whether it fits or not]

en I'm faced with a chocolate soufflé with grand marnier - it's kinda hard to say no - again I'll only have a bite - it's the taste experience that's enticing.[fortunately I'm indifferent to chocolate of any kind....if I never have it in the next 30 years I wouldn't miss it]

I'm also a sucker for street food - especially in NY.[some street food works for me and some doesn't--flour tortillas aren't well tolerated while chips are....crackers/dry/toasted yes, french bread no. I used to buy loaves of specialty bread....one for home, one to get me there...there's a lot of variation in street food in the places I've been.]

Have any of you thought about this before the surgery? How has your restaurant experience been affected by the band? Did you have to give up all the delicious things and replace them with shakes or meh chicken just to deal with the band? Have any of the awesome gourmet foods been a problem because of the band?

[Actually my *taste* changed...what pleases my palette changed, so I don't feel like I "gave up" anything. I enjoy gourmet food...but have a far more limited notion of what I actually *want* to eat than preOp. And the biggest most surprising change for me, has been that I no longer "live to eat"....that phrase never mean much preOp....I now literally --most the time--- "eat to live". And I can enjoy the process of becoming hungry without the dread and anxiety preOp, that dreadful things were about to happen. The process of becoming hungry enough to eat has at times become as enjoyable as the process of eating itself. Who would have thought!!

So cheers on your journey!!!

Keep us posted on your voyage of discovery!!!

[Clown 1]

Eh... everyone is different. However, you should be fine with all of the good foods. It's the "cheap good foods" that'll do you in.

Cheap steak I never liked, but I could make it taste good. Now I can't tolerate cheap steaks, I can't chew them up enough to get past my baby stomach. Love me some NY strip, Prime Rib, Rib Eye... Never cooked more than about medium.

Cheap Chinese food doesn't cut it, either. The buffet type of places often have cheap "chicken" and steak/beef that I can't chew up enough.

Rice I only eat when I get a Sushi Roll of some sort. Even then, I douse it in wasabi soy mix and chew chew chew and swallow slowly.

With BBQ I'm very particular. I'll only usually eat my own Brisket, and I smoke it for about 12-15 hours to get it to break down real well. chicken can't be dry at all. Pork Butt always goes down easy (when I cook it).

Sea Food is fantastic. Sometimes I have some issues with shrimp and lobster. I have to chew the heck out of it. Calamari has to be hot, otherwise it's like eating rubber bands and I'll never get it down.

Gourmet Beer would be nice, but it's out. I don't want to even find out that I can tolerate them.

And, like the guy before me... I don't constantly think about food anymore. I've had one meal all day today and I have to remember to grab something so I get some Protein. I was so preoccupied with food and what I was going to be eating that I got less accomplished. I do eat more sweets now, but only because I can get away with it. I can grab an iced Caramel Machiatto and not think twice about it.