Lunch Out With All My Coworkers

[Joiebean 53]

Well, I couldn't hide it anymore. Not that I was hiding it at all, but people don't typically feel comfortable saying anything about my surgery and I'm not going to engage them in a discussion about it, if that's the case. Well, a coworker's last day is tomorrow so we took her out to lunch today (I work with a team of 7, so it was us and our supervisor.)The restaurant we went to had NOTHING sleeve friendly (at least 3 weeks out sleeve friendly) that wouldn't be awkward to order "Yes, I'd like a side of mashed potatoes please" (you can get away with that with friends and family, but its completely different with coworkers) so I ordered a sauteed veggie wrap and ate the veggies out of it, but left this heaping mound of yucky overcooked squash and wrap shell. And I ate maybe four french fries...again leaving a heaping mound. None of it I wanted to take home, but we were all splitting it 6 ways anyway and I didn't want to get totally shafted (not ordering anything and having to put $20 in anyway) so I ordered the wrap and ate what I could.

WELL...there was such a huge wave of judgement that I was wasting so much food because I didn't want to take the rest home. And when I was picking it apart, one of my coworkers, jokingly asked, 'What can you eat? What's the point?" I blamed most of it on the hiatal hernia repair, to embarressed for some reason to say to the whole group at the table "I had weight loss surgery and can't eat as much as you all anymore." Not sure why I felt so embarressed...as I've said to others and have to keep trying to remember...we'll have good days and bad. The most important thing is that I got through it.

[circa 333]

I don't understand other people's obsession with other people's food intake. WHY does it matter? You paid for it, you can eat it if you want, or you can throw it out the window and give it to the sea gulls circling over the parking lot. Its YOUR food to do with what you please.

[Catracks 865]

I'm glad everyone in my choir knows. We had a pizza and birthday cake. I picked and ate the topping off my pizza and refused cake.

Next time just look at them in amazement and declare, "How can you possibly shovel in that much food? Did your tongue even get a chance to taste it?"

Just kidding. I feel snarky today.

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

Ask yourself, what was I embarrassed about? The surgery was your business and not theirs. Just wait, in a few weeks, you are going to have lost so much weight that your co workers will be wagging their tongues. I hope you let go of the embarrassment. It is a waste of your time. This is a time to rejoice and Celebrate the new you! You will teaching them how to eat also... LOL. The surgery is a tool, now the mental part that is your thoughts belongs to you. We all have choices. You can chose to focus on others, or you can smile and show everyone how happy you are. This is the best thing that you have ever done for yourself and now is the time to focus on your body is changing and how others are looking at you in admiration. If your co workers aren't asking about your surgery it's probably because they don't know how are are very involved in their own stuff. CONGRATS!

[massindex 346]

You know I got some good advice once on this board when the same thing happened to me. I was told to just say, which I did, "I'm trying to lose weight and nothing appeals to me right now. (Smiling) I just want to go with this as long as I can." Everyone laughed and we moved on. Several weeks later, the same thing happened again. I just said "I like the results so I'm sticking with what works (Smiling)." It no longer became an issue and now is a source of admiration.

[Lissa 2,631]

I ate lunch out with a pretty diverse group today, including two passing acquaintances. I ordered/shared an appetizer with my hubby and ate 1/4 of a bread stick, plus a Tomato and olive from the salad. Not one person commented on my food intake. No one even commented when my friend reached out and took my dinner fork, then nonchalantly passed me a single bite of mashed potatoes. I LOVE mashed potatoes, but only have a bite when I'm out with someone who doesn't mind if I share a little.

Had anyone asked, I would have told them I had WLS, but it was a non-issue, thank goodness. It IS a little intimidating to tell a table full of people you don't know well all about having your insides reduced so that your outside can reduce in turn!

[christin 54]

You know I got some good advice once on this board when the same thing happened to me. I was told to just say, which I did, "I'm trying to lose weight and nothing appeals to me right now. (Smiling) I just want to go with this as long as I can." Everyone laughed and we moved on. Several weeks later, the same thing happened again. I just said "I like the results so I'm sticking with what works (Smiling)." It no longer became an issue and now is a source of admiration.

I really like this!

[Catracks 865]

I ate lunch out with a pretty diverse group today, including two passing acquaintances. I ordered/shared an appetizer with my hubby and ate 1/4 of a bread stick, plus a Tomato and olive from the salad. Not one person commented on my food intake. No one even commented when my friend reached out and took my dinner fork, then nonchalantly passed me a single bite of mashed potatoes. I LOVE mashed potatoes, but only have a bite when I'm out with someone who doesn't mind if I share a little. :smile1:

That's pretty much how I eat out. I love to share food. It makes food a social and intimate thing which I still think it should be. it's funny though, some people are real territorial about their food. Respect all around is the key.

BTW, I really love your friends.

[Lissa 2,631]

I've been pretty lucky to have some great people in my life. My friends are awesome and very supportive. I guess that makes up for most of my family being just meh.