How to eat in public

[cataro 39]

Any advice for eating with people who don't know you have had surgery?

Next weekend I am hosting a ladies lunch and I will be expected to eat. The menu is steak, grilled asparagus, scalloped potatoes and a spinach and strawberry salad. As of this Wednesday 1/23 I will be cleared to eat all foods. My question is, how do I "eat" so that they don't notice I'm barely eating? I would prefer to not mention my surgery to these women, as they do love their gossip, and I only see them once a year for this lunch. The lunch is a must-attend, my grandmother hosted them for 20 years before passing the torch to me.

[IsB 209]

You're on a diet like half the population seems to be. Tell them that if they ask and no one will question it.

[UTGal99 327]

Just take a small portion of most items - put a good variety on your plate so it is not obvious, eat slowly and talk often to distract from your meal. If questioned by someone, just tell them you watching what you eat. New Year's Resolution to lose weight!

You will be fine - most people don't really notice it anyway.

Good Luck!

[partofme! 36]

I feel your pain! Yesterday I was out at a client brunch, and sitting down with a small group-I looked at the menu and ordered the lightest thing I could find-the egg and toast with yogurt.

food comes, and I am SO hungry that I eat a nice bite of egg, then another...wolf down half a piece of toast. Everyone else is eating at the same pace, and I feel like I need to keep pace.

But then it hits me-that feeling of a little bit woozy, a little bit not right...I ate too fast.

I sometimes forget I need to go slow-and for a function like this, I think there are some VERY good options for you to choose from that are sleeve friendly. If anyone says anything, just say you had a big Breakfast....opps!

I would choose the steak and spinach salad and stay away from the asparagus and potatoes all together. More filling...not as easy t omove around a plate and make it look like you ate more than what you did! lol

[TheCurvyJones 721]

Take small portions, eat a few bites of each thing, talk a lot. When they comment on how much you ate, "I guess I wasn't as hungry as I thought I was!" I'm not big on lying but I'm not telling EVERYONE I had surgery. My pat answers are usually, "This is all I'm having" or "I filled up on ______".

[enigmachik 403]

What I do in these situations is to use the salad and spread a very thin layer of salad over the majority of the plate. Then take just a tiny tiny amount of the other foods to put on my plate. The plate looks full because of the salad, but really there is very little food on it. Then I remind myself to eat slowly and talk between bites so that I can fit more into my little tummy. While I'm doing this I'm also subtly pushing some of the salad into a corner of the plate one forkful at a time between bites so that I'm clearing a bigger and bigger space on the plate making it look like I've eaten more than I have. I tend to clear off my plate in this way at roughly the same rate that other people are clearing their plates. When I can't fit any more food, whatever is left on the plate has been concentrated to one area of the plate so that it looks like I ate as much as anyone else. At this point it is perfectly acceptable to say you are full and to toss the rest of the remaining salad. No one has ever questioned me on this. Most of the time I don't even announce that I'm full, I just quietly get up and throw my plate away around the same time that everyone else is finishing eating. Most people are so busy socializing and focusing on their own food that they really don't notice how much you've eaten. Good luck!!

[clk 3,519]

Everyone is different but I could not have eaten more than a bite or two of any of those foods so quickly after surgery.

If you say you're watching what you eat they might let it slide.

I'd stay far away from the spinach and asparagus as many of us have trouble with fibrous veggies for as long as 9 months post op. Try them in tiny bites but they might be harder on you than you think. We're all so different there's no telling. I tried spinach as an early food once I was cleared and just a small bite caused actual discomfort.

Steak is notorious for being so dense it's hard to eat. You might get a few bites in but go very, very slowly and chew until you think you've got mush in your mouth. I am more than two years out and can still overdo steak if I'm not careful.

It's as if they picked the absolute worst menu for you possible! What about Soup and a nice Tomato salad - those would have been easier foods for you.

Good luck, whatever you decide to say or eat. Just go really slowly or you're apt to make yourself feel ill.

~Cheri

[asherje 81]

Tell them you're recovering from food poisoning and don't want to push yourself

[fyre_storm 1,412]

Just keep moving your food from my side to the other with little bites in between. Be talkative so no one will notice.

[O.T.R. sleever 3,386]

I highly recommend lying. It's so much easier than retaining your integrity.

[ShouldBlittler 89]

I would say that I was not feeling great....

[cataro 39]

Thanks for all of your input! It is def going to be a test! I was thinking of having a "practice" meal sometime this week and see how that goes. I guess I only have myself to blame for this, I picked the menu 4 months ago, not thinking ahead to what I could eat.

I was also going to tell the bartenders to pour heavy, maybe if I get em drunk they really won't notice, lol!!!