How do you feel about eating out after weight loss surgery?

[pink dahlia 2,513]

We eat out 1-2x a month, as my hubbys diabetic and we prefer healthy cooking at home. On the rare occasions we do go out Ill order a regular small meal, eat a little bit and take the rest home for several meals. My favorite ? Red Lobster coconut shrimp with those cheddar biscuts ! !!!!! Im drooooooling..............

[menjaz 35]

Other: My sister and I go out a lot: We started sharing something like an omelet. She gets half plus the bread and potatoes. On Easter Sunday, my family went out. I shared with my grand daughter. I do hate wasting money on a whole meal. My eating out bills are much, much lower now.

[MetroDetroitChic 86]

I pick out what I am going to eat from my fitness pal before I even get in there. Then I know I have a high Protein decent calorie option. Then I eat accordingly. Honestly? I like restaurants. I like the laid back pace and the social aspect. I just don't eat ANYTHING that I cannot track in my fitness pal....

[mommyjamie 83]

I'm only 6 days out, but LOVE going out to eat. What suggestions do you guys make for different restaurants? I typically love Chinese but worry since everything seems to be cooked in oil.

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

I'm only 6 days out, but LOVE going out to eat. What suggestions do you guys make for different restaurants? I typically love Chinese but worry since everything seems to be cooked in oil.

I dreamed about this meal (DINNER) while on my six-week post-op liquids phase. Granted, it's double the calories what my recent meals are lately (I'm trying to stay under 800 per day and usually succeed), but for the day yesterday, this brought me to 1,062, which I consider okay. This meal itself was 621. A lot? Yes. Worth it? Yes. I also brought home more than this as leftovers. My point is, if you use MyFitnessPal, just about everything is in there and you can easily plan ahead. This is steak and lobster and a wedge salad. I had moderate portions of each. I obviously will only be eating this way once in a blue moon, but yesterday the moon was blue, so there you go.

(Note: the drawn butter killed the counts, but made the meal.)

Edited April 26, 2014 by JustWatchMe

[gowalking 10,790]

I'm only 6 days out, but LOVE going out to eat. What suggestions do you guys make for different restaurants? I typically love Chinese but worry since everything seems to be cooked in oil.

It's all about moderation. If you love Chinese, eat it once in a while. That won't hurt you. I went to a Japanese/Chinese buffet with my son and DIL last night. I'm OK in buffets now because I can manage the amount I eat. And I'm fine in a place where I can get fish. I don't eat the Chinese food when I'm eating there....I stay with the sushi and sashimi. Less rice that way. I had one plate of food....not three. And the one plate was not piled to the ceiling. Even so, I'm up about a pound today. No problem. I expected it. The soy sauce, even cut with Water as I do, has so much sodium that I know I'll gain weight. But it's Water weight and will be gone in a day or two.

You can eat out anywhere as long as you are smart about it and manage your expectations. Don't eat fried foods...eat veggies and Proteins. Easy on the Soup...again it's loaded with sodium. If you weigh yourself often, don't be surprised to see a temporary weight gain.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

[mommyjamie 83]

Sounds like outback! I love their wedge salad and 6 oz steak. Oh god, now I'M dreaming about it. Yum!

[mommyjamie 83]

When I go to the Chinese buffet I usually eat peel and eat shrimp. Lol that's it!

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

Sounds like outback! I love their wedge salad and 6 oz steak. Oh god, now I'M dreaming about it. Yum!

Yes, it was definitely a special occasion. I think it's the first time I've ever gone there without ordering the Bloomin' Onion. And the portions are huge, which I never realized until I was monitoring my food. I knew exactly what I wanted, and I had the right portions. I have lobster maybe once a year, so the drawn butter won't be a recurring thing. LOL.

[1Day1Life4Now 882]

Eating is part of living. Having the WLS helps me limit the amount that I eat but the research and classes have helped me learn how and what to eat. As long as I employ these training rules to my meals I am okay regardless of where I eat. I prefer to eat at home where I can eat what I am supposed to but going to restaurants is part of our social life. I go to the restaurants to enjoy my friends and the conversations... the food is just something that comes along with it. I try to order the healthiest thing I can find on the menu, eat what I can and take the rest home. A number of times I have found I was unable to eat the order once it arrived at my table but I didn't make a big deal of it I just ordered a "to go box" and continued on with the fun. I always order Water with lemon but I don't drink it. I try not to call attention to myself when I am at a restaurant so that it is not uncomfortable for myself, my friends, or the wait staff. Last Wednesday we went out with family members, none of which know I've had WLS, and I ordered a steak that came with the salad and baked potato. I had about 5 bites of steak and 5 bites of salad and was satisfied. I gave the baked potato and 1/2 my steak to my nephew and the other half of the steak to my husband and nobody else even noticed. Everyone else was so wrapped up in eating their own meals and the conversations going on that it was a non-issue. I didn't have WLS to quit living... just to slow down the eating and this works.

[RNBSN786 206]

I live in NYC area and the culture in here is that people eat out 99% of the time. It's a social thing plus convenience and if you work crazy hrs you don't much time to cook. I just bought myself the griddler by cuisine art to make kebabs or burgers or grill everything and anything. But also this past week I was out a lot and I ended up ordering small Soups and are half and brought it home. I even had chipotle but just the salad with Proteins and I still was not able to eat the salad but had the meat and Beans and that whole tray of salad lasted me for 4 meals. Before surgery I would eat the whole salad in a sitting. I am not much worried about eating out cause I can always get eggs or just a piece of chicken or fish and eat that. I love sashimi without the rice so I am looking forward of trying that out. And also am glad that I can order app size meals and be full. But any advice you guys have about eating out let me know. Thnks in advance!

[newat52 1,613]

I'm disappointed there were only negative choices. whats up with that?Eating out should not be negative. In the beginning, sure it is scary till you get back on your feet. After a few months when one is back on a regular eating plan, go for it! I go out often. Its a social thing for me. I can go into a Mexican restaurant and not go anywhere near the chips. Every once in a while I do have a few but not often. Plenty of healthy things with Mexican food, which is, by the way, a food group all its own in Texas! If we know where we are going, I look online and see what there is. If not, I can't think of a restaurant that we would go to and not have some healthy choices.

I can go to McDonalds and find healthy choices. You couldn't pay me to order a Big Mac or even just a small cheeseburger. If I'm going to splurge on a burger, its going to be at a higher quality burger place, but even then hubby and I share one and I lose the bun. Don't order it that way but I just take it off.

I guess my point is that I didn't have WLS to be paranoid about food for the rest of my life. I want to have a normal life and make good decisions. For me, If I can eat my best 80% of the time, eat better 15% and 5% splurge, I consider that a success. No one can be perfect 100% of the time. Especially me.

If I"m someplace and I just can find anything, I will always ask for a grilled chicken breast and grilled veggies, even if its not on the menu. I have never been turned down. If you don't see, ask.

We have all made a brave and amazing choice to regain our health, lets go out and live and not cowering at home being afraid.

I will be curious to read through all the responses.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[Vixynne 695]

I picked other because you did not really have a "positive" choice to vote for. i never get sick, I can always find something and I am very comfortable eating at restaurants - I enjoy the social aspects and the ambiance. If I am with my sons, i usually take a small portion off their plates. If I am out with friends, or a date or something, I eat off the appetizer menu. Shrimp skewer, for example, is the perfect bariatric meal.

I am 28 months post op, I didn't really go to restaurants too much during the weight loss phase.

I never feel like anybody looks at me weird or any of that. I think that since I am now "small" people accept it, when I was obese, i probably got more "looks" but again I didn't do alot of restaurant meals during the loss phase.

I agree completely with this! I wasn't sure which vote to mark, since I have no problems eating out at restaurants. I'm nearly 9 months post-sleeve, and going out to eat isn't difficult for me, because I can always find something to eat that is higher in Protein, not deep-fried, etc.

Restaurant eating--for me--just means that if I order a regular entree, there will be leftovers to take home. Ordering my meal doesn't cause me or my companions any stress. I eat what I can, enjoy the company and my food, and finally feel like a "normal" eater rather than a binge gobbler.

[Lilbelly 31]

_{I eat out once a week (girls night out). I usually order an appetizer, if I do order a meal which is rare, I take 1/2 home & most times my daughter or son will eat it. I don't eat bread, or rice most everything else. Just smaller portions. I do however get an "drink". It has really affected me as I know my belly is smaller, it hits me quick. I need to be careful.}

[kayzoog 129]

I marked "other". Since restaurant portions are so large, my biggest worry about going to restaurants is, "Who will be my back-up eater?". Especially when I am traveling for work, I need someone to split things with, or someone to take home my left overs. A quick poll of my colleagues usually finds someone eager to help. At home I usually just eat some off of my boyfriend's plate. The best part is I rarely have to pick up the tab! "Oh Kristi, you barely ate anything, let me pay for it". Ha!