Social eating after gastric sleeve

[Esi 179]

Maybe 9 months out, I felt comfortable eating out socially. Buffets, fast food, wherever. Just keep a laser focus on what will be good for you, take smaller portions, and be prepared to leave some on the plate or take it home.

I once took a weekend vacation, ate out (but supplemented with healthy Snacks from home), and lost 3 pounds.

There will definitely be options!

[Hesitant but hopeful 7]

Thanks to all of you for your helpful descriptions! I feel better about trying to picture how life will be after.

I am almost a month away from surgery. I've been pretty positive and sure about my decision but still have short periods where I freak out. And think, what am I doing??

Your posts helped me today.

[learn2cook 576]

On 05/21/2022 at 00:16, ja1721 said:

I got sleeved 4/10. I'm not able to answer your question precisely but I'm kind of in the same boat. Currently I don't eat with my family, but I do eat with my friends. I simply check if the menu offers Soup or ask if they can accommodate me. If all else fails, I order herbal tea with artificial sweetener. I've only went out with my best friend, who knows I had the surgery. It's definitely not recommended to do so now but I just had my graduation ceremony.

My aunt did the gastric sleeve years before I did. I don't think she began to eat "normally" until after a year. She never fully finishes a meal but will want a small snack afterwards (yogurt). She can't handle spicy food for anything, even now. She doesn't follow the rule of 30 anymore. Almost every time she eats out, she gets heartburn, indigestion, etc. When she finishes eating, it's not because she's happily satisfied but because she's uncomfortable. That's not to say that she doesn't enjoy her food. Obviously, this is when we would go out for rich, once-in-a-while type food. She doesn't really experience this with home cooked foods. Bear in mind, she also fell into some of her old habits. Thankfully, she didn't have too much weight gain. I've also noticed she's a lot pickier now, taste wise. Downright acts like a food critic. Overall, she definitely eats enough that it isn't obvious she had WLS. She just appears to be finnicky with a sensitive stomach.

Her initial recovery was a month long so that spared her from dealing with people who didn't know she did the procedure. When she went back to work, her coworkers were all up in her business demanding to know why she was eating so little (and not out of concern). They would bring her sweets even though they were fully aware she was dropping weight. It was clear they were trying to sabotage her. Outside of work, the only people she's had to deal with were family and her husband's friends. So, she only had serious social gatherings around the holidays, and she was sleeved in the Spring.

WLS is obviously not ideal if you have a robust social life. For me, even when I get to my soft food stage, I'll still order Soup at restaurants because I'm not going to ask them to make my food nursing-home soft in front of who I'm having dinner with. If anybody has an issue, I'll say I ate earlier. Can't drink after WLS. I'll say I've gone sober. Drinking ages you, anyway.

“Drinking ages you, anyway.”lol clap, clap, clap

[Sunshine Princess 203]

I have an active work life that requires client meals. When I have to meet with clients and eat, i plan on grazing on an appetizer and that’s it. I’ll be six months out from surgery around Thanksgiving and I’ll be doing most of the cooking so I’ll be sure to have things i can eat before dinner and during dinner that aren’t heavy. My husband and i still eat together, he eats what he made and i eat what i made but we still share meals together. I don’t plan on excluding myself from family gatherings or social events, I’ll just eat what I can and that’s that. I don’t want food to rule my life like it did before. And i plan to refocus these times with family and friends as more social with less emphasis on eating.

I was never a drinker so me not drinking wouldn’t phase anyone.

[Arabesque 7,246]

8 hours ago, summerseeker said:

I am going on Holiday in 4 weeks and really do not know what to tell the people that I am with. I have never told them. My micro portions will be noticed. They know me very well. I imagine I will have to say what's happened. I am struggling to eat more than 2 ounces of Protein and no veg. Any advice welcome

Just tell them you are making changes to what & how you eat. Tell them you’re seeing or have seen a dietician & you’re doing this with your doctor’s support. I’d also tell them you hope they will support you too as you try to improve your health. They don’t have to know any more if you don’t want. You’re not lying. Just not telling them everything. I have friends & acquaintances who only know this part of the story & all accepted it.

Oh & if they start sharing their weight loss stories & how you should try their diet, remind them you are seeing a dietician & want to stick to that plan as it’s working so far.

Have a great time on your holiday.

[Queen ApisM 427]

I had some work things come up early on, when I definitely was not eating regular stuff. In one case, a work lunch was organized at a place that literally had nothing I could eat. That was an extreme situation, to be sure, but I found an appetizer that would probably work, in case I couldn't gracefully bow out. No one knew of my surgery, just that I had a surgery, and I explained to my boss that I had food restrictions as I recover. He was cool with that and I was excused from the event. My colleagues all asked why I wasn't joining, and the same answer worked well. I didn't have to over explain and everyone was cool with it.

Since I have been on regular foods, it really has not been a problem even in some situations I thought people would notice. Most people are not paying attention to how much you eat. Just put stuff on the plate, and if you don't want it or are full, just stop eating. My first event once on real food again was an Indian wedding. The amounts I had on my plate matched what many of the thinner woman at the table were eating. I've become very good leaving food on the plate and not feeling guilty about it. I also had to cook for Thanksgiving which was about 3 months from surgery and it was totally fine. I was surprised at how much I didn't care that I couldn't eat much. I had tastes of my favorites, like stuffing, and even had pumpkin pie. It all worked out nicely AND I lost weight for once over that holiday!

My greatest challenge was just recently, at Orthodox Easter. I have a huge Greek family that eats crazy amount of food. I was convinced someone would notice - nope! I put enough on my plate that I could taste everything I wanted to taste, and no one noticed how much I did or did not eat.

I do think smaller gatherings like intimate holidays with people who know you will be tougher. I'd just put more food on my plate, move it around, and not eat it. It seems wasteful, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I