i'm crashing your board...

I hope you don't mind, but I love your board because there is always lots of activity, and I think that you may be able to help. You all are 3 months ahead of me. I am 7 1/2 weeks out from surgery, and have been on "real" food for the last week and a half. I am doing well, but tend to stick to the same "safe" foods. I have started to try to be a little more experimental and try new things. My problem is that I am going to be eating out a lot in the coming weeks because of business, and I am trying to figure out what I can and can't eat. I assume that most of you have had experience eating out at restaurants and can give me some guidance. Because I will be eating in front of clients, I don't want to get sick and I don't want them to know I had WLS, so I don't want to make many special requests. What do you eat when you dine out?? When eating salads, how to you handle the dressing? I assume that most restaurant dressings are high in sugar... are there some safe bets that I will find at most restaurants (balsamic, ceaser ??). Any advise from your personal experience, will be greatly appreciated and help ease my mind. Thanks!! Stacy

I usually get a sald when eating out. I just get low cal dressing, they have less sugar.

hi Stacy, you're welcome to crash the marchers board anytime! I've gotten salads mostly when I'm out with people that don't know I had surgery. Ask for the dressing on the side, this way you can bring the rest of the salad home and... if the dressing doesnt agree with you, you can ask for a different dressing (stick to something low fat, or oil based instead of creamy). Soups are a good option also chili. I've gotten a cup of chili for lunch, of course I get the.. "thats all you're gettting" comment.. To that I add.. I'm not really hungry... I LOVE getting steak in restaurants so at times I'll order steak tips and double vegetables, eat a couple tips, some veggies then bring the rest home! hope this helps!

Het Stacy, Not only do I do the salsds but I often order eggs. Such as an omlete with meat in it. Or how about a bean burrito and only eat the inside of it. If someone asks you are watching your carbs. That is true, so you aren't lying! Oh, taco salad with out the shell, sooo good. I have also asked for just the protien (meat, Cheese,Tuna etc..) and all resturants that I have been to are good about it. Hope this helps you! Amy I

Hi Stacy, Crash away! When I dine out with people who don't know I had surgery I tend to order soup. It's always gone down well for me and when it comes to salad, sometimes it'**** or miss. If I do get salad I make sure to get a salad that has meat on it (like chicken) and I ask for the dressing on the side. Or for oil and vinegar on the side. What are your "safe" foods? Order those if they are on the menu. Just remember to eat S-L-O-W! That was my biggest problem eating out...eating too fast. Take a bite, put your fork down and chat a bit then take another bite. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Hugs, Tina 315/219/140

Hi Stacey, I have had to eat out on several occasions since surgery so I've tried a few things and what I find works best is a salad with protien I can only handle chicken right know like a Santa Fe chicken salad or a Chicken Taco Salad because when I get plain salad I don't get protien and feel like I'm wasting a meal cause you really got to get your protien when you can, even with supplements! but I'have an issue not with sugars but with fat content and mayo's and dressings in general can have a lot of that so if I get sometype of Southwestern salad I always make sure it comes with guacamole it helps the chicken go down because sometime the chicken is juicy but most the time it's dry! So I eat the guacamole and chicken together nice flavor and take maybe I few bites of the lettuce but I've gotten the protien in and ordered a normal size plate that I can take home leftovers on! Hailey 245/176/135

Thanks so much everyone... I knew I could count on you for good advise and suggestions. Thanks again... I really appreciate it!! Stacy