going out to lunch today.

hi all, today I am going to meet a friend for lunch, we are going to a place called Logans, its a steak house and they have great food. I can eat almost anything on the menu but of course much much less. so as soon as the waitress brings my food, I ask for a to-go box and divide my food. that way I have it for later and it has not been picked over by myself. this way the extra food "out of sight" also I always order water with my meal, that way they don't keep asking me if I need a drink and I have the water there just in case I do need it. have a great day everyone Donna 277/185/159 -92

It drives me crazy when I go out and the server looks at me ****eyed for not ordering a drink. If I order a drink, I don't order a meal, so I usually don't bother. I also ask for a box immediately, or I split my meal with DH (also post op...) The two of us can eat about 1/2 of a regular meal combined, and then I bring home the rest. We divide and conquer what we want off the plate onto small plates, and it looks bizarre, but it works! Beth

also, boxing it right away stops all the concerned questions if the food was ok, or if you prefer something else.... BTW, I do order a water with a lemon...I sip it before my meal arrives...also, I had a small choking incident that required me to take a mouthful of water...without tha****er at the table I would have needed a helping hand. RAE

i thought drinking during a meal was only not allowed at the beginning right after surgery... wow have i been doing this wrong?? what is the reasoning behind not drinking? i feel like i've messed up

I just keep the water there in case I choke, because the family drinks soda, if you drink with your meals it will make your food go through you pouch faster and you will be hungry sooner. Donna

Kim- Where did you have surgery again? This was one of the big things we talked about pre-op with the nutritionist... although I was told no liquids 15 minutes to 1/2 hour before food and up to 1.5 hours AFTER no liquids... but I only wait a half hour... otherwise I'd never get enough fluids in.............. my husband sips a bit right after, it's all out of habit though... and has a tendency to overdo it anyways. Here's some info from the web: *Do not drink with meals because there is not enough room in your stomach for both food and fluids. Fluids move quickly through your stomach and can be taken up to the time you sit down to eat. *Your new stomach probably won't be able to handle both solid food and fluids at the same time. So, you should separate fluid and food intake by at least 30 minutes and only sip what you are drinking. -Beth 313/298/163/126

well my lunch went great, the waitress must be used to people asking for a doggy bag. my friend who has not had surgery also took home half her food, she liked the idea of putting half away before she even started to eat. Donna

I've never thought about that! I usually split my meals with my 2 children, then my DH eats the rest in addition to his own meal (I guess this is not good for his waistline, huh? LOL) Usually, the meals are so good, I would love to indulge at a later time, but I always forget about doggy bags since my hubby is there. I guess I should try to remember, for both of our sakes, huh? LOL BTW...I've noticed how much better the kiddos are eating since my surgery when we go out to eat. Kids' menus ar3e all fried stuff. They are eating so much more healthy now that we split a "big girl" meal... Janice 346/310/188/160

Janice- My kids are eating 100% better now! It's amazing. No junk, no fast food, nothing... and when we go out I also try to get them to order off of regular menus. Those kids menus are ALL chicken nuggets, french fries, cheese sticks, grilled cheese, hamburgers.... crap! I let them get things like a cup of soup, chowder, salads, pasta with marinara sauce, etc.... Rent that Supersize Me movie.. I've heard it's an eyeopener.. I've got it on my list........... you'll never let a chicken nugget pass yours or your children's lips again! -Beth 313/298/163/126

my two teens, ages 17 and 15 have always loved salads. they used to get funny looks at restaurants when they wanted one instead of fries. And the 15 year old daughter does not even like potatoes... not of any type, she has always been this way. The one thing they are doing now is eating slower and chewing more. unfortunately my hubby HAS gained some weight, he was eating my left overs...