5 WEEKS/SOFT FOODS - HELP

I need advice. A girlfriend is coming over tonight, and I'd really like to be able to get out. I am terrified of going anywhere and ordering something to eat, though. I am able to tolerate soft fish, tuna salad on toast, egg salad on toast, soup, and mashed potatoes. And probably lots of other things, but I haven't tried. I have had no complications so far, and no dumping. I've looked at menus from places near me: TGI Friday's has some Atkins items; Applebee's has some Weigh****chers items; Red Lobster has a LightHouse menu but the items seem to be a lot of calories and/or high in fat; Houlihan's doesn't seem to have anything "safe".) Would it be impossible for me to go to any of these places and find something small I could eat? I'm one week away from regular foods, so I should be able to do this next week. But WHAT would I order? I am so afraid of getting something that has too much sugar or too much fat, or something that might get stuck (even though I am VERY careful to chew, chew, chew). Did anyone else feel this way? Should I just not even try to find something at a restaurant? How do you eventually get to go out and enjoy something small/safe at a restaurant? Please, please don't flame me - I feel so confused right now.

Not to panic. I went out the third week after surgery, just into the firm foods stage of my doctors recipes guidance. I was a little nervous about what to eat. I chose the soup (minestrone) and an appetizer (Maryland crab cakes). I finished almost all the soup, very slowly. I could only eat almost one of the two crab cakes, very slowly. I did fine. Took very small bites and chewed chewed chewed. Now when I go out I look at the appetizers as a main entree instead. No place has given me a hard time at all. My weight loss doctors give out a small business card that states the "holder of this card is a patient under my care who has received Bariatric surgery. This surgery reduces the stomach to the size of a large walnut. Please allow tis patient to order from the appetizer, childrens, or senior menu in that small portion size is critical to the care of this patient". I have only had to show the card one time so far. Make the decision to go out. Relax and have fun. Our worlds may have changed for us, but we are empowered people and we are flexible and make the world fill in for us. Monica

hi Christine - you should be fine going out to eat just stick to something like a soup or something light. the first couple times i went out to eat i would order scrambled eggs or chicken noodle soup or something like that. if you do decide to order something with more substance just make sure not to over do it. at five weeks i was able to eat solids as long as i chewed them to a pureed substance. you might be able to try like a chicken breast but like i said just make sure that it's chewed really well no matter what you try. hope this helps. Liz RNY - 12/10/04 - 286/252/150

I went out to a restaurant for the first time last week and I ordered the buffalo wings! I peeled off the skin and ate just the chicken. Granted I could only eat 3 of them...but they tasted soooo good! If you go to a seafood place, just order a nice fish like salmon or ask the waiter what their moistest fish dish is. Stay away from fried though... There's always soups...the insides of sandwiches. I would be less concerned about calories since you're not going to be able to consume much of whatever you order. And then just enjoy your friend's company!!! Jen

Hello, I am also in my 5th week we went out to eat last week to TGIF and my huband and kids got the appertizer Chicken Quasedias so I ate the littlest one that they had and i ordered a side order of mashed potatoes i only could eat 3 baby bites. I am still not up to 1/2 cup of food yet! I am glad that my family can eat the food i can't otherwise I would feal as though I am wasting money! Enjoy eating something that u haven't tried yet! Heather Sizemore RYN 12/30/04 256/217/142

Baked Pototo mashed Pototo Salad - but i would try a salad at home first low fat dressing for sure soup a couple of crackers

I practically live in restaurants. I eat lots of different soups. I find the hearty vegetable goes down good and because there is no meat, there is virtually no chance of feeling too full. My favourite restaurant foods are: Mushroom and Cheddar Omlete Broiled Shrimp with well-cooked vegetables Hot Turkey or Hot Chicken (but hold the bread.) with veggies, too. I drink diluted orange juice. I order 1/2 glass water and a small orange juice and I add some orange juice to the water. What I can't eat, I take home for the next day. I have had no dumping or complications at all. I am 7 weeks post-op. Karen RNY 12-15-04 294/249/????