Eating out after wls

OK what I would like to know is........either when you achieve your goal or after the 6-9 month crunch...... how do you handle eating out? What do you order? I use to go boxes now but how do you make sure you don't stretch out your pouch? Please give me pointers to think about...I have not had surgery yet but that scares me. I can eat like a horse and don't get full. I don't want to mess up. I need a plan. I am not a dummy but I obviously have a problem. All suggestion welcome. Thanks Myrtis

Myrtis -

I don't know what it will be like at the 6 to 9 month mark, but I know now that I am learning to deal with food and the portions from a very different perspective than I had before surgery. I used to be able to eat as much as my 6'2" football playing sons without a problem ... my pouch is teaching me when I'm full. I'm learning to say enough ... even when it looks and smells good. You will get full ... I know that from experience. As you learn when you are full, you'll learn when to say enough. I really think that the surgery is the tool that helps us get our heads where we need it to be so that we can maintain the success so hard one.

So ... re: a plan. You are having the surgery, you'll follow your nutrionists advice, you'll start exercising even if you never did before, you'll go to support groups, you'll come here. It's all a learning experience.

Take care and try to be gentle with yourself.

Barb

Hi, i know your not a dummy, this is all new for me too.  I'm 18 months post op. What I do, say if I go to olive garden which is a huge treat with dessert I order my meal with the meat and veggies and potatos.  It's huge.  I portion off my plate what I can eat and then push the rest to the side to eat it later and box it up.  I don't push for the box right away,   I eat what I comfortably can, box the rest and eat my dessert..  i box the left over sugar free chocolate dish with strawberries.  Delicious.  Yum.  Now I want Olive Garden. You can break your orders down.  I often order regualr and mutiliate the food until it hits my standards..  I get a burger and half the bread is gone i always throw out either the top or bottom bun you don't need that much bread. Send me a PM if I can be of any further assistance.  Going out to eat has been so ackward, but not for me, just the guests I'm out with.   Enjoy your meal. I'm 18 months and have not achieved my goal weight.  it's quite possible that it may never happenn and i'm A ok with that.   GOOD LUCK and I'm here if you need me.

I am almost 6 weeks out.. and I have to eat LOTS of soup.  I have found that I cannot tolerate things that are not "mushy" right now, so I do not push the point.   I have picked at a piece of chicken and ate a few pieces of pasta this week, but I just think my little tummy is healing very slowly.  So, I am keeping with soup and such to be nice to it.  :)

First... it is extremely difficult to stretch your pouch beyond what it will normally stretch over time. Its also something that doesnt happen often. The first year out I would check resturant menus before I went so I could find something I could eat... most have them online and you can find nutritional info as well... you would be suprised how many fat/carbs/calories/sugar hide in 'healthy' foods.  Now I pretty much order whatever I want at a resturant... I usually split with a friend or take half home depending on what it is. A lot of places will let me order from the kids menu without even questioning it... a lot of times thou the kids menu is full of horrible foods... but places like Outback have grilled chicken on theirs!

Thanks for  the suggestions and replies. I found them quite helpful and will print them out for when I  get to that point. The nutrition sheet I have right know only goes through the 2nd week. But I have researched and listen to what all of you are doing also. I know my visits to the nutritionist will help me for 1 year but I always have to worry beyond that point.  I so do want to have this wls and want to be sucessful like all of you. Thanks again for all your replies and if you have more ideas .....bring on...I am a sponge for information. God Bless Myrtis