First trip to Ryan's

Tonight was a big milestone for me...my first trip to Ryan's. My daughter wanted to go there for her birthday today (she's now 6 years old!). I almost lost my mind! Just to sit and watch everyone just slopping down the food, and LOTS OF IT. It made me feel a little deprived but mostly just sad because they really are abusing their bodies with that food! I can't believe how much I used to could stuff in my stomach at one sitting (pre-surgery!). I thought there may be something healthy there to eat but since I'm still on pureed foods, there wasn't much to choose from. I had a little bit of clam chowder, cottage cheese and egg. It definitely was NOT a satisfying experience. I feel yucky and bloated...I learned my lesson! I doubt I will be going back any time soon...if at all. It is hard to really put it all into words...thanks for reading my ramblings!

I know that you didn't have fun, but thanks for posting this. My hubby is coming home from deployment mid March and I have been trying to decide if I wanted to have the surgery and then go on a 2nd honeymoon or take the honeymoon first. Although I would like to have lost weight by the time we go I don't want to sit there and watch him at dinner and not have a good time myself....So much to consider...M

I'M 13 MONTHS PO & NEVER SIT & WATCH NICK EAT. ACTUALLY, WE HAVE FOUND THAT MOST TIMES, ALL IT TAKES IS A COUPLE BITES FROM HIS PLATE ALONG WITH A COUPLE BITES OF SALAD & I'M SATISFIED. WE'VE SHARED A MEAL & I NEVER FEEL LEFT OUT. IF WE DON'T WANT THE SAME THING, THEN I LOOK AT THE APPETIZERS, OR SOUP &/OR SALAD OFFERINGS. ON THE OTHER HAND, MID-MARCH IS ONLY ABOUT 3 1/2 MONTHS AWAY & I WASN'T FEELING ALL THAT ENERGETIC AT THAT TIME AFTER SURGERY SO IT MIGHT PUT A LITTLE DAMPER ON A 2nd HONEYMOON IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE! IT TAKES AROUND 3 MONTHS JUST FOR THE INTERNAL INCISIONS TO HEAL, LET ALONE REGAIN YOUR STAMINA. NOW, SOME OF THE GIRLS HAVE COME OUT OF SURGERY & NEVER MISSED A BEAT, BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO TELL HOW YOU WILL REACT. IT TOOK ME NEARLY 10 MONTHS TO REALLY FEEL GOOOOOD ... OTHERS HAVE FELT GREAT FROM THE GET-GO. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ... GOD BLESS YOU ... DAWN & NICK

Sorry you didn't have a good time eating there! I didn't try Ryan's until I was about 5 months out. I ordered the salmon and asked for the side off the bar. I only ate a few bites of a few things and that was it. I used to love eating there! I tell you, eating out has become such a hassle. We have to spend half an hour practically, deciding where we can eat where I will find something I can eat okay. Kind of takes the joy out of eating out sometimes. Ah well...it is gradually getting better. I'm finally able to eat some chicken and salmon, as well as some ground beef. So I have a few more choices. Anyhoo...all that to say...I can relate! lol Hugs, Elizabeth

It does get better, Ms Elizabeth; eating out for us is now as easy as can be & we go everywhere. I was just telling the ladies & gents at LCBB tonight that I'm finally at a point where I don't dump or have awful digestion issues ... Where I can eat most things while using common sense ... &, that I actually fell "good" with energy & a strong, positive attitude. Like, one day it all came together & my body said, "Hey, I can handle this new way of digesting food" &, Wha-Lah, I felt great. My family physician told me that it actually takes about a year for your body to re-regulate itslef to your new plumbing configuration & I think he is right, at least in my case. I've stuck with 4 or 5 very small meals a day ... My supplements ... Packaged protein bars, puddings & such ... & Crystal Lite & tea for fluids. I go very easy on the white carbs & highly textured meats, but can eat most things now in small amounts. I stay away from sugar sweets sticking with NSA & SF items & no soda pop. You're 6 months out ... You're coming into "easy time" now ... God bless you ... Dawn & Nick

I remember sitting in La Hacienda about 3 weeks after surgery & watching what appeared to be a surreal sight of "pigs at a trough" just sloppin' down the food as fast as they could shovel it in ... No insult intended since I used to eat just like everyone else was eating. It wasn't so much that everyone else was eating so uncontrollably, it was that I remembered how for decades I had devoured as much food as I could shove down my throat thus causing my own problems. That vision comes back to me when I'm tempted to overdo it. I don't ever want to go back to my old ways. Yea, I feel the same way ... I wanna stand on the soapbox & tell everyone that if they just made a few small changes, they wouldn't end up like me, twice the size I should have been & so unhealthy that I couldn't even walk to the mailbox. But, no one can "tell" you to fix yourself; it has to come from within. Now, I'm reading & listening to everything I can about healthy eating, supplements, & such. My tastes & focus really have changed so much since surgery & I'm so glad that has occurred. I feel I have a good chance here to maintain this kind of lifestyle consistently now. God bless you ... Dawn & Nick

I went to Golden Corral with my hubby's work Christmas Party when I was 6 days post-op. It was really surreal watching everyone eat as I got a glass of water and put some Nectar in it! But seeing plate after plate after plate getting filled and emptied was just freaky -- especially knowing that 10 days before I'd have done the same thing! I don't like going to all you can eat places now because of the waste of money -- Goldan Corral gave me 50 cents off the adult price when we went there on vacation in September (I was tempted to fill plate after plate, eat two bites of each plate and setting it aside!) and Fire Mountain told me "You can eat here but you must pay regular price" (gee, thanks) but Tim and I eat out a lot and it's really enjoyable. Lisa

It is a little too early for all those food choices, but I love to go to Ryan's, I get to eat many different things. Of course it is one bite of this and one bite of that, but I love the selection and knowing that I get a little of everything. Usually I end up with doggy boxes and they get boring after the third day. I'm 13 months out, just went through a bowel obstruction and am learning to eat again, but it is getting so much better. Wait a while before you go back and maybe you'll enjoy it more. Oh, and the body abuse goes on no matter where you go. People eat entirely tooooooo much, I used to and it amazes me now what I used to do.