Is your meal ok? ... are you finished with that?

My husband and I went out to eat for the first time since my surgery today .. I ordered baked haddock, baked potato(didn't even touch that) .. well as you know we have to eat slow now .. and the waitress kept coming over and asking if everything was ok .. or if i was done .. that got annoying!.. I didn't even eat 1/4 of the fish.

Did you tell your waitress that you had gastric bypass?  Same thing happened to me last night, except I told her first, so she knew why I wasn't eating much.  What really annoyed me was when I went out and had soup one afternoon and it tasted bad, so I didn't eat it... they didn't know I'd had surgery, and they didn't care that it tasted bad.  That doesn't sit well with me.  I personally feel that a reputable restaurant stands behind their food and if you are unsatisfied enough to not eat it, then we shouldn't pay for it... IMO 

I didnt say I had it .. am I going to have to everytime I go out to eat?

you might... or you could just let them know that you are a light eater and that you will most likely need a box.  If you want a box, that lets them know that the food is good enough to take home, without leaving them to think that you are unhappy with your meal.

I don't tell people.  I just say that I don't have a big appetite, but it is delicious and ask for a to go box.  If I don't want a to go box, because I have eaten all the tasty bits I say I don't want one because I have eaten all the yummiest stuff.  It gets easier.  Loris

Wait staff aren't quite sure about how to deal with us or if there's something else going on.  I handled this by simply telling them I had recently had gastric bypass surgery and could not eat much.  That usually stopped the questions and the frequent visits.  If you're not comfortable doing that, perhaps you can ask for a takeout box when your meal is delivered, then pack up what you don't think you'll be able to eat.  Then it won't appear to the server that you aren't eating anything. Also, keep in mind that the server is doing their job; if a customer doesn't appear to be eating their food, a good server will make sure everything is okay.  I agree that coming back again and again to see if you're done is a bit much, but they really are trying to be helpful.... Kellie

That is exactly what I was thinking.  They are just doing a good job!!  Nothing to be annoyed about.  It's still new enough for me that I'm tickled by it -- I'm usually a CLEAN-PLATE club member, so it's kinda fun to go out and just nibble!   Hope you enjoyed your meal though.

I prefer not to tell the whole world I had WLS.  I probably would have just said, "I'm a slow eater, I'll let you know when I'm done."  I guess you'll need to treat them like you do the annoying salesmen at a furniture store.  LOL! I like the idea of asking for a take out box when the food is delivered.  Not only will this help stop questions about why you're not eating the food, but will also help you with portion control.  Only keep on your plate the portion that you know you should be eating and pack away the rest. Pam

I always tell the waiter/waitress to bring a "to go " box when they bring my entree'.  I let them know up front that the servings are just too generous and I'll eat half the next day.  That heads off the comments. 

I don't tell them about my surgery... none of their business. 

Good luck in the future... we need all the tricks/coping techniques we can round up.

this is what ido, too.