Funny Restaurant Incident.

Hello, took my 83 year old mother out yesterday for a day of errands, etc.  Since my December surgery, I haven't been out to eat, except picking up Wendy's chili a couple of times through the drive through to take home. We decided to go to a small, storefront Chinese place in my neighborhood, where we've eaten a handful of times before in the past year or so.  It's strictly mom and pop -- a younger Chinese couple run it, he's the chef, she's the waitress and cashier, etc.  The food there is very fresh, not too greasy, lots of veggies, etc -- nice place. So, we each ordered the lunch special, which is a smaller portion with soup, eggroll, etc. I ordered the wonton soup and beef broccoli with white rice.  I asked for a glass of water, and took 2 sips before eating. I was able to eat the 2 wontons out of the soup, the roughly 1 tablespoon of bok choy greens floating in the soup, about 2 tablespoons of the clear broth.  Then, from my plate, I had three paper thin slices of beef, each about 1 inch square, plus a 1 x 1 inch piece of green pepper, one small broccoli floret, and a pea pod, and probably about 1 tablespoon of rice.  I didn't touch the eggroll at all, that's a permanent no-no cause of the grease, but I figured I could take it home for someone else to have later.   That was my total consumption.  I was full and satisfied. The waitress/owner came out to check on us, took one look at my plate, and immediately got a hugh frown and started apologizing profusely.  She was mortified that something must have been wrong with the food, since you visually couldn't see that I had touched anything at all, other than the 2 missing wontons and greens from my now still-full bowl of clear broth.  She wanted to bring me another plate of something else which was "better." I had to explain to her that everything was fine, but I had just had weight loss surgery and that this was enough food for probably five to six meals on that plate (their portions are extremely generous there anyway -- a lunch portion was all I could even eat pre-surgery.)  She was fine once I explained things to her, and told her how good everything was, and that we would certainly be back again.  I left her a little bigger than normal tip.  And, of course, I really DID take enough food home for at least about 4 meals -- dinner last night, plus lunch and dinner today, at least. It was actually kind of funny, once I calmed her down.  Her comment was -- I thought you looked like you lost a lot of weight -- I am down about 80 lbs from the last time we were there, in the fall.  I guess maybe, the next time I eat out anywhere, I'll warn the server ahead of time that I won't be eating much there, but will be taking the leftovers home for later.

I'm 2 years post-op and usually go home with half my meal when I eat out.  I find it easy to just say that I had weight loss surgery.  Enough people have heard about it that it's an easy reason for needing the take-home box.  I'm glad we don't call them doggie bags anymore. 

TooFatDan, Thanks for sharing your restaurant funny.  It was a great laugh for a Saturday morning.  Of course it would have been a great laugh for any morning. Congrats on the 80 lbs down!!! Bill

Dan I think this qualifies as a  FART...Juicy one too... Russ

Thanks guys. I also find it outrageously funny that my 83 year old mother, who eats like a bird to the point that we have to scold her to eat in order to protect her health, now routinely outeats me quantity wise.  Prior to surgery, I could have, had I tried and spread it over an hour, eaten her meal and mine too.

  That makes a very valid point for us post-ops and "social events", Dan ..    I've often wondered (since I never get any, myself) how to handle the limited capacity in social situations ..  I mean, if a friend offers to cook you a meal or you dine out with them, do they wonder if you are sick or don't like their food if you don't eat it all ...  (?)   how do you explain it if you don't want to reveal your WLS to them?

I suppose if you didn't want to say you had WLS, you could just tell them you're on a diet or you have a stomach or digestive condition which restricts your diet.  Neither of those is really a lie. I don't mind telling people one bit I had RNY, it just didn't occur to me to tell the woman beforehand that I wouldn't be able to eat much.  I guess, too, those two wontons were more filling than I even thought, because I probably should have been able to have at least a few bites more, but I was really full. I kind of like the idea of being a good "ambassador" for WLS -- the more the public sees people out there having positive results for it, and not having a lot of wierd side effects, the more likely it will become more accepted and less likely it is to be considered "extreme" or "radical."

I kind of like the idea of being a good "ambassador" for WLS -- the more the public sees people out there having positive results for it, and not having a lot of wierd side effects, the more likely it will become more accepted and less likely it is to be considered "extreme" or "radical."   Amen that, bro ..  !   (although I've been blasted in here on the past as being a "preacher" of WLS to the indifferent)    btw, the Chinese restaurant incident makes me think of something my dad used to tell our family ..  he had heard that it is considered an insult if you eat with a Chinese family and do not belch afterwards (I guess that means you didn't stuff yourself) ..  Always wondered if that is true or just an urban legend out there ..  (if so, maybe next time if you did some "productive burping" following the meal there they would feel re-assured!  lol)     come to think of it, if you were at a Chinese buffet, I bet she would have been delighted at such a modest amount of eating!   &:-D)