Meals in public

Hi Everyone,

I am a little over a month away from surgery and after all the research I have done both on this forum (THANK YOU) and elsewhere I understand the diet restrictions after surgery.. liquids, mush food and then real small and health choices from there.

The question/concern I have is what do you guys do during the work day? I have access to a refrigerator and a microwave, that's about it. Whats a good typical meal to bring during the day?

Secondly, if you were to go out - what is a typical meal you can eat in a restaurant?

Hope this isnt too broad of a question.

Thanks All.

Jim

Your question is a valid one, and a question we all have wrestled with.

The foods you are allowed to eat, or can stomach will change weekly so there isn't a good answer to your question.  The best advice I can give you is to plan every meal and have a couple of spare meals accessable to you in your car or at work.

Try to stay away from restaurants your first month post opp, after that you will have plent of options.  You can eat a bar or shake before the restauant and go there to visit and not to eat.  Just remember there is no federal law prohibiting wasting food.  The sooner you can bring yourself to throw food away the better.  You can order a meal and eat the veggie and part of the meat - throw the potatoes away.  Order a burger and throw away the bun.  As you progress it gets easier, but the first month or two are a challenge.

Dittos to what Robert says!

Eating out as a new post op is a pain in the ass!  Not much you can eat but further out you are the better it gets.  Like Robert said - need to do a little planning.

Repeat after me:

All fast food is evil!
All fast food is evil!
All fast food is evil!

I'm giving you that caveat because you might be advised to eat the refried beans from Taco Bell or a cup of Wendy's chili as a newbie.  That choice is yours but I travel from TX to GA without eating lower on the fast food scale than a IHOP or a Waffle House. 

FYI:  my GF is also a RNY.  We'll go out to eat and get a two piece grilled fish meal, pork chops, chicken etc and split.  Needless to say our eating out tab is low!  Can get a pound bucket of shrimp and it will last two days for two people!  Can make a roast cooked in the crock pot last a week!  Servers have seen people split meals before but to split a meal and ask for take out box?!  Have some servers that know why we do what we do because we frequent their eateries.  Any others we just tell them that are eyes are bigger than our stomachs and it is not a lie!

In general, I agree with the other guys.  Fast food should be a last resort.  All I have eaten is the Wendy's chili when I was on the road AND DIDN'T PLAN AHEAD!  When you start looking for excuses to eat fast food, you need to put on the brakes and evaluate your ideas about food.  If you carry around some almonds or beef jerky you can avoid being forced to eat whatever you can forage. By the way.. I was more than a month out before I could handle the chili.

Thanks Guys - Great Advice.

Jim

Once you are able to eat in restruants, I ask for a to go box when they bring my meal out right away and put half in the box to keep me from eating it. If not I find myself eating too much.

 this is the best advice I have heard all day. Well done Ken...I will be using your advice early and often!