Restaurant dilemma

Hello my OH friends. :)  I just wanted to share my experience at Pizza Hut when we took the kids there for lunch today.  It wasn't so much the lunch, it was how I felt about it.  My kids love Pizza Hut and for them it's a real treat that we don't do very often.  So we were running around doing some errands today and we decided to treat them.  My DH was concerned that there wouldn't be anything there that I could eat, and frankly, so was I.  But I figured they must have some sort of salad so I will just go with that.  So I ordered a spinach salad with chicken, mushrooms, and bacon on it and low fat raspberry vinaigrette on the side.  The kids ordered their pizza and DH had the lunch buffet.  So the food arrived and the salad looked great.  I gave DH the bacon and decided to start on the chicken for the protein.  Much to my dismay, the chicken was covered in too much pepper and I couldn't eat it.  ( I hate pepper).  I could have just eaten the spinach but as I was sitting there watching my family eat their cheezy, gooey, bubbly, ooozy pizza I started to feel sad that I couldn't eat it.  I felt defeated, like I deserved some damn pizza!  I have worked really hard and I want pizza!  After we left I was sitting in the car a little pouty. Then I realized that it's that kind of thinking that sabotaged every diet that I have ever tried.  I would stick to a diet for a length of time and then decide that I deserve a splurge to reward myself and I would sink right back into the eating habits that made me fat in the first place.  So I didn't have any pizza and now I am happy that I didn't.  It would have been so easy to give in and put that pizza in my mouth but what would I have gained?  Nothing but  more weight.  This was the first in many battles I am going to have in my head when it comes to food and choices.  In the end it's up to me what I put in my mouth and how I handle myself when I am these situations.  Chalk up one point for me - ZERO for pizza! :)

Trudy:  You can eat the pizza top...I do, very occasionally and quite enjoy, the only issue I could see if too much fat didn't agree with your pouch.  I don't eat crust or bread as too many carbs...

most definatly, you could have eaten the toppings or at least a bit of it.  But it depend son what your (trigger) foods are.

  Sometimes it's difficult when spur of the moment decisions happen and you don;t have a back-up plan....I have learned in my almost 3 years since post-op that I choose a place to eat where I know I will be able to make a suitable food choice.

but then again my kids are 13 & 17...and I am paying the bill!..but that being said there have been times where the kids eat and I haven't..no biggy I won;t starve until we get home.

kudos on sticking with what you feel are the best decisions for you~!

  Try sticking a protein bar and some other protein substitutes in your purse for when these types of occasions present themselves.

Good for you, Trudy. Awesome that you discovered one of your 'self defeating' thoughts, and that you were able to reason your way through it. Our head battles are sooooo difficult to fight, they're way harder than the food battles. If this were only about food and exercise, it would be easy (almost), but no, its about being in control of ourselves and our lives and our emotions.

You win this battle!! now, on to win the entire war.

Trudy - there is a "pouch friendly" recipe for pizza soup that incorporates all the pizza taste.  There is even a youtube video on how to make it.  So you can have the pizza experience in a totally legal way, and I bet the whole family will like it.

It is something I plan on making once I get to that phase.

There is the whole diet depravation mindset that we have to turn around into a healthier treating our body with respect.  I imagine there is a healthy alternative to almost all of our old comfort foods.

Linda C.

Hey Trudy;

When I saw on Facebook you were going to Pizza Hut I was a little worried you may have a problem. Pizza is a HUGE trigger food for me. I have avoided pizza places like the plague since surgery. Some of the chain restaurants are not able to customize food to the way we are able to eat not to mention having to watch people eat the foods of our past.

I commend you for your will power and strength!!! Way to go. A small pouting session is understandable, but you put it into perspective quickly. I am so proud of you and you should be too. I am only a couple of months ahead of you and I am still avoiding the eating out thing. I have found a couple of places in town that are willing to make something EXACTLY as I ask them and charge me a reasonable amount. I really like that they have helped me. Tim Horton's now has the 'Kristie' lunch special...lol. Piece of lettuce, warm chicken, slice of tomato and a sprinkle of cheese. Kind of like a wrap without the wrap. A bit messy, but for $2 it is a quick protein filled meal on the run.

If you do feel the need to have a pizza like substitute, I have made something that has helped me along the way - 1/2 soft tortilla toasted, bit of salsa or pizza sauce, sliced turkey pepperettes and low fat mozzeralla cheese. Put back in the toaster oven and cook for a few more minutes. It stopped my craving and was a new lunch menu item for me.

You are doing great and I love the new pictures.

Kristie

i was worried too, Kristie! but i knew our trudy could find her way through it!

For me - totally denying myself these items is what makes me pouty and bitter...and that's bad for me!

I try to look at no food as "bad" or "good".  In a situation like you faced, I'd have ordered the salad as well.  But I would have charged the "mommy tax" on the food - one bite for me so I could taste it.  My family is used to the "mommy tax" now! lol

There is a recipe out there for cauliflower crust pizza (I think it's on the recipe site) that tastes pretty great.  You can change the toppings for your family (gooey, evil, fat stuff) and more veggies and chicken for you if you like.  It's a pretty great substitue - we don't order in any more - I just make that for my family.

Great job!

Thank you so much everyone.  I don't think my reaction today was really about the pizza.  It could have been just about anything that I shouldn't have and I would have reacted the same way.  It was about feeling deprived and left out.  It's amazing that food has that power over us!  Thank you for the recipe ideas, I will be sure to try them.  I was afraid to even attempt the pizza because I haven't had it yet and I didn't want to have my first dumping episode in public.  Maybe I'll try it in the future in the comfort of my own home.  I had a sensible dinner and I am enjoying a Nestea Zero right now while the sun sets over the trees.  Have a beautiful evening everyone.  I appreciate you all!  xoxo

I more then likely would have ordered a salad but if my bf had the pizza, which more then likely he would have, I definitely would have ate a bite of his pizza minus the crust. I can't stand crust.

If you make pizza at home tho, there is a great pizza recipe on the OH recipe forum (brok's pizza) I make it alot and we really enjoy it, my bf actually requests it now :D

Someone had asked me the other day about "social gatherings", if I have issues with going and eating out and stuff. My answer to her was "no". There is often items that I find to eat and it doesn't bother me at all.. If I go to a restaurant, I usually have chicken and salad or just a salad or I try something new. If I can't eat it, my bf will or I bring it home and if I don't like it, I leave it there. (LOL)

You will get there too