Question:
Im 5 weeks post op LAP RNY what do I order when I go out to eat....
We are starting to go out for dinner like we did before surgery, last night we went out with someone from my husbands work to a diner type place where everything is fried pretty much, I was so embarresed because it took forever to find something, Doc says I cant have salads yet so that was out, also there are work events for him that serve "refreshments" and I dont know what to eat. This friday its a wine tasting event and i dont even know if I should go because I dont know if I can have it! Help! — Kimberlin Katayama (posted on July 24, 2008)
July 24, 2008
One thing I have found out to eat that I normally overlooked was Mozzerella
Cheese Sticks. A side order is way more than plenty. I ran into this when
out with my family wanting to go out to eat at the mall. So I got these. I
peel the breaded outer layers off and just took small bites of the mozz
cheese.Do forgo the usual marinara sauce that comes with as it (oddly
enough) is laden with sugar.We did go to Ponderosa where we know the
manager and he knows I am really freshly post op so he doesnt charge me at
all to eat yet. I had like a small tablespoon of mashed potatoes with some
cheese sauce on them, and fresh fruit and a couple bites of jello. I looked
like I had a toddlers plate in front of me LOL. But it felt sooo good.
Go to the wine tasting. They usually have cheese and such there. You can be
social. Show off your new hot self!
— Jessica P.
July 24, 2008
If you are on solid foods then you should be able to eat anything your band
will tolerate......grilled chicken and veggie or baked potato....if grilled
chicken is not on the menu ask if they could do it for you....most of the
time the answer is yes....there is nothing wrong with fried food as long as
you don't make it a habit....Mexican food is the easiest to eat.....you can
always have soups........don't bring attention to yourself just oder and
eat what you can......check out Yahoo Groups and type in
Bandbuddies.....it's another site with great info and people. Good luck
Pam / Ft Worth....Bandster Bites [email protected]
— pphillips4720aol.com
July 24, 2008
If you are on soft foods and you are at a diner, order an omelette. If you
are at a different type of place, think about soup (most will have
something like that on the appetizer or starter side of the menu). When I
was on solids, and I was able to tolerate them, I would order an appetizer
portion of shrimp cocktail that always seemed to sit well with me.
Remember that after your RNY, the goal should be protein first-- and you'd
be surprised at all the options you'll find in lots of restaurants. I have
eaten the top off of pizza, the insides out of sandwiches and, when in a
real pinch, scraped the fried coating off of chicken cutlets.
— SteveColarossi
July 24, 2008
Remember this is a new skill you are learning how to do. When in doubt,
eat your main source of protein before you go, that way the little nibbles
from an appetizer like the other posters mentioned will be enough. My
hubby and I always share a meal, fish, steak, chicken whatever - take the
fried off.
I would encourage you to continue doing the things you would normally do.
If you drink, need to FLUSH with water. I get a buzz after a 3-4 swallows
of alcohol. Your tolerance level is different. I choose: did I eat my
protein already for the meal? am I going to eat or drink at this sitting?
Cant do both.
All this takes time and dont ever feel embarrassed because you are trying
to make healthy decisions (that and ones that dont upset your stomach) -
trial and error. I remember HATING to go out because I swear I made faces
if my stomach got upset and while I was digesting my food and having a
waitress coming over asking 500 questions didnt help me out, or asking if
something was wrong with the food and why I didnt eat it all. You will
gain confidence in time, be patient. Good luck.
— C-There
July 24, 2008
I had the best luck with baked or broiled seafood/fish when going out.
Definately salad will be out for a while. I was about 4 months out before
I could tolerate salads, but everyone is different. Instead of salad I
would order things like cottage cheese, apple sauce and mashed potatoes
without gravy. I would stay away from the bread as this can fill you up
very quickly and has empty calories for the most part. Chicken dishes, as
long as they are not fried are also a good choice. Good luck.
— deebunny38
July 25, 2008
Maybe it's because I had open RNY which is not as common these days as LAP
RNY...but I could barely eat pureed food at 3 months and didn't even
imagine wanting wine or eating out...(That was off the pouch rules list)
The thing about having WLS is to "change" old habits and learn to
eat in a healthy new way. Once you have WLS, it is day 1 of the rest of
your life and if on week 5 we are looking for permission to go back to old
habits, especially so soon...eventually we stop asking and just do
it...That is a recipe for sabotage. It's great to want to be
as"normal" as possible, but you still have to learn to listen to
your pouch and the signals it gives you...In a group or social dinner
setting, the average person can eat twice as much as they usually
would...You are no different, and could really hurt yourself. Salad is not
a WLS dinner...EVEN if you could eat raw foods right now...Salad is an old
habit and an old diet favorite...You are not on a diet! I find it odd that
you KNOW you cannot have salad, yet you ask about wine...If the enzymes in
salad are too harsh...JUST imagine what wine might be like. Sweetie, I'm in
your head...DON'T go there so fast! You are on a lifestyle change...Order
a soft protein such as boiled or broiled shrimp or fish. Or ask for a small
plate and eat off hubbys plate. You have to learn to make right choices
NOW...After you have lost your weight (1-2 years) and you know how your
body works and reacts to things, THEN add some things back in
moderation...NEVER try something new in front of friends or
accquaintances...You could embarass yourself terribly with vomiting at the
table...quick onset diarreah or gas...You could swallow something that gets
stuck and freak everyone out including yourself! I say all of this will
your well being and not to scold you or annyone else thinking about
this...but to prepare you as a friend...
Get online and look at the menu from the restaurant you are going to (most
of them have an online menu or brief description of the food) If not, stop
by before the day of the dinner and cehck it out hands on...KNOW What you
are going too order ahead of time...On the day of the dinner, make sure you
have a mental plan to stop ALL eating afer 20 minutes...On drink your water
after 30 minutes and have your left overs wrapped up so you can't keep
eating. Don't go mindlessly to a restaurant until you are seasoned in what
you can and cannot eat...Trust your pouch and listen to it carefully.
Don't drink wine yet...I'm a wine drinker...I love a nice glass of wine
before dinner...and I am a foodie...LOVE TO EAT even after WLS...and no...I
am not perfect and make a ton of bad choices now and then...But I have
watched so many people come back saying they feel like failures because
they started old habits too soon...and it's sooo sad because I wish I could
have helped early before they started going off track...
Please use your head...follow you pouch rules...touch the wine to your lips
if you want to taste...but don't push yet...You are only 5 weeks old!!! You
are not old enough to run yet...so take baby steps! You'll thank yourself
later when you post that you lost all your weight and are doing great and
healthy and happy! I'm sorry if I embarrased you...but skirting around
issues and sugar coating the truth is not WLS friendly...I want you to
succeed! That's all!
— .Anita R.
July 25, 2008
Thank you to everyone who answered. I dont have a problem with knowing how
much to eat and I have not gotten sick off of anything I have eaten so far.
I guess I should have directed my question as this "if there is
nothing WLS friendly on the menu, what do I get...." Like I said we
were at a Diner not a fancy or even a chain restraunt. As for me going out
to eat so soon as one person mentioned, My husband is in the Army therefore
I have a lot of social gatherings I have to go to not only because of his
service but because I volunteer my time to Army programs as well. The wine
tasting event is one of them. I wasnt planning on going there to get
hammered I was going to go to socialize, I just didnt want to be the only
person standing in the room empty handed. Thank you to everyone who
answered with food questions, Not scolding me!
— Kimberlin Katayama
July 25, 2008
We have found that almost all restaruants will allow you to order a half
portion of anything on the menu. Usually you can get a chicken breast,
grilled or broiled. Try to stay away from chicken fingers or wings, the
coatings will do you in. Just be honest with the staff and they will be
more than happy to help you.
— Ira Sansolo
July 28, 2008
My surgeon said I could start eating salads when I was about a month out.
That is usually what I order when we go out, just a small side salad.
Most restaurants will also let you order form the senior or kids menu.
— Melanie C.
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