Question:
Do people notice that you do not eat a lot?
I am still pre op, but wondered if people you eat with that don't know you had surgery "notice" that you eat way less or if they comment. I'm not telling a lot of people that I'm having surgery, even friends. However, I am pretty social and I don't want to get interrogated about my eating at say Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner (where I will be only a few months post op), parties, whatever. Do people notice you eat less? Do they even notice? I know that I don't really notice what others eat (probably because I'm too busy eating, LOL!) I just don't want to be asked about it and pressed. — w8free (posted on August 20, 2003)
August 20, 2003
I was very excited about telling people about my surgery. You will eat
quite a bit less. If you're going to parties, eat very small portions, you
can eat the smaller ones better. Don't grab huge amount of food being
served. People will notice you once you start losing the weight, it will
be drastic! After I had my surgery, I'd watch people eat all those huge
plates, and it would physically make me ill to think they are cramming all
this food in their mouth and would finish! I guess I never realized how
much I ate until I lost the weight and watching them eat!
— dolphins94
August 20, 2003
Yes, but all of my friend snad family know. The most annoying thing, is
when you go to a restaurant and you tell them you don't want anything to
drink. They keep asking, "Not even water?" And I keep saying
NO!
But oh well.
— Michele B.
August 20, 2003
Actually, have you ever noticed how thin people eat? Like post-ops! Watch
a thin person in a lunch room..a tiny salad or 1/2 a sandwich, and thats
it. I always wondered how they survived on that tiny amount-didn't they
ever get hungry? At 1.5 years post-op, no one comments anymore. In the
beginning only relatives commented, "is that all your eating" and
the answer was "yes, I'm watching my weight".
— Cindy R.
August 20, 2003
Some people notice but not many. Then I eat out and bring 3/4 or more of my
meal the waiters have never asked why I take so much home.
— charanewme
August 20, 2003
Most people are more focused on stuffing their own faces more than what you
are eating. Some people draw attention to them selves. One WLS friend I
have eaten out with a couple times has always to make a big deal about the
water and I have to eat slow. and I don't eat much, etc to the waiter. I
just eat what I want and let the water sit there while I eat and don't
bring attention to it. by the way I do drink water prior to my meal, as per
MY dr. it is ok to drink up to 5 minutes prior to eating as that is about
how long it takes water to drain out of the pouch.
— **willow**
August 20, 2003
I have had a couple of waitresses make comments about how much I eat. One
waitress kept coming to the table and asking me what was wrong, didn't I
like the food, etc.
— Stacie B.
August 20, 2003
I don't like to cook so I eat out as much as I can. Every restaraunt I ate
at the waitress' came by deeply concerned when they saw I only ate 1/4 or
less of my meal. I could'nt let the poor women die of a heart attack
thinking that their food was lousy. lol. So I just politely told them that
I had gastric bypass surgery. Most were utterly fasinated with it and had
questions. Many however know others who have had the surgery so they asked
questions too. I've found the WLS trip to be an interesting ride and I'm
very open about it. NEVER have I ever hid it as some on this site want to
for whatever reasons. (I'm not judging those who hide it). I don't feel any
shame or any reason to hide. In fact, so far, all restaurants I've gone to
will let me have an extra plate so I can eat off of my family member's
plate at no extra charge, once they know my reasons for it. Actually I'm
proud of what little I can eat now, as I ate so much before that I was
embarassed!Quite a change for sure. ;)
— Danmark
August 20, 2003
At 18 months out, I eat enough that people don't comment. They just assume
I'm a light eater. However, early on, I had the same problems with
waitresses that others have mentioned. At holidays, I just put food on my
plate and moved it around a lot. But it was uncomfortable sometimes. So, I
ended up just telling people about the WLS if they were pushy. It just
seemed easier. However, most of the non-holiday times, people didn't care
what I ate and didn't notice. I went out a lot to eat with friends when I
was early post-op. So I usually ordered a brothy soup and just ate the
broth, and had a cup of coffee or tea. I didn't treat it as a meal, I just
treated it as an opportunity to drink liquids!
— Kathy J.
August 20, 2003
Michele, I hear ya! I was SO bugged, at first, at restaurants because I
refused ANY thing to drink. They just could not believe I truly did NOT
want even water. And SEVERAL waitresses and a manager once kept asking me
if I wanted anything to drink. Now I ALWAYS say, "Yes, I'll have
water." And I don't drink it. At least they leave me alone.
I STILL load my plate up and leave 75% of it. BAD habit. I am so afraid I
will NOT get ENOUGH to eat. This is truly a case of the eyes being bigger
than the stomach! I feed my leftovers to the hubby. Poor guy.
— Ginger M.
August 20, 2003
I only experienced this at restaurants early postop...like other posters
have mentioned, I was asked if something was wrong with the food. Most
everyone else knew and just figured it out as we went along. Now that I'm
13 months out I eat pretty much like most skinny people do.
— [Deactivated Member]
August 20, 2003
I agree with Ruth.. that was my experience. My friends that I tend to
travel with tease me... that I always have a fridge full of styrafoam boxes
-- my partner remarked that's the same as home too. I tend to share
appetizers and then eat about a third of an entree -- I think that's about
the same as most thinner people.<br><br>I will say at Christmas
and Thanksgiving -- its a little different at least for me, since it was
family dinner. The first year, I remember EVERYONE watching -- now,
they're used to me and no one even looks anymore.
— Lisa C.
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