eating with non-banded people

 A little advice, ask for the to go container WITH your meal, remove what you know you can't eat to it immediatly, this will keep the waitress from asking you about your food and calling attention to it. If anyone asks why you are doing it, tell them it's b/c you ate a big lunch and are not that hungry. I always ordered soft stuff while out that I knew would not be an issue and chewed like a crazy person. There is nothing worse then being stuck in public, I remember tossing my cookies in Applebee's parking lot b/c I thought I could make it home, and couldn't (I was pregnant too, so it was double trouble LOL).

I too have ordered my food and asked for it to placed in the " To Go " container so I wouldn't have to be bothered by anyone.

 We only get boxes in Chinese or Indian restaurants!  The take away concept from meals is not common here. I have asked on occasion and they wrap things up sometimes but we don't go in for the enormous meals you get.

I always have a hard time eating in public.  If on a date, I'm stressed and my band tightens up, if socializing I tend to chatter and eat too fast.  I've learned through trial and error to find out where the restroom is if its a new restaurant and to stick with soups, slider foods, and/or appetizers only as my meal.

Evelyn never try to rush through a meal. That doesn't work well! :-(

Also you might want to pick up some Papaya Enzyme? It is suppose to help break down protein and assist in digestion. Does it work? I don't know. But I use it anyway when I get stuck. Kind of a 50/50 shot there. Might just be the placebo effect? Might actually work sometimes? But hey, it's cheap, and it actually tastes good.........so I use it.

The ones I get are from GNC. Don't know if you have that over there, but I would imagine any vitamin store would carry it.

 UK restaurants, except or Asian ones, don't do take- away boxes. Evelyn is a Brit like me!

I try to choose items I know will go down.
So far I have not actually gotten sick, just get heart attack feeling then after 5 minutes I am fine.
Hate that feeling...

 I have trouble eating in public. I try to eat more like the people I am with who typically are wolfing down their food. At my present job, most people don't know I have a lap band, and sometimes I get comments about how I eat.