Dining out

So going out to eat used to be a huge part of my life.  I have been avoiding social situations the last few weeks because dining out at a restaurant seems pointless when you can only eat 2 ounces (plus I haven't really had the desire to go out which I think is a good thing).  However, my boyfriend and I are planning to go out tomorrow to go shopping and visit friends and I know going out to eat is going to be in the picture.  

How far out were you after surgery when you first allowed yourself to dine out at a restaurant?

What did you order?

My third question is the toughest for me.  I've been weighing and measuring my food before I eat because I don't trust myself to stop and I can't always tell when I've had too much.  I can't measure food at a restaurant.  How did you portion your food out or did you overeat the first time? 

I take a siphoned plate and scale in my purse and weigh my food just like i do at home and take the rest home or my family eats it. You can ask for veggies instead of fries. Have fun!!!

One of the fun things I did pre-op was looking at lots of menus and playing the "what would I order here?" game.  I find this super enjoyable.  

I find it very useful to only go out to eat at places that have an online menu.  That was I can peruse it, at my leisure, and pick the best options for me.  

I weigh all of my food at home, but I don't when I eat out.  Thankfully being in the habit at home has given me a decent eye for what a portion looks like when I'm out - although I wouldn't want to rely on it all the time!  I also find that since I'm paranoid about eating too much and getting sick, that I tend to actually eat less when I'm at a restaurant.  

I wouldn't go to a restaurant if I could help it until I was healed (6 weeks) and knew that I could trust the signals that my body was giving me.  That said, I did eat out at 5 weeks because I went to NYC for a pre-surgery planned trip.  I didn't eat much at all, because I knew I had no reliable full signal.  So it was easier to eat too little just in case!  

I just checked my journal and apparently my first meal out was about 4 weeks post-op.  I got turkey chili at Panera.  :P  In my 5th week I had chipotle burrito bowl (double chicken, no rice).  And then I went to NYC and had the salad bar at Fogo (fresh mozz and prosciutto!), beef tartare at another place, a burrito salad, and panera chicken salad.  

Anyway.. I rambled.  With prior planning, eating out is pretty easy I've found. 

I'm 8 weeks out and have eaten out a couple of times.  When I'm with my husband, we share an entrée.  I just get a small plate and take a little bit.  I can't measure it, but I can make a decent estimate.  I went out 2 times without my husband.  We went out for Mexican and I ordered carnitas the first time and carne asada the second time.  I just ate a little and took the rest home and I've been eating it all week.  Today I went with my husband and we didn't share...I ordered nachos without the chips.  The meat was greasy and I shouldn't have eaten it but I did and I really regretted it.  I don't know if that helps at all, but I hope so!  Good luck!

I think I was about 2-3 months out before I ate inside a restaurant after surgery.

As Gwen said, if I know where I'm going to eat, I always look online for the restaurant's menu.  It helps me to be ready on what I want to order and not make poor food choices.

I tend to order seafood when we eat out.  I love scallops, shrimp and halibut, and find them very easy to eat.  If my husband orders a steak, I'll ask him for a small bite just to get that flavor sensation.  I've been weighing my food since surgery and am better at eyeballing how much a 2-3 ounce serving of protein is.  If in doubt, go with the smaller quantity estimate and take the rest home with you.  You won't be hungry, even if you eat some of the protein and some bites of vegetables.

I just wanted to add that my dietician told us that if you hold your two thumbs next to each other, and the meat is approximately as tall as your thumbs, two thumbnails measure about an ounce of protein. I am sure this is not always accurate, but it is a helpful tip for me to keep in mind when trying to approximate how much meat there is on a plate.

I am scheduled to have my surgery Monday morning so I do not speak from experience... but my sister-in-law who is one year post-op from her VSG always carries one of those collapsible measuring cups inside of a zip-lock bag. When her food comes she always asks for a second plate, measures out her food, and then puts it back into the zippy. She only eats up to what fit inside of the cup.  I think the cup she uses is 1/3rd, and while it is probably not a perfect system she's never had any problems. Maybe this could help. :)

Thank you all for your responses! You've all given me some great tips that I'll definitely use in the future.  I will especially make sure I check the menu out before I get to the restaurant.  At least this way I'll know what I want and I won't be tempted by the pictures while browsing the menu in the restaurant!  I also looked up some portable food scales and I think I'm going to order one.  I am not be best at being able to tell the portion just by eyeballing it.  My eyes are always bigger than my stomach.  

Sounds like seafood and mexican food are the most common food choices.  Do you eat the tortilla when you get tacos and burritos? For seafood would you indulge in a fish fry or fried shrimp? I know that anything fried is terrible for me but I get confused because I'm told by my NUT to stick to low fat but then I hear some people say that high fat won't hurt me because my body just burns it anyway.

When I do Mexican, I usually do enchiladas (well, enchilada) and eat the insides with the cheese and sauce and a bit of beans. Make sure when you're out running around that you don't let yourself get too hungry. When I do that I end up eating too fast and then it's bad times. 

Every now and then I'll order from the kids section, but that's usually mac n cheese, nuggets or something else terrible. I've found the senior menu to be a lot better. I still leave food, but at least it was a *****eaper!

Jen

Mexican food is my go-to.  I order chicken fajitas, no tortillas (they swell in my belly now, sadface, since I'm Hispanic!).  I eat the chicken, grilled onions and guacamole. 

For seafood, I never order fried fish--I don't like it to begin with, and grilled/broiled/baked is always a better choice.  Some folks don't count fat grams, but I try to keep my fat under 60 g most days (mind you I am over a year out).