What to Order in a Restaurant

I have come to the conclusion that I might be the teeniest bit ... OCD.  Just a little.

 I've booked a 10 day vacation with friends in Florida in the Spring.  I will be 7 months post op by that time and I am worried about food options. Yes, I know it's 5 months away. Hence the OCD comment above.  We are staying on the Disney property which is a nightmare in terms of food choices.  Luckily we probably won't spend more then 1-2 days in the parks.

Here at home I have control.  I make all my own food and I don't eat out, or at least I haven't since the surgery.  I can absolutely choose from only good to better options from my fridge and cupboards. 

I have already looked at some of the menus of places I know we will be going to and there are some decent choices.  But the portions are so large.  Example, I went to Chili's last year before surgery and ordered a soup and sandwich.  Even then I couldn't fini****  Their were 2 full sized chicken breasts in the sandwich.  Who needs two large chicken breasts plus bread plus soup for a lunch serving?  No wonder obesity is epidemic.  As a former member of the 'clean your plate club' I hated wasting the food, and was uncomfortable after eating as much as I could.  

Do you know of restaurants in and out of Disney that will let adults order from the children's menu?  I would appreciate suggestions on where to go. Are there bariatric friendly restaurants out there?

You could always order an appetizer....shrimp ****tail, chicken wings, etc. Or a bowl of chili if available.

Children's menus are horrible. They are crappy stuff like hot dogs, breaded chicken fingers, mac and cheese, etc. Nothing good for us.

We all need to adjust to the reality of portion sizes. You won't ever finish a meal in a chain restaurant again. Not unless you camp out in a booth all day. STOP feeling like you need to clean your plate. Nothing bad happens if you don't. STOP feeling guilty because food is going to waste, or there are starving children somewhere in the world. Eat what you need, and either take home the rest, or let it go.

Eat according to plan. Dense protein first, maybe a little veggie after. No salad dripping with billion calorie dressing. No bread or rolls.

I have yet to see a restaurant that doesn't have a few good choices. They all have bad choices too. Some are 90% bad choices, but the good choices are still there. It's going to be a lifelong struggle for us to make the right choice, and ignore the crap.

I am almost 4 months post op and I have recently realized ordering just a "side" (or 2) is the perfect choice for me. The sides seem to be the healthiest option and ordering a full meal is  a waste of money when I cannot refrigerate it right away . Not only that, but my boyfriend eats my left overs and has gained several pounds since my surgery.

I travel a lot and still have my best weight losses after a trip, so it can be done.  Salmon, steak, a burger, chicken, on a small salad is a perfect meal in restaurants (for me).  Some appetizers are a good choice (shrimp ****tail) etc.  I was just at Universal Studios.  People were walking around eating those monstrous turkey legs.  They looked and smelled so good.  Get someone (or 2 or 3 people) to share it with you.  I didn't have one this time, but I was not above looking barbaric for a bite of one :)  I pack Quest bars, nuts, yogurts from breakfast to keep in case of emergencies.  As far as bariatric friendly restaurants, you can make almost any restaurant bariatric friendly.  Even stuck at McDonalds, you could have a burger without the bun. It's all about the right choices.  Good luck!

Thank you all for the feedback!  I just need to not worry so much about it.  I know there are good options, even Chick-Fil-A has grilled chicken tenders which are a perfect option ( i went on their menu site to verify).  I just like knowing exactly the calories and measured quantities I am eating.  I looked at several other menus online and there are healthy protein dense choices.  

I think I'm mainly worried that I won't make the right choices when the time comes.  That maybe I will say to heck with it, I'm on vacation.  Give myself licence to eat what ever I want.  I know that the strength to make the right choices is not something you all can give me.  I need to continue to find it within myself.

Everything could be all well and good until confronted with the Cheesecake Factory's, Key Lime Cheesecake. Just sayin, if there is one perfectly dangerous food in the world for me it has got to be ... cheesecake.  

Cup of soup (but not cream soups, chowders, or bisques). And fend off the bread and crackers they inevitably want to give you with it.

Side salads with chicken or shrimp on top. Make sure the protein isn't deep-fried.

Warning about appetizers -- most are deep-fried, which is not always mentioned on the menu. Be sure to ask.

psychoticparrot

I received a "Medical Alert" card that I carry everywhere that states "The bearer of this card has had a surgical procedure which has decreased the capacity of the stomach, so she can no longer eat an adult size meal. Please honor with a child sized serving." Of course most of the child plates are food we can't eat, but I always ask for child size serving and it works. Ask your surgeon's office for a medical alert card.

The problem is many restaurants will not accommodate your request even with the card, and it is always frustrating having to explain yourself as they typically ask for more details.

I just share a healthy meal if no appetizers and such are there and edible, or I throw the rest away.  I hate wasting food, but I hate being fat more than I hate wasting food.

One thing you can do at a lot of places is order a side of protein by itself.  I go to Chipotle and just order 1 side of meat and 1 side of guacamole a la carte, for example.  Entirely stomach-fitable and I stay full for a while.  It's a great bariatric meal!

Many places will let you order just a "side" of protein.  I often will say I just want a few ounces of protein and explain why.  Many times they have accommodated me. 

I do have a lot of trouble eating fast food.  Many times the protein, even chicken, is too dry and too uncomfortable on my stomach without broth or yogurt, etc.  I'm six months-ish out now.  However, that might just be my own teeny stomach.