What do you do at dinner time?

[lovinglife]

Tonight, I ate a big spaghetti dinner with my family. We usually sit at the dinner table and talk about our day. It's usually the only time that we're all together in the same room, with the tv off. So, it dawned on me, dinner time will change after I get sleeved. So, I was wondering if I would be able to drink a shake while they eat, or if I should not join them, or what...? How does dinner time work for you?

[cutie0615]

That's a great question I am also wondering the same thing (as you read on my page) Hopefully we will get some good responses

[flevy77]

I do eat with my family. At first I drank my shakes and as I move into solid foods, I either take a much smaller portions, or I bring my own food to the table. I have 2 little ones and we all value the family time we get around the dinner table. They know that mommy had surgery on her tummy and that I have to be careful about what I choose to eat.

[kitsonk]

Well, with the rate that you eat your food, at least I find, I am at least as fast as people having a whole meal or even slower. If anything I think it would promote talking more. I suspect once you are back on normal food, there is nothing to prevent you from sharing whatever food there is available, just in a dramatically reduced portion. If you are like most of us, you won't even feel that you are being denied (which is something I always used to struggle with, but that feeling is gone, it is so weird).

[Enjoyingmynewsize]

I have never stopped having dinner with my family. I eat slowly what I can eat and then just sit and chat for a while. I even did that while on liquid diet. Somehow I feel powerful because I am able to just sit there while they have cheesecake and don't even feel slightly deprived!!!
As the months progress you are able to eat larger portions, that's when you have to be careful and know when to stop eating, because if you just sit there over an hour chances are you start doing the digestion and your tiny new stomach makes more room for food. So you need to learn that when you're, done you're done. Remember that people get obese because they eat even if not hungry and that's something you should always remember.

Good luck!

[CGirard]

I always sat with my family - whatever I was eating, I ate, and they ate their dinners. Now that I'm back on normal food, I just eat a much smaller portion. I also find that since I'm the one that fixes my childrens plates, I fix my plate last - so everyone has already started eating before I do....helps a little on the timing.

[Minnie Mouse]

I do eat with my family. At first I drank my shakes and as I move into solid foods, I either take a much smaller portions, or I bring my own food to the table. I have 2 little ones and we all value the family time we get around the dinner table. They know that mommy had surgery on her tummy and that I have to be careful about what I choose to eat.

Tanya...that's a great way to explain it to others especially your children. I think I'll do that too! I never like to turn down an offer of food from the lil' ones to teach them to share and care about others, so I will keep a small plate to the side for that and then eat my personal food. A taste never hurts even on strict diets. It's the self control from our new tummies that will do the trick. LOL

[lovinglife]

Wow! These are really good answers. I forgot that I won't be as hungry after the sleeve as I am now. I can't imagine sitting at the dinner table and having only a shake while everyone else eats delicious foods. I'm also not used to eating something different from everyone else.

And then there's another question... When cooking, do you taste the food and spit it out?

[kitsonk]

And then there's another question... When cooking, do you taste the food and spit it out?

When I went to a residential weight loss clinic the Doctor there used to say "You didn't end up here because you had a piece of cake on your birthday." I think it was his way of getting us to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Being overweight isn't because we check to make sure our sauces are ok, isn't because we have a sip of Champagne on New Year. It is because we consistently take in more calories then we expend.

I also had an Aunt, who's cakes always seemed to come out half deflated from the oven. My Grandma could never quite understand why, until she watched my aunt and realised that she was eating half the batter before it got into the cake pan.

So I would say, tasting the food, to check seasoning, isn't a problem unless that is a particular problem for you and that you really aren't "tasting".

[lovinglife]

LOL! Kitsonk, thanks for putting everything in perspective for me.