Eating in Restaurants - what do you do with all of the extra food?

[Marsh17]

I'm still in the "waiting for the insurance company" process and using this time to continue to educate myself on the new life ahead of me. Our restaurant food portions here in Texas are huge. When you are eating out in restaurants: Do you mostly order appetizers? Take home a bunch of food? Split a meal? Do others ask you why are you not eating? Just wondering how this part of the process works. - thx

[DHB]

The biggest surprise for me is that most people don't really notice what I'm eating or not eating. Generally I order an appetizer. Otherwise I order an entree and either pass some off to my husband or get a take home box. I've taken home boxes from business meals and other times and so far no one has even asked me about it. I can get 3 meals off of most entrees.

[BamaBrit]

The best part about eating out is I can just order a grilled chicken breast, or something small and simple like that and it doesn’t cost as much. Of course I never get a drink either so that also cuts down on the cost. If I’m not allowed to just order one small thing, and I have to order a full plate, I just take it home and eat on it for days. Either way you’re gonna get your money’s worth. The worst thing about eating at a restaurant after sleeve surgery is you’re usually done eating before everyone else st the table, also the only one not drinking anything, and the wait staff (or manager/owner) thinks that something is wrong with the food and it’s not that, it’s becuase you don’t have enough room for all the food. You will usually sit there with the rest of your dinner already in a take out box while everyone else is still eating. That’s the only down fall there is really.

[KiwiGal]

I usually order an Entrée (perhaps that is an appetizer in the US?) or I share a main with my partner. If there is no other option I order a main, eat what I want and either take the rest home, my partner finishes it or I just leave it. If I take it home there is usually more than enough for a meal or two for the following days. I have come to terms with paying full price for a meal and only eating a small portion of it.
Of those that don't know that I have been sleeved, no-one has mentioned my change of eating habits.

[Luna354]

If I'm out with my family (huband and 10 year old daughter), I share an entree with my daughter. We usually still have some to bring home and i often have it for breakfast the next day. When I'm out with other people, I just order what I want and bring home the rest. its nice to have another meal or two out of it. I've never had anyone notice what I'm eating or not eating & no one but my husband knows I've had surgery. It's really not an issue. The hardest part is not eating and drinking until 30 minutes after.

[Stacey03]

Hi, It's probabaly a bit different in Australia as the portions may not be as large. I do eat out and go to functions and like Dale, I think nobody really notices what I am eating! For eating out I look ahead and choose carefully... generally japanese and sashimi... because I'm the seafood lover. Or oysters!! I have to give them a little chew! To be honest I don't eat much of it and often bring it home or we often do share plates so it doesn't really matter. I think it's a great idea to do your cooking at home mostly too... I tend to go seafood and at the moment can't really fit in veg but sometimes a piece of veg too :-)

[Old Clem]

Friends home 4 lunch yesterday, entrée, 6 King prawns, 6 oysters and avocado on the side, I left 2 prawns, 2 oysters and ate the avocado, totally full and almost at the big burp stage, lunch an hour later was 2 slices of lamb and a half baked potato. lol.....and I don't care what I missed out on.

[mandyjdc]

If I’m with my family, my mom and I will split something. If I’m out with a friend, I order a meat entree with veggies. I just take the extra home.
If we’re going out after dinner, I keep a little cooler in my car with those gel ice packs to keep my leftovers cold so they’re not sitting in a hot car during a movie or whatever we’re doing after dinner.

[Christie13]

Often times my hubby and I would order a mal and an appetizer and share. We usually order an extra veg as well. Sometimes restaurants will have extra big meals and we will often go for those and both eat off of it and take home the leftovers. What we don't eat we feed to our dogs. LOL. Best fed dogs in the area.

[Gynnalyn]

My secretary had surgery right before I came to work for the company. We want on a couple of business trips together and she would get her drink to go and ask for a box the first time the waitstaff asked how our meal was. She always booked our rooms with a fridge and as we got to know eachother shared lunches on a regular basis.
We don't work together anymore but I am scheduled for surgery in 2 weeks.
Unsolicited advice from my friend: I watched her get bashful and almost apologetic when someone noticed her weight loss. I told her not to say "well I had weight loss surgery" and curl your nose up like its bad. I hope I have the cajones to say "thanks! I finally decided to take control of my life and I feel fantastic" when someone comments on my weight loss in a few months.

[ThatGirlKat]

It can be awkward when the waitstaff is concerned that you don't like your meal. Luckily that's only happened a few times with me. I just tell them that it was delicious, but I got full really fast.

I usually order an appetizer or off the kid's menu (if they'll let me.) Otherwise, like everyone else, I just take home the leftovers and have a few meals.

[southernmom]

I've learned to order what I want, and expect to bring over half of it home. I find appetizer menus to be full of fried foods or foods that I really don't want to eat, so I order from the entree menu. If we go to a buffet, I have had to learn that I WILL NOT EVER get my money's worth. I have kids and we are big Disney travelers, so I've had to learn to not let it bother me. I now look at buffets as an opportunity to choose the things that I want to eat without getting a plate with added things that I don't want. Most people don't pay attention how much you're eating. The waitstaff are usually the ones that may notice. I usually tell them that I had a big breakfast or lunch before dining and reassure them that the food is great, but I just wasn't very hungry to begin with. One of the more challenging dining experiences was when we went on a cruise. Of course, most people consider cruises big eating opportunities because food is included in the ticket cost. When you cruise, you have the same waiter the entire week. On our first night, I made it clear that I was not a big eater. The first few nights he questioned if I liked the food, and I told him yes, but I was full. Eventually, he stopped asking because I kept telling him that I wasn't a big eater.

[EnglishGentleman]

Doggy bag, order smaller portion, order from the children’s menu, order an appetiser.

[sraebaer]

Whatever you want! My #1 restaurant choice is the ahi tuna appetizer. #2 is a really good small salad with a chicken breast on top. I almost always order an appetizer or small plate, unless I can talk my husband into sharing with me. Some places have healthy kid's meals, and I'll just say "I'm not that hungry, could I order___?" and they typically say yes. If it's pizza, I'll eat one slice. It's rare I order a whole meal, but if I do I take lots home. I guess I would do this at lunch with something like a chicken wrap, something that would be good leftover.

Only once in almost 5 years now has a wait person questioned what I ate, thinking something was wrong with the food. Then I just come back to, "No, it was great, I'm just not that hungry."

We live near this really good taco place, so hubby will order the tacos (one order comes with three tacos, chips, and a drink). I get one of his tacos and he eats and drinks the rest.

Our surgeon gives out this card that you can show that says you had surgery and can be served smaller portions, but I find no need for that. Plus I think it would be embarrassing. Seriously, no one cares what I eat.

[becker2]

I generally order something that holds up well overnight in the fridge, and eat the rest the next day. Love leftovers! Sometimes if a restaurant serves huge portions, I will order a side salad and steal a few bites of my hubby's meal. I still enjoy dining out, and I agree that most people don't even notice (or care)what we eat.