I have had the good fortune to have gone out to dinner with two different friends in the last couple of weeks. Neither of them had been out with me since I had my weight loss surgery in December. However they were both very aware of this life changing event and very supportive.
These meals out brought up a couple of new things for me.
First it turns out now matter how you explain to friends or others that you can only eat 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food at a time, they don't really understand what that looks like until you are eating a meal with them. The first night out I ordered a roasted chicken dinner, it was half a chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. I asked the waiter to bring the potatoes in a to go box because I knew I wasn't going to eat them and that others in my family would enjoy the left overs. Then I ate about a third of the chicken breast from the chicken, three green beans and set my plate aside. At first my friend thought I was kidding when I said I was finished, but really I was full and finished. I joked and told him thanks for buying me a weeks worth of food...
The other thing that happened was that the waiter returned to our table several times, asking if everything was ok with my food once I stopped eating. He even at one point asked me if he could bring me something else instead. Each time I told him my food was just fine and that I was just someone who ate a small amount at a time. He seemed very disbelieving of these statements. Later I thought, hey really I know I ate a small amount but who really should eat an entire half a chicken, plus mashed potatoes plus green beans...I know that's the serving they were putting out but really should we eat that much?
In the second case we had breakfast for dinner, I ordered a veggie omelet. The waitress asked me what kind of potatoes I wanted with it, I declined then she said would you like a fruit bowl with that instead. I told her she could bring me the fruit in a to go container. Then she said would you like toast, muffin or biscuit. I again declined and she looked at me with frustration.....I said really just bring me the omelet. After eating a third of my omelet I set aside and was again asked if I had liked my food and if they could replace it with something I liked better....I said no thank you that it had been very good and could I please have a to go box with for the rest of my food.
Really world, no wonder we over eat, no only are the portions huge but if we don't eat them, then somehow that means it tasted bad or was a food we didn't like.....I swear I love food and only order food I like, I don't have to eat it all to prove it.
Walt and I have had this same problem for him too. At first he would go into long detail about his problems until the waitress was only to glad to bring the poor man whatever he did or did not want. ;) We finally figured out that if we told them he had a medical problem and left it at that, we could order his food and a to-go box at the same time and whatever he knew he couldn't eat we just slid into the box and gladly took it home. We do this also at a buffet and they usually give him the child's price.
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting anxiously for a Blog, and this one is so perfect for all of us, no matter if we are dieting, or medically can't eat that much. We all eat too much, and restaurants serve too much. We would all be thinner and healthier, if we asked for a To Go Box, before we got our food.
ReplyDeleteSo many times, George and I have left food sitting, and believe it or not, George can't eat so much at one time either, and I end up looking like a Pig, and the Server asking George like you, if they could bring him something he'd like better.
We have now included, me fighting tooth and nail, because I want my own, but alot of the time we now share a meal, and lucky to be old, we can in some places order the Senior plate.
You have done an amazing job, and by Blogging helping the rest of us, think of what we put in our mouths.
To you, a big Thank You!