First time eating at a Restaurant since my surgery

Can you believe I am in week 14 after my Gastric Bypass Surgery and this is my very first time eating out at a restaurant? Yes it is true and boy was I nervous about it as well.

On Tuesday I decided to go out to lunch with one of my besties for some well needed girly time. I was very nervous about it and how I would do and the first thing we had to decide was where to eat. I did not want to drive far and where I live it is pretty rural and we are limited in choices unless we travel over 20 minutes. That’s good ol’ PA Dutch Country for ya.

While she was on her way over I kept thinking about all my choices and I even went online and looked up their menus to see if anything on them would work for me. I could not believe I was looking up menus in advance, but I wanted to be prepared. In the end we decided to go to a local country buffet – OMG yes a buffet. I had never been there before, but I knew they had a bunch of meats on the buffet, fresh veggies along with a salad bar. Yes of course they had all of those starches too, but I was ok with that as long as I had good options. I thought it was a great choice other than the fact it was a buffet.

Again this was my first time there – this restaurant has been there forever, but I had never gone before. Maybe it is because it is all PA Dutch food and that is normally not my thing, I did not grow up here and some of the food is strange to me. But I was willing to give it a try and maybe just maybe I would like something new, I am a country girl now ya know.

First I went up to the buffet and scouted out all my choices. Now here is a funny story… While I was looking at what was there I had asked my friend what something was being I did not recognize it, she was born and raised here. I pointed to what happen to be Ham Balls in a Pineapple sauce. It looked pretty interesting and I said “Hmmm not sure all that sugar would be good for me” after I said it this over weight guy says – “Are you a Diabetic like me?” I said no I just recently has weight loss surgery.

He then began to tell me he wants to have it done as well and his doctor is trying to discourage him from it. So there I was at a buffet talking to him about all the pros and cons and answering all his questions. I also told him how Gastric Bypass Surgery is known to be a Cure for Type 2 Diabetes and that he should get a new doctor or pursue it on his own. Can you believe it? I was talking it up at the buffet about my Gastric Bypass Surgery, ironic or what? lol. Hey I am willing to tell my story anywhere in hopes maybe it can help someone else.

So anyway once that was over I proceeded to make up my plate which you see in the photo above. (yup I took my phone out in the middle of the restaurant a snapped a picture of my meal – yes I got some looks, but I am a blogger and I have no shame – lol). I picked some Meatloaf, a 1/4 of one of those Ham Balls, some Turkey with gravy, a regular Meatball, some Carrots, Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes. I know you are probably saying – Holy Crap did she eat all of that?

The answer is NO I did not. I had fun tasting it all – protein first of course. Ya know what that Ham Ball with the pineapple sauce was amazing and one of my favorites of it all. After I tasted a bunch from that plate I went up for another tasting and that time I took some more Turkey, a small Salad and I tried some Corn Pie for the first time.

My friend had gone up for dessert and I was full, but not sickly full as I would have been at a buffet prior to my surgery. I was very proud of myself – I could have kept going because the food was sooo good, but I kept myself in check.

Before I left I actually wrote down this blog address on one of my business cards and handed it to the guy I spoke with earlier and told him to stop by and read about my journey. I really hope he does and makes the choice that is right for him. I sit and think why the heck would a doctor tell someone who would clearly benefit from WLS not to have it. He said his doctor said to him just diet and exercise and you will be fine. I hope he gets a new doctor for he also has a baby son who would love to has his father happy and healthy to grow up with. Makes me so mad.

So in conclusion my eating out at a restaurant went much better than I expected. Oh well I did cheat and sip some water less than a 1/2 hour after finishing. That is hard for me sometimes and I just have to have a drink. It’s not like drinking is gonna kill me right?

So I have conquered the eating out, what is next? Bring it on !!!