Six steps for eating out after gastric sleeve.

Eating out after gastric sleeve doesn’t have to be hard, you just need to know how to tackle it!

After your sleeve, it’s normal to want to do normal things like go out for meals and catch up with friends over coffee. While you might be worried, especially when you’re still getting used to your sleeve, there really is nothing to be worried about. Just follow these six steps.

Step 1. Choose your spot.

The type of restaurant is the first thing to think about. If you have the ability to suggest where you go, choose something with small plates or share meals. That way you can choose what you want to try from the table, and serve yourself the portion you feel comfortable with. And if you’re at a dinner with people you don’t feel comfortable talking about your surgery with, they will hardly notice the amount you eat if everyone is serving themselves. Your best bets are cuisines like tapas, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese (sashimi is excellent) or Lebanese.

Step 2. Decide before you go

If you know the restaurant, check out their menu online before you go. Choose two or three options that you think might suit you best (look mainly at the entree menu if you’re going to a place where you can’t share). If you have a few options, you can still choose when you get there depending on what you feel like. Eating out after gastric sleeve doesn’t have to feel like punishment!

Step 3. Choose wisely

Now you have a sleeve, you should be able to eat most things, but there are some that are easier options than others (see this post if you’re not sure what you should be able to eat). Beware of really sugary or oily foods or things like a big piece of meat or chicken where you will hardly make a dent and be tempted to eat more than you feel comfortable with. Instead, go for lighter meals like salads, a piece of fish, soup, or an entree which will be a smaller portion size.

Try to also think about the quality of your meal – aim for your protein and vegies so you feel satisfied afterwards. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions of your waiter about the meals or to ask for a smaller portion. A great example is if you are out for breakfast – it’s really easy to ask for just one egg and one piece of toast rather than two, then you’ll feel less guilty for wasting food!

Step 4. Mange the theatrics

There are a few things to consider when eating out after gastric sleeve in terms of the practical side of things. To avoid filling up before you meal arrives refuse the complimentary bread or minimise the canapés (maybe just one or two small bites at most).

Also consider what you will have to drink. As you can’t eat and drink at the same time, if you’d like a glass of something, order when you first arrive then sip slowly until your order your food. Leave it sitting on the table until your food arrives – this should be enough time for your drink to digest and to free up some room in your stomach. You can continue your drink after you’ve eaten, but make sure you leave a gap of about 20 minutes so you don’t make yourself sick. Worried about people noticing you’re not drinking? The truth is, as long as you have a glass at the table, no one will really notice how much of it you’re drinking!

Want more info on the deal with alcohol after a sleeve? See this post.

Step 5. Don’t rush

When sitting at a table with people who eat fast, it can be tempting to do the same. Instead, really focus on eating slowly and don’t worry about being the last to finish – everyone should be enjoying the conversation anyway! Remember that we should all be taking about 20-30 minutes to eat our meal so aim for that. For a reminder on how to eat after a sleeve, see this post.

Step 6. Waste not want not

If you’re worried about wasting food because you can’t eat it all, whatever you do, do not force yourself to fit more in! Instead, just ask the waitstaff if you can take the rest home. You can then enjoy it again for lunch or dinner the next day.

If you’d like to hear more about eating out, check out this Facebook Live on my YouTube channel. I would also love to hear if you have any more tips for eating out that have worked for you. Please comment below and tell us!