Deciding to get bariatric surgery can be anxiety-inducing. There’s the surgery, the recovery, the post-op diet, and the rapid weight loss that comes with it. But, one of the biggest fears that people have is that they won’t be able to do the things they used to, like eat at restaurants.
Restaurant food is often much less healthy than home cooked meals, due to an overreliance on fatty ingredients, salt, and sugar. As a result, restaurant food may contain twice as many calories as a similar dish cooked at home.
So how do you eat out after getting bariatric surgery? Should you eat out at all? Let’s find out.
Learn more about eating after bariatric surgery here!
Tips for Eating Out After Bariatric Surgery
Choose food that is low in fat.
When choosing your meal, you want to avoid the deep fried food, the pasta in cream sauce, or the double bacon cheeseburger served with twice-fried French fries. They’re high in fat and you might find yourself consuming far more calories than you would like.
Why fat, in particular? This isn’t to say that fats are bad for you, but it’s a known fact that a gram of fat contains more calories than a gram of carbs. Not only that, but fat is more difficult to digest for patients who have gotten gastric bypass or duodenal switch surgery.
Skip The Soda Or The Alcoholic Drink.
Before your surgery, you may have had a habit of getting a soda or a beer with your meal. After surgery, though, these added drinks can really hurt your ability to keep your calorie goals. Not only that, but carbonation may upset your stomach if you haven’t had it in a while.
Opt for water or unsweetened iced tea instead of a soda or alcoholic drink. Your stomach (and your future self) will thank you.
Prepare To Take A Lot Of Food Home.
Restaurant portions, particularly in the US, are huge. Some restaurant meals, particularly at chain restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory, can have over 1,000 calories per plate! That’s an abnormal amount of food for anyone, let alone someone who is limited by their stomach size!
Don’t ever feel pressured to finish your plate. In fact, you may want to tell the server to bring a take-home container or doggy bag right as they’re taking your order.
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