Enjoying a Night out After Bariatric Surgery

For many patients, going out after bariatric surgery can end up being a delicate balance between enjoyment out and concern for over eating too much. The fact is that eating healthy at a restaurant or at a friend’s house is much harder than doing so at home where you have complete control over the ingredients.

Oftentimes, what seems like a healthy option can actually be loaded with extra calories fats and carbohydrates. The perfect examples are some salad or soup dishes that, while on the surface, seem like a healthy option can be rather unhealthy as a result of fatty salad dressings or high sodium broths. Even lean proteins such as grilled chicken or beef may not be as healthy as they seem if they are cooked in lots of butter or served with thick sauces.

The best thing you can do when going out to eat is looking over the menu online before you leave home. This can help you narrow down your choices and if you have a good idea of what you want to eat beforehand, you may not be tempted by other less healthy options. Secondly, be sure to ask the kitchen to prepare your meal without butter or high-fat sauces. Most restaurants will be able to accommodate your request. For salads, getting the dressing on the side can help cut dozens if not hundreds of calories as you can regulate the amount of dressing that you use. Finally, with soups, choosing those made without heavy cream and asking about the sodium content can be very beneficial.

It may seem like eating out becomes a chore, however over the course of time choosing the right options at the restaurant or away from home will become second nature. It is important to remember that your health is of the utmost importance and nothing should compromise that. With that said, if you do happen to overeat when you go out, all hope is not lost. Spending a few extra minutes at the gym and eating on plan will help compensate for an indiscretion at the dinner table. However, be wary of falling into this mode of thinking for the long term.  Spending extra calories will never compensate for chronically bad eating.  The last thing you want to do is beat yourself up over eating and in doing so not enjoying your time out with friends.

If you ever have any questions about you or the best ways to ensure that you are eating the right things when you go out, feel free to contact us.