Eating out after weightloss surgery

Eating out after weight loss surgery can be challenging, but not impossible.

Your body’s needs don’t change when you are eating out, so being prepared and making healthy choices will allow you to enjoy social eating while providing your body with the nourishment it needs to fuel recovery and continue to enhance your weight loss efforts.

Our dedicated accredited practicing dietitian, Sarah Williams shares some top tips below to allow you to enjoy eating out, while being mindful of your new stomach and food needs.

Tip 1: Research. By checking out the restaurant menu online, you can arrive prepared with some suitable options without feeling rushed or overwhelmed when it comes time to order.

Tip 2: Serving size. Your new stomach can only handle much smaller serving sizes. Places to look for smaller serving sizes include: entrée menu, kids menu (be aware of fried foods), tapas/mezze or other share-plate style restaurants, sharing a meal with a friend or asking for a takeaway container for leftovers.

*Our clinic can provide you with a restaurant card at approximately 3 months post-op. You can use this to privately request a restaurant allow you to order smaller portions or children’s size meals.

Tip 3: Mindful eating. Take your time, chew your food well and stop eating once you feel satisfied from your meal. When eating, food should reach a smooth, near-liquid state before you swallow it to avoid blocking the opening between the stomach and intestines.

Ask the waiter to take your plate away once you are full to avoid grazing or overeating.

Tip 4: Make healthy choices. Choose high-protein, lean food options like grilled chicken or fish. Pair lean protein with low starch vegetables for example broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and other salad vegetables. Protein is needed for optimal recovery and along with non-starchy vegetables will help you to feel satisfied for longer from your meal.

Steer clear of high fat, deep fried and foods with lots of sugar. These foods are high in calories and difficult to digest as they can stick to the opening and create blockages between the stomach and intestines.

The team at Dr Peter Hamer’s clinic are here to support you at every step of your journey, our dietitian is here to help you along the way.