Eating Out Tonight

[hez]

We have good friends coming to visit for a few hours tonight. We agreed to go to Outback because they have a gluten-free menu. I am still nervous. I was glutoned a few weeks ago at a cocktail party and still seem to be recovering. I had two slices of cheese and some pear. They were on a plate with bread. I knew better. I should have asked how the cheese and pears were cut. I have discovered I am very sensitive.

I am feeling lots of different things. Scared to eat out yet excited that I might be able to enjoy a meal out. Feelilng sad that this is now my reality and how people really don't understand it. I also must admit I am tired! I would love to crawl under my sheets and have this all go away. Which I know means I am depressed! And to top it off I know the holidays are around the corner and I am just not in the mood to deal with it!

Keep your fingers crossed that I will not get sick tonight!

Thank you for listening. Sometimes this is the only place where I feel that I am understood.

Hez

[liz0324]

I understand your frustration. I have been gluten-free for about 6 months now and go through periods of "depression" now and again. Since I have been symptom free for so long now, I keep thinking I am fine and should just go back to eating whatever I want. Just trying to keep up with my diet restrictions is exhausting! I am now starting to feel like I am eating the same foods over and over again. I guess I need to take a gluten-free cooking class!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the Outback. The last time I went was in August and the staff was very nice. I really appreciated thier gluten-free menu, it took the guesswork out of the meal so I could just relax. The food was good too!

Keep smiling and eat lots of gluten-free chocolate and ice cream....

[jerseyangel]

I hope everything goes well for you tonight and you have a great time. I know exactly how you feel--I am afraid to eat out and really haven't all that much since my Dx. I am also very sensitive and am more sensitive to other things now after being gluten-free. I'm 5 months into it now and I hope that little by little, I'll become less sensitive (not to gluten, but to the other foods). I just feel that right now, I'm safe if I prepare all of my own food and I am continuing to feel better, but I also know that in the real world, there are times that I'll have to eat out or at someone else's home and I have been putting that off. Well, good luck tonight and thanks for listening!

[Guest nini]

I too am dining out with friends at Outback tonight. I just plan on being extra friendly to our wait staff and explaining everything as clearly as I can and just be really really careful with what I order! Part of my thinks I am a little crazy for even attempting this tonight, but I gotta get out of the house more often! And before I got really sick, I used to love to go out to eat.

[hez]

Before my dx going out to eat was my favortie thing to do. I love food! I enjoyed trying new resturants and not cleaning up. However, my husband hated to spend the money so we never did go out much. He always said it was because my cooking was so good. I know it had more to do with him being thrifty (he hates the word cheap).

I too will be extra friendly and say a silent prayer. We are also going early to avoid the crowds which I hope will help.

I will let you know how it goes!

Hez

[Guest nini]

yeah, we are meeting our friends at 6. Hopefully that is early enough that they aren't crazy!

[hez]

Well I did it! I had a wonderful evening out. And I am not sick! The waiter could not have been nicer. He knew about the menu and had no problem answering my questions. He assured me that the chefs were well trained and very careful. I know others on this site have been glutened at Outback so I was skeptical. The salmon and vegies were wonderful. The salmon was very good and the vegies nicely steamed. I will go back. However, I do think going when it is not busy made a difference.

Hez

[Guest nini]

I had a wonderful evening too! And I'm not sick either (knock wood!), The waitress didn't know anything about it, but she went and asked her manager, he brought out the gluten-free menu and told her to make sure she wrote GLUTEN FREE on the ticket by my order. I had the ribs with veggies and a baked potato, I got an extra plate and split it with my daughter and STILL had food left over! It was so yummy! And my husband and I enjoyed getting out with another couple and their child for an evening out!

My friend even said she wants to learn all about cooking gluten free so that she can have us over for dinner. She said that she wouldn't attempt it by herself, that she would want me with her even from the shopping for ingredients down to preparation and everything.

[hez]

Nini,

I am so glad that you had a great time and did not get sick! I was fun to feel social again.

Hez

[Guest nini]

it was def. a lot of fun to feel social again! I'm glad you had a good evening out!