A Father's Day Celebration

For the second year in a row, 65MD and I have been invited to share Father's Day with his son and his son's wife and her family.  It has worked well for us.  We enjoy the time spent together.  And since 65MD and I have both lost our father's it is a good distraction.

When we received the invitation this year, we got the name of the restaurant and found the menu online.  Together we decided what to order that would work for each of our eating plans.  Sadly, the hcg is quite restrictive and eating out is a very difficult thing.  I knew walking in that I was going to order a plain house salad, thinking that it would be largely iceberg lettuce and that I would have some protein when I got home.  

We all met at the restaurant and were seated quickly.  I was impressed by that.  Often, large parties have to wait.  We were seated near a very nice Sunday brunch buffet.  I was secretly glad that I already knew that I was going to order the salad and would not be tempted by all the carbs one that buffet, because they looked good.

Our server quickly came and took our drink orders and said to help ourselves to the buffet while she got our drinks.  I looked at 65MD in shock.  He was equally stunned.  We surmised that serving only the buffet on Father's Day kept the crowd moving through quickly.  We agreed to make the best of the buffet given our circumstances.  (Had we been with our family rather than the DIL's I would have asked for a small salad.)  

I approached the first table with much trepidation.  I was hoping for some traditional salad bar type items to make my own salad.  I could still get a plate full of iceberg lettuce and nibble politely during the conversation.  (I admit thinking about the price of the buffet and a plate of iceberg lettuce did not make me happy.)  There was none.  

After passing through the entire line I wound up with three strawberries, which I think might have been decoration!!!  Not wishing to look like a picky 3 year old, I wandered over to the omelet station, thinking maybe I could ask for some of those vegetables to eat.  Next to the omelets was a carving station.  They had prime rib.  I got a small slice.  (hcg allows for lean beef, and this was the best I could do.)  

I went back to the table and showed 65MD my plate, a little embarrassed.  Everyone else there had plates piled high with cinnamon rolls, biscuits, waffles, sausages and on and on.  65MD found some pork tenderloins and vegetables in a cream sauce.  Good choices among the bad, but not for me.  

He asked why I hadn't gotten any salad, and I said because there was none.  He pointed to the first of the line again and there was a bowl of Caesar salad.  Apparently, it had just been placed or replaced as it was not there my first time through.  I got a small serving, even though I wasn't sure about it and the hcg.  I knew it was low carb and that is important.

So, I had three strawberries, about 1/2 cup of salad and a couple of ounces of prime rib.  It was all good.   Quite good.  And better yet, no one commented on my lack of food.  I went back for more prime rib because it was quite well done, but had nothing more.  

I know I did the very best I could and should be glad but I am concerned.  Hcg does not allow for eating off plan of any sort, no matter how good the reason.  I am concerned that when I weigh, I will have had a bounce up and I know it will make me mad.  I think that some how I should get special treatment because I really did the best I could do with the choices I had.

I am going to have to remember that even if the scale is unkind in the morning and does not agree.

I'll drop by in the morning with a report.  Even if it is only a number.