Can you think of any other restaurant that has all of the chair legs installed with little wheels? I wonder if this is so the servers can just conveniently wheel me out to my car when I stuff myself with exactly 37 garlicky bread sticks dunked in buckets of Alfredo sauce? Probably.
The Garden of Olives was always my absolute favorite place to eat when I was a fatty.
It was my go-to choice for birthday dinners and pretty much any other occasion I could invent to make an excuse to eat there.
Do you know what my standard order used to be?
Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. But don't forget the soup (2 servings), salad, and the bread sticks....yes...the bread sticks (usually at least 4)...drool. AND I would eat it ALL. No doggie bag for me. I just checked out the nutrition facts for this meal and it is 2450 calories. YIKES. That's the calories that I usually eat in TWO DAYS.
So, fast forward to last night at the Olive Garden. I probably haven't eaten there in over a year. I had:
- 4-5 bites of Pasta Fagioli Soup: 60
- 2 calamari pieces: 50
- 1/3 of a Bread stick: 80
- 1-2 cheese raviolis, small piece of chicken with sauce: 300
- 2 Andes mints: 50
- Total: 540 calories (approximately)
And let me tell ya, my band was talking to me...saying "stop eating...NOW." My band doesn't usually do that, but I was happy it was there to tell me to step away from the feed trough.
The amount of food that I eat now compared with the good ol' days is amazing. I still get to enjoy the same foods, just a lot less.
Please, please come to NY for real food. Olive Garden is not food...
ReplyDeleteListen to Allan for he knows of what he speaks!
ReplyDeleteI had nearly the exact same meal normally at Olive Garden pre-op. Just reading it now made me feel full, haha! You did a great job yesterday! I am not sure I would have been able to eat 1/3 of a breadstick. My band wouldn't care, but I would have had trouble stopping at 1/3.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think I'll avoid Olive Garden until I'm further along. Too many temptations. :) You really did well. I appreciate all the "real world" maintenance experiences that you blog about.
Cool post. As I was reading your before meal - it was all I could do to NOT skip a head (like reading a book) to see what the NOW meal was .... thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, this is my absolute favorite place to eat! I usually just do soup and salad. Last time I did lick a bread stick, but can't eat them any more!
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience recently at a former favorite burger joint. Isn't it amazing to be able to still eat the things in life that are so tasty and know you haven't gone completely out of bounds calorie wise? I love this new life.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya! I can't get with you on the Olive Garden thing because I don't like their food, but on the concept...yeah. We went out for Mexican food last night for my Mom's birthday. My old favorite was a chimichanga (a.k.a. deep fried burrito) which I would eat with ALL the rice and beans, a side of sour cream, at least 2 baskets of chips and salsa, and more likely than not, an order of beef nachos and guacamole "for the table" of which I would make sure I got my fair share. Last night I ordered a taco and cheese enchilada, ate the insides (meat and lettuce) from the taco, part of the enchilada, about 3 bites of beans, and I'd had enough. It was soooo good and I was stuffed, but when I refused a to-go box, I still got the, "Was everything ok, maam? Do you need me to bring you something different?" from the waiter. Too funny.
ReplyDeleteThat is so awesome!
ReplyDeleteWe don't have Olive Gardens in Canada anymore (SAD!!), but yes, back in the day, you basically had to take me out of there in a wheelbarrow. As I read what you ate, I was thinking wow...that's so little...and then I saw the calorie count on that! It's amazing to me what a "few bites" can add up to! Scary stuff! But still...*droooool*
ReplyDeleteYes this place was my favorite place as well, and havent been there since surgery and think I will have to not visit for a long time if not ever. And the top comment is right only in NYC for real food....I miss little Italy...
ReplyDeleteI really wish my band talked to me other than in the morning, if at all. I was never an Olive Garden girl and I couldn't eat it in one sitting but I sure as heck could graze like a mo fo, so I can relate.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't an Olive Garden fan pre-band, but I like it now. They have available nutritional information, they are uaually very flexible with my wants/needs, & they have some very reasonable and tasty alternatives. I appreciate all that!
ReplyDeletemmmmmm.. Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. That's what I used to get about 90% of the time. I've only been back to the Garden once since surgery and got their salmon, which is really good!
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