large meals/buffets effect on you

Im not worried or anything iv just noticed a change in me and am curious how it works with you guys.

I just went to the mandarin on thursday (chinese all you can eat) I worried all week about it because i have just gotten my appetite an cravings back to normal from easter. The thing is when i eat say alot of cookies or even just alot of saucy meat/oils ill crave "bad" foods for days. Its like it sets a fire under my cravings *kitten*. In the past one day would become like 4 where im like well im going to gain anyway why am i fighting these cravings now.... Stupid thoughts.

Anyway i went i enjoyed lunch and ended at about 2pm. Right up until bed i felt fine satisfied and not hungry so i just went to bed, 2 More days have passed and i still havent been all that hungry just feeding self to fuel because i know its important. No crazy binge thoughts or cravings. This is huge for me.

I have to assume its because i was eating so many greens and veggies and lean meats and fruits beforehand that my body had all it wanted nutrient wise, Even when i went to the buffet it wasnt because i was craving anything it was a family deal.

Its just so weird to have such a complete change. Got me wondering what effect all you can eat or large very off plan meals have on you guys? Do they make you hungrier for a bit? not hungry after? effect your cravings? Set off binges?

Im really just a curious person who likes information :D
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Replies

  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    I have had the same shift. I no longer follow overeating with overeating. But I attribute it mostly to being aware that I am responsible for feeding myself properly, that some overeating is not the same as lots of overeating every day for months and years, that I feel in charge of my food choices, and that I don't believe any foods are unhealthy or otherwise dangerous.

    agreed it just physically felt so different even just a few months back id finish and 2 hours later the cravings hit hard and id be hungry. Im glad this time was different made getting on track again easier for sure
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited April 2018
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    I have had the same shift. I no longer follow overeating with overeating. But I attribute it mostly to being aware that I am responsible for feeding myself properly, that some overeating is not the same as lots of overeating every day for months and years, that I feel in charge of my food choices, and that I don't believe any foods are unhealthy or otherwise dangerous.

    agreed it just physically felt so different even just a few months back id finish and 2 hours later the cravings hit hard and id be hungry. Im glad this time was different made getting on track again easier for sure
    I too feel full and "satisifed" now, by foods I used to think had no nutritional value. I am more relaxed around food, and I have learned to respect and recognize hunger and satiety. It's actually quite amazing :) Oh, and I don't go on and off track anymore :D
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    I have to assume its because i was eating so many greens and veggies and lean meats and fruits beforehand that my body had all it wanted nutrient wise

    I have a personal belief that this is part of it.

    When I was eating lots of sweets and snack foods, I would get full at the moment, but have hunger in general. Now that I've been eating lots of vegetables and sufficient protein and fat I don't get that instinctive push to keep eating. I have to believe there is something to your theory - and I've noticed it too.

    Also, I think once I got to a healthy weight my hormones balanced out and it is easier to feel that too-full feeling as a negative now.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    I think some of it is mental, too. When I'm looking at those foods these days I am thinking beyond the calories for the day and what it's going to do to my routine and progress over the next 3-4 as well. I find it tempers what I choose - did you eat more veg or make slightly different choices at the buffet than you would have in the past?
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I honestly don't notice a big difference in the hours/days after eating an unusually larger meal such as buffet. I always crave a little something sweet each day, no matter what, but it's not a stronger craving than usual if I've had cake & ice cream at a birthday party during the day (just for example).

    It is pretty common for me to eat a lot more and get a lot more exercise on Saturday (2200-ish cal day versus my usual 1400-1500 cal) and then on Sunday I find myself sleeping in & skipping breakfast and having a normal lunch and dinner...still eating around 1200+ cal, but it's like the indulgent higher calorie day sort of carries over & I'm not as hungry as I am normally.

    I do eat a lot of highly palatable food though all of the time, quite a bit of fat in my diet. It's not uncommon for me to eat a burger with avocado AND scoop of ice cream in a typical day, along with a ton of vegetables & oatmeal, chickpeas, or beans.
  • ScribblyPrimate
    ScribblyPrimate Posts: 7 Member
    edited April 2018
    It will be some time before I eat off-plan, but I'm going to follow your example and eat a light, nutrient-rich meal beforehand.

    My trigger foods are vinegary and/or use umami as primary flavor profiles. Sweets? Not so much.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    IME buffets normally have meh food and loud environments. I would rather spend my calories on food that is freshly prepared for me. As for not eating too much before a big meal... drink about 10 oz of water at least 10 minutes before the meal. If you are really concerned eat something that is spicy that makes you drink even more during.
  • DomesticKat
    DomesticKat Posts: 565 Member
    Last month I had a really large meal and dessert and went well over my calories for the day. I honestly felt so sick from how full it made me that I didn't want to eat much the next day. I couldn't even sleep I felt so bloated and awful. I don't have any intention of repeating that experience. Maybe I'm just not used to eating like that anymore. In the past I could easily eat 3000+ calories a day and not even flinch.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Thanks for posting your observations. I appreciate this thread. Kudos on the shift in your outlook! I basically agree with this:
    NovusDies wrote: »
    IME buffets normally have meh food and loud environments.

    Buffets are just not my thing. The food itself usually isn’t special. It’s often a quantity over quality thing. I really appreciate presentation, how food is plated, which you don’t get at a buffet. Plus, they make me a little anxious because I won’t get “my money’s worth.” It’s never going to be “a good deal” for me. All that notwithstanding, I can get a satisfactory meal at a buffet, and it does not make me ravenous for days. It can be hard to log, though.

    More difficult for me is the day after a night of heavy drinking. I’m much hungrier than normal.
  • justjara123
    justjara123 Posts: 63 Member
    Buffets make me feel awful the next day. Even if I just try a little bit of all the food, I end up getting too full and not really enjoying anything. I don’t think I ever get my money’s worth and I spend the next day sluggish and lacking an appetite for any sort f food. I skip buffets in favor of regular restos with food I like.
  • Kst76
    Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
    edited April 2018
    You guys really need to go to a nice quality buffee...lol
    There is this middle eastern buffee close to me. It is to die for. Its called "Rezas". Its here in Chi town
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I've had this happen too, for me its because I have been fully satiated, more protein than usual etc so the following day I don't feel the same hunger cues.
    I don't do buffets often but when I do I always will keep an eye on my portions. I can't eat huge portions any more plus I don't like that full to bursting feeling. So I will choose carefully foods that really appeal and stop eating when I'm getting close to feeling full.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    Interesting. Following along...
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    edited April 2018
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Thanks for posting your observations. I appreciate this thread. Kudos on the shift in your outlook! I basically agree with this:
    NovusDies wrote: »
    IME buffets normally have meh food and loud environments.

    Buffets are just not my thing. The food itself usually isn’t special. It’s often a quantity over quality thing. I really appreciate presentation, how food is plated, which you don’t get at a buffet. Plus, they make me a little anxious because I won’t get “my money’s worth.” It’s never going to be “a good deal” for me. All that notwithstanding, I can get a satisfactory meal at a buffet, and it does not make me ravenous for days. It can be hard to log, though.

    More difficult for me is the day after a night of heavy drinking. I’m much hungrier than normal.
    Buffets make me feel awful the next day. Even if I just try a little bit of all the food, I end up getting too full and not really enjoying anything. I don’t think I ever get my money’s worth and I spend the next day sluggish and lacking an appetite for any sort f food. I skip buffets in favor of regular restos with food I like.

    Im going to touch on this point you guys brought up : moneys worth

    I have the exact same mindset but i realize something that makes that mindset dumb, Yet i still have it.

    Theres 2 buffets i like in london the other ones a few dollars cheaper but lets use the mandarin for my example

    Buffet prices:

    Lunch
    Monday – Friday $18.99
    Saturday, Sunday & HolidaysΔ

    $22.99
    Dinner
    Monday – Thursday $26.99
    Friday – Sunday & HolidaysΔ $28.99

    Lunch monday-friday is under 20$. I mean honestly a good meal from a restaurant where you just get one late and maybe like a small dessert will easily come up to 20$. Even mcdonalds or something can easily hit 20$ for a meal and like a sundae or something (atleast close enough for this point)

    So with those numbers, Its really not hard at all to "get my moneys worth" So i have no clue why even when i know this my brain still tells me i need to stuff myself with everything simply because its a buffet, And i want to get my moneys worth lol. A single plate stacked would get me more then my moneys worth, With a small plate of dessert and a bowl of icecream.

    The other ones a sushi place its like 16$ for lunch and all other sushi places i can find a small sushi platter is between 15-35$ so it makes entire sense to go to the buffet, And since it has 168 menu items and literally like so much different kinds of foods it financially actually makes sense to go there lol even for the more expensive dinner to get my sushi fix

    side note just because its my thread and i feel liek saying it, I was 126 lbs before i went thurs, Went up to 132 lbs.....and now its monday and im down to 122.4 lol. all time lows past 2 days
  • justjara123
    justjara123 Posts: 63 Member
    edited April 2018
    Well actually it’s because I’m physically small (5”0) and can only eat so much. I literally cannot get my money’s worth in a buffet, even if I workout prior or skip a meal so that I’m extra hungry.

    Buffet’s where I’m from are 2-5x the price of a good, regular meal. I’m a cheap date because I’m satisfied by small to regular sized meals but I do have to eat pretty frequently (I eat 5 meals) so I’d really just prefer a regular resto.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    Well actually it’s because I’m physically small (5”0) and can only eat so much. I literally cannot get my money’s worth in a buffet, even if I workout prior or skip a meal so that I’m extra hungry.

    Buffet’s where I’m from are 2-5x the price of a good, regular meal. I’m a cheap date because I’m satisfied by small to regular sized meals but I do have to eat pretty frequently (I eat 5 meals) so I’d really just prefer a regular resto.

    ya my point was not that you eat alot more at a buffet but that youd likely be paying close to the same amount basically anywhere you went to eat out :p
  • justjara123
    justjara123 Posts: 63 Member
    The quality of the buffet that matches the quality of a regular meal is at least twice more, so I really don’t get my money’s worth. I’d have to overeat to get my money’s worth and I don’t like doing that.
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    I'm also of the mindset that buffet food quality isn't great, and I'd rather get a single meal - but the exception to that are brunch buffets and Chinese/Asian cuisine buffets. I've had some really good ones, and I (very occasionally) will go all out.

    As someone who has a tendency to overeat - unfortunately sometimes compulsively overeat or binge - I try really hard to pay attention to how I feel after a buffet (or a huge meal, or one that involves a lot of greasy bar/party foods). If I seriously overeat a few days in a row, old habits come back with amazing speed and I have a hard time reigning it in. But if I spend some time focusing right after I overeat on how my body feels, how my energy level is, and remembering that it actually kinda sucks feeling like I need to lay on the couch for the rest of the day to handle my large food intake, I can usually bounce back really quickly and put the good mental habits I built back to work.
  • New_Heavens_Earth
    New_Heavens_Earth Posts: 610 Member
    I had a 1 day road trip to a wedding, breakfast buffet at the hotel, buffet style reception, 1 day road trip back. Thought I was gonna lose it, but I reminded myself these were moments in time that didn't need to last all week.

    I packed food for the road which I prelogged.

    I exercised like crazy at the hotel gym and prelogged what I'd eat at for breakfast each day I was at the hotel, telling myself the food is not going away. Day 1 was pastries, Day 2 Belgian waffle bar. Yum!

    At the reception, I took single servings of only what I wanted and finished out the night dancing. No last supper syndrome.

    Soon as I got home I said it was back to real life. No cravings or anything.

    Good job handling your buffet situation!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,242 Member
    edited April 2018
    Well AYCE Mongollie Grill, Fish and Chips, Chinese+Mongolie Grill, Sushi+Thai, Indian, and Sunday Brunch are my six "categories".

    The good news is that I've moved from several times each and every week to the occasional time(s) each month. And I mostly do NOT miss the experience.

    The bad news is that I still over-eat when I go out for them, especially at the ones that offer desserts. I have listed them in order of "damage" and the dessert availability and calories go up to match. Interestingly, with the exception of Indian, the price progression matches too! Maybe both better quality and more incentive to "get your money's worth"?!?!

    But, the better news is that I both overeat for fewer calories than I used to and feel full for a much longer time than I used to.

    I definitely feel that there should also be a differentiation between "I am not eating my next meal because I am genuinely still feeling full from the yet to be digested 2 food platters plus 3 dessert plates I ate earlier today" vs the notion that I am "paying penance for my transgression", or I need to "catch up with my deficit", or 'make up for", or "limit" the damage.

    Pretty much everything other than truthfully still feeling full from what was consumed runs a serious risk of rebound over-eating.

    Now why am I sticking this in here? Mainly to say that the occasional higher calorie meal will not doom anyone to not meeting their goals, particularly when it happens within the context of maintenance or slow weight loss.

    Looking back over the past 111 days (Jan 1 to April 21), I see 7 occasions where I was 1000+ calories above my monthly average. This has not stopped me from "reigning in" 1.6lbs of trending weight worth of upward fluctuation that happened in November and December.

    I haven't checked in detail but ~5 correspond to AYCE, ~2 didn't. And there are another ~4 AYCE days where I may have been above my average calories for the day, but I wasn't 1000+ Cal above. Since I average a bit over 2800 Cal a day I can fit a "burst to the gills" Mongollie Grill (with appropriate (oil free)sauce and controlled rice/noodle selection) without going (that far)over. The rest of the AYCE stuff... not as much :wink:
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Thanks for posting your observations. I appreciate this thread. Kudos on the shift in your outlook! I basically agree with this:
    NovusDies wrote: »
    IME buffets normally have meh food and loud environments.

    Buffets are just not my thing. The food itself usually isn’t special. It’s often a quantity over quality thing. I really appreciate presentation, how food is plated, which you don’t get at a buffet. Plus, they make me a little anxious because I won’t get “my money’s worth.” It’s never going to be “a good deal” for me. All that notwithstanding, I can get a satisfactory meal at a buffet, and it does not make me ravenous for days. It can be hard to log, though.

    More difficult for me is the day after a night of heavy drinking. I’m much hungrier than normal.
    Buffets make me feel awful the next day. Even if I just try a little bit of all the food, I end up getting too full and not really enjoying anything. I don’t think I ever get my money’s worth and I spend the next day sluggish and lacking an appetite for any sort f food. I skip buffets in favor of regular restos with food I like.

    Im going to touch on this point you guys brought up : moneys worth

    I have the exact same mindset but i realize something that makes that mindset dumb, Yet i still have it.

    Theres 2 buffets i like in london the other ones a few dollars cheaper but lets use the mandarin for my example

    Buffet prices:

    Lunch
    Monday – Friday $18.99
    Saturday, Sunday & HolidaysΔ

    $22.99
    Dinner
    Monday – Thursday $26.99
    Friday – Sunday & HolidaysΔ $28.99

    Lunch monday-friday is under 20$. I mean honestly a good meal from a restaurant where you just get one late and maybe like a small dessert will easily come up to 20$. Even mcdonalds or something can easily hit 20$ for a meal and like a sundae or something (atleast close enough for this point)

    So with those numbers, Its really not hard at all to "get my moneys worth" So i have no clue why even when i know this my brain still tells me i need to stuff myself with everything simply because its a buffet, And i want to get my moneys worth lol. A single plate stacked would get me more then my moneys worth, With a small plate of dessert and a bowl of icecream.

    The other ones a sushi place its like 16$ for lunch and all other sushi places i can find a small sushi platter is between 15-35$ so it makes entire sense to go to the buffet, And since it has 168 menu items and literally like so much different kinds of foods it financially actually makes sense to go there lol even for the more expensive dinner to get my sushi fix

    side note just because its my thread and i feel liek saying it, I was 126 lbs before i went thurs, Went up to 132 lbs.....and now its monday and im down to 122.4 lol. all time lows past 2 days

    If you're in Londonn why are the prices in dollars?
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Thanks for posting your observations. I appreciate this thread. Kudos on the shift in your outlook! I basically agree with this:
    NovusDies wrote: »
    IME buffets normally have meh food and loud environments.

    Buffets are just not my thing. The food itself usually isn’t special. It’s often a quantity over quality thing. I really appreciate presentation, how food is plated, which you don’t get at a buffet. Plus, they make me a little anxious because I won’t get “my money’s worth.” It’s never going to be “a good deal” for me. All that notwithstanding, I can get a satisfactory meal at a buffet, and it does not make me ravenous for days. It can be hard to log, though.

    More difficult for me is the day after a night of heavy drinking. I’m much hungrier than normal.
    Buffets make me feel awful the next day. Even if I just try a little bit of all the food, I end up getting too full and not really enjoying anything. I don’t think I ever get my money’s worth and I spend the next day sluggish and lacking an appetite for any sort f food. I skip buffets in favor of regular restos with food I like.

    Im going to touch on this point you guys brought up : moneys worth

    I have the exact same mindset but i realize something that makes that mindset dumb, Yet i still have it.

    Theres 2 buffets i like in london the other ones a few dollars cheaper but lets use the mandarin for my example

    Buffet prices:

    Lunch
    Monday – Friday $18.99
    Saturday, Sunday & HolidaysΔ

    $22.99
    Dinner
    Monday – Thursday $26.99
    Friday – Sunday & HolidaysΔ $28.99

    Lunch monday-friday is under 20$. I mean honestly a good meal from a restaurant where you just get one late and maybe like a small dessert will easily come up to 20$. Even mcdonalds or something can easily hit 20$ for a meal and like a sundae or something (atleast close enough for this point)

    So with those numbers, Its really not hard at all to "get my moneys worth" So i have no clue why even when i know this my brain still tells me i need to stuff myself with everything simply because its a buffet, And i want to get my moneys worth lol. A single plate stacked would get me more then my moneys worth, With a small plate of dessert and a bowl of icecream.

    The other ones a sushi place its like 16$ for lunch and all other sushi places i can find a small sushi platter is between 15-35$ so it makes entire sense to go to the buffet, And since it has 168 menu items and literally like so much different kinds of foods it financially actually makes sense to go there lol even for the more expensive dinner to get my sushi fix

    side note just because its my thread and i feel liek saying it, I was 126 lbs before i went thurs, Went up to 132 lbs.....and now its monday and im down to 122.4 lol. all time lows past 2 days

    If you're in Londonn why are the prices in dollars?

    theres multiple londons in the world
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Thanks for posting your observations. I appreciate this thread. Kudos on the shift in your outlook! I basically agree with this:
    NovusDies wrote: »
    IME buffets normally have meh food and loud environments.

    Buffets are just not my thing. The food itself usually isn’t special. It’s often a quantity over quality thing. I really appreciate presentation, how food is plated, which you don’t get at a buffet. Plus, they make me a little anxious because I won’t get “my money’s worth.” It’s never going to be “a good deal” for me. All that notwithstanding, I can get a satisfactory meal at a buffet, and it does not make me ravenous for days. It can be hard to log, though.

    More difficult for me is the day after a night of heavy drinking. I’m much hungrier than normal.
    Buffets make me feel awful the next day. Even if I just try a little bit of all the food, I end up getting too full and not really enjoying anything. I don’t think I ever get my money’s worth and I spend the next day sluggish and lacking an appetite for any sort f food. I skip buffets in favor of regular restos with food I like.

    Im going to touch on this point you guys brought up : moneys worth

    I have the exact same mindset but i realize something that makes that mindset dumb, Yet i still have it.

    Theres 2 buffets i like in london the other ones a few dollars cheaper but lets use the mandarin for my example

    Buffet prices:

    Lunch
    Monday – Friday $18.99
    Saturday, Sunday & HolidaysΔ

    $22.99
    Dinner
    Monday – Thursday $26.99
    Friday – Sunday & HolidaysΔ $28.99

    Lunch monday-friday is under 20$. I mean honestly a good meal from a restaurant where you just get one late and maybe like a small dessert will easily come up to 20$. Even mcdonalds or something can easily hit 20$ for a meal and like a sundae or something (atleast close enough for this point)

    So with those numbers, Its really not hard at all to "get my moneys worth" So i have no clue why even when i know this my brain still tells me i need to stuff myself with everything simply because its a buffet, And i want to get my moneys worth lol. A single plate stacked would get me more then my moneys worth, With a small plate of dessert and a bowl of icecream.

    The other ones a sushi place its like 16$ for lunch and all other sushi places i can find a small sushi platter is between 15-35$ so it makes entire sense to go to the buffet, And since it has 168 menu items and literally like so much different kinds of foods it financially actually makes sense to go there lol even for the more expensive dinner to get my sushi fix

    side note just because its my thread and i feel liek saying it, I was 126 lbs before i went thurs, Went up to 132 lbs.....and now its monday and im down to 122.4 lol. all time lows past 2 days

    If you're in Londonn why are the prices in dollars?

    theres multiple londons in the world

    Good point. Ontario?
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Thanks for posting your observations. I appreciate this thread. Kudos on the shift in your outlook! I basically agree with this:
    NovusDies wrote: »
    IME buffets normally have meh food and loud environments.

    Buffets are just not my thing. The food itself usually isn’t special. It’s often a quantity over quality thing. I really appreciate presentation, how food is plated, which you don’t get at a buffet. Plus, they make me a little anxious because I won’t get “my money’s worth.” It’s never going to be “a good deal” for me. All that notwithstanding, I can get a satisfactory meal at a buffet, and it does not make me ravenous for days. It can be hard to log, though.

    More difficult for me is the day after a night of heavy drinking. I’m much hungrier than normal.
    Buffets make me feel awful the next day. Even if I just try a little bit of all the food, I end up getting too full and not really enjoying anything. I don’t think I ever get my money’s worth and I spend the next day sluggish and lacking an appetite for any sort f food. I skip buffets in favor of regular restos with food I like.

    Im going to touch on this point you guys brought up : moneys worth

    I have the exact same mindset but i realize something that makes that mindset dumb, Yet i still have it.

    Theres 2 buffets i like in london the other ones a few dollars cheaper but lets use the mandarin for my example

    Buffet prices:

    Lunch
    Monday – Friday $18.99
    Saturday, Sunday & HolidaysΔ

    $22.99
    Dinner
    Monday – Thursday $26.99
    Friday – Sunday & HolidaysΔ $28.99

    Lunch monday-friday is under 20$. I mean honestly a good meal from a restaurant where you just get one late and maybe like a small dessert will easily come up to 20$. Even mcdonalds or something can easily hit 20$ for a meal and like a sundae or something (atleast close enough for this point)

    So with those numbers, Its really not hard at all to "get my moneys worth" So i have no clue why even when i know this my brain still tells me i need to stuff myself with everything simply because its a buffet, And i want to get my moneys worth lol. A single plate stacked would get me more then my moneys worth, With a small plate of dessert and a bowl of icecream.

    The other ones a sushi place its like 16$ for lunch and all other sushi places i can find a small sushi platter is between 15-35$ so it makes entire sense to go to the buffet, And since it has 168 menu items and literally like so much different kinds of foods it financially actually makes sense to go there lol even for the more expensive dinner to get my sushi fix

    side note just because its my thread and i feel liek saying it, I was 126 lbs before i went thurs, Went up to 132 lbs.....and now its monday and im down to 122.4 lol. all time lows past 2 days

    If you're in Londonn why are the prices in dollars?

    theres multiple londons in the world

    Good point. Ontario?

    yup
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    I don't often eat at buffets unless I'm travelling. Once in a long while when I'm home I'll go to a Chinese buffet, because if I order carry out from a regular Chinese restaurant, I'm going to want to order differemt dishes, and the portions are so large that even if I spread the food out over several days, i'll be exceeding my calories every day. I can be happy with a smaller amount at a buffet, just to taste the things I want.

    Whrn I'm travelling, I'll sometimes go to a buffet when I'm desperate for some vegetables -- the vegetable sides at most regular restaurants seem like garnishes when you want to fill half your plate with veggies, and the choices are generally pretty limited. You can usually find some kind of unsauced lean protein at a buffet, too. So I go to buffets when I'm travelling if I'm tired of restaurant meals and want to put together something more like what I would eat at home.