Buffet Rules
kaliswalker
Posts: 1,277 Member
Food! Food! Food! This time of year it's hard not to think about food. Eating holidays abound. It's hard to stay on track. This is something I wrote several years ago, and each fall I dust it off.
Buffet Rules
1) First, do not get overly hungry by skipping meals like breakfast and lunch.
2) Limit alcohol. Drink a low-calorie beverage.
3) Before taking food, look at the whole spread to decide what you REALLY want to eat - limit variety.
4) DO NOT 'take a bit of everything'. Typically one plate of buffet food and dessert will be over 2,000 calories!
5) Plan your Plate Model which means - 1/2 plate is fruit & veggies, 1/4 proteins, 1/4 grains which include high carb veggies - potato, corn or carrots.
6) Remember portion sizes. Stuffing/dressing 1/2 cup! Gravy 1/4 cup!
7) Choose foods that look like they did before it was cooked - peeled shrimp, fresh fruit & veggies, etc. not breaded or made into something else like apples made into pies. Avoid fried/deep-fried foods.
8) Don't touch the Caesar salad or spinach dip, the dressing is loaded with sodium/salt and calories.
9) For high-calorie options focus on ONLY 1 or 2 and think of it as 'a controlled indulgence'.
10) This is a good time to skip a bun or any food that isn't really 'special'.
11) Have a clean perimeter around the rim of the plate (don't have food stacked/pushed out to the edges) or use a 9" plate.
13) One plate only, no seconds.
14) If a food does not seem very tasty, do not eat it. Try to leave a bite of something on your plate.
15) Make the plate of food last at least 20-minutes.
16) Before the meal look up the calorie content of foods you likely will eat.
17) My goal is still 500 calories and any calories I have saved during the day or week.
18) Avoid food pushers - politely decline high-calorie food. 'Thanks, it looks delicious maybe I will have some later'.
19) Drink lots of water with your meal.
20) Consider eating a light snack (apple or boiled egg) BEFORE a big dinner to help keep appetite in check.
21) Take some of your own food along ie. salad, apple slices, etc.
22) Avoid party snacks and appies before a meal.
23) Before the meal don't linger around snacks (vulture circle).
24) Treat appetizers as a meal, usually at least 400 calories (appies plus dinner = 2 meals NO!)
25) Turn from/keep your eyes away from the food. Focus on people.
26) Stop eating when you're 80 to 90 percent full, not 120 percent
27) Burn it to earn it - increase your exercise this week.
28) Continue nutrition tracking each meal even if you have to guess-estimate.
29) Daily weigh-ins.
30) Quickly regift chocolates, etc. but let people know in advance no food gifts.
31) Be the one who suggests going for a walk (distancing of course).
32) Before and after each buffet read this list. How did you do?
33) Set a Jan. 1st Weigh In Target Weight today!
Buffet Rules
1) First, do not get overly hungry by skipping meals like breakfast and lunch.
2) Limit alcohol. Drink a low-calorie beverage.
3) Before taking food, look at the whole spread to decide what you REALLY want to eat - limit variety.
4) DO NOT 'take a bit of everything'. Typically one plate of buffet food and dessert will be over 2,000 calories!
5) Plan your Plate Model which means - 1/2 plate is fruit & veggies, 1/4 proteins, 1/4 grains which include high carb veggies - potato, corn or carrots.
6) Remember portion sizes. Stuffing/dressing 1/2 cup! Gravy 1/4 cup!
7) Choose foods that look like they did before it was cooked - peeled shrimp, fresh fruit & veggies, etc. not breaded or made into something else like apples made into pies. Avoid fried/deep-fried foods.
8) Don't touch the Caesar salad or spinach dip, the dressing is loaded with sodium/salt and calories.
9) For high-calorie options focus on ONLY 1 or 2 and think of it as 'a controlled indulgence'.
10) This is a good time to skip a bun or any food that isn't really 'special'.
11) Have a clean perimeter around the rim of the plate (don't have food stacked/pushed out to the edges) or use a 9" plate.
13) One plate only, no seconds.
14) If a food does not seem very tasty, do not eat it. Try to leave a bite of something on your plate.
15) Make the plate of food last at least 20-minutes.
16) Before the meal look up the calorie content of foods you likely will eat.
17) My goal is still 500 calories and any calories I have saved during the day or week.
18) Avoid food pushers - politely decline high-calorie food. 'Thanks, it looks delicious maybe I will have some later'.
19) Drink lots of water with your meal.
20) Consider eating a light snack (apple or boiled egg) BEFORE a big dinner to help keep appetite in check.
21) Take some of your own food along ie. salad, apple slices, etc.
22) Avoid party snacks and appies before a meal.
23) Before the meal don't linger around snacks (vulture circle).
24) Treat appetizers as a meal, usually at least 400 calories (appies plus dinner = 2 meals NO!)
25) Turn from/keep your eyes away from the food. Focus on people.
26) Stop eating when you're 80 to 90 percent full, not 120 percent
27) Burn it to earn it - increase your exercise this week.
28) Continue nutrition tracking each meal even if you have to guess-estimate.
29) Daily weigh-ins.
30) Quickly regift chocolates, etc. but let people know in advance no food gifts.
31) Be the one who suggests going for a walk (distancing of course).
32) Before and after each buffet read this list. How did you do?
33) Set a Jan. 1st Weigh In Target Weight today!
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