how do u handle eatin at a buffet?

jessinicole1808

So the weekend is comin up again and its my hardest time stayin at my calorie goal an my bf has been talkin bout goin to the casinoto eat the buffet I want to go but worried bout stayin within my calorie goal

kaseyr1505

Well, honestly, I don't eat at buffets.

http://greatist.com/health/16-tips-conquer-buffet-binging

I would add about 20% to whatever you think you're eating as well, since you don't have access to a scale/measuring cups.

Jess__I__Can

Eat veggies that were steamed or at least aren't drenched in butter. Have a large salad without dressing. Also, like kaseyr1505 said, add about 20% to whatever you think you are eating. Maybe only make one plate and don't go back. Just because you pay for all you can eat doesn't mean you have to eat all you can eat.

pita7317

One word. Don't.
If you have to. Salad only.
I live in a casino town with lots of buffets. No thanks.
If I must, a taco salad is what I choose.

madbrainDotCom

I don't, ever.
I prefer quality over quantity.
The former is not found at buffets.

wannakimmy

Make wiser choices, chicken, pork over beef, keep clear of the sauces, and fill up on salad first.... Very hard to do when faced with all that yummy food, but you can do this!

Quoop

1) Avoid it
2) Avoid creamy and fried foods.
3) Eat seafood, more bang for your buck and lower calories
4) don't do dessert unless its something really that you never tried ie. don't do vanilla icecream or those crappy brownies, and dry cookies.
5)Eat whatever you want in moderation so long as it fits your calories. Fill up with a salad and water before hand. Also you should never do this in regular practice but you can do salads for breakfast , and for breakfast and lunch the day after. It will negate some calories and the rest you can ignore.
6) Its probably a special occasion so just enjoy yourself.
7) Make sure your veggies aren't drenched in oils and butter. rather have fried good stuff than fried vegetables. eek.

jessinicole1808

One word. Don't.
If you have to. Salad only.
I live in a casino town with lots of buffets. No thanks.
If I must, a taco salad is what I choose.

Lol that's where he wants to go, the casinos buffet:)

I'm thinkin I might try to eat as little as I can during that day and try to stick with salad and maybe some shrimp I wouldn't be myself if I didn't have some shrimp lol

climbing_trees

Eat as many fresh/raw vegetables and fruits as I want.
Fill two or three plates with plain lettuce and other low fat salad toppings. (No dressing, cheese, seeds, meat, etc)

Then have one small serving of something indulgent, and a small dessert.

I'm eating more than I should probably, but too many veggies never hurt anyone.

gmallan

I don unless I absolutely have to. When I do I try to fill up on mainly veggies/salad and any lean protein (fish/steak/chicken/seafood) and then take tiny portions of anything indulgent I'd like to try. I generally will always go for dessert as I'm a sweet tooth but I try to stick to the very best on offer and savour it

homemadehippy

I hear you. My mom and husband love buffet. I usually make a salad and choose a meat to top it off. I usually add some chicken or shrimp or beef. If you like them, and they are available on the buffet, crab legs are great because they keep you hands busy while everyone keeps making those trips back to the buffet.

If its a Chinese buffet, the steamed dumplings are only about 40 calories each. Shrimp and broccoli is a great choice as the shrimp is pretty much pure protein and not much fat. If you can get some of the meat and veggies off the top of the pan where the sauce has drained off some, rather than from the bottom where everything is floating in the sauce you can save some fat and calories there too.

Just like any other restaurant, plan ahead what you will eat and try not to look at anything else. Make sure to have a back up plan, just in case something normally on the buffet is not available. And remember, the food at buffets is cheap for a reason - its not really that good.

Have fun!

MaaKeMeThinn3r

Moderation..Moderation,,Moderation!!
Stick to the fruit and salads and fishes try and avoid the pastas. But honey also allow yourself a "cheat day" denying tempations for to long or never allowing yourself to enduldge can lead to a severe bingee

jwat90

I would eat something healthy before we went to fill me up so I wasn't starving by the time I got there. Then I would try to get chicken or fish, fresh veggies, and if I wanted to splurge a little I might get one thing that I normally wouldn't but just a small portion of it. And drink plenty of water.

scb515

Pretend it's not a buffet. Put a reasonable portion of the least bad foodstuffs on your plate and don't go back for more, even if everyone else does.

nxiety

Like many others have said. Just don't. If you can't measure it or get the nutritional information easily, you shouldn't eat it.

WLG1974

I don't.

missiontofitness

If you feel comfortable with not knowing exact cals, and think you can control portions reasonably well, I would suggest the following:

1. Eat lightly for breakfast and lunch leading up to your dinner.
2. Fit in some extra exercise into your day
3. Try to eyeball portion sizes for meat/grains/ect. If you have a regular dinner plate, load up half with greens, and divide the other quarter with your protein and grain.
4. Wait before going back for seconds. Eat your food slowly, and gauge how hungry you really are.
5. If you are going back for another plate, repeat the same.

I personally haven't eaten at a buffet in a long time, but I have eaten at places with huge portions and where I cannot log the calories accurately. I usually use this trick if I can; I load up on greens if they're available, and stick to protein and minimal grains. The protein and greens help fill me up without busting my macros.

conniekat8

So the weekend is comin up again and its my hardest time stayin at my calorie goal an my bf has been talkin bout goin to the casinoto eat the buffet I want to go but worried bout stayin within my calorie goal

Tell your BF that with the amounts that you eat, that wold be one helluva expensive buffet.

When my DH wants to go to a buffet, I sleep in and let him go there for breakfast (without me).

On the other hand, if you don't have a specific time limit for when you need to be done losing weight and you don't find it difficult to get back on track from a 'holiday', take a holiday. Don't overeat, but don't completely fuss over each calorie either - especially if this is not something you do every week. It may even be a good practice with restraint in face of temptation.
By taking a few days off every few months for very special occasions you are really not creating a huge amount of damage.... but like I said, it just delays the end goal a little bit - if you have a specific end goal.

As far as piking out what to eat, pay attention to your portion size and what you;re eating. Buffets in Vegas often have lean cuts of meat, eggs, things where you can at least guestimate the calories (give or take 20% may be the best you can do).
One thing that is kind of nice when dieting, if you eat an exceptionally bog meal all of a sudden, your body will sort of reject digesting a good part of it, it may feel a bit overwhelmed, and you may end up with having to stay close to the bathroom the next day. I don't recall exactly how that works, I read about it and experienced it in the past, but forgot the details.

BruceHedtke

I just pretend I'm a bowling ball. I grab my plate and start racing down the line as fast as I can. When I bump into someone, they usually go flying off to the side. If I can get to the end of the counter without losing what's on my plate, I win!

Seriously, buffets have plenty of good food as well as the junk. Load up on the good: vegetables (steamed, if possible), fruits, seafood, rice and take a sampling of some of the "bad". You're dieting and trying to lose weight, right? That doesn't mean you have to punish yourself for the rest of you life! Eat something bad every now and then. As long as you don't do that every day, you'll be fine.

I personally don't go to buffets now simply because they've gotten ridiculously expensive, but you can still get healthy food there. You just have to be choosy.

GreatDepression

Yeah, buffets are really difficult for me. The last time I went, I just stuffed up with the healthiest options I could find (vegetables, non-breaded meat, salad with lite dressing). I still overate and consumed way too many calories but I guess it could have been worse if I had stuffed myself with cake and ice cream.

CloudyMao

It's healthy to 'indulge' and go over your calorie limit (if you have one) now and then.
You're not going to a buffet everyday so this is a once in a while treat. Eat there in around about the balance of what you normally eat, so most likely a lot of vegetables, full plate of salad - That's already probably 2 plates, you could maybe throw a little extra with the veggies like whatever meat they have. Don't worry if the vegetables have butter on them, it's not that bad for you at all - and again this is not something you're doing often. Ok so you're two plates down, dessert - most buffets have a lot of fresh fruit. A fruit salad with one scoop of ice cream or some fresh cream is really a gorgeous treat. This is your ONCE IN A WHILE. It's not a 'cheat' or anything. To fit within calories at these things eat mostly salad and don't put extra like cream or sauce on your food.

SLLeask

Oh c'mon guys, please stop saying "don't go", it's just ONE meal!!! Please stop demonising food!

I LOVE buffets, I just don't go mad. Have a look what's there, go for the healthier stuff, don't pile your plate up high or go back for loads and loads. I don't like mixing my food, so I go up several times but come back with little tasters of different things. Takes time to queue up and walk to and from the table (see, I've even worked in some exercise in there for you!). Don't have loads of desserts, just choose a small portion of whatever looks really good.

Sit back, relax, enjoy, think what a lovely meal and time you have had then get on with the rest of your life. One meal will NOT make you fat even if you snarf the lot!

If you are really worried, up your exercise / cut a few calories for a day or two before and/or after.

But most of all, don't feel it's a huge issue, it's a treat, it's not like you plan to do it everyday!

Have a lovely meal!

Velum_cado

I manage it by going to a buffet once or twice a year. I *will* gorge myself. But I believe in everything in moderation, so I moderate by hardly ever going.

Branstin

I don't go to buffets often but when I go, I treat it as any other restaurant. First, I drink a glass of water. Next, I eat portion size servings. I do not go back for seconds.

Muffie22

Badly :P

loribethrice

I don't eat at restaurants unless their website lists the nutritional values of every meal.

darrensurrey

One-off? Just get your money's worth. Every week? Don't go so often!

You will put on weight but you'll easily lose it. Best not weigh for a week.

swertyqwerty

Don't go. Why put yourself in that position? Go to a normal restaurant

abadvat

Haaaaa, good ol' buffets - orgy of protein and fat and the odd carb here and there.
Keep a mental note, enjoy, guestimate when tracking and move on!

KharismaticKayteh

Moderation..Moderation,,Moderation!!
Stick to the fruit and salads and fishes try and avoid the pastas. But honey also allow yourself a "cheat day" denying tempations for to long or never allowing yourself to enduldge can lead to a severe bingee

I'm so glad someone said it! I eat at a buffet so rarely that whenever someone does suggest we do, I feel like, "Hell yes, it's been forever and I deserve this." Obviously, don't do anything you would be ashamed of or eat yourself sick, but don't feel guilty about enjoying yourself if buffet dinners are infrequent and you've been doing really well.

JaneyB311

It's healthy to 'indulge' and go over your calorie limit (if you have one) now and then.
You're not going to a buffet everyday so this is a once in a while treat. Eat there in around about the balance of what you normally eat, so most likely a lot of vegetables, full plate of salad - That's already probably 2 plates, you could maybe throw a little extra with the veggies like whatever meat they have. Don't worry if the vegetables have butter on them, it's not that bad for you at all - and again this is not something you're doing often. Ok so you're two plates down, dessert - most buffets have a lot of fresh fruit. A fruit salad with one scoop of ice cream or some fresh cream is really a gorgeous treat. This is your ONCE IN A WHILE. It's not a 'cheat' or anything. To fit within calories at these things eat mostly salad and don't put extra like cream or sauce on your food.

I'm afraid I have to agree with the folks saying 'give yourself a break'. OK so don't go to buffets every week, but once in a while? Hell yeah! Just go, enjoy it guilt free, and get back to plan the next day. Remeber this is a lifestyle and a journey we're on, so there will be bumps in the road that you have to navigate along the way. You can't spend your life saying 'I cen't eat that' or 'I can't eat there', it's all about moderation and allowing yourself a treat once in a while. If you're good 99% of the time, then one meal is not going to kill your weight loss. However the feelings of deprivation probably will.