HOW DO YOU CALCULATE A BUFFET? (E.G. GOLDEN CORRAL)

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  • ladyfox1979
    ladyfox1979 Posts: 405 Member
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    Its very frustrating when there so many options when you go to a buffet. The only buffet I allow myself is at Ruby Tuesdays. They have an open bar salad. So anytime I feel the need to binge I just go there for dinner.
  • marywanoKC
    marywanoKC Posts: 176
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    Yeah, the only buffet I go to these days is the salad bar at HyVee where I eat every day. I eat all raw ingredients for that meal, and I know how it was prepared (it wasn't!), and can keep track of what goes in my body.

    If regular fresh made entrees at California Pizza Kitchen can be over 1200 cals and nearly my daily sodium total for one meal, there's no chance in hell I'm touching Golden Corral any more.

    This site has changed my life for forever with regards to what's lurking in the food I eat/ate.
  • Prayforya
    Prayforya Posts: 68 Member
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    Of course not going is ideal, but it happens, so...

    1) Plan in advance. If you know after a graduation or celebration yall are going out to eat at a buffet eat lightly in the morning, but eat well so that by the time you get there you are not starving and desiring to over-eat.
    2) I know you can'find cici's nutri-info online, idk about GC's but you can guesstimate. Look at the menu and what you anticipate eating and calculate just how many calories you would consume before you go.
    3) Jot down what you have planned to eat, be sure to consider dessert and skip the waste of calories on soda/juice/anything not water
    4) You've planned your work, now work your plan. Eat what you said you would and leave it at that. Discipline and self-control is the name of the game.
    5) Perhaps leaving a 200cal deficit would be great "just in case" there is something on the menu you just "gotta have" but didn't plan for...except that you did with the deficit ;)
    6) Work-out! More out than in!
  • Abells
    Abells Posts: 756 Member
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    abstinence
  • Jill_newimprovedversion
    Jill_newimprovedversion Posts: 988 Member
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    When I began this journey last year, I avoided these kind of challenges.....just because I KNEW I had NO self control.
    But eating out- restaurants, family picnics, etc. wasn't something I had ANY intention of giving up THE REST OF MY LIFE....

    so, that being said,
    either go EASY on the salt, carbs, sugar intake for the meals you'll have the prior to it ( several days if you have that much advance planning time)
    and REALLY UP your WATER INTAKE for several days PRIOR and AFTERWARDS.
    Sodium levels from eating out are generally INSANE, and I ALWAYS retain fluid if I don't.


    and log it as best you can- guesstimating if the restaurant doesn't have nutritional facts on their website

    and get in as much exercise as you can.

    Just my opinion, if you think this will derail you, then wait till you're further along in this journey to face these kind of temptations.
  • willnorton
    willnorton Posts: 995 Member
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    send an alcoholic into the liquor store and tell him he can have anything he wants, as much as he wants...

    send a crack addict into the crack house and tell him he can have as much as he wants....

    send a food addict into a Golden Corral and tell him he can have anything he wants, as much as he wants!!


    enough said???????
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    I keep track of what I eat and log it best I can. On April 9th I went to Golden Corral and it looks like it set me back about 2390.

    According to livestrong, the TACO BUENO WHOLE LOTTA PLATTER is 2,698 calories. I would think a trip to a buffet would be much much much worse. That platter comes with no dessert and no drink!

    Feel free to check my diary out. It's all in choices you make too....I did not have a caloric drink and tried to have a lot of protein before my deserts.
  • workoutgirl23
    workoutgirl23 Posts: 267
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    lol. you wouldn't want to count all the calories you consume at a buffet. nor would it be possible. it would be so hard to do. buffets are nice to go to once in awhile. i enjoy them very occasionally. but not often. because buffets are not good for people who are dieting and trying to lose weight. but once in a great while its ok to splurge.
  • moepwr
    moepwr Posts: 349 Member
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    It makes me sad when people eat at Golden Corral.

    Never eat at a place with a name like "Golden Corral" would be my advice! Makes me think of a mixture of pee and cattle stock. Not a pretty picture.
  • mom2mozart
    mom2mozart Posts: 307 Member
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    I've gone to Chinese Buffet which has a nice salad bar and can honestly say that I ate healthy. Start with 1 plate of garden salad with lite dressing, 2nd plate with a scoop of cottage cheese and sliced beets (my favorites). Move on to steamed shrimp w/cocktail sauce, a little brown steamed rice, a few nibbles of beef with broccoli (heavy on the broccoli), and maybe a few scallops with vegetables. For dessert some jello and fresh cut fruit. I drink several glasses of water. I don't feel guilty at all, and am very satisfied. Log each thing individually. I have a smartphone so I can log as I eat.
  • pat6250
    pat6250 Posts: 90
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    It all depends what you choose. Broth based soup, salad (with no dressing, cheese, bacon, etc.), fresh fruit, lean protein, like broiled chicken or fish. Avoid anything breaded or fried, sitting in butter, or swimming in mayonnaise or gravy. Do not eat bread, rolls, or cake. They might have sugar free Jello for dessert. Drink lots of water, tea or coffee with 1 tsp. sugar and milk, or plain. It CAN be done, but it takes a strong will. If you cannot avoid the temptation, don't go.

    Or you could go on their web site ahead of time and plan what you will eat, and in what amounts, then do that. Have a backup plan in case what you chose is not being served that night. If they don't list calorie counts on their web site, assume the worst when you calculate. But calculate, or you will fool yourself. But you won't be fooling the scale.
  • scapez
    scapez Posts: 2,018 Member
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    You've listed a lot of different buffets, so based on that I'm assuming that you visit them on a fairly regular basis.

    If you want to get serious about this - I would suggest using a trip to a buffet as a treat, say maybe once a month. Consider it your cheat day and don't log.
  • scubagirl319
    scubagirl319 Posts: 115 Member
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    Some questions amaze me. Do a little research. Go directly to the Golden Corral website and look at the nutritional Info they have posted. It is really easy. Don't rely on others to do what you should be doing.
  • Package02
    Package02 Posts: 97
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    Why even try to log it? Just consider the day lost, and keep on keeping on the next day.

    This. If it's not something you do weekly, or even monthly, then what's the big deal. As long as you're able to get right back up the next day and continue eating healthy/working out then I wouldn't stress one buffet. To give an accurate calorie amount would be impossible though. No two people eat the exact same thing of the same amount at a buffet. Best bet would be just to list everything you eat as you eat it.
  • kaetmarie
    kaetmarie Posts: 668 Member
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    My husband loves buffets, so we go occasionally -- the last time I went to a chinese buffet, the damage for me was 647 calories. But (and this is a huge one), I can't eat gluten -- so that automatically takes out anything fried and most kinds of sauces.

    And I still ate a lot of calories for one sitting.

    Plan for it, log food individually, and make sure you drink lots of water and get exercise in. Honestly, I'd probably avoid the buffets ...at least for now.
  • 75Juniper
    75Juniper Posts: 376
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    Instead of going to their website, you can go to the food database on MFP and search for Golden Corral. There are a bunch of foods listed. You can see what they have, take note of what you eat when you go, and then log it through the database.
  • thelovecatway
    thelovecatway Posts: 6
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    I think this is probably the best answer. Although we should really avoid them, it's impossible to say that we're not going to get roped into going to a buffet ever again. Making good choices the whole time like said above is the best you can do. I would skip the mentality of "getting your money's worth" and just focus on what you do every day - eating right, and only until you're full. I personally like to add every food item to my list (because it puts my accountability right in my face and helps me decide whether or not I truly want to have to add it/eat it), but otherwise just call it a day and don't go crazy just because you're already high on the count; keep your goal in mind, but don't beat yourself up.
  • thelovecatway
    thelovecatway Posts: 6
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    Buffets are hard. It is probably best to avoid but let's face it, none of us are probably never going to visit a buffet ever again. I have gone and still lost weight but keep in mind a few basic tricks:

    Drink lots and lots and then more water ( not only will it help you feel more full but it will help with flushing out the sodium content )
    Start with a broth based soup ( might be high in sodium but helps fill you up)
    If you dont like soup reach for the salad first ( not the mayo based kind) and watch the dressing ( balsamic or raspberry are better options)
    Avoid anything that looks fried or is covered in rich sauces
    I try to stick with veggie and meat based dishes and avoid the pasta, rice or potato ones.
    Of course dessert is going to be there. Have what you want but have the smallest piece that will satify your craving and then move on

    This is about lifestyle changes not deprivation but if you think you will not be able to control yourself , you might want to avoid. If you do , just eat clean the rest of the week and get in a few extra workouts.
    For tracking, just do the Add calorie option ( I track about 1500 for a buffet meal) or dont track that day.
    Dont beat yourself up

    This was the post I meant (by bizgirl26)...
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Buffets exist so that you can gorge yourself for a fixed price.

    If you are not yet able to control the urge to binge, I would avoid it at all costs, no matter what.
    If you are in control of your eating, just get one plate of whatever you want and chalk it up to a rarity without feeling compelled to log every calorie of it
  • DrivenDiva
    DrivenDiva Posts: 233 Member
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    I wanted to share this pic I snapped when I went to my favorite Thai restaurant that has a lunch buffet. I made sure that I could see most of my plate (no piling on food on top of food). And I stuck with the Tom Yum soup which is broth based so I had to worry less about calories/fat. When I got a second plate, I only choose ONE item and I used the dessert plate. Have a glass of water between trips and pace yourself.

    Also, you should enjoy the company and conversation with your fellow diners so you are less tempted to overeat.

    33kvgnm.jpg

    steamed mixed veggies, tom yum soup and pad thai (with tofu).

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