How do you deal with potlucks?

Options
Nedra19455
Nedra19455 Posts: 241 Member
in Getting Started
I think the title says it all. What do you do when you're at a potluck? This evening I went to a great potluck at church and had small portions of several items -- many of which I don't even have a name for and so I can't look them up in the app to even get a "ballpark" estimate of the number of calories. I had some kind of gluten-free layer cake, for example, but I don't even know how to estimate how many calories are in it. And there was some kind of Ukranian salad, but, again, I don't know how to look it up.

What do you do?

Replies

  • beckylou66
    beckylou66 Posts: 103 Member
    Options
    I would just be very careful not to overeat at the potluck, and go back to tracking tomorrow. :)
  • arainiday1
    arainiday1 Posts: 1,763 Member
    Options
    i do my best guess and try to log SOMETHING as close as i can..... basically ballpark it and keep going
  • incantarix
    incantarix Posts: 35
    Options
    It is very difficult because you don't know what kind of ingredients people use. I agree to use your best guess to something similar.
  • DesireeLovesOrganic
    DesireeLovesOrganic Posts: 456 Member
    Options
    I hate potlucks. I usually grab fruit or veggies off the trays to look like I am eating there (but eat before I go. LOL)
  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
    Options
    I take my own food. Because I'm celiac and lactose intolerant, people are used to me bringing my own food so that they don't have to cater especially for me. Otherwise, I'd just estimate and enjoy myself.
  • Cby60
    Cby60 Posts: 38 Member
    Options
    I had the same this weekend with family gatherings. I actually fasted all day Saturday and then just picked from dishes I really really liked and then estimated high on the calories and portions just to cover myself.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
    Options
    It is very difficult because you don't know what kind of ingredients people use. I agree to use your best guess to something similar.

    What she said! This is what I do, I just ate at a church potluck a few days ago. I just guesstimated the best I could
  • Mygsds
    Mygsds Posts: 1,564 Member
    Options
    I had this last week at a church function and I just made a estimate and added the add calorie function. I tried to estimate a little high just to be safe..
  • Tanya949
    Tanya949 Posts: 606 Member
    Options
    Sometimes I just don't log anything, but make note of what I ate (and estimated portions) in my food notes. I don't know the true calories anyway but still have a record of it.
  • thomaszabel
    thomaszabel Posts: 203 Member
    Options
    I like to have a little bit of everything at potlucks or buffets, so when it comes to recording the calories, it is next to impossible. I seriously might have eaten 1 -2 spoonfulls of 20 different things. I basically just make it up using my best guess, knowing I'm probably off by hundreds of calories or more. I don't know if there is a "food" in the MFP database called "Miscellaneous Buffet", but that would be cool, though not sure how to attach a calorie count to it.

    I exercise a lot though, so I know that worst case scenario is it will take me maximum 1-3 days to recover back to the weight I was before I pigged out.
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
    Options
    1) Eat with moderation. Enjoy your tastes of everything. Remember it is supposed to be a little of lots of things not an all you can stuff in your pockets buffet.
    2) Use "add quick calories" function under quick tools in your food diary. Add you full daily amount of calories.
    3) Move on.


    Part of MFP diary eating should be educational as well - learn to eyeball how much you are eating or you will never survive social situations again. This is my pet peeve when people substitute regular foods for the extra low calorie stuff - you do not learn just how much of something you should eat so when you are presented with it you go waaaaaaay over. Eat real foods every day and you will soon get an idea of how much you should be eating.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
    Options
    I basically load up my plate with veggies at a potluck, and then just add on very tiny portions of anything else I might want. But yes, it's Almost impossible to accurately log what you've eaten when someone else has prepared the foods. Who knows exactly what and how much they have added in, so it's impossible to get it exact. I just count it as a treat meal and move on.
  • wannakimmy
    wannakimmy Posts: 488 Member
    Options
    Use a small plate if available. Take a small portion of a few things and call it good. If you have a pasta salad, find something similar in the database and punt... It is only one day, enjoy the fellowship and keep on track for the upcoming week.
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
    Options
    Eat a little of something you like the look of, log it, and add a note to yourself in the food notes that it was a guess at a potluck, overestimate if necessary.
  • angf0679
    angf0679 Posts: 1,120 Member
    Options
    I just take a little bit of what I know (I'm always hesitant to eat something where I don't know what it is!) and do the best I can for logging it.

Categories