potluck dinner. HELP!

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Sherri0706
Sherri0706 Posts: 64
in Food and Nutrition
I am attending a potluck dinner tonight. I have no idea what foods will be available there. How do I count the calories on my food diary? I will have one of these once a month, so I need some help. Thanks!!

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  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
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    I recommend just enjoying the hell out of it and making it your once monthly cheat meal. That's my vote. :)

    I'm bracing for the barrage of cheat-meal nay-sayers. hehe Legit points, all around.
  • mom2claudia
    mom2claudia Posts: 53
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    I went to a potluck two weeks ago and made it easy for myself.... I just ate what I brought. ;) However, some things should be easy to gague, like raw or cooked veggies, etc...
  • jsmjboertlein
    jsmjboertlein Posts: 267
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    OOO I just went to one and I had a tablespoon and a half of everything. Got to enjoy all the foos and came in under my calories and it surprisingly filled me up. O and to count the food I just looked it up in the data base. If it wasn't in there I googled it and came up with the closet thing I could find. And I really filled up on the raw stuff, fruits, veggies, salads. it was so yum. I don't regret it at all. I even ended it with half a cupcake.
  • NYCDutchess
    NYCDutchess Posts: 622 Member
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    I'm going to a dinner on Sunday, I'm going to bring a dish that I will eat. The host is making baked chicken so I will make a side that I like (low carb, low calorie) and bring a lemon for the salad...otherwise, the rice, pasta and shrimp scampi will be off the table.
    I'm not cheating! I refuse!!
  • hsubharas
    hsubharas Posts: 26 Member
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    Do your best. Stick with the stuff you know, fruits and veggies. Overestimate on calories and fat unless you know who made it and if they made it at all healthy. Can you bring a healthy dish to the potluck? Good luck. Everything in moderation!!!
  • JanerZzz
    JanerZzz Posts: 276
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    Oh boy, thats a tough one and YOU KNOW no one really makes anything health conscious for these fetes! I would suggest, make whatever you bring a healthy option and enjoy what other people bring in, in moderation :)
  • bmmadden
    bmmadden Posts: 499 Member
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    Start with the healthy stuff and see if your full and then allow for a few small bites of indulgences or like someone else said make this your one cheat day a month
  • loveandprideforever
    loveandprideforever Posts: 29 Member
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    :) Great Question. Whenever I eat somewhere that has "questionable" ingredients (aka- I'm not sure all of what's in it), I make my best judgments after I TAKE A PICTURE of my plate. This way, you don't fill up the plate too full, so you can see all of it, and you take a good photo of the plate after "loaded" (obviously making your best judgments on what to actually put on it). You can snap a quick picture and go back to your socializing, then log after the party is finished. So using common sense on what to put on it, and save time from logging right then, this has worked for me many times, whether this be eating at a restaurant or at a potluck (which I also attend a few of). It's a good method. I use my camera phone, but a quick digital would work too.
    If you need any help, let me know and just trust yourself that you WILL BE OKAY!! :)
  • candacecollins
    candacecollins Posts: 34
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    the way i deal with those dinners and buffets, is i take a small spoonful of all the stuff i want to eat, i say small like 1/4-1/2 cup servings, and no seconds, at those dinners it is very easy to rack up the calories and fat because everyone brings comfort food (full of fat) :) my motto is the same as racheal rays, everything in moderation, and for the last 8 months it has worked for me. hope this helps, i would advise to think about how long this one dinner would take u to work off if u went all out...i just got done workin off 6 binge pounds just to be 2 weeks behind on my goal because i over at on my calories and drank too many sodas,
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    The good thing about knowing you've got an event like this every month is that you can prepare for it! I too use the approach that others have pointed out - bring something you know is low fat/cal and mostly eat that and just have little tastes of other things offered. Even if you do go a bit overboard, you can balance it out by getting a little extra exercise in and being really good the rest of the week.

    I too believe in having a cheat meal once a week. It may not work for everyone because sometimes it can be hard to avoid that mindset of "oh well, screwed up my diet so I might as well pig out the rest of the week and start again Monday". But if you're really determined to reach your goal, you won't let that happen.
  • Sherri0706
    Sherri0706 Posts: 64
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    Thanks everyone! This really helped me and I'm feeling like I can do this!!
  • carlybarley22
    carlybarley22 Posts: 197 Member
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    The best part is, if you fill up on some salad that leaves a lot of room for extra calories to take a small taste of everything else there is to offer.

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