Problems with unlimited food/buffet style
Replies
-
What the what? Mental games....? the amount on the plate is the amount on the plate, regardless as to whether it's 5 different entrees or 2.
And satiety and feeling full have no element of mental gaming to them?
No idea if many items vs more of a few makes a difference or not.
But, do you feel equally full when you've finished eating a heaping salad sized plate of food, or when you're done eating a sparsely filled dinner plate? When both plates contain the same amount of food?
Most people would report themselves as feeling fuller with the first option.
0 -
What the what? Mental games....? the amount on the plate is the amount on the plate, regardless as to whether it's 5 different entrees or 2.
And satiety and feeling full have no element of mental gaming to them?
No idea if many items vs more of a few makes a difference or not.
But, do you feel equally full when you've finished eating a heaping salad sized plate of food, or when you're done eating a sparsely filled dinner plate? When both plates contain the same amount of food?
Most people would report themselves as feeling fuller with the first option.
Definitely wasn't your point.
The question was several small portions on a plate vs 2 regular portions on a plate, not the size of the plate, so don't confuse the issue.0 -
Definitely wasn't your point.
And satiety and feeling full have no element of mental gaming to them?What the what? Mental games....? the amount on the plate is the amount on the plate, regardless as to whether it's 5 different entrees or 2.
No idea if many items vs more of a few makes a difference or not.
But, do you feel equally full when you've finished eating a heaping salad sized plate of food, or when you're done eating a sparsely filled dinner plate? When both plates contain the same amount of food?
Most people would report themselves as feeling fuller with the first option.
The question was several small portions on a plate vs 2 regular portions on a plate, not the size of the plate, so don't confuse the issue.
I would assume it is the exact same theory.
You are visually tricking yourself by eating a larger quantity of just a few somethings vs eating many smaller, less visually satisfying, piles of other somethings.
Also, possibly, since you've had more of something you are saying to yourself: hey, had enough of this. Whereas when you eat a lot of samples you never say enough due to the novelty of each taste.
Again, no idea if there are any studies or anything backing either side of that argument; I was objecting to your objecting to using "mind games" to control eating.
0 -
Definitely wasn't your point.
And satiety and feeling full have no element of mental gaming to them?What the what? Mental games....? the amount on the plate is the amount on the plate, regardless as to whether it's 5 different entrees or 2.
No idea if many items vs more of a few makes a difference or not.
But, do you feel equally full when you've finished eating a heaping salad sized plate of food, or when you're done eating a sparsely filled dinner plate? When both plates contain the same amount of food?
Most people would report themselves as feeling fuller with the first option.
The question was several small portions on a plate vs 2 regular portions on a plate, not the size of the plate, so don't confuse the issue.
I would assume it is the exact same theory.
You are visually tricking yourself by eating a larger quantity of just a few somethings vs eating many smaller, less visually satisfying, piles of other somethings.
Also, possibly, since you've had more of something you are saying to yourself: hey, had enough of this. Whereas when you eat a lot of samples you never say enough due to the novelty of each taste.
Again, no idea if there are any studies or anything backing either side of that argument; I was objecting to your objecting to using "mind games" to control eating.
No, it wasn't mind games, or visually tricking yourself at all, that I was talking about. What I was referring to when it comes to eating at a buffet-style food offering, was taking a very small portion of each type of food you want to taste, so that your overall caloric intake for the meal is still within your calorie goal for the day. It's not about any 'mental game' at all.
It's about eating in moderation, which is the healthy way to learn how to eat. Eating what you like in small portions so you don't feel like you are giving up food is the way to succeed.0 -
withoutasaddle wrote: »The only way I can semi get around it is to have itty bitty pirtions of everything
i read somewhere that having lots of little things makes it harder to feel full (vs having more of 1-2 things)
Yes, one normally stops eating less foods sooner than when there is a lot of variety due to sensory specific satiety.
Here's a study about this: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/80/4/823.full
0 -
Fill yourself with healthy foods and drink water. If there is something u really want then you could eat a bit.0
-
This makes me think of the episode of Rick and Morty where the devil opens up a shop where everything is free and they seem too good to be true, but then the items curse the people who take them (and I know this is based on other older stories). The devil always tells them, "you don't pay with money". Just think of all the negative things you are getting out of overeating and not losing weight. These are the costs of these "free" buffets.0
-
zhongjen000 wrote: »Hello everyone,
I was wondering if anyone had some tips to avoid binge eating when given unlimited amounts of food. At my workplace, we are provided lunch for free and I have a hard time controlling my portions because it's... free. Same with house parties... It seems like I just can't stop when there are free sandwiches, chips, desserts everywhere... I just want to try them all. Any tips or advice that has helped you guys stay on track?
Do what I did -- get one plate (standard-size) and fill it up with whatever your heart desires. Then get one calorie beverage. The plate must include any sauces or spices, chips, etc. Once you have everything, begin eating and be done with it. This will put you right at 1,380 calories, give or take. Do this once a day in the same way at around the same time every day and you will lose weight. The psychological cravings and compulsive eating will disappear once you set some ground-rules and keep them.
I lost 173 lbs on OMAD (one-meal-a-day). It's simple and effective. Go to the OMAD forums for more.0 -
Please
Definitely wasn't your point.
And satiety and feeling full have no element of mental gaming to them?What the what? Mental games....? the amount on the plate is the amount on the plate, regardless as to whether it's 5 different entrees or 2.
No idea if many items vs more of a few makes a difference or not.
But, do you feel equally full when you've finished eating a heaping salad sized plate of food, or when you're done eating a sparsely filled dinner plate? When both plates contain the same amount of food?
Most people would report themselves as feeling fuller with the first option.
The question was several small portions on a plate vs 2 regular portions on a plate, not the size of the plate, so don't confuse the issue.
I would assume it is the exact same theory.
You are visually tricking yourself by eating a larger quantity of just a few somethings vs eating many smaller, less visually satisfying, piles of other somethings.
Also, possibly, since you've had more of something you are saying to yourself: hey, had enough of this. Whereas when you eat a lot of samples you never say enough due to the novelty of each taste.
Again, no idea if there are any studies or anything backing either side of that argument; I was objecting to your objecting to using "mind games" to control eating.
=======
Please stop over thinking it. Limit yourself and if you want to try a little of everything, then do so. If you think you may feel guilty about it or you may have overeaten a little, then cut your lunch time short and go for a 20-30min walk afterward. Drink plenty of water. If you know what your company will be ordering, maybe you can ask if you can see the menu and what they are ordering, so that you can log foods and amounts beforehand. That is all you can do until you are confident in these situations and/or avoid these food events all together.0 -
Definitely wasn't your point.
And satiety and feeling full have no element of mental gaming to them?What the what? Mental games....? the amount on the plate is the amount on the plate, regardless as to whether it's 5 different entrees or 2.
No idea if many items vs more of a few makes a difference or not.
But, do you feel equally full when you've finished eating a heaping salad sized plate of food, or when you're done eating a sparsely filled dinner plate? When both plates contain the same amount of food?
Most people would report themselves as feeling fuller with the first option.
The question was several small portions on a plate vs 2 regular portions on a plate, not the size of the plate, so don't confuse the issue.
I would assume it is the exact same theory.
You are visually tricking yourself by eating a larger quantity of just a few somethings vs eating many smaller, less visually satisfying, piles of other somethings.
Also, possibly, since you've had more of something you are saying to yourself: hey, had enough of this. Whereas when you eat a lot of samples you never say enough due to the novelty of each taste.
Again, no idea if there are any studies or anything backing either side of that argument; I was objecting to your objecting to using "mind games" to control eating.
No, it wasn't mind games, or visually tricking yourself at all, that I was talking about. What I was referring to when it comes to eating at a buffet-style food offering, was taking a very small portion of each type of food you want to taste, so that your overall caloric intake for the meal is still within your calorie goal for the day. It's not about any 'mental game' at all.
It's about eating in moderation, which is the healthy way to learn how to eat. Eating what you like in small portions so you don't feel like you are giving up food is the way to succeed.
What I read (a long time ago, some study or other) was that, basically, all other things being equal, people feel satiated more quickly when they have one or two kinds of foods they're eating in one bigger portion, vs many small (but equivalent in quantity when counted together) portions of things that taste different. (E.g., tapas.)
Something about the change in taste fooling you re your hunger. Whereas you get kind of fed up sooner when you have a lot of something that just has one taste. That was the gist of it.0 -
dp0
-
kshama2001 wrote: »withoutasaddle wrote: »The only way I can semi get around it is to have itty bitty pirtions of everything
i read somewhere that having lots of little things makes it harder to feel full (vs having more of 1-2 things)
Yes, one normally stops eating less foods sooner than when there is a lot of variety due to sensory specific satiety.
Here's a study about this: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/80/4/823.full
There it is, thank you!
0 -
What the what? Mental games....? the amount on the plate is the amount on the plate, regardless as to whether it's 5 different entrees or 2.
And satiety and feeling full have no element of mental gaming to them?
No idea if many items vs more of a few makes a difference or not.
But, do you feel equally full when you've finished eating a heaping salad sized plate of food, or when you're done eating a sparsely filled dinner plate? When both plates contain the same amount of food?
Most people would report themselves as feeling fuller with the first option.
And thank you as well 0 -
I go out for fancy tea once a month. The afternoon tea typically includes very small portions of five or six items. Maybe because I eat them slowly, as I'm socializing, and because I'm mindful that these are high calorie foods, for all that they are small portions, I feel completely sated with a small variety plate as opposed to needing a larger portion of a single item. Your mileage may vary.0
-
I think that we went through a bit of a "side-post" as to what is the best strategy to control buffet eating with some posters getting mixed up as to who had written what.
Frankly the real strategies are:
a) don't buy lemons until you can handle the taste0000000
b) make lemonade with the lemons you've bought
Can you do it? Absolutely!
It is one thing if it is a special occasion. But if it is an everyday thing there comes a time when you just have to tell yourself: I don't care how much I paid (or did not pay) for the All You Can Eat, I am here to have my lunch/dinner/afternoon tea/sushi/salad bar/brunch, within my caloric budget for the day, and that's all I'm having.
The rest CAN go to waste. My health is worth more than the price of the food. And tomorrow is another day and I can have this, that, or the other that I am not going to have today because there isn't enough room within my caloric budget and the single plate I am planning to eat.0 -
I work as a chef. Lol...yeah .. Imagine how hard it is for me ??? I choose not to eat all.. I take my own food that weighted and done for my diet in to work. Yes it's hard sometimes when I look at that nice coconut sponge or apple crumble and it smells for an two hrs right under my nose.. But when it gets really hard I take a pen and draw an infinity signs on my hand and every time I want to take something I shouldn't that is the 1 thing I see and it reminds me : it's couple minutes of happiness eating it ... It will be infinitely on my hips . And it works like electricity!0
-
Not exactly... Some people have harder to go trough a day without eating. It's psychological problem. Like smoking...the habit of smoking stays long after you don't crave the nicotine.its the movement it self. Same with eating. It's Easier to eat 10x a day for some small amount ( same 2 plate sizes) then wait 6 hrs apart and they start binging anyways and then eat the second plate on top of it. So I would say ,depends if you strong willed and you can wait for your meals ... Crack on! Well done . But let's be honest.. That's where we all start failing.. When we go I'm hungry and start eating something we shouldn't .. Especially when a cake or that cheese turnover winks at you. So better to split your lunch or dinner in 2,3,4 if that helps then give in !withoutasaddle wrote: »The only way I can semi get around it is to have itty bitty pirtions of everything
i read somewhere that having lots of little things makes it harder to feel full (vs having more of 1-2 things)
What the what? Mental games....? the amount on the plate is the amount on the plate, regardless as to whether it's 5 different entrees or 2.
0 -
I prefer not to go that often, since my choices turn the event into a calorie bomb
Otherwise I do like multiple items on a plate. I also try to remember which ones I didn't like that much - weren't worth the calories. There's always some items like that, you try it and it's like ugh. Clear waste of calories, just have to remember that. Easy on the fried and heavily sauced items, more on the veg and baked stuff. Settle in with a giant glass of water or unsweetened iced tea (I add zero cal sweetener). Second plate (yes, there is one) usually tends to be much smaller than first. That's when I'm getting the small quantities stuff I like best just to try some again... heh0 -
withoutasaddle wrote: »The only way I can semi get around it is to have itty bitty pirtions of everything
i read somewhere that having lots of little things makes it harder to feel full (vs having more of 1-2 things)
Ya' know, for me..that is true! If I am starving an hour before lunch and I am home, I go ahead and have the full lunch. Seems for me...'little bites' never end..and leave me still hungry.
(Edited to add). And for me, I do eat less if it is one or two..foods and not a big variety. It has nothing to do with all of it 'equaling the same number of calories'. It's more about..it's good..and I want even more!0 -
Everyone has lost the point.0
-
Point is . Take food from home that you weight out for your meals.it takes time
And preparation but it will keep you away from the buffet. Also set your self a constant reminder around the time your getting hungry. I draw infinity sign on my hand but it can be anything you like and would work for you. Have water instead or fruit if you can't wait for another meal.0 -
NO. Point is, if you have to eat a buffet, learn to take small portions, so you are still eating in moderation and fitting things into your calorie deficit. You are not always going to be able to bring food from home in every situation.0
-
I choose not to eat at those places for a few reasons,
1. I don't like the idea that everyone has free dibs on the food, ie. dirty hands touching it and what not.
2. don't know how fresh the food is and
3. I prefer fresh home cooked meals that I know what ingredients are being used and how much.0 -
I stick to one plate of food and choose normal portions like I would at home. I usually go with one protein, one starch and one veggie. And that's it. No, I can't have one of everything, so I pick the one that I want to try the most.
It's about recognizing that you are the one with the power and everything you do is your decision. Stop acting powerless.0 -
SingRunTing wrote: »I stick to one plate of food and choose normal portions like I would at home. I usually go with one protein, one starch and one veggie. And that's it. No, I can't have one of everything, so I pick the one that I want to try the most.
It's about recognizing that you are the one with the power and everything you do is your decision. Stop acting powerless.
This.0 -
Free doesn't mean lack of will power or discipline. That's on you. You make the decision.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
0 -
I don't understand the problem here. Just because it's there doesn't mean you have to stuff yourself with everything in sight.0
-
-
one would think, but apparently not. Because those who need to lose weight do continue to overindulge.0 -
1. Use a smaller plate to limit how much you can put on it
2. Fill up on salad or veggies if they have them
3. Drink plenty of water beforehand
4. Log before you get there
5. Remember how hard it is to burn those calories
Just my opinion anyway. Good luck0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 176K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions