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

Buffets gross me out. All I can think about is how many people breathed on the food, coughed or sneezed on it, picked their noses before grabbing the serving utensils... *shudder*

I realize the potential for any of this at any restaurant, but at least when it's prepared in a kitchen and brought directly to me, the exposure is more limited. :ohwell:

^^^^this!

This freaks me out too. I use a napkin on the shared utensils. People look at me like "why are you here if you are afraid of the food?"

It's a great question. That's why I only go a couple of times a year to satisfy a craving for everything.

We don't eat at buffets very often because I don't eat enough to be cost-effective with the price. The rare times I do eat at one, I usually eat a salad or soup before hand, give it time to settle, and then take a little bit of what looks good. I don't eat the fried stuff (that much grease usually gives me an upset stomach) nor the stuff I can see swimming in grease. If I'm being really strict, I stick to well known items that I am confident I can find calorie information on. For dessert, if I have it, I have a diabetic dessert or just fresh fruit.

I log it. I'm eating at a buffet less than once a month, so I'm not going to stress it too much.

I try to avoid the self-defeating belief that someone overweight can't control themselves at a buffet. It does NOT have to be that way.

I would agree with those who said you should try to keep track as best you can and then make the healthiest choices you can, but allowing yourself a little indulgence if it's a once-in-a-while thing. I recently went to a banquet that had a buffet dinner and I just kept track on my phone, but could just as easily have jotted it on an index card or small memo pad if I didn't have a Smart Phone.
I ended up having a small chicken thigh, about 4-5 cocktail size meatballs, some thinly sliced roast beef, a roll with butter, some salad with a tiny bit of dressing, and a few chunks of fruit. I don' t like mayonnaise and I'm not a fan of sauces or even most pastas unless they're plain or just tomato sauce made at home, so I don't have to worry about that. (I DID end up splurging on some sheet cake and a cookie.) My whole meal was right around 1,370, including the desserts and a regular Snapple since they didn't have any diet. Otherwise, I would have had only about 850, so it can be done. Just plan, be careful, keep track, but enjoy yourself and then move on the next day and the days to come.
Another tip: Don't starve yourself all day to go to the buffet, or you're more likely to overindulge. Have a light breakfast and lunch, and maybe get in an extra workout earlier in the day to offset your heavier meal.

Finally, when I belonged to WW, our leader mentioned that a good rule of thumb is that when you're eating out just to replace your home-cooked and eaten meal, stay within your allotments. If you're going to indulge, only do so if it's truly a special occasion.

I went to a breakfast buffet this past weekend....ate fairly sensible..and tracked the food individually. I have problems tracking food at churck potlucks for the same reason.

/damn, now I want buffet :laugh:

Right? I don't have nearly enough calories or enough of a single macro left today to swing it though. Not even a "healthy" plate.

Surely you could go and get a large plate of lettuce and vegetables with no dressing....

ahhhh F&%# it, what's the point of that?!

JUST went there yesterday. i typed in golden corral and chose the things i ate on there, of course i am done after one trip and dessert so...:drinker:

So wait, you used the MFP database to look up and log your food?? If only the OP knew about this wonderful site and app!

/Ok I'm getting way too snarky, sorry weightlossguy01. Back to work for me.

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.

Except there might be multiple listings for a single item with a vastly varying range of calorie counts. This is one of the things I find frustrating. I'd rather have the information directly from the source so that when I go to the database I know that I am choosing the right item.

I went to Golden Corral just yesterday. I made sure I remembered everything I ate and how much. I also ate my salad and healthy stuff first so I wouldn't eat too much crappy food. You just have to limit yourself and if you go over a little, go for a walk after. That's what I do and it works for me. :happy:

We have a huge family (5 kids) and go to buffet-type places at times because it is cheaper for our family to eat out. (CiCi's, Ryan's, and there is a kick butt homestyle buffet with country cookin that is sooooo good).

I do fine there when we eat out. I load up on salad and raw veggies and use 2 tbsp of dressing like I would here at home, and then choose the turkey/baked chicken, green beans and then skip dessert (or thin crust veggie pizza at CiCi's). Just because you go doesn't mean you are forced into over-eating! Practice portion control and make good choices! If you have been on this site for any length of time, you should have a good idea of what is good food vs "bad" food.

If you don't trust yourself yet - don't go. But how else are you going to practice what you have learned? You can't eat in a bubble all of the time!

I make sure to log all of the food that I eat at buffets. My husband LOVES buffets and it gives me a chance to eat foods he doesn't like, so we go a few times a month. I drink water and try to take drinks often to slow my eating. Last time I went, I spent about 1200 calories, but I knew I was going so I made sure to work out before we left the house! Stay away from fried stuff and I look for items that I can figure out the ingredients of, no "mystery meatloaf" for me! Don't stop going to buffets because you're on a diet. Once you're off of your diet you'll go back and won't know how to eat well there.