How do you deal with a buffet on a diet?

2

Replies

  • Jay_Jay_
    Jay_Jay_ Posts: 194 Member
    It's easy as long as its a quality buffet. My local chinese buffet has a great salad bar and sashimi options, as well as a lot of meat without sauces. I can usually get out of there very easilly being full after a salad and one plate, but i'm also a ketogenic so I don't touch any carbs, breadings, or sugars. I fill up fast. :)
  • stratusofkiser
    stratusofkiser Posts: 54 Member
    I stay with veggies fruit and protein.
  • ExcusesStopHere
    ExcusesStopHere Posts: 16
    ATTACK IT!

    yes
  • kristelpoole
    kristelpoole Posts: 440 Member
    We had a potluck buffet today. I had 2 types of salad (85% of my plate), a tiny piece of cornbread, 2 cubes of cheese, some vegan spinach and artichoke dip and 4 chips. For dessert, I skipped all the brownies and just had a tiny piece and pound cake and a lot of berries. It was delicious, I was satisfied and I didn't need all the mac n cheese, pasta salad, etc.

    Basically, if you fill up most of your plate with healthy, quality foods, you can have some space left for the "bad buffet foods" you crave, but in just enough of a portion to satisfy your craving. :)
  • Sarasari
    Sarasari Posts: 139 Member
    If it is a restaurant that you can look up do as much planning before you go.For example Sweet Tomatoes has their calories listed. When I went there I got a big salad,soup and a small helping of pasta,ok and a cookie. The key for me is to go get each item one at a time. If possible do not let the waiters clear your plates,so you can see them and remember what you have eaten. Drink a lot of water so you will stay full and it will help with extra sodium.Good luck!
  • Romans624
    Romans624 Posts: 822
    This is how I fealt with my trip last friday

    I went. I ate whatever I wanted. I did NOT tried to keep my butt away and healthy. I eat decently good throughout the week and I allow myself a spike day.

    I got home, worked out those extra calories. Called it a day. I was over my calories a bit but I was still way below maintanance and I get to enjoy the yummy Indian buffet

    I absolutely love indian food... I wish I knew a good place here in the DC - Baltimore area.
  • SilkyHotspur
    SilkyHotspur Posts: 233 Member
    This is how I fealt with my trip last friday

    I went. I ate whatever I wanted. I did NOT tried to keep my butt away and healthy. I eat decently good throughout the week and I allow myself a spike day.

    I got home, worked out those extra calories. Called it a day. I was over my calories a bit but I was still way below maintanance and I get to enjoy the yummy Indian buffet

    I absolutely love indian food... I wish I knew a good place here in the DC - Baltimore area.

    India Palace,1 9743 Frederick road , Germantown MD. Really good Indian Buffet....and i'm not a big Indian food fan, but this place is on our lunch rotation.
  • laceylou0702
    laceylou0702 Posts: 226 Member
    I use a cake plate (tiny paper plate if available)...and take a tiny bit of everything I love.

    I can't say no, but I can say LESS PLEASE. :)

    This or avoid it all together and ask them to go elsewhere...
  • BigenFluffy
    BigenFluffy Posts: 56 Member
    It helps to "know" foods and the calorie counts. For example, you KNOW that green beans boiled with a little bit of meat are going to be better for you than cole slaw. You KNOW that grilled chicken is a better choice than bbq ribs.

    It helps me to look up foods before I go to get an idea. For example, we went Chinese a few weeks ago and I looked up what would be healthy items from the buffet.
  • mellabyte
    mellabyte Posts: 193 Member
    I have to deal with this all the time. Both work _and_ my family love to take people to buffets for special events, and it's usually Indian or Asian food buffets...

    Some buffets, have smaller dessert or salad plates - if they have those, then I use those plates instead of the entree one.

    It doesn't happen that often, and since I've changed my lifestyle - I get full a lot quicker and am tons better at portion control, so I don't stress about it too much. I just have small bits of whatever I feel like trying. But a few of my now second nature habits: I make sure my plate never appears piled with food, everything is laying as one layer. -laughs- I also don't get any (what I call) extra stand-alone carbs, so no rice, noodles, potatoes, bread, etc. I make sure I have at least 1/3-1/2 the plate comprised of veggies (of varying colors if possible). Never more than one regular plate and a second lighter half plate (if I'm still hungry).

    After all that, I keep active and have lighter meals and very light or no snacks for the rest of the day.

    Personal recent experience. I know I said I don't go that often, but May was particularly bad because of mother's day, plus a million birthdays... So I must've ended up at a buffet 3 or 4 times that month (and 1 potlock/picnic this month). But I still managed to lose almost 4lbs between then and now. So, if you don't go nutso - you can survive them. :)
  • starracer23
    starracer23 Posts: 1,011 Member
    If its a cheat day...I eat what I want.

    But normally, I avoid them like I do port-o-potties!!
  • iamkarent
    iamkarent Posts: 144 Member
    I grab a big salad and fruit plate, and also a plate with the peel and eat cold shrimp...it takes me time to peel them while others are downing the fryfest....so by the time they are going up again...I have had time to get past the initial urge to grab everything!
  • fatchiick
    fatchiick Posts: 105
    I don't do buffets, I've always found them a waste of money, I've only gone a couple of times, but I can never eat more than one full plate, ill get a second but just waste and pick over it... My friends on the other hand I think she had close to 10 full plates and this girl was thin but loved to eat... just eat a normal amount buffet doesn't have to mean gorge yourself into oblivion.
  • Romans624
    Romans624 Posts: 822
    This is how I fealt with my trip last friday

    I went. I ate whatever I wanted. I did NOT tried to keep my butt away and healthy. I eat decently good throughout the week and I allow myself a spike day.

    I got home, worked out those extra calories. Called it a day. I was over my calories a bit but I was still way below maintanance and I get to enjoy the yummy Indian buffet

    I absolutely love indian food... I wish I knew a good place here in the DC - Baltimore area.

    India Palace,1 9743 Frederick road , Germantown MD. Really good Indian Buffet....and i'm not a big Indian food fan, but this place is on our lunch rotation.

    Thank you ! I will certainly try it. I have been to probably a dozen indian restaurants in Colorado and only two were "really good" the most were nothing to sneeze at. And only one was absolutely spectacular, but I think the chef they were using must have been too expensive because their food went waaaaay downhill (Little India, 6th avenue Denver CO).

    But I will absolutely keep this in mind for one of my next 3 "cheat meals". Yum!
  • Mercenary1914
    Mercenary1914 Posts: 1,087 Member
    This is how I fealt with my trip last friday

    I went. I ate whatever I wanted. I did NOT tried to keep my butt away and healthy. I eat decently good throughout the week and I allow myself a spike day.

    I got home, worked out those extra calories. Called it a day. I was over my calories a bit but I was still way below maintanance and I get to enjoy the yummy Indian buffet

    I absolutely love indian food... I wish I knew a good place here in the DC - Baltimore area.

    India Palace,1 9743 Frederick road , Germantown MD. Really good Indian Buffet....and i'm not a big Indian food fan, but this place is on our lunch rotation.

    Another good indian buffet in the DC area.

    It's in Vienna, VA

    Amazing!

    http://www.bombaytandoor.com/
  • Romans624
    Romans624 Posts: 822
    This is how I fealt with my trip last friday

    I went. I ate whatever I wanted. I did NOT tried to keep my butt away and healthy. I eat decently good throughout the week and I allow myself a spike day.

    I got home, worked out those extra calories. Called it a day. I was over my calories a bit but I was still way below maintanance and I get to enjoy the yummy Indian buffet

    I absolutely love indian food... I wish I knew a good place here in the DC - Baltimore area.

    India Palace,1 9743 Frederick road , Germantown MD. Really good Indian Buffet....and i'm not a big Indian food fan, but this place is on our lunch rotation.

    Another good indian buffet in the DC area.

    It's in Vienna, VA

    Amazing!

    http://www.bombaytandoor.com/

    Thank you, God bless you!


    It makes me quite excited... because if it weren't a high calorie food and I didn't care about health I would eat good indian food EVERY DAY. lol.
  • Joleigh1115
    Joleigh1115 Posts: 9
    Exercise for about 15 min longer the day before, of and after-IF you want to be able to be a little less concerned with what you choose. Otherwise go for the fruits and veggies first, then choose one or two things you absolutely HAVE to eat and eat (slowly) just a small portion of each. Moderation, not deprivation.
    Congrats on the end of the school year btw!
  • Joleigh1115
    Joleigh1115 Posts: 9
    I'm sort of with you on this one...why not?! On the other hand, if will-power is an issue (like for me) then it may not work so well!
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    it's one day. eat good food. have fun.
  • stephaneb74
    stephaneb74 Posts: 151 Member
    go and enjoy it.... this is the best way to deal with a buffet...
  • brittigno
    brittigno Posts: 193 Member
    I load up on salad and then go for fish or something like that.
    But, I mean, if you're doing well all the time, why not splurge a little?
    But it's your call. I'd definitely load up on the salad and water first.
    I also hate the buffet my family usually goes to, so it may be easier for me to do it. -shrug-
  • firedragon064
    firedragon064 Posts: 1,082 Member
    Go for protein but not deep fried...Seafood is the best (baked & boil)
    Dessert bar either skip it or just have a bite - I just have a bite of some of them.
    In general, skip empty calorie carb.. there is where all the high calorie are
  • gingerveg
    gingerveg Posts: 748 Member
    You couldn't get me near a buffet for a gazillion reasons (and #1 for me would not be portion control)! By their very nature they are just meant to steer people in the wrong direction health-wise. There are not a lot of healthy options and they are actually quite unhygienic (not talking about catered affairs I'm talking about restaurant buffets where food sits out all day). And you pay one price so you can eat a lot - which encourages blind eating over health so it can be just a wide open field for overindulgence. Ugh, they are just no good. If it is unavoidable then yeah small plates, stick with the salads + balsamic vinegar dressing. Find the one or two healthy options and just eat that. If you overindulge ah well sounds like a one time event, just move on and try to avoid buffets entirely in the future. Good luck!
  • Qatsi
    Qatsi Posts: 2,191 Member
    I haven't been to a buffet since starting here seven months ago. I used to see "all you can eat" as a CHALLENGE. And while I'd like to think my behavior has evolved since joining MFP, I'm better off avoiding the temptation for now.
  • rextcat
    rextcat Posts: 1,408 Member
    2 words:::: SALAD BAR
  • Raseac11
    Raseac11 Posts: 41
    I agree with the two ways to go about the buffet. Also, if you've had a good week, and saved a few extra calories everyday, then you can have some of the stuff you wouldn't necessarily eat (for me, it would be dessert!). Just don't go crazy!

    Of course, weddings and stuff you can't avoid, but I just tell my friends that I don't do buffets. (Part of it is being a nurse, and I know how gross it is if you really think about it.)




    2 ways I go about the buffet {if I can not avoid them all together}

    1. Pick and choose the most healthy stuff. @ wedding have small piece of cake and nuts (no mints)
    2. Keep your calories super low for the rest of the day, so you balance out at the end of day.
  • cOOkieLpX
    cOOkieLpX Posts: 63 Member
    Stick with salads and rice and stay away from high carbs! Keep track of your calories with the MFP iPhone app. Don't let the buffet trick you into thinking you're still hungry! Eat slowly so your stomach has time to realize it's full when it actually is.
    Why?

    To the OP. Create a calorie deficit earlier in the day. Have a hard workout or intense cardio sessions (sprints). Stick to lean protein and veggies prior to the buffet.

    At the buffet, eat whatever you want in moderation.

    Basically agree...you know you want to eat, you know the pressure will be on, just pay for it the day before, the morning of, even some the day after...calories have no time clock, create as big a deficit as you want, the relax at the event, stay within yourself and eat responsibly without too much pressure.

    I agree, just make up for it during the week. No biggy.
  • luvmex22
    luvmex22 Posts: 3
    Head straight to the fish and salad and start with a bunch of large crab legs that will keep you busy for a while...I've done it already! Good luck!
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    This is why God invented cheat days.

    Unless you find that cheat days make your life more difficult. In which case, fill up a plate halfway with healthy things, and then put in a little bit of the things that are worse for you. It might help if you visualize beforehand how much you are going to eat of each thing (i.e. I will only eat two pieces of fried plaintain) so that you don't fall into the "just a little more" trap.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    kind of sad how many people are stuck on deprivation as the only way to make this work.

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