Uh oh, I have to go to the buffet! Heeelp!

Okay, so my grandma wants to take me out for my birthday tomorrow on the gambling boat (which is interesting enough in itself) and is insisting we go to eat at the buffet in the casino. I tried to get out of it but she really has her heart set on it so I'm just going to have to do it. My question is, are there any foods I should go for aside from the obvious choices like salad, veggies, fruit, and non-breaded chicken? I also don't really know how to count my calories at meals like this and I've always been sort of bad at eyeballing portion sizes. I just want to see if anyone has any tips for counting calories when you're eating out so I can make sure I don't go over my allowance - I'm in the lose 10 lbs by Halloween group and I don't want to get off track, especially since yesterday was my cheat day for the week. Any tips would be much appreciated!

hey girl! first off,happy early bday!:)

ok so gambling boat..that sounds like so much fun! k its your bday...maybe you could let yourself splurge a little. eat fairly low calorie during the day and then maybe eat maintenance at the buffet? hmm what type of buffet is it?

Seems to me you know what to do.  Common sense goes a long way.  The only other thing I would advise is to make sure you don't go overboard and stuff yourself.  Eat enough to be satisfied or a little full and it is unlikely that you calories will be too high.

Happy B-day! 

I just went to a buffet with my family, it all looked SOO good.  I put equal portions of grilled chicken/mashed potatoes/veggies on my plate.  Then I got a couple of very small cookies, so I would not have to walk back by everything.  I was full, the meal was good and I have NO regrets for not stuffing myself silly.

You can do this, make up your mind before you walk through the door that you are gonna enjoy your food and make good choices.

 Good Luck and Happy B-Day!

That's a great idea, since the dessert table is usually my downfall, I'd rather just have a cookie or two and then have my Skinny Cow ice cream when I get home because then I won't feel guilty afterwards.

Thanks all!

Try eating something small ahead of time (esp something high in fiber) so that you are just slightly satisfied but not full.  Also, try not to make repeat trips: in a usual meal at your house you most likely wouldn't eat more than a plate of food and just because you CAN go back to the buffet for more food doesn't mean that you should.  I think this preconcieved notion of being able to make repeat trips and getting the most for your money end up making people eat much more while at the buffet.  As far as what foods, probably the stuff you already know, fruits, veggies, grilled instead of fried meats, and if you're extremely tempted dont deny yourself something you crave, just get a small portion so that you satisfy the craving without going overboard.  Hope that helps!

While on vacation we stopped by a buffet (with a group of friends) for Sunday Brunch that I thought was a bit expensive.  My old thinking would have been, for this amount I'm going to eat, eat, eat!

As I drooled over all the waffles, pastries, fried chicken, cheese laiden potatoes, etc. I gathered my courage and started with a large salad full of healthy vegetables, a little feta, a couple of pepperocini and a small amount of dressing.  After eating all of that, I was able to go the buffet and try a tablespoonful of some of the more interesting items...just a taste.

Stuff yourself. :)

Just stuff yourself with all healthy foods and low calorie foods. (Maybe not stuff, but eat a lot of it) then splurge and eat a small plate of whatever you want and control the dessert temptation. Just eat something small. Maybe some non-fat vanilla yogurt if they offer it. o yeah, happy birthday!

If it will make you feel better to have an idea of portion sizes...

4-oz of meat is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand

A cup is about the size of your fist (for something like mashed potatoes) and half of that would be a half cup

At buffets, I think usually the salad dressing spoon should be either 1 tbsp or 2 tbsp, which would be one serving

One once of meat or cheese is about the size of your thumb

These are estimates, of course, but should give you some idea.

Have fun and enjoy the time with grams!

I have your problem a lot of times.. I think that if i dont eat before such as breakfast that its ok but I always end up eating more when i dont have anything to eat before. MAke sure you eat before you go. and drink lots of water so that it fills you up. Also, if you have too much variety your body will keep wanting more of each as opposed to saying 'stop i am full.' Take a good look at the buffet and select only those things which you really like and want to eat, also choose the healthy options. Protein will fill you up faster too. Don't crowd your plate. It is better to use a dessert plate and not fill it up. the moving up and down to the buffet will allow you enough time to start feeling full as opposed to sitting there gobbling up 1 entire full plate. I hope this helps! IT has worked wonders for me!