How to Make the Most Out of Buffets

[Beck90 189]

Okay.. So.. I am 7 weeks out from surgery and cleared to try anything I'd like to.. most things go down well. My friend's birthday is tonight and we're going to go to a Chinese buffet. Needless to say.. I cannot eat at a buffet the way I used to but the price is not going to change (unless by some miracle I can explain and they'll let me eat a child buffet but let's assume I won't get that lucky). How do you guys make the most out of a buffet? In general I don't eat around my sleeve and I'm doing good on weightloss.. but if I am going to go to a buffet.. I'd like to make it count and it's not like at a regular restaurant where I can get a normal portion size and just take home what I can't eat either... So what are your tricks and tips for getting the most out of your money at a buffet after sleeve surgery.

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PS I'm just going to say I can see this becoming a hot topic.. but I'm doing well. I've lost 35 pounds... my doctor says I'm well ahead of the curve for his patients on loss. I'm exercising regularly. I'm making better food choices than I ever have and "slider foods" aren't a thing for me.. I just don't have a problem with them... I'm seeking information from those who've been here and not a debate about whether I should be going, whether this is a slider food, whether I'm going to mess up my weight loss or any other hot topic. -thank you-

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

After explaining what you DON'T want advice on, would you please clarify what kind of advice you DO want?

(Not understanding what you're looking for.)

[#9grammy 274]

When I go I will get some chicken and broccoli, I pick it out lol.

Some times a small spoon of rice, I never go for the crusted items, and there is always something to eat. Hard boiled eggs and unsweetened Jello, you will find lots to try, but don't fill your plate with this just small amounts, and even then I'm giving them back more than I eat.

[#9grammy 274]

Oh ours has fresh vegetables so you can have it grilled. But the fresh veggies I just go back and have them raw!

[Sophie74656 1,572]

If I'm with proplr who don't know I had surgery, I fill up my plate and pick at it. Then I'll go up a second time and do the same. I've done this a few times and it's not been a problem. Nobody has noticed or said anything and I enjoyed the foods that I liked

[jess9395 5,448]

First of all WATCH THE RICE!!! It can hurt like the dickens! Don't try it out at a restaurant the first time!

Ok so here's my take on buffets and "getting my money's worth."

The value in a buffet for me is VARIETY not QUANTITY. When I typically eat out I either share a dish or order a small plate or appetizer or side portion of Protein or even order nothing and eat off my husband and two kids' plates. Great! Fine! Except it means I don't often get to pick what I eat and almost never get to eat more than one thing.

At a buffet I can literally have one small bite of 4, 5, 6 or sometimes (I am 2.5 years out) even more different items!

I can sample a piece of Protein from any number of mixed dishes, I can have a touch of this salad or that veggie. I can sample so many different things! To me that has become where the excitement is and the justification of the price tag.

And of course if it's a party and I am sitting there for two hours, guess what, I do graze! I plan for it in my day and eat accordingly and then graze for two hours, sticking to the best parts--seafood, chicken, sashimi, etc. I will eat several bites, wait half an hour and eat several more. And I feel like saving it for the protein and stuff I don't get on a regular basis instead of filling up on noodles and rice (which still hurts my stomach so I actually don't even try anymore) I get more of my money's worth anyhow--eat the expensive stuff!

Finally--the price is the price of the party and the companionship, not the food.

Tell us how it goes!

[AvaFern 3,516]

I haven't been to a buffet post-op, which doesn't mean much really, even though it's been three years. I was never really much into buffets and now I'd rather go someplace where I am fairly sure I know what the food was cooked in so I can avoid barfing.

I am pretty sure you are never going to get your money's worth at a buffet anymore, lol, especially if they don't let you take a doggy bag home! Like @@jess9395 said, if I am at an event where there is a buffet, I plan ahead and save enough calories to enjoy myself, but not enough that I get there and I'm starving. Usually I'll get a plate and pick at it for a few hours...sometimes I eat the whole plate, which is a normal person portion size, and sometimes I don't...depends how bored I am. I tend to get whatever I want, although if I was still trying to lose weight I would try to stick with Proteins like steak, fish, ...stuff like that...and avoid rice, potatoes, and things that make you full without really being terribly nutritious. I feel like a big reason people go out to dinner is to socialize, so if you get a plate or two, pick at portions of it, and toss the rest, you still get to enjoy yourself and your friends without derailing your diet. A big thing I had to get over was wasting food...I was raised in a "clean your plate" house and it took me awhile to get over being worried about the starving kids in Africa when I threw out 3/4 of my dinner. Once I got over that, it helped a lot.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

We have a local Chinese buffet that my family likes to go to. The few times I have been I have pretty much just stuck to Proteins (baked fish, shrimp, chicken, etc.) and some vegetables (like broccoli).

Oh, and I still start with hot tea.

[Scotchjade 59]

One of the Chinese buffets around here allows people to do takeout from the buffet items and it is priced per pound of food in a takeout container. We went there for Father’s Day and they let me do takeout and eat it at the table with everyone else.

I was careful to choose only Protein that was not breaded or deep fried, and had minimal sauce. I enjoyed what I had and it only cost me $4.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Post sleeve, I decided it was MUCH better (FOR ME!!!!) to get the most out of my sleeve, not the most out of a party/buffet/open bar/all inclusive/salad bar/etc.

In a situation like yours, I probably would ask if I could get a one trip deal or a child's buffet. If I could not, I would either choose just to order a starter or drink. If that's still not an option, I would get a little bit of meat, a little bit of veggie, skip the Soup and the rice (because it makes me vomit). I would skip anything fried or breaded and look for seafood if they had it on the buffet.

I will never get my "money's worth" at any all you care to eat place, but I do get my money's worth at all my favorite REGULAR sized clothing stores!!

[BayougirlMrsS 3,933]

@@Beck90 first off let me say sorry if i repeat anything someone else is already said. I don't do buffets anymore because it just doesn't pay for me to get a buffet would only eat a few bites of food most Buffets will allow you to order off the menu or they will allow you to get a go box and weigh it out. In fact we went to a Chinese buffet last night I simply ordered off of the menu and was able to take the leftovers home in a box

[missruthy 44]

What is a slider food?

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[jess9395 5,448]

Ok so here's another way to look at it....

Say you'd normally order an appetizer for $5 or an entree for $15 and get three meals from it when you take home the leftovers. (Just rounding because my math is horrible, bear with me).

So you normally pay $5 for a meal out. Let's say the buffet is $15 or even $20.

This is a friends birthday right? Consider the $10 or $15 "waste of money" a gift to her.

I just don't understand the need to get your money's worth in food. It's only $10. Pre op I'm sure most of us could have eaten $20 worth of fast food. Was that "getting our money's worth?" Nope it was getting us fat.

[jess9395 5,448]

What is a slider food?

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Slider foods are those foods with little nutritional value that "slide" through our pouch or sleeve quickly and don't fill us up or keep us satisfied so we can eat way too much of them. Some common ones are chips, crackers, etc because they crunch up so small you can fit a lot in there and they are so nutritionally shallow that you digest them quickly and so they pass right through.

Some foods are sliders for some and not for others. The worst are the ones that trigger the "can't eat just one" feeling in the person.

Mine? Cheezits! Don't let me near them! But I can eat a chip or two and walk away. Don't even much care for them.

[missruthy 44]

Wow thanks @@jess9395! Very thorough explanation!

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