Not banded yet but went to a buffet last night and was wondering is the "All you can eat buffet" going to be worth it after the band?? My husband likes to go to the buffets and was wondering if anyone has still gone out to a buffet with out looking a little crazy :purplebananna:

sure, i've gone maybe 2-3 times since banded (october 06)... i just get a smaller plate (salad plate maybe) and a small piece of chicken or Prime Rib if they have it and some veggies.

i normally split a piece of dessert with my DD.

I avoid them because you can't get a box for leftovers.

Most of our family get-togethers are at buffet places. NO, you do not get your money's worth. Plan on filling a small plate and that will probably be your only trip. It will drive you crazy to see all the food you want to sample but your band doesn't quit just cuz your willpower did. If you try to stuff it, it WILL come back up. Just my opinion.

I deff don't get my money's worth. I do still go cuz my fam like to but I hate paying for it!

I have been a couple of times and mostly get chicken or fish and salad or veggies on a little plate.

I look at it this way, yes I am paying a little more than I want to pay, but I am doing what my family/friends want to do. Quite frankly, I am paying the restaurants back for when I really ate (let's face it, OVERATE) when I was there previously. I look at it as helping the restaurants recoup the money they may have lost in the past. :Dancing_wub:

I haven't tried this yet, and am not sure if it works, but I've read somewhere on this board that in many buffet places you can show your bariatric ID card and many will only charge you for a child's buffet. Sounds fair, but I don't know the extent of the practice. Wouldn't that be nice if everyone did it?

I haven't tried this yet, and am not sure if it works, but I've read somewhere on this board that in many buffet places you can show your bariatric ID card and many will only charge you for a child's buffet. Sounds fair, but I don't know the extent of the practice. Wouldn't that be nice if everyone did it?

Interesting, buffets are not very common up in the area that I live but it would be curious to know if they did do that. I can't justify paying $20+ a plate when I'm eating maybe $5 of that. But like I said, thankfully we don't have buffets here.

My family loves buffets so I have no choice but to go. I do show my card and they accept it at Sino American (Chinese buffet), they except it at Captain George's (major seafood place here) and practically all the restaurants even Shoney's. I however don't like the fact that Golden Corral (which sells home cooked meals) said they no longer except them which pissed me off since a billboard right by their store talks about WLS and promotes healthy living. It its somewhat disappointing since they are a family oriented restaurant. Once I find out that a restaurant doesn't except my card I no longer patronize their establishment just because WLS is all on the tv on billboards in the magazines. I consider it a form of discrimination so I just take my business elsewhere.

Get your card from your doctor and have it laminated. I keep it with me just like its a photo id. My husband is usually the one to ask the business if they except my card, but other than that one place I can eat off the kids menu or pay the children rates. Its funny when I do because my kids look at me and say I'm the kid why do you have to pay regular price for us, since they are over 10 it doesn't bother me.

Go for the company of your family. And think about how you are not washing the dishes.

Buffets typically serve the poorest quality of food available to make money. Just get what you can eat and don't worry about the cost aspect. Overall you're saving on your health by not eating too much.

some buffets (like golden corral) besides the buffet has options where you can buy a dinner instead. With the basic, meat, potato, veggie option. Maybe lead your family to a buffet such as this?

Yah I tried that card thing, they said, uh.......no. I am cool with that, I don't go that often to worry about it, so no big dealio. g2s

I've been a few times. I've gotten over the 'wasting money' thing, but I still struggle to slow down when I'm there. I slow down at home, but when I go to a buffet it's like the old habits creep in before I even know what I'm doing. I've had to wait quite awhile for things to go down before I can continue to eat.

This is a question that's asked all the time and I think its a really telling one, its fascinating becuase it really shows the mentality that obese people have towards food.

Now this isnt a judgement, because I had it too. But your aim is not to avoid buffets becuase you dont get your "money's worth", the aim is to not care. I mean, you can go out to a restaurant with huge white plates and fishbowls on stems for wineglasses and get a pea on a bit of puree called gourmet for $50 and is THAT your money's worth?

You will NEVER get your money's worth eating out with a lapband. That's not the point. The point is eating out is about socialising, spending quality time with family and friends, celebrating. Its not about how much food you can stuff in your gob for your $15. Who cares if you cant get a take out box? They're not even legal in Australia, you never get one. If you dont eat, it goes out in the rubbish.

I do get exasperated by the massive portions that are too much for unbanded people - I could never finish them before let alone now. Its stupid waste. But as to whether I can shove every bit of it into my body just becuase I paid for it, I'm not a garbage bin. Its wasted either way, if I eat it when I dont want it.

So if your husband likes buffets why not still go, take just a bit and enjoy what you do have, and spend some time with him. That to me is your "money's worth".