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Overeating at buffets?

Discussion in 'Restaurants & Buffets' started by JDinTN, Jan 22, 2013.

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  1. JDinTN

    JDinTN MIA

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    Do you overeat at buffets? I eat reasonably at home and usually the same in restaurants but always overeat at buffets. Do you show discipline and eat normally at them? I usually feel tired and lazy after I eat too much but I can't help it. Too many choices of things I feel like having.

    Any buffet pros out there with tips on how to avoid overeating but still enjoy the best of what a good buffet has to offer?
     
  2. Candy Apple

    Candy Apple VIP Whale

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    With so much variety it's hard not to overeat. Most of the buffets are also expensive these days so there's always that urge to "get your money's worth". After I'm home a few days and back to eating normal, I lose whatever weight I gained in Vegas anyway.

    Edit: To avoid having the food make you feel tired and lazy, have some Pepsi or coffee. It's all good.
     
  3. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    It's vacation; That's what you're supposed to do.:poke:

    Wait until you get back home, then eat sensible.
     
  4. Nevyn

    Nevyn VIP Whale

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    Yes, I overeat at buffets.

    I don't generally feel as crappy as a lot of people afterwards, which sounds like a good thing but is probably a bad one. Anyway, my habit has breakfast buffet, no lunch, then restaurant (or buffet) for dinner.

    I briefly thought with buffet of buffets it might change things. I'd eat less and do a lunch too. Doesn't tend to work that way for me.

    I guess my tip would be, if you overeat there and then feel crappy and tired, don't eat there. I certainly eat at far fewer buffets than before. I really don't like them for dinner. But its tough to resist the call of a good brunch.
     
  5. marycanary

    marycanary Low-Roller

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    I hear you! I too was notorious for over eating to get my money's worth. I joined Weight Watchers last March and was really worried about how I'd handle a buffet on our trip in June. We went to the Wicked Spoon @ The Cosmo and it was perfect as they have most things already served up in little dishes so that really helped for portion control. I filled up on my favourite salads & fruit..took about 3 small meat dishes....stayed away from bread ,potatoe/pasta dishes and allowed myself only 2 (instead of 5...lol)desserts. I ended up feeling very satisfied but not "stuffed to the brim full" and still felt like I got my money's worth. Oh......and ended up down a pound when I got home. I guess all the walking we do in Vegas helped too...
     
  6. Hogman

    Hogman VIP Whale

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    My sure fire way to keep me from over eating at a buffet is not to go to one.:haha:
     
  7. seviay

    seviay High-Roller

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    This :thumbsup:

    My buddies thought I was crazy years ago when I sat down and ordered a coffee, especially since it was 100 degrees out. I took my buffet-ing very seriously! Coffee aids in digestion, and it'll give you a little extra energy...plus, when you get to those beautiful desserts, you've already got your coffee. BOOM! (I would say coffee > soda, because the bubbles will make you feel even more full)

    Depending on how serious you are, and if you're trying to "get your money's worth" there are a couple things to consider:
    1. Go for the protein first -- grab your meat, shrimp, etc with the first round. Throw on some fruits or veggies if you don't want just a plate of meat.
    2. Don't waste much time on the starchy, inexpensive fillers like rice, potatoes, pasta, etc. Having said that, some of my favorite buffet items over the years have been mac n cheese, garlic mashed potatoes, and artisan breads. Just don't fill up on these, because...
    3. DESSERT! I always make sure I cut my eating short in order to grab a dessert plate. I like to try different desserts, even if I don't have a huge sweet tooth, so I've even gotten a dessert plate in the middle of the meal, just to make sure I had enough room to try it all without feeling disgusting.

    One other tip I would give you is leave a big block of time for both the buffet itself and the recovery period. You may need a nap, bathroom trip or two, and/or a shower. I don't like to eat a buffet the night before I leave Vegas, either. I've never had any food poisoning or anything, but most people (myself included) don't like to eat that heavy the night before flying.

    Edit: I realize my guide sounds like an overeaters guide, but it was intended to give you a way to sample everything without filling up on lots of carbs. Just graze everything, sample little bits of what looks good, and move on without guilt.
     
  8. Buddha

    Buddha VIP Whale

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    We like the buffets mainly because of the wide variety of choices, and you don't get nickeled & dimed for every item like you might off a sit-down menu dinner.

    We typically start the buffet with a nice salad & "appetizer" ... then pick out a couple entree choices & vegetables, and usually finish off the meal with a small dessert amd coffee. It's probably still more than a meal at home ... but it's Vegas !!
     
  9. Mitkraft

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    YES! I absolutley over eat at a buffet. And heaven forbid its a breakfast buffet (way too much bacon) or a seafood buffet (if there is dungeoness crab you better bring your iPad to entertain yourself cause I'm going to be a while!

    My buffet usually goes like this:

    Forget the salad, I didn't pay good money for lettuce. First is the sushi and cold boiled shrimp course. Sometimes I'll eat an entire plate of just shrimp. Second, if they have it, I will eat a plate of crawfish. Then I might take it easy with some soup or gumbo if they look good. After that I can't resist the fried chicken of it looks good as well as whatever fish looks good. I'll also mix in any veggies that catch my eye. After that I do a general grazing of the entire buffet and grab whatever else I haven't eaten but that I really want to. This is about the time I start to get full and unable to finish what I've gotten. Also for some very strange reason I can't resist a taco. I can be at a fancy buffet or even a chinese buffet but of they have taco shells and fixins I'll probably eat one. I'm wierd like that (I eat Jack In the Box tacos to). When I really start to run out of juice I'll hit the deserts. Desert is secondary to me so I don't care if I fill up and don't have room, I don't have much of a sweet tooth. I usually fill a plate with various ones that look good and end up taking a bite or two of most. Finally, I will probably leave with a couple pices of whole fruit (banna, orange, apple) and a few cookies to eat later or have in the room.

    Probably sounds like I weigh 300# but at 6' and 190 I would say I could stand to loose a few but am far from heavy.


    Oh, and this is nothing compared to how we did buffets in college (was only 155# back then). One time after hitting Pancho's (cheap Mexican buffet if you aren't familiar) right before band rehearsal with my buddies, we had to stop and rest TWICE while walking from the parking lot to the band hall. Every time I took a huge breath to play I was sure food was going to come out!
     
  10. JDinTN

    JDinTN MIA

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    I'm not a big dessert eater at home either but at the nicer Vegas buffets the desserts look too good to pass up. I try a couple of them even though I'm so full by then. My wife who is very thin starts off with desserts and then ends with desserts too haha.

    I'm sure a lot of people on this board have seen those travel channel shows on Vegas buffets -- the people they interview say they've been at the buffets for 3 or 4 hours!
     
  11. tacallian

    tacallian Low-Roller

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    Buffet secret. Grab the small plate. Load it up as normal. This forces more trips to the line than usual and you'll notice the "I'm full" marker earlier. :p
     
  12. DBear

    DBear VIP Bear

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    Take smaller portions. I find I always try to eat something on my plate even if I don't like it so it doesn't look like I'm wasting food.

    Also, eat buffets earlier in the day so you have a small benefit of walking it off the rest of the day.
     
  13. Kickin

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    The reason you feel like crap after a massive meal is because of the insulin spike in your blood stream which also results in a big crash as your body tries to adjust the level. The way to prevent that (and still indulge) is to completely deplete your muscles glycogen stores. You can hit the gym sometime beforehand and run sprints or any type of high-intensity interval training. It doesn't have to be that long if the intensity is high - you can deplete your glycogen stores in under 30 minutes.

    If you like lifting do some heavy compound lifts beforehand. Don't waste time on silly isolation exercises like bicep curls. Do squats, deadlifts, power cleans, etc. Either go heavy and short reps or you can go ballistic style with fast light reps until you reach absolute muscle fatigue. There are a lot of ways to do it, HIIT or crossfit or whatever - anything that is short but intense enough to leave you floored.

    Your muscles will be begging to replenish their glycogen stores so when you stuff yourself instead of getting an insulin spike in your bloodstream your muscles will soak up a ton of the excess glucose to convert to glycogen. Plus if you're a guy and you lift heavy you'll have the added benefit of recovering quicker after a massive feast.

    Not that I ever actually practice any of this when I'm on vacation, instead I just feast like a king and suffer through a food coma later. The hot coffee tip does help, the hotter the better. Also club soda with bitters, you can order it from a cocktail waitress. Just drink it fast, it was actually taught to me by a cocktail waitress at the Bellagio.
     
  14. jrinct1

    jrinct1 VIP Whale

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    Of course ya usually do. But if ya dont want to maybe not going is the solution. But i agree with Buddha. Like all the variety.
     
  15. JWBlue

    JWBlue VIP Whale

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    Yes.

    That is why I have a limit of one buffet per trip.
     
  16. sybgal

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    Actually we may be the minority in that we don't usually over-eat at buffets. We do the Buffet of Buffets once each trip and really try to get a spoon-full of things that look good then decide what we want to actually eat. Yes, we usually start with a small salad or shrimp. 1 place of just a few items we tried & liked....but small portions. Usually no bread at all. Yes...we do get some dessert. We always start the B of B on the evening of the day we arrive and get a small breakfast, maybe some salad or something else very lite for lunch and a regular dinner. Hubby & I have different preferences so we both get to eat things we like. It is a good deal for us. Heck just getting your tea, coke or coffee at most restaurants is almost $5 - we like the buffet thing for 2 days.

    When we start on restaurants - the portions are so huge - we waste a lot of food & it costs as much as a decent buffet. Just our opinion, ya know. :)
     
  17. JDinTN

    JDinTN MIA

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    Sybgal that's a good point and makes sense psychologically -- with the 24 hour buffet pass you're less likely to overeat because you know you'll be in and out of there all day. No need to try everything in one sitting! :)
     
  18. herg

    herg Tourist

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    I like eat alot at a breakfast buffet so I dont have to eat again until dinner
     
  19. bryinmi

    bryinmi Low-Roller

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    Of course I overeat at the buffet. It's the American way to make sure we get the best value. If I was worried about overeating I would NEVER go to a buffet.

    My biggest problem at a buffet is how fast I eat. My wife and I both comment that we eat too fast everytime we go. We say we'll slow down, but sure enough, we do it each time. For some reason I'm in a hurry to clear my plate to go back and get different stuff. It makes no sense because there is no time limit but it happens everytime. I eat as if they will take it away from me if I don't hurry up and finish. I only do this at a buffet, never at a restaurant or at home.

    I can only do one buffet per day and I normally don't have regular eating habits in Vegas. I don't eat a breakfast, lunch and dinner. I either do a breakfast buffet and then usually don't eat again until late night before going to bed. Or we'll do a late afternoon buffet (3-4ish) and then eat again late at night before heading to bed. If we do the afternoon buffet then we go back to the room, take a nap and relax and then get ready to go out at night.
     
  20. Electroguy563

    Electroguy563 Vegas Joker

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    You will tend to over-eat at Buffets. Just too much variety and the temptation to try other things even though you are full.

    To get around the stuffed, tired, yucky feeling one tends to experience after over-eating, my wife and I don't do buffets every day. We space them out over the length of our Vegas vacation.

    We also scope out the buffet before we actually put anything on our plate. Then we take very small "tasting" portions and go back if we like any particular dish.

    We also take our time. We don't rush. I like to people watch, especially the ones who eat like it's their last day on earth. Kinda fun. My wife thinks I'm crazy....

    When we get back from our vacation we eat sensibly to shed any excess pounds we accrued over our stay. We need to do this otherwise we will weigh 1000 lbs. by 2015!
     
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