How to do the buffet, Atkineer style

[tabekat]

So here I am a devoted Atkineer and I love to eat out. But I don't waste my time or money on drive-in food. I haven't been to a drive-in in over a year and who the heck misses them? Certainly not my pocket-book.

(Perhaps I shouldn't say this out loud? There were reasons why Dr. Atkins was persecuted...certainly fat food America isn't on the Atkins bandwagon...) ((oh, I mean fast food)) heh, heh

So back to my jumbo appetite, which I think of very fondly these days...

When I eat out I love going to the buffet. In my city, there are 3 buffet type restaurants in my area. Home Buffet, Izzys, and a Chinese buffet. All are perfect for Atkineers. Plenty of good choices and ample portions. Thats just how I like it.

Have a big appetite? Well so do I. I have found that my appetite is a strength instead of a weakness on Atkins. It drives you to find healthy food and not settle for junk. When it comes to my appetite I have no shame. I love to eat and I don't have to hide it anymore.

So I walk into the buffet and I'm hungry. I'm raring to go and everything looks good to me. I want two of everything, especially on the dessert bar. But I know better than to let hunger dictate the moment. I'm an Atkineer and I'm in charge.

So round one, I head to the buffet for some meat and fish choices. I have some steak, some chicken and some fish on my plate all at the same time.
I get a kick out of that. I also took a small portion of the spinach quiche, sticking to the eggy portion. Yummy food and I don't have to cook it!

I make sure to get some meat fat, and some chicken skin in my mouth. I know that taste will trigger my brain - it tells it, I'm not starving. Not by a long shot. So I enjoy my meat and fish choices, and already feel partially full.

I like to have a diet soda with my meal but I also know that if I drink soda, which has NO nutritional value and stalls weight loss, that I'm going to need to drink at least 2 full glasses of water at the same time. So I do.

There was a little bit of breading on the fish and I took it off. I have no problem "picking" at my food.

Off for the 2nd round to search like a pirate for more low carb treasures. I just take a small sampling - say 3 fingers full of most of these foods.

Broccolli with cheese sauce - one of my favorites, Some green beans with mushrooms, a hot dog, a hamburger, a cup of chicken soup, minus the noodles. I actually can't finish the food left on this plate and all the things that tempted me at the door on the way in just don't hold any interest for me anymore.

I finish up with a nice up of decaf and I'm satisfied, I'm full, I've had the buffet experience. Eating guilt free. I feel lucky. I certainly don't feel deprived.

I am one happy Atkineer!

[loana]

ohhh yummy... I miss going to the chinese buffet,..... I love the green beans they have there they seem sauteed in oil.. and the meats scare me as I have no idea if they are cooked in sugars and what if it's not really meat and is soy meat?

[Atkid]

My sons dragged me to a chinese buffet today. Needless to say, I had a bad eating experience. The only thing that was really carb friendly was the boiled shrimp, and they were bland. I ended up eating things I no I shouldn't but I am just gonna get back on the horse and forget falling off. Next time I will make sure I am driving and pick the restaurant. So I was bad, but honestly what so you eat in at a chinese buffet.

[Bostnchub]

All CHinese buffets have chicken wings...yumm. The beef and broccoli is a good choice as well. Many Chinese buffets have tofu dishes that are good also. If you don't go there everyday you will be ok.

[changing]

I have been known to eat the filling out of a few crab ragoons and leave the pastry shell on my plate. Same with egg rolls... I've split them open, and scooped the cabbage/pork mixture off to the side so I can eat it. Couple that with a nice helping of chicken wings and maybe some beef and mushroom and I'm so happy I can scream. I know it's not "by-the-book" eating, but it sure is excellent in a pinch...

I have a lot of willpower though. DH can't believe I just scoop out the part I can eat. So your mileage may vary.

[Elizellen]

I'm an Atkineer and I'm in charge

Well said, Tabekat

[omnimomma]

Thanks a bunch for the info! I'm going to be eating off a buffet 3 times a day for the next week I've planned ahead and called to see what kinds of things they have on the buffet, but still having that large amount of food in front of me that often scares me.

I love Chinese. Is Beef and Broccoli really okay, especially if you don't overdo the sauce? It's one of my faves. I had never thought about scraping the insides out of an egg roll, although I do it with my pizza. I'll have to try it.

[changing]

Originally Posted by omnimomma

I love Chinese. Is Beef and Broccoli really okay, especially if you don't overdo the sauce? It's one of my faves. I had never thought about scraping the insides out of an egg roll, although I do it with my pizza. I'll have to try it.

Eating the beef and broccoli with unknowns in the sauce is not the strictest way to do it, but I liken it to eating the toppings off of a pizza: ok to do every now and then and better than doing something purposefully wicked. What has always worked for me is 1) as you said, not overdoing the sauce, 2) tasting a tiny bit of sauce to see if it is blatantly sweet (my Atkins tastebuds are extremely sensitive to sweetness), 3) checking the thickness (which will tell you a rough flour-density) of the sauce by scooping some up with a spoon and doing a drip-gravity test. Boy, do my tablemates think I'm silly, but it seems to work. I don't get Chinese often though... a little less often than once a month, but it never affects my physical feeling of lightness/well-being that I associate with lipolysis as long as I stick to "pretty ok" choices, and it keeps me honest on my diet by allowing me to behave somewhat normally (albeit a bit like a lab scientist) in a real-world restaurant situation.

[changing]

Oh goodness, I just caught myself! This is in the 14-day induction forum.


What I said above does NOT apply to induction! That was advice for OWL and later stages! Be extra-good on induction! You will never regret doing a strict induction! It's only 2 weeks. Worry about that other stuff later!!

[fivebyfive]

buffets are actually pretty decent for atkins roasted chicken, steak, veggies, salad, most of them even have sugar free jello if you do that sort of thing