Met a couple of friends for lunch yesterday at a Chinese buffet. Limited myself to one plate - I did pile it on pretty well, some healthy some notsomuch (it's early days for me) - but I was pleased that I was able to limit myself to one plate and I didn't go back for dessert! Got some razzing from my friends, but when they started to complain about their weight, I said, well, you know, there's this No-S Diet you could try before spending any money on Jenny Craig.....
The lesson I learned, though is that this morning I feel more bloated than I have since I started No-S, which makes me regret some of my Chinese choices yesterday (had a salad for dinner). Too much grease, probably. Next time (and I don't go to these places often) I hope I'll remember this and choose more wisely!
A lesson at the Chinese buffet..
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
Re: A lesson at the Chinese buffet..
Grease doesn't make me feel bloated -- but the sodium in soy sauce certainly does! That being said, I found a recipe yesterday for General Tso's chicken which got great reviews and that's what's for dinner tonight!mamamia wrote: The lesson I learned, though is that this morning I feel more bloated than I have since I started No-S, which makes me regret some of my Chinese choices yesterday (had a salad for dinner). Too much grease, probably. Next time (and I don't go to these places often) I hope I'll remember this and choose more wisely!
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
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oliviamanda
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Shame your friends were giving you a hard time about not partaking in the sweets. I definitely feel at times where I make up my mind to not have sweets that I am being pressured or made to feel bad if I don't have the almight sugar. Stick to your guns and learn from your mistakes. I try to avoid Chinese buffets, but occasionally we have a work lunch at them. It's difficult to not want to grab a few pieces of stuff that's fried or are coated and thick, sweet sauces. But don't beat yourself up about it! I think you have a great attitude.
Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.--- Mark Twain
Those all-you-can-eat places have always horrified me.
My obese mother adores them, and ate at them constantly.
I'll never forget going to one of these places for brunch, and watching her eat plate after plate after plate of food. I had my breakfast, and then sat at the table for what seemed like hours, as she ate and ate.
At the end of the food orgy, she lost what dignity she had, when she caused a scene with the waiter, who had been clearing away all those soiled plates.
She DEMANDED that he find some artificial sweetener for her coffee.
This woman had just devoured the equivalent of ten meals in one sitting, and she was throwing a tantrum about being "forced" to consume a packet of sugar.
Yeah.... I don't go to places like that.
My obese mother adores them, and ate at them constantly.
I'll never forget going to one of these places for brunch, and watching her eat plate after plate after plate of food. I had my breakfast, and then sat at the table for what seemed like hours, as she ate and ate.
At the end of the food orgy, she lost what dignity she had, when she caused a scene with the waiter, who had been clearing away all those soiled plates.
She DEMANDED that he find some artificial sweetener for her coffee.
This woman had just devoured the equivalent of ten meals in one sitting, and she was throwing a tantrum about being "forced" to consume a packet of sugar.
Yeah.... I don't go to places like that.
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Nicest of the Damned
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jellybeans01
- Posts: 232
- Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2010 3:10 pm
- Location: San Antonio
good job mamamia on your one plate!! it is a learning process sometimes. I know now that when I eat chinese I actually plan ahead what I will have so I don't feel bloated.
who me, I am right there with you on all you can eat places. My dear plump parents love them. I refuse to go, even if they pay. I can't handle watching obese people eat plate after plate. What is worse to me, watching the obese children eat and eat. It isn't so much that it make me so upsets me, I breaks my heart, to watch people slowly just kill themselves.
who me, I am right there with you on all you can eat places. My dear plump parents love them. I refuse to go, even if they pay. I can't handle watching obese people eat plate after plate. What is worse to me, watching the obese children eat and eat. It isn't so much that it make me so upsets me, I breaks my heart, to watch people slowly just kill themselves.
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
- Location: Great Neck, NY
mamamia, i see nothing offensive in what you wrote or prejudiced, and i applaud you for sticking to one plate. i have always saved buffets for S days so i would be able to have dessert or whatever, when i used to go to them. now i just don't go to them at all, because i'd prefer to have a quality meal, and not just over eat "because i can"...
colene, i'm not sure what you mean by your statement about "revealed prejudice"... the simple fact is, it is over eating and over indulging, will result in obesity, and these places are a big trap as far as trying to remain moderate in our eating. they encourage it by saying "all you can eat" and are geared towards people who like to over eat.. i ate at chinese buffets like this for a few years when i was going thru a big depression, and although it wasn't the only factor in my weight gain, it was part of it. i would typically go for at least three huge platefuls of food. if i were to try that now, several years later, i'd be so physically sick and uncomfortable. NoS is meant to help people learn to *not over eat* and these buffets generally encourage this.
sorry you felt offended but i'm certain nobody meant to be rude.
colene, i'm not sure what you mean by your statement about "revealed prejudice"... the simple fact is, it is over eating and over indulging, will result in obesity, and these places are a big trap as far as trying to remain moderate in our eating. they encourage it by saying "all you can eat" and are geared towards people who like to over eat.. i ate at chinese buffets like this for a few years when i was going thru a big depression, and although it wasn't the only factor in my weight gain, it was part of it. i would typically go for at least three huge platefuls of food. if i were to try that now, several years later, i'd be so physically sick and uncomfortable. NoS is meant to help people learn to *not over eat* and these buffets generally encourage this.
sorry you felt offended but i'm certain nobody meant to be rude.
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness
I am referring to the comment of watching obese people eat plate after plate. I suppose a thin person has never done this, right? I believe one should attend to their own behavioral problems and not judge what or how much another person eats. I don't like buffets, never have cared for the low quality of the food in them but at the same time I think an obese person has enough problems without someone monitoring their eating. Of course we eat too much, that is a given. I think we would be hard pressed not to find a heavy person who isn't aware of almost every calorie they consume. Maybe this topic would have worked better as an off topic, with some of the direction it seemed to be taking. If Reinhard wants some results with a lot of poundage lost then some of us are going to be starting at a high weight. I have stuck religiously for my first two weeks and have lost but I don't want to find judgmental remarks on this board and if I do I think I have a right to speak up. After all, I don't want to eat my feelings and opinions. Thank you.
I was telling a very specific story about being trapped at a buffet while my mother spent hours eating. I was not generalizing about all obese people.
Not disrespecting mothers, other than my own.
Not disrespecting obese people.
Not disrespecting people who eat at those kinds of establishments.
Telling a story about one particular event. Which is not to say that there weren't countless iterations if this event. Socializing with my mother was like being held hostage, watching her do what she wanted, regardless of anyone else's participation in whatever she was doing.
Not disrespecting mothers, other than my own.
Not disrespecting obese people.
Not disrespecting people who eat at those kinds of establishments.
Telling a story about one particular event. Which is not to say that there weren't countless iterations if this event. Socializing with my mother was like being held hostage, watching her do what she wanted, regardless of anyone else's participation in whatever she was doing.
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
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that's good you voiced your feelings about this Colene.. i have to be honest though.. i personally didn't read anything judgmental in these posts... actually, in reply to your comment about "being hard pressed" to find an obese person who wasn't aware of how much they ate, actually i think you'd be able to find plenty of obese/overweight people who are completely oblivious to the amounts they consume and think this is "normal"...or at least are unconscious of how much they truly are eating...as i said, i was like that years ago, and could regularly eat three full plates and dessert and just go on and on.. it was my habit.. also, it's possible that thin people may sometimes do this, but i don't believe this is the issue... it's the *regular* habit of overeating that leads to obesity. thin people don't regularly over eat. i don't think this belongs in the "off topic" section either, as i believe we are all trying to learn to eat moderately and these buffets tend to reinforce over eating.
thanks for clarifying what you meant.. this is a very welcoming and friendly board and again, i'm sure no offense was meant and i hope you continue to feel welcome here. congratulations on your sticking to NoS religiously! that's something i have still, in several years, not been able to accomplish.
good luck to you and keep up the good work
thanks for clarifying what you meant.. this is a very welcoming and friendly board and again, i'm sure no offense was meant and i hope you continue to feel welcome here. congratulations on your sticking to NoS religiously! that's something i have still, in several years, not been able to accomplish.
good luck to you and keep up the good work
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness
@mamamia Congrats on limiting yourself to one plate! It's a tricky habit to get into, especially when other people are getting multiple plates and you feel like you are getting ripped off if you don't get enough food. But really getting more food for your money at a buffet just means having to cut other, potentially more awesome food elsewhere (or to gain/not lose weight). Don't focus too much about what's on the plate - just focus on being reasonable about the quantity and enjoying your food.
@Colene
Welcome! When I started NoS (11 months ago) I was obese (BMI 37.7). I'm still overweight, but as of February I dropped into the overweight category. I also have a healthier relationship with food and have been better able to accept my eating issues and address them. I know how much harder it can be to start a diet plan (especially one known for slow and steady weight loss instead of rapid weight dropping) when you have a lot to lose. It can seem impossible and frustrating and (at least for me) just knowing how heavy I'd let myself get made me feel judged when other people would watch me eat. So I just wanted to let you know that I was able to make NoS work for me and that although I'm not done with this journey, I'm well on my way. And I hope that it can be something that works for you too.
This board is overall a very supportive and understanding group. I'm fairly sure that I know the specific line that bothered you - and to be honest it made me raise my eyebrows a bit when I first read it. But having read many other posts by that poster, I'm confident that the way I initially interpreted it is not the way it was meant. I hope that you will stick around and that you will find this community as helpful and supportive as I have. Best of luck with your journey!
@Colene
Welcome! When I started NoS (11 months ago) I was obese (BMI 37.7). I'm still overweight, but as of February I dropped into the overweight category. I also have a healthier relationship with food and have been better able to accept my eating issues and address them. I know how much harder it can be to start a diet plan (especially one known for slow and steady weight loss instead of rapid weight dropping) when you have a lot to lose. It can seem impossible and frustrating and (at least for me) just knowing how heavy I'd let myself get made me feel judged when other people would watch me eat. So I just wanted to let you know that I was able to make NoS work for me and that although I'm not done with this journey, I'm well on my way. And I hope that it can be something that works for you too.
This board is overall a very supportive and understanding group. I'm fairly sure that I know the specific line that bothered you - and to be honest it made me raise my eyebrows a bit when I first read it. But having read many other posts by that poster, I'm confident that the way I initially interpreted it is not the way it was meant. I hope that you will stick around and that you will find this community as helpful and supportive as I have. Best of luck with your journey!
Finally a diet that I can make a lifestyle!
Started June 2010
6/27/2010 - 226 lbs
10/17/2010 - 203 lbs - 10% weight loss goal!
1/29/2011 - 182 lbs - 2nd 10% weight loss goal!
5/29/2011 - 165 lbs - 3rd 10% weight loss goal! (one more to go)
Started June 2010
6/27/2010 - 226 lbs
10/17/2010 - 203 lbs - 10% weight loss goal!
1/29/2011 - 182 lbs - 2nd 10% weight loss goal!
5/29/2011 - 165 lbs - 3rd 10% weight loss goal! (one more to go)
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Nicest of the Damned
- Posts: 719
- Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:26 pm
I wonder if the the "food as fuel" idea doesn't contribute to overeating at buffets. It's always good to get more fuel for less money. Your car will not get fat if you always drive on the top half of the tank. I've never heard of car problems happening because people always kept their gas tank filled. Food does not work like fuel in these ways.
I've heard that value marketing of food, advertising more food for less money, especially at restaurants, is an American thing, and a recent thing. I wonder if it isn't one of the contributors to the obesity epidemic. I know I'm trying to break myself of the idea that I should "get my money's worth" at a buffet by eating a lot. I know that I don't need the extra food, and I know I generally feel worse after eating too much than I would after eating a reasonable meal. But it's still hard to get away from that idea that someone who eats more at a buffet is getting a better deal than someone who eats less. For now, I'm dealing with the issue by limiting visits to buffets.
I've heard that value marketing of food, advertising more food for less money, especially at restaurants, is an American thing, and a recent thing. I wonder if it isn't one of the contributors to the obesity epidemic. I know I'm trying to break myself of the idea that I should "get my money's worth" at a buffet by eating a lot. I know that I don't need the extra food, and I know I generally feel worse after eating too much than I would after eating a reasonable meal. But it's still hard to get away from that idea that someone who eats more at a buffet is getting a better deal than someone who eats less. For now, I'm dealing with the issue by limiting visits to buffets.
Most people who regularly eat "plate after plate", if they are thin, are not going to stay that way, unless they have a very unusual metabolism.Colene wrote:I am referring to the comment of watching obese people eat plate after plate. I suppose a thin person has never done this, right?
Most of us would be better off if we paid more attention to what is on our own plates, rather than looking at and thinking about what's on other people's plates.I believe one should attend to their own behavioral problems and not judge what or how much another person eats.
Nicest, I think you are right about people wanting to get their money's worth. Some time ago, pre-NoS, my son and I went to pizza hut for the buffet lunch - $5 what a deal! So when I was at the Chinese place this week I checked the price of the buffet and it was $9.95. I kind of hesitated, thinking, oh dear, will I get my money's worth? But I realized, if we had gone to a regular place I would pay that for my one entree, so why do I have to get three plates full at a buffet?
I was a marketing major in college and was so disillusioned by the time I graduated because I had learned to what exent businesses use psychology to fool people into buying what they probably don't need in the first place! In the same way, No-S has opened my eyes to the tactics of the food industry and it has been very enlightening..!!
I was a marketing major in college and was so disillusioned by the time I graduated because I had learned to what exent businesses use psychology to fool people into buying what they probably don't need in the first place! In the same way, No-S has opened my eyes to the tactics of the food industry and it has been very enlightening..!!