I’m on a diet - I am eating at an all you can eat Chinese buffet tonight!

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I’m going on a planned night out with a large crowd of friends tonight and this was the democratic choice.

Normally I would indulge like crazy, but I’m two months into a healthy eating plan and don’t want to do too much damage.

What are your top tips (other than don’t eat everything you silly woman) and recommended choices.

apparently it’s a really nice restaurant with lots of lovely fresh food.

Im thinking going veggie and avoiding anything in batter is a good start.

Avoid the deep fried stuff and the really obviously sugary sauces but, otherwise, knock yourself out. It's fine to indulge once in a while. You'll probably find that you get full quite quickly.

The pancakes that come with crispy duck can be substituted for lettuce leaves (I don’t eat gluten but love duck).
Meat and veg is definitely the way forward but don’t deprive yourself, one meal is not the end of the world.

@GPNightmare I certainly don't think crispy duck is healthy, but it is full of protein. Nothing from the Chinese buffet is 'healthy'. But eating less of the carby stuff will be less bloating, and you get more of your money's worth!

How did it go lovely? Hope you had an amazing time and we want details of the lovely food (whether dieting or not dieting) x

It was lovely - I didn’t have alcohol, had duck and pancakes with lots of cucumber etc, then mainly king prawns, veg, chicken - no rice, no noodles, and I didn’t miss them. I did have lots of lovely crispy seaweed as a real treat as it’s my fave.

then fruit, plus an apple fritter, as a final indulgence.

Someone up the thread said a phrase that really resonated - don’t think of it’s “all you can eat”, but “eat what you want” and I picked the things that I knew I would truly like - protein heavy, but not giant portions. I feel pleased and it was a fun early evening out meal, so I’m not too stodge laden to sleep later.

High protein, low carb would be my way.So I’d eat a lot but limit the rice, noodles and chips basically. All the meat and some veg.

I'm glad you enjoyed your evening out.

I'd choose the plainest dishes, salad, veg, plain rice, prawns and chicken w/o sauces. Water or tea. Talk a lot.
If I'm with a group of good friends I tend to talk so much it takes me ages to eat. I don't go hungry, just don't over eat.

Oh, you're back already! Glad you had a nice evening. Sustained weight loss is a long game, you don't have to live a life of counting and deprivation.

Just eat whatever you want and get back to it tomorrow.

Just about everything you eat in a Chinese restaurant will contain gluten. It's in soy sauce and xioa xing rice wine and a lot of seasonings, sauces and marinades.

Thanks @PickAChew, fortunately I’m not coeliac so the bit of gluten I get on a rare Chinese meal is manageable.