I'm not on IP, so I can't speak to the effects of one off-day, but from what I do know of IP, you should be able to stay completely on plan if you're careful.
I follow a lower-carb exchange plan, and I love Golden Corral and other mega-buffets, because I can almost always find on-plan food.
It really helps to focus on the number of delicious on-plan choices that are available to you, rather than all the things there that you feel you "shouldn't eat" but wish you could.
For me, it helps to tell myself that "if I really want to," I can taste anything on the buffet, but that my first and second plate are going to be entirely on plan. (Yes, planning three plates seems incredibly stupid - but not the way I do it).
So, first I scout the buffet without putting anything on my plate. I count all the options that are entirely on-plan (and DON'T count all the things I "can't have). Then I go back and make the best choices that look the best to me.
For my first plate, I make a huge low-carb, low-calorie salad of lettuce, spinache, bell pepper, raw cauliflower and broccoli - all the stuff that's almost impossible to OD on. If I planned ahead, I will have brought along my favorite home-made nearly zero-calorie dressing (rice wine vinegar, Splenda, a dash of fish sauce, maybe a little bit of oil, and a dash of garlic and seasoned salt).
If I didn't plan ahead, I use the Golden Corral's light ranch dressing, sparingly.
Then I eat my salad as slowly as I can.
Then on my second plate, I pretend that I'm picky like my younger sister and I don't let any food "touch." I pick out on-plan hot foods (vegetables and meats without carby sauces - like the grilled steaks, burgers, baked fish, that look really good to me. I make a small exception for barbecue (because barbecue sauce is too carby to be really on plan, but I'll take one barbecue wing, or a small piece of pulled pork barbecue or maybe the bourbon chicken - but I make sure that this is a very small dab on the plate).
I also eat plate 2 as slowly as I can. Usually by then I'm satisfied enough that I don't feel like I have to have any of the decadent desserts. If I do go up with plate 3, it's usually for a little bit of fresh fruit (fresh strawberries are usually the lowest carb option).
We went a couple weeks ago, and I ended up giving in to the chocolate wonderfall. Just as a heads up, it looks pretty on the buffet, but the flavor was very disappointing.
The chocolate was cheap and greasy tasting, and my hubby pointed out (after I'd eaten the strawberry and pineapple I'd dipped) that the chocolate was probably all germy from little kids (and not so little people) sticking their fingers into the chocolate after picking their nose, or licking their fingers.
I wish I'd had that image in my head BEFORE I'd eaten them (so I'm passing it on as my gift to you).
I'm not really squeamish, but I'll certainly remember to keep that image in my head next time I go. The chocolate waterfall really does look pretty, but the slightly warm temperature has to be a breeding ground for filth. Even if no one sticks their germy fingers into the chocolate (which would be a miracle) dropped bits of fruit and other food debris would easily contaminate the chocolate (and if I'm wrong about that, I don't want to know - because thinking of the chocolate as filthy breeding ground for bacteria will help me say no).
Last edited by kaplods; 11-15-2011 at 01:54 AM.
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