Dh and I are going to Chicago ---yay! while innocently looking for places to dine (yeah, ok I did enter "buffet" as a search!!! ) I found information about a CHOCOLATE buffet!

This is a quote about it: "the Peninsula puts out an elaborate buffet of chocolate desserts on a beautiful candle and flower adorned table. Each of the desserts is petite, which is helpful because you’ll want to sample them all. The desserts range from the richest chocolate concoctions you’d ever think of to more simple treats like biscotti with a subtle hint of chocolate."


The Peninsula is a gorgeous hotel. The chocolate, over 25 different items, is reputed to be superb, only high quality stuff.

DH saw it and really wants to go! YIKES! My weakness IS chocolate!
He said, "this is something we won't get the chance to try again."

So, in your opinions, should I go and enjoy OR should I just dream about it????

What would YOU do????

One of the big challenges is learning to enjoy food without feeling guilty, and without going overboard. Personally, I'd go -- I couldn't resist! At the same time, though, I'd try to eat really healthy and stay on plan that week, and maybe get a little extra exercise in as well. Then I'd enjoy the heck out of it, brush the chocolate memories aside, and get back to work. But that's just me.

GO....one day of over eating isn't going to hurt anything in the long run...

I vote for GO as well. You're on vacation. Kick up your heels a bit! You've been "good".

Chicago is a good town for walking, so get in some sightseeing, go on a few walking tours, head over to the buffet and enjoy! My only change from Christine's advice above is I wouldn't "brush the chocolate memories aside"... I'd savor them and cherish them.

I'm different, I wouldn't be able to go and indulge knowing how hard I've worked to get this weight off. Good Luck to you.

I'd say GO, because a part of the process of being a healthier YOU, you need some situations to dive into so you can exercise your new discipline. You can control yourself and you KNOW what healthy decisions are. You need to enjoy yourself once in a while! Don't restrict yourself from your favorite foods just because you think it'll control you later. One chocolate dessert later, and you'll still be the same strong person inside. Now 20 chocolates later..... thats a different story.

I remember hearing someone say that ALL OR NOTHING is easy, it's CONTROL thats hard. And I think it's true- people who stay away from their favorite foods are somewhat scared that they'd binge after because they don't trust their own mind to stop eating after one bite. But if you're scared of gaining a pound or two after eating the chocolate- I'm telling you you need to eat a lot more chocolate than 1 piece to gain that much. (I know hw Lilybelle said it was hard work, but would it really make you gain all the weight back if you enjoyed a few pieces for ONE night?)

I would go too. Just stay on plan all week and maybe work out a little extra day before, day of, or day after.. or all 3.

I would go! Don't think about your diet for that day Just get back on track the next!! Man.. it makes me want to go!!

And I add- if this is the ONLY chance you'll ever get to experience, (well if I were you) I wouldn't think twice. Wouldn;t deprive myself of a one-time chance to taste heaven!

It sounds like you really want to go - so you should, otherwise you'll probably be fantasizing about it for a long time afterwards and regretting not going. One day off plan won't be a disaster.

It's not something I would do, though, simply because chocolate is my #1 trigger food. I once went to a "chocolate decadence party" with all kinds of gourmet chocolate items and ate so much I was sick for three days afterwards. I'm such a piggy when it comes to chocolate!

Hope you have fun!

Just account for it (or your butt will for you!). OCCASIONAL indulgences are fine. Make this a special night out, like a birthday. Just don't go every day while you are there. You will also find that you can eat only so much chocolate, anyways, so the damage in the long run will be minimal!
Have FUN! Weight loss isn't a race...

I totally agree !! and speaking as a Chicagoan that has been the the chocolate buffet at the Peninsula, it is SO worth it. Enjoy yourself.

I say GO. It's not like you live in that area and so you can go there all the time. This is a one time thing and then, that's it. I like Christine's advice to just add more exercise the week leading up to it. And if it's just small little pieces, you probably won't do too much damage anyway. I say go and have fun. I went to a chocolate buffet once, on a cruise and most of it was so rich that I couldn't hardly stand to eat as much as I thought I would.

Your questions is: 'is it worth it?' The answer is going to depend on how YOU will react to the chocolate buffet -- what will the effect be on YOU and your weight loss? And only you can figure that out for yourself. Can you go, enjoy yourself, and get right back on track? Or will it sabotage you in the long run?

The right answer would be NO for me. I'm been working at weight loss and maintenance for close to five years now and know how I'd react to a chocolate buffet. Not only would my weight shoot up in the short term - which would be very distressing to me, not to mention how darn long it would take to get it off again - but it would trigger months of craving. I would be thinking about chocolate for months, seriously. And I hate having to deal with cravings!

Everyone's different, of course. Unfortunately, moderation has never been part of my vocabulary, so I do far better by sticking with my usual healthy diet and avoiding fattening trigger foods that I have trouble controlling. On occasion, I'll have a dessert when I'm out to dinner with DH or at a special event - maybe once every three months or so. But a BUFFET of any kind (breakfast, chocolate, Chinese, any!) is a recipe for disaster for me and I run screaming the other way if ever faced with one.

It's been almost five years since I've had a French fry -- real soda -- a candy bar -- and a lot of other things. The last donut I had was October, 2004. Do I feel deprived? Heavens, no! I'm probably the happiest and healthiest person you'll ever meet. Here's the secret -- you can live your life perfectly happily without indulging in unhealthy food.

Anyway, enough rambling! You need to find YOUR way -- what works for you. Look at your weight loss history and think about how you react to your trigger foods and decide what's right for you. We're all cheering for you!

Well I seem to be in the minority but for me there have not been enough $$$ ever printed to pay me to eat something like that! And yes, I know I am setting myself up to eat my words since I am going on a cruise in two weeks.

But it is also important that your husband really wants to go, and sounds as if he has certainly always been supportive of you in your weight loss... so that is to be considered too of course!!

And again, it depends on you. I am like Meg and once I dug into a chocolate buffet I would have to face the withdrawal all over again.

If you decide to do it, just be careful and if you get tempted to overindulge TOO much take a look at one of your old photos!! Be sure to let us know what you decide and, if you go, share afterward whether it was worth it!!!