1. I'm invited out to a Chinese restaurant in a couple of weeks with a couple of women from work. I don't make friends that easily and this is a nice invitation, I'd like to go.

It's an all you can eat buffet type, so I plan to pick what I Can eat and ignore what I can't but I wondered if someone could suggest good low carb choices in the Chinese food area? 5 weeks ago, it would have been sweet and sour coated battered meat on fried rice but that's out

2. I'm doing Dukan, which means alternating days of just protein with days of protein plus low carb veg. On the just protein days especially, I'm so not hungry that I sometimes eat very little - and today have felt very waffy and distant because of it. I read somewhere that you can't eat too much protein; the more protein you eat, the better the loss. Is this true? Or do I still have to bear calories in mind.
Today's food (which I would identify as eating a lot) was Breakfast: Tinned tuna; Lunch: home made beef stew with a little onion and tinned tomato, some vlf yogurt sprinkled with oatbran and splenda; Dinner: a little smoked salmon and soft cheese, 6 small chipolatas, all meat apart from a little rosemary. Darn! I forgot to eat veg. again.

3. I really, Really want something chocolatey. What does anyone do to scratch that itch? It's purely mental but still, I think I need to work on my low carb desserts.

Thanks, all!

I would stick to steam or fried shrimps, also they usually have oven roast chicken or beef roast and also plenty of veggies at the salad bar and add some hard boiled eggs...enjoy it and make it about enjoying your co-workers company and not about the food and u should have a great time.

For chocolate, I have extra dark lindt chocolate once a week or so.

Definitely avoid the battered stuff and careful with the sauces. You can't be perfect but don't let perfect get in the way of good, be good.

It would be really hard to eat too much protein. I would say make sure you get enough fat as well.

Thanks for both replies

I suspect English Chinese food won't offer as many healthy choices as American Chinese food - probably mostly batter- or sauce-based - but I'll give it my best shot.

I have to be careful with fat when I'm eating low carb. When I'm eating a normal amount of carbs, I could eat roast pork and crackling with double cream on the side! I Love the taste of fat! On low carb, fat just shoots straight through! (tmi)

LOL....@ fat just shoots straight through!...I wonder if that is what is happening to me...I know it's TMI but lately as soon as it's in it's out...hmmmm

In terms of the chocolate itch, I always loved making the 3 minute microwave cake when I was low carbing, it was really simple and really rich. Search the forums here or google it, it's delish!

Chocolate for us is usually Swiss Miss Diet Hot Cocoa - hope they have it where you are. It must say DIET - it's the lowest carb version. Usually topped with a squirt of cream.

Chinese I find is easier to stay low carb. I do not eat the rice or noodles. If the sauce is sweetened, I take only a little bit of it. I lost my eating eating at Chinese buffets occasionally while traveling. It can be done but only with a plan.

Chocolate go with the highest cocoa % you can stand. I like Ghirardelli. Midnight Madness was too dark for me. I like 72%. Only experimenting will tell.