Think about the fact that the food has been sitting out forever and people having been fondling it, breathing on it, etc ?

If that doesn't do it for you, I'd say get a plate and plan to put mostly veggies on the plate (will there be salad?) and the rest of the plate can be whatever else. Don't pile it up and don't go back for seconds.

Yep, make a rule before you ever get there about how you're going to handle it. No seconds is a great rule. Lots of veggies another good one.

You'll be faced with buffets in your life from time to time, so consider this a good time to practice!

I guess I'm just freaking out overall. There's a lot of stuff going on in my life right now, and I used to really turn to food. I have avoided buffets like the plague. It's probably been over a year since I've been to one. Stress + troughs of food in front of me = FREAKOUT.

Y'all are right though. I can do this. I'll plan to avoid anything white, fried or buttered. I feel like I'm getting ready to do battle.

Eat something healthy but substantial before you go. If you're very hungry you'll be more tempted by those trigger foods. Also, as the others mentioned, set rules before you go and don't break them.

Don't eat at all: just wander around with a drink in your hand and if people ask if you have eaten, say "I'll get something in a bit".

It's much, much less stressful to just not eat. Eat healthy things you can totally control.

For future buffets, I"d like to add that I like to have a Full Bar about 20 or 30 minutes before I go. Then I eat lots of steamed veggies and something like shrimp (if it's available). I will also eat some melon for desert. There have been times when I've actually had desert but I only had one and it was teeny tiny. This is when I was good. When I wasn't so good, I've had everything it had to offer and felt terrible afterward. While you're there, tell yourself how great you'll feel when you wake up tomorrow knowing that you handled yourself as you wanted rather than giving in. I really do feel for you though because buffets are notoriously difficult for those watching their weights.

Take small portions amd walk around and talk a lot.

I find social eating difficult period. I have to sit away from the food. I do find buffets can be ok when eating out. I have choice more than I get at many restaurants, and can follow my WOE a bit better. But the rule about one serving is absolute. However, I have one plate of salad and veggies, another of protein foods and if there is something appropriate for dessert a small plate of that.

Good luck in a challenging situation.

My xmas party is at a fancy hotel and it's a brunch buffet as well. I know people would question why I am not eating if I didn't...it's a sit down meal and not a lot of wandering :S. There are about ten tables allotted for our company and we usually sit with the people from our locations (5 daycares). My brunch is also VERY expensive and I am sure I would be looked at as ungrateful if I didn't eat because my employer pays for it.

I like the idea of the veggies and no seconds. I hope I can stick to this too! (however they have to DIE for omelletes they make right in front of you that I so want)

I actually prefer buffets over sit-down type dinners where things are served to you. In the sit-down situations, you don't always get to choose what you get or how much of it you get. With a buffet there are bound to be veggies and you can get the smallest portions of whatever it is they've got rather than being served a large portion. I personally keep it low during the day and just take small servings at the meal. And try to have fun.

Personally I'd say just have a little helping of whatever you fancy. Unless you're supremely weak-willed, I find it highly unlikely that you're suddenly going to lose your self-control, start stuffing your face and pile all your weight back on just because there's cake.

Seriously. Eat what you like and don't beat yourself up about it. We all force ourselves to control what we eat so religiously that one evening of being slightly bad isn't going to undo all our good work.

And think of it just as calories. So adjust your calorie intake for that day prior to the buffet so that if you do have a bit of a binge, you won't feel so bad or worry about going over-limit.

For me, learning to never, ever eat to keep other people happy has been an essential step. I so, so rarely get to indulge that I just can't stand to eat excess calories of food I didn't particularly want. People don't really care that much. I've also been known to just not go to things when I didn't want to deal with not eating. Not going is also an option:there will be other parties.

Now, losing the weight as fast as possible (in a healthy way) was a major priority for me for most of my losing history. If it hadn't been, I would have done some things differently. But regardless, I really value the idea that I don't eat for other people. I'm plenty nice and helpful in all kinds of other ways, I never, ever mention that I am not eating, or complain about how good the food looks, I never act the slightest bit tempted or resentful or envious, I just drink my coffee and smile and talk. It leaves me feeling powerful and in control, and people have adjusted. Once they see results, they get it.

^^^Yup, yup and more yup.^^^

Taking away the decision making process for me has been a HUGE boon to my weight loss and now maintenance. This way I don't have to decide should I eat this?/ should I eat that? Oooh, just maybe one bite of this... and one bite of that... Oh man that looks good too, maybe just a smidge...

This always led to disaster for me in the past. Always. Always. Always.

Much easier and wiser to just say no all together.

You make the decision ahead of time and then you've got nothing to dread or worry about. The thoughts of all that calorie laden stuff stops.

And trust me, no one gives a flying you know what about what you are or are not eating. They're too busy stuffing their faces.

They'll all be miserable afterward wondering, "why did I just do that?" and you'll be feeling like a million, trillion bucks.