Vegas Buffets Rock!

12 friends met in Vegas for 2 days to celebrate my college roommate's 40th Birthday!   On the flight there I customized my cell phone settings, changed it's display & finally read all the "tips" in its manual!  I'd been stuck in my 2007 habits & now I'm in the 2010 decade of shortcuts.

While IN Vegas I was impressed & pleasantly surprised how much our large group of girls did in a weekend!  ate, drank, exercised, spa, craps, watched & bet on The Jets game then The Saints playoff game, ate late dinner, drank, danced, blackjack tables, slots.  Day 2 Repeat, but we included a BUFFET! 

Now, I grew up going to Vegas once a year doing the buffet thing with my blackjack playing dad... it was a special treat to pay $20 for casino buffets.  The girls were hesitant to pay $32 but agreed to try a buffet at The Wynn.   It was unbelievable how much delicious, fresh, gourmet food was offered.  Japanese - sashimi, Southern -shrimp etuffe, Thai -grilled beef salad, Indian - lentils & curried chicken, Chinese - Potstickers, Italian cuisine - fresh butternut squash gnocci & imported olives & cheeses - mustard seed sharp cheddar.  But the icing on the cake were the desserts.  Gelato bar, Perfiterols, peach cobbler, coffee mouse, chocolate souflee, lime tart with fresh rasberries, OMG!  I'm sitting on the plane ride home very satiated, very happy.   On my "50 things you must do before you die" list is: a high end buffet at a big casino at least once, maybe annually, and THE WYNN was outstanding! 

If you go at 11:30 am, you'll be set with breakfast & lunch items, & one meal lasting ALL day.

Dieting

Dieting was the topic on the Today Show this morning.  The Cookie Diet, currently popular, spurred me to go get an apple fritter at Starbucks.  I liked the diet strategy of "portion size" & Starbucks' "Nutrition by the Plate" brochure confirmed my doughnut was NOT even the worst food there.   WHO KNEW that a zucchini & walnut muffin (vegetable & nut) had more calories & fat than my fritter!  This was great news!  Also worse was banana bread, every type of scone & all egg sandwiches.   For years I assumed a blueberry scone or vegetable muffin were healthier than a doughnut...THANK you Starbucks for relieving my restriction of doughnuts.

I love sugar no doubt, but I know I can't perform solely on it.  That whole day I ate on the run - the fritter then a candy bar for lunch & pizza for dinner.  BUT the next day I pulled a 180: 2 fried eggs for breakfast, salad for lunch & fish/veggis & potatoes for dinner.   I savor the days of orgasms in my mouth (fritters, cheesecakes, mixed drinks) as well as the bland calorie reducing days so my body never gets used to anything.  I couldn't have one without the other.  Embracing my busy life (accepting I'll eat un-nutritiously for a day or 2 & knowing I'll flip back to health) has made me mentally comfortable.

And I actually work out harder & better when I've eaten poorly, so junk food fuels my fire!