Lose Weight Eating in Vegas

We know it’s an odd page in this site, but this is why we decided to write it: we love to eat but we don’t like to pile up the pounds and become unhealthy.  When we come to Vegas we eat a lot and we particularly love buffets.  So, we developed a system, over the years, which works wonders for us and it always guarantees we lose weight when we are in Vegas.  I always, without exception, leave Vegas slimmer than when I arrive; yet, I eat more here than at home or than anywhere else.  How do I do it?  This is how:

Best Way to Weight Loss

if you want a system that works and that you can follow for life, eating a lot and whatever you want. If you want to skip to the system, scroll down, but you may need to read the introduction to understand it fully.  First of all, if you have an illness such as diabetes you obviously need to consult your doctor before embarking on any ‘weight loss systems’, no matter how natural or simple (like this one) they may be.  The following is what works for us (we are not doctors, we are simply buffet lovers!) and is written from our own experience; it’s not meant to substitute the health regimen or advice that your doctor or specialist may give you.   Having said all of this, this is what works for me:

I was hitting a brick wall: I had gained about 35 pounds, slowly but inexorably and, despite following all the weight loss advice and programs that are’out there’, including all the fads available to date; nothing worked. I would power-walk for hours and hours every day with pathetic results (yes, it’d be stronger and fitter but I would still be larger than I wanted to be); every day it rained I would go to the local gym and spend at least 2 hours each time there. I would watch carefully what I ate, followed all the fads and diets I could read about, such as avoiding carbs like the plague. I had absolutely no result except for that of feeling frustrated, depressed and putting on even more weight! Of course, the more frustrated I felt the more stressed I was, which as we know does not help your body to get rid of fat at all! I was hitting a brick wall.

Then I had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas for 3 months staying near the Strip. I decided to go and, almost on a ‘hunch’, I decided to follow a new strategy, my own weight loss system so to speak, and see if it bore any results. Before carrying on, let me tell you that the location is, in my opinion, irrelevant so if you can’t go to Vegas or any place where you can enjoy a variety of absolutely delicious top buffets or dishes in general (pretty much whatever you like), you can adapt my own weight loss story to your own circumstance and environment. I am not a doctor; this is my own personal experience.

The ‘System’ with which I lost weight:

I was staying on or near the Strip for 3 months. I had no kitchen and could not realistically keep any food in the room except for fresh salads and small amounts of fruits (which I could keep in the tiny fridge in the hotel room). This in itself was good because my biggest problem has always been that of eating late at night, which is an absolute NO-NO for almost everybody (unless you work night shifts, of course). However, you CAN eat absolutely all you want during the other parts of the day and still experience significant weight loss. This is how I did it:
Not having indulged in late-night snacking I’d get up absolutely famished and, of course, soon enough all I wanted to do is plan in which of the Vegas buffets I would gratify my love for food. On the Strip (and off the Strip, such as the truly delicious and very affordable Palms) of Las Vegas there are many absolutely divine buffets offering a huge range of foods for all tastes and eating requirements, such as the Bellagio or Cravings or, if you are not on any budget, Bacchanal or, if you are a sushi lover, Todai. These are just a few. For the full list of top buffets click here.

I would choose to go for breakfast and lunch in one session (basically as a roll-over, which is explained at the bottom of the page linked here), wherever this was possible (otherwise I’d just go for lunch which may roll-over into a very early dinner). You do not have to eat breakfast and lunch at the same time, of course! You can just have breakfast and then lunch, but make sure your ‘lunch’ – at least in the way described below (= lots and lots of food) does not take place in the evening. Once inside one of these absolutely top buffets, I would eat absolutely anything and everything I wanted, without restrictions. However, I would follow a ‘system’, explained below.

This is what I would do (if you have any health problems always consult your doctor first, of course):

1 First of all, I would eat a good amount of fruits (accompanied with yogurts so make it all extra delicious) OR, better still, a large amount of salad (well dressed in a very satisfying but healthy manner) or vegetables. (If you love fruit in the morning, Mandalay Bay is great for this (ask for the blueberries and mix them with their yogurth), but so are the newly great buffets of Vegas; if you love salads Cravings is ideal, because they offer a made-to-order salad section which is the best in Vegas – Circus Circus also offer a made to order salad these days, by the way). I am a salad lover so to me eating salad (but a tasty, delicious one, none of that awful boring stuff we are often given when we eat out) first is a treat. You can have absolutely delicious salads by adding olives, artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese, and make it really rich and tasty. The one thing I would suggest is to dress your multi-salad with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil (or regular olive oil if you can’t find the extra virgin type), balsamic vinaigrette (a small amount) and mustard (as much or as little as you like) and not the traditional ‘American’ dressings. Caesar salads are fine, by the way, even if they tend to have a bit too much cream or mayo some times; just add extra vegetables if you can, such as artichokes. What counts most here is that you give your body enough REAL NUTRITION before you indulge in your favourite unhealthy foods. If your body received real, good nutrition first and foremost, you will feel better in the end and lose weight faster.

2 Then, put some HEALTHY PROTEIN into your body. We need to acknowledge that read meat is bad for us. Period. I have visited enough doctors who told me the same thing over and over. If you eat red meat in excess you will not help your body; it’s bad for your cardio-vascular system, bad for your skin, bad for your ageing process, your digestive system and, to name another problem, it may be linked to increased risk in diabetes. However, a bit of red meat here and there is fine and, of course, when you are at a Vegas buffet it’s really hard to pass up delicious red meat dishes, I know. This is what I do: I always go for smoked salmon and cream cheese, or an omelette with smoked salmon (free range eggs if possible), or lean seafood (such as crab meat); if you can’t stomach anything but meat, have any meat you like, starting with the lean type, ideally white meat first. Just make sure you give your body some decent protein such as free-range eggs or non-processed cheese; if you can, always start with any fish you like first (this does not include seafood, which is not so healthy I’m afraid). After healthy proteins, if you still have ‘space’ in your stomach, you can indulge in less-than-healthy ones, such as sausages, hot-dogs, fish in batter, seafood, deep-fried protein or similar. I think you get my point: if you like to eat huge amounts of foods as I do, you absolutely need to make sure your body has healthy nutrition first: what you eat first is digested and processed better and, very importantly, is what will keep your cravings at bay later on. Moreover, it is essential that we respect our body and give it what it needs first and only after that, what it craves.

After step 1 and step 2 of my own ‘weight loss system’, you can absolutely eat whatever you like. I can fit a lot of food in (I take my time when I eat, sipping good water and freshly squeezed orange juice) so I can easily continue to eat at this stage. If you can’t that’s fine; if you are at a top buffet, take your time, read something, chat with your friends or go for a walk around. Take your time before you continue to eat. If you are at home, do the next stage at any time BEFORE 4pm, as long as you complete stage 4 no matter what.

3 So, as I was saying, this is the time to absolutely eat whatever you like. Pizza, pasta, sausages, mash potatoes, bread, rice… The list is endless. After this, you can even go to the dessert section. Ice-cream, cakes, anything you want. We discuss sugar-free dessert options on this page (first part of the page).

By the time you have gone through the 3 stages above you will feel absolutely full, satisfied and – unless you have a pathological/psychological problem or a disease (in which case you MUST consult a therapist) – happy to ‘call it a day’. I never felt the need to indulge in food the rest of the day/evening. Why? Because I had never deprived myself of anything I wanted when I was eating whilst, at the same, giving my body all the nutrients it needs. I mean, let’s face it. I love bread (multi grain in particular, which are also the healthiest) and I love pizza and pasta (and natural cheese!). There is no way I can keep avoiding these dishes forever. That’s why restriction diets don’t work for me. Eventually, I will return to my beloved foods; moreover, being forever-hungry does NOT work for me at all. Does it work for you? How can one function well if hungry? At the same time, it is not true that one can live well with fatty meat and fatty protein as some of the ‘crazy’ diets would have us believe (more on this further down). Your body desperately needs a decent dose of whole-grains (if you want to avoid colon cancer or cancer in any part of the digestive system, for example, ask your doctor) almost as much as it needs good quality vegetables. Don’t buy into ‘fads’, into dubious claims of what’s natural for a human to eat (let’s not forget that humans originally only ate nuts and fruit, not meat, and the proof is in the type of teeth we have – we don’t have fangs, do we?  We have strong molars originally used for chewing nuts and similar).  A lot of research has shown that most food allergies come from eating GM foods (genetically modified, which is another way to consume pesticides, bluntly put) foods (creating a ‘bad physical association’ with those foods, even if you now eat non GM ones).  Of course if you now have allergies you need to remove them through the help of your naturopathic nutritionist Take care of your body by eating a variety of nutritious foods – and take care of your mind by not denying yourself your favorite foods.

One note, though: eating large amounts of foods in one sitting, consistently, will extend your stomach, which is not a good thing and, in the long run, can cause some chronic health problems. Don’t ‘binge’, don’t eat too fast; chew your food well.

4 Now, the part that was, in my experience, essential (but only after eating as much as I wanted) for any life-changing weight loss system: EXERCISE. Oh, yuk, you may think… But there are good news (read further).
I would go to the gym even as late as 6pm (or later, if you prefer and find a gym which closes really late), stay there until 8pm. You can go whenever you want as long as it’s AFTER you have indulged in all that food. Exercising at the gym is more effective than just walking, though vigorously exercising in water up to your shoulders is even better; this because your need to exercise all your muscles and not just your legs. Toning up all your muscles will also make you consume more calories, as well as helping you look better.

You don’t have to do anything hard, no running, no significant sweating, no crazy fast movement which makes you feel as if you are about to see the light and go to the ‘other side’ (which is actually bad for your heart, recent studies are pointing out)… All you have to do in part 4 of my own weight loss system is walk on the treadmill (much better if uphill, even if slightly) and then use the elliptical (again, you can go at a slow steady pace, nothing heavy at all), or the bike (again, you can follow a slow steady pace) for about 1 hour (or vigorously exercise in water deep up to your shoulders). No less than one hour. You can alternate (you don’t have to stay on the same machine), but your cardio total must be at least around one hour. After that you must do at least 15 minutes of weights & toning excercises, starting lightly and slowly increasing the weights: abdomen, arms, sides, back and so forth. If you are just starting exercise or are morbidly obese ask your doctor first and then, even if your doctor says it’s ok, start very, very gently, but do it for at least 45 minutes and, as soon as you can, one hour. You can even begin with 30-minute slots of cardio exercise, if you have an all-day pass; I often do that since 30-minutes slots are easier to manage, especially if you have a busy day. What I do these days is bring my own video mp3 player so I can watch any movies I want; however, the best Vegas gyms, such at Bellagio’s or Aria or the cardio sections at Mirage and at Venetian, have equipment with built-in TVs.

After your cardio it’s really a good idea to do some muscle toning exercises, such as (in order of importance) abdominals, back and ‘side’ exercises (I do all of them with the bench designed to do back exercises) and, if you have time, some chest/breast/tricepts exercises (I am a woman, so tricepts toning is importat for me). More on this further down.

Now, I hope you understand that if you do not exercise you will never realistically experience significant weight loss in a healthy way, and not in a way which you can maintain. Moreover, weight loss without exercise often means a ‘flabby’ body. Nobody likes ‘flab’! This is my experience. After all, I never really understood how anybody can follow a diet which deprives your of things you like, or the quantities you enjoy, and maintain this ‘life-style’ for the rest of your life. I can’t! So, my personal choice is that of eating whatever I want and ‘pay the price’ by exercising. Maybe your doctor will tell you otherwise. But I am here to inform you of my own weight loss story, my own weight loss system that works over time and has never failed me. If you are a woman over 40, however, sooner or later you will have to cut down on sugar, fats and white carbs, at least whilst at home (not necessarily when you are on a holiday in Vegas!).

These days that I am fit and enjoy a healthy weight, I can go to the gym for only 30 minutes a day cardio and 15 minutes muscle toning! Sometimes I can even skip the gym and suffer no consequences! However, I must stress, after a few visits you will really learn to enjoy the gym, I promise. Exercising stimulates the secretion of certain hormones and chemicals in your body and brain which promote good mood and serenity. Absolutely good for your body and your mind. Moreover, make it fun, bring your movies collection, comedy, and watch them whilst exercising. If you like to read, bring your books to the gym!
At this point I want to say that, in my experience, you can substitute the gym with swimming. But you must swim (slowly and gently is absolutely fine) for one hour and not just sit or stand in the water talking to your friends!

About cardio exercises – as I said, you do NOT have to run (in fact I would advise against it and many cardiologists are beginning to stress moderate exercise only and not strenuous exercise as key to health), nor cycle fast nor exert yourself nor go out of breath, but rather maintain a steady pace, gentle or moderate, throughout the session. You can alternate gentle and moderate, but you NEVER have to run or similar. It is completely unnecessary for weight loss anyway. A great, low-impact alternative is to do vigorous exercises in water as long as it’s deep, up to your shoulders at least.

After the cardio session of about 45 minutes to 1 hour (best if one hour), go to weights or muscle toning. In order of importance, start with the abdominal bench (or whatever abdominal machine is available), then do things to strengthen your back or/and your core (the bench for the back is great), then do exercises for the sides of your body (hips and side thighs as well as the side torso, I use the same bench I use for the back) and, if you still have time, exercise the arms and your chest. If you have never done weights nor the bench start really lightly, and only with time can you progress to heavier and harder. Again, you are not trying to bulk up so even a slight work out of those muscles will do. For example, if you have never done abdominals (the same with anything else) it’ll be hard, but do a few flexes and then rest. A good number is 11. If you can’t do 11 do 7 or, 5, or 3. Then rest. Then repeat. Do it 3 times and then move on to something else. You can bring your own mp3/mp4 player or watch the TVs most gyms have now. Time will fly. If you prefer to swim, replace all the above with one hour of swimming (it can be very gentle swimming, but you must swim – no pause to chat with your friends – the whole hour).

My experience is that, if you follow this routine every day, after a few weeks you will be absolutely amazed at how much weight you will have lost and how much better your body will look. And, above all, you will have eaten everything you want every day.

DINNER. The rule of thumb of a successful weight loss system in my experience is that, after your gym session, you can only eat certain things. Dinner time is the only time where you must apply some significant restrictions. You can choose between salads (salads are by far the best choice at dinner, followed by cooked vegetables or home-made (without sugar!) vegetable soups without pasta – and no bread nor cream of any kind this time, sorry), vegetables without creamy dressings (but olive oil and balsamic vinegar are fine, as well as mustard – salt is also fine), healthy protein (fish or lean meat cooked in a lean way, extra virgin olive oil is absolutely fine – no bread at dinner, sorry).

Boiled eggs are fine too, dressed with olive oil and/or mustard/salt. After you have exercised you must not eat any carbs nor the typical fattening things (the only fat that you can eat is extra virgin olive oil, in moderation). No battered fish, no potatoes, no rice, no pasta, no pizza, no beans. No carbs, no fat except for olive oil. Whole grain carbs are an important part of a persons’ healthy nutrition (for your body and your mind!), but in my experience they have no place at dinner, after you have exercised; the only type you can eat are the wafer-thin whole-grain breads such as Ryvita or Wasa. If you want me to go into the details of why this is the case, I can (contact me), but for the purpose of this page I’ll just leave it at that.

Moreover, after having satisfied my love for carbs and all unhealthy foods at breakfast and/or lunch (before your exercises), I never really needed them at dinner as well: this because your body no longer gives you ‘cravings’ for such things because it has already received the daily amont nutrition it requires, including whole-grain carbs and protein.

I lost 35 pounds relatively easily, in less than 3 months and I did it eating as much as I wanted and all I wanted. These amazing top Vegas buffets really helped me (but you can adapt and offer yourself some sort of variety) and I was never hungry. I still eat whatever I like every day (except for dinner, as explained above). This is a lifestyle I can adhere to all my life. That’s why it worked for me then, it works for me now and I never ever put any weight back on! Note on food in general: if possible, once you’re back home, I would recommend you start eating organic food or at least ‘non-processed’ food, introducing cold mechanically pressed extra virgin olive oil as your main or sole source of oil (substituting margarine and butter), introducing Stevia as a great natural (virtually carb-free) alternative to sugar, good quality spring water and, if you eat meat, free-range organic meat (if you can find it): you will be giving your body much better quality nutrition and that in itself will help your whole body, inside and out.

Try it. If you are in Las Vegas (then you must read our reviews of the best buffets!) or in a place with great buffets, try it. Just go to the gym afterwards (or swim for one hour – make sure you swim after you have digested of course) and eat only what I suggest at dinner. It will work. Don’t weigh yourself everyday, though. The initial results are slow to show, but then it gets better and better.

We have another page, titled How to Eat Healthy in Vegas, which you may find interesting.

Disclaimer:  This is my own experience and the experience of those close to me who have adopted the weight loss and fitness strategy highlighted above. I am not a doctor.  What I wrote is what I firmly believe, what I have researched and what works for me (and us).  Moreover, if you are morbidly obese or have an illness, absolutely consult your doctor before embarking on ANY weight loss system or exercise plan, absolutely any, even if it’s a simple one.

The information on this page should not be used as a substitute for medical advice.  Readers assume full responsibility for their course of action. Always consult with a doctor before embarking on any nutritional plan or diet or exercise, or choosing any self-help route. By making use of the information provided, you are agreeing to hold no blame to this website, its webmaster and its owner.