The store I work at put out the “holiday buffet” yesterday. Being a vegetarian, I ignored the chicken dish, but partook of the rice and beans, mixed vegetables, potato salad and cake. On the second partaken, I took rice and beans, mixed vegetables and cake but didn’t finish it all.
I then took the empty cake dish and a spoon, and ate the leftover frosting, much to the amazement of my co-workers. I have a think for vanilla frosting.
Depends on how the food is presented.
If someone puts out food for multiple people, then I’m going to think about what portion would be an appropriate amount for me to eat to make sure everyone who wants some gets some. If I underestimate and stuff remains after others have had their chance, then I may get more.
If someone is paying for my food, I’m going to think about what would be a reasonable amount to order. And if that’s more than I need, then I take what I need instead.
However, in contexts where the food is free and effectively unlimited, then I am definitely likely to eat more. In fact, even when it’s stuff I get, seeing that we have a lot makes me more likely to get food or drink. For example, for any box of food, I wind up eating up the first 2/3 or 3/4 faster than the last 1/3 or 1/4.
I think the issue, therefore, is the feeling of plenty, not the fact that the food is free. I effectively have access to plenty of food, whether I paid for that access or not. (Of course, if I had to pay for each portion of food, then I would no longer have plenty unless I had plenty of money.)
Though I will admit that food being free makes how much I like that food less of a consideration. I do feel the need to get “my share.” But that share is almost never enough to “gorge” nor seems an unreasonable amount in hindsight.
–Also, wow, that’s a lot of thought to put into this simple question.
Pretty much the opposite for me. If I am at home with a freshly-delivered pizza, I will eat that pizza either until it is gone or until I can physically chew no more.
Free pizza at work? I’ll grab a slice. Maybe I’ll go back for another if they’re small.
Who wants to be known as the guy who always takes more than his share?
I’ll eat some, but I don’t hog it down. Mainly because I don’t want to take more than my fair share. There’s always going to be those assholes that take like, four donuts each, and then some people don’t get any.
I hate those dickwads.
Free food I do not over-indulge. Finger foods can be more of a problem if someone presents a tray repeatedly to me and says “please take one”. If I pay for a buffet, however, I hate myself after leaving because I ALWAYS feel stuffed and almost sick. I seem to go into “revenge” mode and have to feel like I am getting my money’s worth, focusing most heavily on the expensive meats. As a consequence, I try to avoid Vegas. Well that, and I don’t enjoy gambling.
If you look carefully, you’ll see me in this video.
OK, not really, but as children my brother, sisters and I apparently were famous for going all at whenever there was free food, especially cookies or other desserts. We rarely had treats at home and would hog out given a chance.
I’m in the last para of the original post. I couldn’t be bothered eating all the food and at home we never have fast food (Okay we have KFC once a year as it is just up the road) Even excess size meals horrify me- I can’t eat them- and I am not a slim person (unfortunately).
When I was new to my company and in the IT department, I marveled at the way one of the guys on my team was so good at sniffing out free food and getting some. I have since learned the ways. I am at a sales building and there is almost always free food here. There are café days from partners, leftover food from trainings, donuts (and smiley faced cookies!) on Wednesdays, and other various situations where free food can be found. I usually partake and sometimes I might even bring some home.
Somebody brought what appears to be America’s strategic reserve of banana-flavored Laffy Taffy to the office, and even though I have no great passion for banana-flavored things or Laffy Taffy in general, I’ve been scarfing it down. It’s there, it’s free, and it tastes good enough, with the added bonus that there’s no guilt about “depriving” anyone else of this fine cuisine.
Somehow I have nearly unlimited willpower at work. But the same cannot be said when I’m just chillin’ at home. I CANNOT allow junk food in the house or I will eat it. Unfortunately I also get a stupid thrill from bargain shopping so the few days after the holidays, when all sorts of junk food is >70% off, I tend to mindlessly buy way too much garbage.
The office gets lots of donations from me this time of year!
No offense to anyone in particular here, but people who scarf up more than their share when someone brings food in to the office really irritate me. Not so much at public events, but when individuals bring food to share and someone takes more than their share because"hey, it’s free", I find that really unattractive.
By flowing … you mean for free? Like an open bar? I’ve had co-workers buy drinks and I sure enjoyed that … you must mean a party atmosphere like a wedding or something. Only if I didn’t drive there … for sure I would have to be driven home if the booze was free.
I tend not to overeat in any particular situation, and would say it comes pretty naturally…
Passing on donuts/cookies/cake/etc is no problem, I don’t care much for sweets, and more often than not would rather not have any…and I don’t care for stuffing myself - at something like a Thanksgiving dinner, I’ll eat about as much I would on any of the other 364 dinners of the year.