Sticking to daily calories when eating a lot of take-out

silenceinspace

Hello! I'm a college student, and I currently live at home with my parents. My dad's work schedule can be a bit unpredictable, so there are several nights a week that we order out/get take-out, typically from a pizza place (so the options are pizza, cheesesteaks, sandwiches, etc, and a few salads). I find that I'm struggling with this. I usually get a salad, but then I have to go through and separate the salad piece by piece and weigh everything, which isn't easy. I typically don't have a lot of calories left at the end of the day (maybe 500 or so), and I think I'm unwittingly going over my limit. I can weigh the chicken, feta cheese, tomatoes, etc, but I have no idea of how they make everything (like how they're cooking the chicken) and thus I think I'm taking in too many calories.

When this happens, there is often nothing else left in the house to actually make food-wise.

Anyone have any ideas? I've thought of leaving a "calorie buffer" (like eating 300 calories and leaving a 200-calorie buffer in case I miscalculated), but otherwise I don't know.

Mokey41

Don't eat the take out. I'm assuming that you are capable of preparing food yourself and your dad's work schedule doesn't have any bearing on what you eat. At some point you'll probably have to go out into the world on your own and look after your own food needs so this would be a great time to start practicing. Start planning ahead to have food on hand instead of waiting for someone else to give you food. Even just buying some Lean Cuisine's to have in the freezer or cans of soup would be a start.

silenceinspace

Yeah, you're right. I already buy a lot of food for myself, but many times my parents eat it, and at 8 at night I don't feel like going shopping. I should definitely stock up more on prepackaged foods (like soup) because they tend to stay away from it. Thank you!

loriq41

Yeah, you're right. I already buy a lot of food for myself, but many times my parents eat it, and at 8 at night I don't feel like going shopping. I should definitely stock up more on prepackaged foods (like soup) because they tend to stay away from it. Thank you!

Wow, can't believe your parents eat your food...geez...anyhow. soup is ok but the sodium may get you if you don't go low sodium...I think that you should maybe cook some stuff on the weekends that could easily be warmed up..and unfortunately it looks as though you will have to make some for the entire family.. best of luck!

Francl27

I don't get it honestly. I can cook a meal for cheaper than take out in the time it takes to get the food from there.

Can you have a talk with them?