Help dealing with pre-planned meals

marshmallowgirrl
marshmallowgirrl Posts: 1 Member
in Getting Started
Ive tried using my fitness pal a couple times but Im struggling and would love some advice or words of encouragement or something. I moved abroad last year and I work in a school where I have to eat the school lunch and finish it. One time I didnt finish my lunch and the other teachers used a phrase in the language here that means 'If you dont appreciate your food, then you dont deserve food.' Its completely socially unacceptable for me to not finish my lunch. The problem is the lunches are usually between 850 and 1100 calories. Ive asked to be served smaller portions, but its against the policy here to not serve everyone a full meal. The meals are generally healthy, and contain fruits and vegetables, but I feel like I have to skip breakfast and eat a very small dinner to maintain a calorie deficit. Before I moved abroad I usually at small lunches and larger dinners. I could eat a small lunch and have enough calories left that I could go out and have dinner with friends, but now my social life is suffering because I am trying to stop gaining weight, but Ive gained 25 pounds since August. Has anyone been in a situation where they have little control over what they are eating for some of their meals. One of my goals before moving abroad was to lose weight and if I continue to gain weight I will have to seriously consider leaving my job earlier than I expected.

Replies

  • cookmtn
    cookmtn Posts: 156 Member
    Three questions:
    What is your calorie goal
    what if any exercise do you do
    If you do, do you eat your exercise calories back?
  • cookmtn
    cookmtn Posts: 156 Member
    I'm off until tomorrow so I'll just say this. As far as I can see you have three options: 1. Don't eat breakfast, eat lunch, then use any calories left for the evening. 2. Don't eat breakfast, eat lunch, exercise as much as possible, and eat those calories back.
    3. Do a little kid trick and excuse yourself to the bathroom while at lunch and sneak some food in your hand to flush down the toilet/ give to someone else/ throw away. ;) Good luck. Sounds like a fairly untenable situation if you ask me. Hopefully it is temporary.
  • Fittykitty11
    Fittykitty11 Posts: 124
    Are you allowed to pack your own lunch?
  • Ke11er
    Ke11er Posts: 147 Member
    Would it be culturally acceptable if you were to package up in a container and save the food for later rather than throw it away during lunch? Maybe in that act frugal would be a way to show appreciation too? Perhaps it's wasting food that is problematic rather than the issue of not finishing it all in one setting?
  • kawookie
    kawookie Posts: 813 Member
    Do you have the option of having a salad bar instead of the hot meal? Could you ask for double portion of veggies and no starch?

    Are you allowed not to like something? For example I don't care how much it might offend someone, I am not going to eat cucumbers. I really despise them. If you make an Israeli salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and onions there is no way in the world I would eat it. It would be a waste of food for them to serve it to me and IMHO it would be their fault for not serving me something palatable.

    Would it be okay to 1) eat at your desk (that way you can dispose of food you cannot finish) or 2) take back your fruit for a snack for later? You could claim to need an afternoon snack sometimes and save the fruit for afternoon snack.

    Also, exercise is your friend if you want to be able to eat dinner.
  • JennyHollyHansen
    JennyHollyHansen Posts: 40
    My experience is that salads are sneaky caleries. They appear to be healthy with most of its ingredients but then some nuts will be candied or the dressing is loaded with sugar, and don't forget a lot of dried fruits are full of sugar as well.

    Bring your own lunch seems to be the best option. If they question you about it say it has to do with health issues and that you have been recommend to eat specific things.

    But then again, part of me wants you to stand up to them and ask them why they feel they have a right to judge you for how you eat. It is not of there business if you finish or stop when you are full. This whole clean your plate until your fat business is a left over from 1950 etiquette that has made us all fat. if your not hungry don't keep eating.
  • ponycyndi
    ponycyndi Posts: 858 Member
    You can't be the only one who doesn't want what they're serving. I'd find out what the other kids are doing.

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