Need advice for Losing weight with Special Dietary needs

_BunnyMomma_
_BunnyMomma_ Posts: 16 Member
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey! I live on a college campus and so I'm forced to have a meal plan. I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to soy. I might have celiac's disease but I haven't gotten the blood test for that done yet. I'm struggling with eating healthy because the options of food I can eat here is very limited (soy is literally in everything and they cook in soy. a lot of other options have milk, butter, etc.) and I find that most of it is high calorie being a college campus. I don't feel full all the time after eating meals. I'm trying to lose 15 lbs. It stresses me out worry about what I can and cannot eat enough so I decided to ask if anyone had any tips or advice that would help with feeling full, losing weight, etc.

Replies

  • NJGamerChick
    NJGamerChick Posts: 467 Member
    edited January 2015
    You should be able to petition the school and get out of the meal plan and also be given kitchen accommodations. Check with your campus disabilities office.
  • Charlottesometimes23
    Charlottesometimes23 Posts: 687 Member
    Can you keep a personal supply of fruit and veg, perhaps lactose free yogurt?

    If you are overweight and need to lose weight, perhaps you could eat less quantities of the campus food and fill up on vege sticks, salsa dips, fruit, lactose free yogurt (if you have a fridge).
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Okay, there has to be other students with food allergies that have gotten around this. A little research is in order. Good luck.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    NJGamerChick wrote: »
    You should be able to petition the school and get out of the meal plan and also be given kitchen accommodations. Check with your campus disabilities office.

    Only if diagnosed, not because you think you have an issue.
    jmkachelein wrote: »
    Hey! I live on a college campus and so I'm forced to have a meal plan. I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to soy. I might have celiac's disease but I haven't gotten the blood test for that done yet. I'm struggling with eating healthy because the options of food I can eat here is very limited (soy is literally in everything and they cook in soy. a lot of other options have milk, butter, etc.) and I find that most of it is high calorie being a college campus. I don't feel full all the time after eating meals. I'm trying to lose 15 lbs. It stresses me out worry about what I can and cannot eat enough so I decided to ask if anyone had any tips or advice that would help with feeling full, losing weight, etc.

    Why can't you eat soy?
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    NJGamerChick wrote: »
    You should be able to petition the school and get out of the meal plan and also be given kitchen accommodations. Check with your campus disabilities office.

    Only if diagnosed, not because you think you have an issue.
    jmkachelein wrote: »
    Hey! I live on a college campus and so I'm forced to have a meal plan. I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to soy. I might have celiac's disease but I haven't gotten the blood test for that done yet. I'm struggling with eating healthy because the options of food I can eat here is very limited (soy is literally in everything and they cook in soy. a lot of other options have milk, butter, etc.) and I find that most of it is high calorie being a college campus. I don't feel full all the time after eating meals. I'm trying to lose 15 lbs. It stresses me out worry about what I can and cannot eat enough so I decided to ask if anyone had any tips or advice that would help with feeling full, losing weight, etc.

    Why can't you eat soy?
    She's allergic to it.
  • SyntonicGarden
    SyntonicGarden Posts: 944 Member
    edited January 2015
    jmkachelein wrote: »
    Hey! I live on a college campus and so I'm forced to have a meal plan. I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to soy. I might have celiac's disease but I haven't gotten the blood test for that done yet. I'm struggling with eating healthy because the options of food I can eat here is very limited (soy is literally in everything and they cook in soy. a lot of other options have milk, butter, etc.) and I find that most of it is high calorie being a college campus. I don't feel full all the time after eating meals. I'm trying to lose 15 lbs. It stresses me out worry about what I can and cannot eat enough so I decided to ask if anyone had any tips or advice that would help with feeling full, losing weight, etc.
    "elphie754 wrote:
    Why can't you eat soy?

    She said she's allergic.

    I second the "doctor's note / exemption" approach. I was faced with something similar back in the day and while they DID force me to participate in a "meal plan" as I was on-campus, I was allowed to use that money as part of the college bucks program, or whatever your school calls it. I wasn't locked down to the cafeteria.

    Many schools have a plan that lets you put money on the card and shop places besides the cafeteria. I used mine to buy fresh produce and whatnot at the supermarket, since they participated in the "Choice Dollar" program. See what other options they offer, especially if you have a doctor sign off on your allergies.

  • Charlottesometimes23
    Charlottesometimes23 Posts: 687 Member
    jmkachelein wrote: »
    Hey! I live on a college campus and so I'm forced to have a meal plan. I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to soy. I might have celiac's disease but I haven't gotten the blood test for that done yet. I'm struggling with eating healthy because the options of food I can eat here is very limited (soy is literally in everything and they cook in soy. a lot of other options have milk, butter, etc.) and I find that most of it is high calorie being a college campus. I don't feel full all the time after eating meals. I'm trying to lose 15 lbs. It stresses me out worry about what I can and cannot eat enough so I decided to ask if anyone had any tips or advice that would help with feeling full, losing weight, etc.

    Is it the healthy eating that you're concerned about, or your issue with allergies? Are you able to get some campus food that suits your allergies, even though they may be high calorie, or are your allergy needs not accommodated?

  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    SyntonicGarden wrote: »
    jmkachelein wrote: »
    Hey! I live on a college campus and so I'm forced to have a meal plan. I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to soy. I might have celiac's disease but I haven't gotten the blood test for that done yet. I'm struggling with eating healthy because the options of food I can eat here is very limited (soy is literally in everything and they cook in soy. a lot of other options have milk, butter, etc.) and I find that most of it is high calorie being a college campus. I don't feel full all the time after eating meals. I'm trying to lose 15 lbs. It stresses me out worry about what I can and cannot eat enough so I decided to ask if anyone had any tips or advice that would help with feeling full, losing weight, etc.
    "elphie754 wrote:
    Why can't you eat soy?

    She said she's allergic.

    I second the "doctor's note / exemption" approach. I was faced with something similar back in the day and while they DID force me to participate in a "meal plan" as I was on-campus, I was allowed to use that money as part of the college bucks program, or whatever your school calls it. I wasn't locked down to the cafeteria.

    Many schools have a plan that lets you put money on the card and shop places besides the cafeteria. I used mine to buy fresh produce and whatnot at the supermarket, since they participated in the "Choice Dollar" program. See what other options they offer, especially if you have a doctor sign off on your allergies.

    I missed it. Either way, you have to submit documentation to residen e life to be considered eligible to opt out of a meal plan. Most colleges have very specific paperwork you need to file. I requested a medical single due to allergies qnd requested to opt out of a meal plan. I had to submit documentation from my allergist listing my allergies as well as the symptoms I experience (anaphylaxis). On top of that, my allergist had to document the reccomended course of action (cooking my own food and not being exposed to the allergens). At first the dinning hall wanted to prepare a plate for me off to the side. I had to get more paperwork to explain why that would be dangerous and that I could not do that.
  • _BunnyMomma_
    _BunnyMomma_ Posts: 16 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    SyntonicGarden wrote: »
    jmkachelein wrote: »
    Hey! I live on a college campus and so I'm forced to have a meal plan. I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to soy. I might have celiac's disease but I haven't gotten the blood test for that done yet. I'm struggling with eating healthy because the options of food I can eat here is very limited (soy is literally in everything and they cook in soy. a lot of other options have milk, butter, etc.) and I find that most of it is high calorie being a college campus. I don't feel full all the time after eating meals. I'm trying to lose 15 lbs. It stresses me out worry about what I can and cannot eat enough so I decided to ask if anyone had any tips or advice that would help with feeling full, losing weight, etc.
    "elphie754 wrote:
    Why can't you eat soy?

    She said she's allergic.

    I second the "doctor's note / exemption" approach. I was faced with something similar back in the day and while they DID force me to participate in a "meal plan" as I was on-campus, I was allowed to use that money as part of the college bucks program, or whatever your school calls it. I wasn't locked down to the cafeteria.

    Many schools have a plan that lets you put money on the card and shop places besides the cafeteria. I used mine to buy fresh produce and whatnot at the supermarket, since they participated in the "Choice Dollar" program. See what other options they offer, especially if you have a doctor sign off on your allergies.

    I missed it. Either way, you have to submit documentation to residen e life to be considered eligible to opt out of a meal plan. Most colleges have very specific paperwork you need to file. I requested a medical single due to allergies qnd requested to opt out of a meal plan. I had to submit documentation from my allergist listing my allergies as well as the symptoms I experience (anaphylaxis). On top of that, my allergist had to document the reccomended course of action (cooking my own food and not being exposed to the allergens). At first the dinning hall wanted to prepare a plate for me off to the side. I had to get more paperwork to explain why that would be dangerous and that I could not do that.

    This is what the dining hall offered to do for me. There are options, but they are very limited and half them time the options I am supposed to have available to me are not.
  • _BunnyMomma_
    _BunnyMomma_ Posts: 16 Member
    Charlottesometimes23 wrote: »
    jmkachelein wrote: »
    Hey! I live on a college campus and so I'm forced to have a meal plan. I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to soy. I might have celiac's disease but I haven't gotten the blood test for that done yet. I'm struggling with eating healthy because the options of food I can eat here is very limited (soy is literally in everything and they cook in soy. a lot of other options have milk, butter, etc.) and I find that most of it is high calorie being a college campus. I don't feel full all the time after eating meals. I'm trying to lose 15 lbs. It stresses me out worry about what I can and cannot eat enough so I decided to ask if anyone had any tips or advice that would help with feeling full, losing weight, etc.

    Is it the healthy eating that you're concerned about, or your issue with allergies? Are you able to get some campus food that suits your allergies, even though they may be high calorie, or are your allergy needs not accommodated?

    I guess my issue is eating healthy, or at least more so when I don't have a lot of options to eat healthy. I kind of wanted to see if other people had experienced the same thing.
  • _BunnyMomma_
    _BunnyMomma_ Posts: 16 Member
    NJGamerChick wrote: »
    You should be able to petition the school and get out of the meal plan and also be given kitchen accommodations. Check with your campus disabilities office.

    I contacted the dining services and they took me on a tour and showed me everything that I can't eat but only at one place. Their solution to help me was to contact them ahead of time and have them prepare a meal for me. The problem I run into that is it makes my schedule more rigid than I can handle right now. I am an engineering major and between classes, constant homework and group meetings all day, I just don't have the time to go at a prechosen time and wait for them to cook for me.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    jmkachelein wrote: »
    Charlottesometimes23 wrote: »
    jmkachelein wrote: »
    Hey! I live on a college campus and so I'm forced to have a meal plan. I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to soy. I might have celiac's disease but I haven't gotten the blood test for that done yet. I'm struggling with eating healthy because the options of food I can eat here is very limited (soy is literally in everything and they cook in soy. a lot of other options have milk, butter, etc.) and I find that most of it is high calorie being a college campus. I don't feel full all the time after eating meals. I'm trying to lose 15 lbs. It stresses me out worry about what I can and cannot eat enough so I decided to ask if anyone had any tips or advice that would help with feeling full, losing weight, etc.

    Is it the healthy eating that you're concerned about, or your issue with allergies? Are you able to get some campus food that suits your allergies, even though they may be high calorie, or are your allergy needs not accommodated?

    I guess my issue is eating healthy, or at least more so when I don't have a lot of options to eat healthy. I kind of wanted to see if other people had experienced the same thing.

    You don't need to eat healthy to lose weight, whatever "eating healthy" means (this is a very subjective term). You just need a calorie deficit. So.. figure out what you can eat that is available to you, and figure out how to work it into your caloric intake. I eat GF for digestive purposes and i also avoid gelatin in yogurt (also causes digestive upset, but only in yogurt from what I've noticed... or I just don't eat a lot of gelatin from other sources, so I've only noticed the issue with yogurt lol). I also eat basically anything else, including "junk" food. It's much easier to live your life and lose weight when you allow yourself to, you know, live and not fret over every single item you eat.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    These college meal plans are compulsory :shocked:
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    It is o.k. to eat the high calorie foods. Eat half portions.
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