How to do this abroad?!

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polkadotsandpoptarts
polkadotsandpoptarts Posts: 21 Member
in Introduce Yourself
hey guys,
I'm Kerry and I have a yoyo relationship with both dieting, food and my fitness pal. This isn't my first rodeo.....
After losing the weight for graduation, gaining it again for comfort, losing it for a holiday, gaining it again because MacDonalds had a mega box of chicken nuggets on offer, losing it for our wedding, then gaining it again because i'm married and content..... see a pattern emerging here?!
Well here is the problem.... are you ready.....




I LOVE TO EAT.




Slight problem huh!
For the last year my husband and I have been working internationally and have currently ended up in Vietnam. Since being here I have gained 4 kg in 3 months, and now really is the time to lose it before it get's out of hand again. Before long they will stop letting me on the back of motorbikes! The food here is INCREDIBLE, but I really don't know what to avoid and what is low calorie. To be honest, I rarely know what we are eating.....

So does anyone have any recommendations on what is the best things to eat whilst we are living here? And any recipes using the local seasonal food? It was easy when living in the UK as I knew exactly which aisle to go to in Tesco!

Have a great day everyone, and if you've got this far through my waffling post - i congratulate you!

Replies

  • eminater
    eminater Posts: 2,477 Member
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    Hi, I am currently living in Malaysia. It is very hard to log any Malay dishes as they are cooked in A LOT of oil. If you are serious about it, you need to increase your home cooking probably. The oil in the local dishes here makes them calorie bombs! But I do search the foods on the database when I eat out. You are most likely not the only MFP'er in Vietnam. PS hi from KL ;)
  • polkadotsandpoptarts
    polkadotsandpoptarts Posts: 21 Member
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    Hi back from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam!
    Whilst food isn't too oily here, we have no idea what it is actually being cooked in, and due to the language barrier you can't really ask... (My Vietnamese is TERRIBLE!)
    As you say, the way forward may be to start cooking more at home. Just so hard to give up my beloved pho! Do you recommend any seasonal fruit and veg? I'm still trying to get used to it all - although draw the line at Durian....
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
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    Are you living with someone who's preparing meals for you, or are you in an apartment but buying all your meals out? If there's no way to get the numbers for the food you're eating, you could start by reducing portion sizes instead. That way you're sure to get less of everything even if you don't know how much.
  • rimir74
    rimir74 Posts: 29 Member
    edited March 2018
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    I'm from Singapore. Yep, It's all mostly in the database. And if you're unconvinced that the amount listed is likely to be correct - estimate upward. If for example - 1 serving of a dish lists 450kcal and your gut feel (pun literally) is that it is more - list it as 1.2 servings (or some multiple). This will keep you tracking the calories consumed while eating out correctly for the most part.
  • polkadotsandpoptarts
    polkadotsandpoptarts Posts: 21 Member
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    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    Are you living with someone who's preparing meals for you, or are you in an apartment but buying all your meals out? If there's no way to get the numbers for the food you're eating, you could start by reducing portion sizes instead. That way you're sure to get less of everything even if you don't know how much.

    I'm living with my husband, we either share the cooking depending on work schedules or eat out/order in 3-4 times a week.
  • polkadotsandpoptarts
    polkadotsandpoptarts Posts: 21 Member
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    rimir74 wrote: »
    I'm from Singapore. Yep, It's all mostly in the database. And if you're unconvinced that the amount listed is likely to be correct - estimate upward. If for example - 1 serving of a dish lists 450kcal and your gut feel (pun literally) is that it is more - list it as 1.2 servings (or some multiple). This will keep you tracking the calories consumed while eating out correctly for the most part.

    Ah i'm off to Singapore next month! Heard great things.
    Good shout, at least then my beloved Vietnamese food can be semi-guilt free.



  • eminater
    eminater Posts: 2,477 Member
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    polkadotsandpoptarts wrote: »
    Hi back from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam!
    Whilst food isn't too oily here, we have no idea what it is actually being cooked in, and due to the language barrier you can't really ask... (My Vietnamese is TERRIBLE!)
    As you say, the way forward may be to start cooking more at home. Just so hard to give up my beloved pho! Do you recommend any seasonal fruit and veg? I'm still trying to get used to it all - although draw the line at Durian....

    There is a restaurant here that does Vegan Pho that's phenomenal. I agree with what @rimir74 said aswell, about logging a scaling factor like 1.2 to meals. The thing is in Malaysia it is A LOT cheaper to eat out. Many expats here gain during the first year something like 10 to 20 lbs. But I have my kids here and they love home cooking. Also since I have one Vegan and one Plant-Based and one Flexitarian, it means home cooking is usually the best way for us, so that makes it a lot easier with MFP. (Not much understanding of "vegan" in Malaysia yet, so eating out can be especially tricky for him).
  • junecox2018
    junecox2018 Posts: 13 Member
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    Markus love on a plate he also has a Utube channel most of his recipes are done with a high powered blender like Walmart’s ninja and a dehydrator (a conventional oven with a fan and set on low will also work.
  • polkadotsandpoptarts
    polkadotsandpoptarts Posts: 21 Member
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    eminater wrote: »

    There is a restaurant here that does Vegan Pho that's phenomenal. I agree with what @rimir74 said aswell, about logging a scaling factor like 1.2 to meals. The thing is in Malaysia it is A LOT cheaper to eat out. Many expats here gain during the first year something like 10 to 20 lbs. But I have my kids here and they love home cooking. Also since I have one Vegan and one Plant-Based and one Flexitarian, it means home cooking is usually the best way for us, so that makes it a lot easier with MFP. (Not much understanding of "vegan" in Malaysia yet, so eating out can be especially tricky for him).

    Dinner time sounds complicated in your house!!

    It is the same here, it is cheaper to eat out than to cook at home. Also, added bonus of no dishes!

  • riskiestlavonn
    riskiestlavonn Posts: 207 Member
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    Hey! Yeah, I had huge problems living abroad and gaining weight. I lived in China for about six years (lots of oil, lots of rice, lots of delicious things).

    I've been on vacation to Vietnam a few times but I'm not as familiar with the food choices there. If, like in China and other East Asian Countries, many things are served over rice, then I highly suggest ordering vegetarian dishes and eating little to none of the rice that comes with it. I'd also avoid street food like the plague. And lastly, I'd avoid getting into the habit of taking tuk tuks everywhere. I found that if I started taking them then I never walked anywhere (so cheap and easy!). During my last stint in Beijing I was able to lose about 45 pounds by sticking to this method.

    Hope that helps!
    Misha
  • Pastaprincess1978
    Pastaprincess1978 Posts: 371 Member
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    I live in China and I know it's tough. I think Vietnam has excellent fruit and veg though? Try and capitalise on that.
  • polkadotsandpoptarts
    polkadotsandpoptarts Posts: 21 Member
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    riskiestlavonn wrote: »
    Hey! Yeah, I had huge problems living abroad and gaining weight. I lived in China for about six years (lots of oil, lots of rice, lots of delicious things).

    I've been on vacation to Vietnam a few times but I'm not as familiar with the food choices there. If, like in China and other East Asian Countries, many things are served over rice, then I highly suggest ordering vegetarian dishes and eating little to none of the rice that comes with it. I'd also avoid street food like the plague. And lastly, I'd avoid getting into the habit of taking tuk tuks everywhere. I found that if I started taking them then I never walked anywhere (so cheap and easy!). During my last stint in Beijing I was able to lose about 45 pounds by sticking to this method.

    Hope that helps!
    Misha

    Ha! I avoid the cyclos anyway, unfortunately I don't live close enough to work to be able to walk so I end up taking a moto. Perhaps I will start getting them to drop me off earlier and walk the remainder....

    Any reason you avoid street food? (apart from Bahn mi which is completely self-explanatory!)
  • polkadotsandpoptarts
    polkadotsandpoptarts Posts: 21 Member
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    Pastaprincess1978 wrote: »
    I live in China and I know it's tough. I think Vietnam has excellent fruit and veg though? Try and capitalise on that.

    The fruit and veg here is amazing! I attempt to try at least 1 new fruit a week that i've never had before. Previously living in the UK it makes me realise how bland our fruit and veg is.....
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    I Googled low-calorie Vietnamese food and found this: https://www.verywellfit.com/lower-calorie-healthy-vietnamese-food-3495980 Caveat: It looks as though the site is talking about Vietnamese restaurant food in North America, or maybe the UK (i.e. possibly modified to please a Western palate). What you're eating may or may not be the same. Still, it could be a starting point.

    Similarly: http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/food/article/best-and-worst-vietnamese-foods

    This one gives calories, but of course, that can vary by recipe: http://www.desizeme.com/Vietnamese-Food-Calories.html
  • polkadotsandpoptarts
    polkadotsandpoptarts Posts: 21 Member
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    estherdragonbat wrote: »
    I Googled low-calorie Vietnamese food and found this: https://www.verywellfit.com/lower-calorie-healthy-vietnamese-food-3495980 Caveat: It looks as though the site is talking about Vietnamese restaurant food in North America, or maybe the UK (i.e. possibly modified to please a Western palate). What you're eating may or may not be the same. Still, it could be a starting point.

    Similarly: http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/food/article/best-and-worst-vietnamese-foods

    This one gives calories, but of course, that can vary by recipe: http://www.desizeme.com/Vietnamese-Food-Calories.html

    I've just read the berkeley wellness post and now feel hungry! Goi Tom for dinner!
  • Pastaprincess1978
    Pastaprincess1978 Posts: 371 Member
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    Also, not sure if in Vietnam the fillets of pork are cheaper? That particular cut of meat is incredibly expensive in Australia but in China it is very cheap. The kilojoule content isn't high for such a good protein source and filling meal. Hopefully it is cheap there too :) I have been feeding us roast pork with carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms and it's cheap both on calories and cash.

    Breakfast cereal is uber expensive here - so it's back to rolled oats which isn't as bad. But yeah, the fruits and finding some non-sugary yoghurt has helped as well - quite a filling meal particularly when you sprinkle 20g or so of rolled oats on top.

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