relative lack of kitchen?

rajjivahaloh
rajjivahaloh Posts: 32 Member
edited July 2019 in Food and Nutrition
At home, I've let go of 12 lbs over the last two months, nearly effortlessly. I simply increased my protein, portioned my meals, tracked my calories, took up coffee, and walked lots. So far, so good!

Soon I'll stay in someone else's home for about 10 days. My current system will be inaccessible.

The differences:

1. No internet: No option to look up calories as I go, put them into MFP, etc.

2. No microwave. Especially in the summer's heat, microwave has been super helpful in my weight loss. I buy delicious, pre-portioned, higher protein meals for super cheap and nuke 'em. Done!

3. Limited options for walking.

4. They eat and offer almost entirely high calorie starchy foods.

5. The kitchen is quite dirty (uncomfortable for me to prepare foods in; I clean it 2-4x per day, but within minutes it's dirty again).

So far my plan is:

a. Bring my skim milk powder frother with me, as that gives me a lovely coffee twice a day.

b. Bring lots of my nonperishable grocery staples (low-cal jello cups, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, sample size cereals, etc).

c. Walk the limited option available.

d. I'm thinking maybe I should bring my microwave and nuke stuff in my room, even...

Question:

What else can I do to maintain my success while there??
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Replies

  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    What about an electric skillet? I have made a lot of things in one including boiling water. I have a small one that I use a lot for bacon and eggs.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    rajjivahaloh wrote: »
    A

    5. The kitchen is quite dirty (uncomfortable for me to prepare foods in; I clean it 2-4x per day, but within minutes it's dirty again).

    Explain, please.
  • nooboots
    nooboots Posts: 480 Member
    MelanieCN77 wrote: »
    rajjivahaloh wrote: »
    A

    5. The kitchen is quite dirty (uncomfortable for me to prepare foods in; I clean it 2-4x per day, but within minutes it's dirty again).

    Explain, please.

    Sounds as if its a shared hostel/house thing and then people are using the kitchen, leaving a load of stuff everywhere, not clearing up after they prepare something and so OP goes out there to try to prepare some food, is met with mess and doesnt feel like doing anything. I would feel the same
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    There's a difference between a messy counter and a dirty kitchen you won't use at all, though. My question is if why she won't use it if she's cleaning it 2-4x each day. And if not using it why clean? For ten days I'd suck it up and clean where I prepped, if it meant eating the foods I wanted.
  • CarolPre
    CarolPre Posts: 1,842 Member
    Can you take hard boiled eggs to keep in their refrigerator? Good protein, not a lot of calories and filling. I take them whenever we go on a trip.
  • rajjivahaloh
    rajjivahaloh Posts: 32 Member
    Thank you very, very much everyone!! It really helps to be able to talk about this.

    @nooboots is correct re: what happens in the kitchen, and speaks to the (yucky) lived experience very well! @MelanieCN77 I'm not in charge of others' use, so I clean it thoroughly, and may ***or may not*** have next access to it. I may spend 60 minutes washing the dishes and clearing and washing the counters, and just as I'm finishing, the owner wanders in to cover them and dirty them again. At that point I'm banned from the kitchen until they're done, at which point I start over. Repeat multiple times per day. This is one of those facts of life some people need to work around, not control.

    @CarolPre Yes! That's a great, smart strategy. I do have access to about 5x6x6 inches in the fridge, and boiled eggs will certainly fit there. Thank you!

    @Annie_01 I like the idea of an electric skillet, that I can keep clean and set OVER the mess. Nice one!

    @paperpudding I'm silly: I realized that even though I could bring my microwave, I won't have freezer space for the frozen meals I use it for. D'oh! With no option to log, you're right that I'll simply have to do my best re: calories and portion sizes.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    MelanieCN77 wrote: »
    There's a difference between a messy counter and a dirty kitchen you won't use at all, though. My question is if why she won't use it if she's cleaning it 2-4x each day. And if not using it why clean? For ten days I'd suck it up and clean where I prepped, if it meant eating the foods I wanted.

    You, personally, might ‘suck it up’ but you really can’t project your own standards and sensitivities onto others. If the OP is used to clean, hygienic conditions I fully understand why, especially as it’s obviously an experience they have suffered through before, they are dreading this aspect of their upcoming stay.
    Back in my youth and uni days I suffered the abject horrors of group living with people who’d not been raised with the same standards or were just plain lazy. The unrelenting grease, mess and filth of a communal kitchen actually caused me to eat nothing but canned goods (beans, mushrooms, corn etc) in my room straight from the can for months at a time.

    To the OP - as it’s only 10 days it sounds like your plans will get you through. Maybe buy lean deli meats, houmus and prepacked deli salads and greens etc and ‘picnic’ in the park to replace your micro meals.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »
    MelanieCN77 wrote: »
    There's a difference between a messy counter and a dirty kitchen you won't use at all, though. My question is if why she won't use it if she's cleaning it 2-4x each day. And if not using it why clean? For ten days I'd suck it up and clean where I prepped, if it meant eating the foods I wanted.

    You, personally, might ‘suck it up’ but you really can’t project your own standards and sensitivities onto others.

    I believe I expressed my preference/opinion on a thread asking for such. I didn't say "you should" anything and asked for more clarification also. After said clarification I am still not sure why they bother cleaning the kitchen and wish the OP best of luck figuring out this idiosyncratic situation.
  • rajjivahaloh
    rajjivahaloh Posts: 32 Member
    @BarbaraHelen2013 Thank you! It's a relief when people understand the issue. At home I keep a very simple, clean, tidy, hygienic kitchen that's a pleasure for me to use. The other situation is quite jarring for me and, as similar ones did for you, kept me out of kitchens for many years, which certainly contributed to poor health. Lack of "accessible" kitchens is a major barrier for many people trying to get healthy. Thank you very much for the additional food ideas that I can take to the park!

    @MelanieCN77 I clean the kitchen for the chance of (sometimes) being able to use it, even to cut up a rotisserie chicken, etc. It's unfortunate that I can't know which post-clean times I'll be able to. Thank you for the good wishes!
  • nooboots
    nooboots Posts: 480 Member
    Its not just the cleaning of it, its walking out there, seeing a ton of mess and quite frankly it would just put me off trying to prepare and cook food. I'd walk out again. Its not pleasant. I think I would just buy pre packed salads/foods with calorie counts on them, write it all down and do your best and just log when you're back settled at home
  • rajjivahaloh
    rajjivahaloh Posts: 32 Member
    @nooboots YES!! For that exact reason, in the past what I've often done there is eat very poorly. Because the kitchen turned my stomach and caused me to lose my appetite, I would just grab (high calorie, low nutrition) things from a cupboard and aim to get by on countless endless calories, sugar to cope, etc. Other times, I actively tried to support my health while there, and that's when I discovered the cleaning conundrum. So now pondering a "third path."

    Aside from the frozen meals I've been having once a day (up to 340 cals each), I don't know what prepackaged foods I could rely on, with no freezer and very minimal fridge space. Ideally there would be some high-nutrient, low calorie canned meals for this time. Struggling to find any.
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
    rajjivahaloh wrote: »
    Ideally there would be some high-nutrient, low calorie canned meals for this time. Struggling to find any.

    There's stuff like canned beef stew, chili, and ravioli. You could wash and keep clean exactly (no more!) what you use yourself. So you could heat a can of this stuff up in your pan, put in your bowl, eat. Wash your pan, wash your bowl and spoon. Done. If the owner doesn't care about the overall kitchen, neither should you. Let them live in filth. You can do better for yourself though.

    Also for extra protein: you could get a container of vanilla protein powder and add a scoop of it to your cereal. It works really well with pretty much any non-chocolate-flavored cereal.

    Good luck! Sounds like a tough situation but if you stay patient and have plenty of alone time, you'll be ok.
  • rajjivahaloh
    rajjivahaloh Posts: 32 Member
    @feisty_bucket Thank you!! Next time I'm in the shops, I'll take a look at the calorie counts on the canned meals, see what are the best I can find. And...BRILLIANT about adding protein powder to stuff like cereal. I have the cereal (80 cal) with almond milk (30 cal) as an occasional treat, to prevent me eating bigger calories. Making it a carrier for protein is a great idea!
  • rajjivahaloh
    rajjivahaloh Posts: 32 Member
    Just looked up Amy's Chili online. The Amy's line is tasty foods with quality ingredients, though non-meat so higher carbohydrate, bringing a can to 600 calories: https://www.amys.com/our-foods/organic-medium-chili I'll keep looking. If I can find a can running at about 300 cals, that would do me nicely. I'd bring my tiny pot with me too, then, for heating my little canned meals. I also have high quality chicken protein powder and beef protein powder and could add some to each.
  • rajjivahaloh
    rajjivahaloh Posts: 32 Member
    Hmmm... This is no fridge, no freezer, no can, 200 calories, 12g protein, and not too bad ingredients: https://www.amazon.com/Dinty-Moore-Beef-9-Ounce-Packages/dp/B001E52WAG
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Don’t forget fresh fruits! No cooking and most are low in calories. Fruits with peels stay good even without refrigeration.

    Also, if you intend to eat small portions of the food they offer, you might log some things you have seen them offer in the past in advance, so that you know the calories and can make educated decisions.
  • nooboots
    nooboots Posts: 480 Member
    rajjivahaloh wrote: »
    @nooboots YES!! For that exact reason, in the past what I've often done there is eat very poorly. Because the kitchen turned my stomach and caused me to lose my appetite, I would just grab (high calorie, low nutrition) things from a cupboard and aim to get by on countless endless calories, sugar to cope, etc. Other times, I actively tried to support my health while there, and that's when I discovered the cleaning conundrum. So now pondering a "third path."

    Aside from the frozen meals I've been having once a day (up to 340 cals each), I don't know what prepackaged foods I could rely on, with no freezer and very minimal fridge space. Ideally there would be some high-nutrient, low calorie canned meals for this time. Struggling to find any.

    Yes soup and tinned foods like beef stew, hot pot, irish stew, chicken in white sauce, etc etc. Curries in a tin (ok, nothing like home made but its only for 10 days).

    I have a thermos food flask and during winter, I pop a tin in the microwave at home (not in the tin obviously), then put it hot in my food flask. The reason is I dont want to use the works microwave or kitchen area. So it means I get a hot filling meal, not too many calories, very satisfying, and the flask stays hot for hours and hours
  • amrluvarr
    amrluvarr Posts: 52 Member
    You could plan out some of your meals in advance so you have an idea of what you are eating. Also, do you have a grocery store close by? You could run out to get what you need daily.

    I follow a very restrictive diet to help manage Crohn’s disease. I haven’t ate out in 2 years so I have to have a kitchen. I think I’m a pro at kitchen surfing now! 🤣 I’m visiting family for a month and the fridge is too small for all of us but the grocery store is 5 minutes away so I run to the store every other day to grab my food. I also try to prep all my food at one time. I may not cook it but I cut the veggies and fruit, marinade my meat and then I only have to cook the meal. I will get up early/stay up late to get my food prepped. I will also bring a plastic tub of my own pots/pans/cooking utensils and favorite seasons and olive oil. I write out my meals in adavance so I don’t have to stress about what I will be eating.

    I hope this helps!

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