relative lack of kitchen?
rajjivahaloh
Posts: 32 Member
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??
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??
4
Replies
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If it is practical to take your microwave, then, sure, do that. Ditto with any of your own foods.
I would forget about logging if it is only for 10 days. That's what I do on holidays, just take a break from logging and weighing.
Make sensible choices about foods and portion sizes and then just get back on the bike when you get home.9 -
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.4
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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.0 -
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 same4 -
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.2
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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.1
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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.1 -
What I will bring with me (most can be stored in room):
- canned tuna
- 5-cal jello cups
- cereal "fun sizes"
- almond milk
- mayo
- sourdough bread
- shredded cheese
- small plastic bin for my cheese, eggs, half can of tuna, chicken
- Sweet Treats candies
- Ross dark chocolate with hazelnut
- skim milk powder
- ground coffee beans
- coffee mug
- coffee filter
- milk frother
- pan
- body weight scale
What I will buy there for fridge:- eggs
- possibly roasted chicken
What I can eat out there- Subway turkey sub (no cheese, small amount lite mayo) on whole grain option, all veggies
- prewashed greens mix, bring that and fork to park
What I'm good enough at to get through 10 days:
- knowing what meals and approaches help me move easily through day
What to figure out between now and then- option for 2-6kms walk
- substitute for the frozen meal I currently rely on each day
- which of their "treat" options I will accept, at which point(s) each day (calories of each)
- are there high-protein canned meals, tasty cold, under 350 cals?
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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.4 -
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.1 -
@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!0 -
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 home1
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@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.1 -
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.
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@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!1
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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.0
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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/B001E52WAG1
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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.0 -
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 hours0 -
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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My tub of kitchen gadgets just for me!
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Sounds like an odd situation. I will suggest, though, for the logging...if you don't have the capability of using the app on your phone...keep a notebook and log that way and log into the site when you get home.0
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@rheddmobile Very smart about assessing their regular offers in advance, while I still have internet access! For the most part, a single "meal" there would be close to my entire daily calorie allotment, so I know I will need to decline most. But I'd like to say yes to at least one item (not meal) per day. That will work well. Fruits are smart, but add up very quickly without providing satiation (in my case).
@nooboots I'm realizing that a major issue here is my calorie count. I have my count set for losing one pound per week. Unless I walk 2-6kms in a day (and I often do), MFP puts me at 1200 calories. Most canned meals seem to run about 600 calories. That would allow me two cans of food per day, and nothing else. Currently I'm divvying up my minimum 1200 calories across a wide variety of foods and snacks, so that I feel well. I'll continue looking for ones like @amrluvarr posted that are 400 cals per can. One of those per day, plus a bunch of other stuff, could work (if I can find them in my region).
@amrluvarr Yes, I just some minutes ago thought the same thing, that I could make one of my walks to the store and back. I google mapped that; it would be 30 minutes return. So one walk could be to the store and back for a fresher dish, and another could be to a closer store for picnic items, then to the picnic site. Planning the meals will be very smart. (I bring a bin very similar to that on my trips there, yep!)
@aries68mc It's more the calorie counts from MFP I rely on. So finding out later that I ate 600-800 calories over quota per day, every day for ten days, won't help me
Maybe there's a way for me to print out the calorie counts of my most common ingredients and meals, though, and have that for reference. 1 -
If you can find the Sprague brand soups where you are, their Organic Sweet Potato Soup and Organic Lentil Soup are both good and filling, and less than 300 calories for the whole can.
Good luck - I don't envy your situation! At least it's only for 10 days...0 -
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Does the local library have a book with general calorie counts? To take in your tub.
Nooboots, I am so jealous of the foods you have accessible there. I want Canned Curry!
OP, you have gotten so many suggestions, it’s almost beginning to sound easy. Lol.
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corinasue1143 wrote: »OP, you have gotten so many suggestions, it’s almost beginning to sound easy. Lol.
I can't even begin to express how much I appreciate it all!!! I so didn't want to gain any of the weight back, and am feeling increasingly confident about how I can go about this
Also, calorie counter book from library, thank you! I will look.
@SueSueDio It looks like I might have access to Sprague stuff!!0 -
corinasue1143 wrote: »
Nooboots, I am so jealous of the foods you have accessible there. I want Canned Curry!
I'm in Canada now, and I do miss some of the stuff I used to buy at Tesco!
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Just a thought, take a pack of anti-bacterial wipes with you. Might just help you with the struggle if you do end up having to use something from your host kitchen. Settles the mind a little if you know that at least the square foot of space is food safe.
I send my best wishes to you on getting through the 10 days and back to your own kitchen.2
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