Losing weight at camp!

Hey everyone!

I’ve been hired as a horse wrangler at a summer camp full time and I’m wondering if anyone has any tips and tricks for continuing to lose weight while over there? Obviously it’s much harder to choose your meals when a mass feeding of campers is happening with food that needs to be cheaper.

I’m all for the slow weight loss and just trying to remain steady in my calorie deficient but it will be much harder when I’m not picking the menu.

Thanks for your thoughts!!!

Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I would have thought you'd have increased activity which would counteract not being able to control food - is this not the case?

    When I was at a canoeing camp they shoved calorie dense food like peanut butter and cheese at us all day long because we needed the extra calories from being more active than usual.
  • twelstand
    twelstand Posts: 18 Member
    I guess that does kind of depend on if your exercise is higher than what you would normally do at home, for instance it may stay the same if you do a lot of hiking or running. again the food side kind of depends, do you have a set meal every time or do you choose from a selection. in either case i would just try to stay away from foods that aren't as good for you, though if this isn't possible maybe try to have a smaller portion of it.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    twelstand wrote: »
    I guess that does kind of depend on if your exercise is higher than what you would normally do at home, for instance it may stay the same if you do a lot of hiking or running. again the food side kind of depends, do you have a set meal every time or do you choose from a selection. in either case i would just try to stay away from foods that aren't as good for you, though if this isn't possible maybe try to have a smaller portion of it.

    What foods do you consider these to be?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    twelstand wrote: »
    I guess that does kind of depend on if your exercise is higher than what you would normally do at home, for instance it may stay the same if you do a lot of hiking or running. again the food side kind of depends, do you have a set meal every time or do you choose from a selection. in either case i would just try to stay away from foods that aren't as good for you, though if this isn't possible maybe try to have a smaller portion of it.

    She's going to be working as a wrangler...her activity and calorie expenditure will far exceed that of someone doing some exercise...she's going to physically be busting her *kitten* well beyond going for a run or a hike.
  • twelstand
    twelstand Posts: 18 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    twelstand wrote: »
    I guess that does kind of depend on if your exercise is higher than what you would normally do at home, for instance it may stay the same if you do a lot of hiking or running. again the food side kind of depends, do you have a set meal every time or do you choose from a selection. in either case i would just try to stay away from foods that aren't as good for you, though if this isn't possible maybe try to have a smaller portion of it.

    She's going to be working as a wrangler...her activity and calorie expenditure will far exceed that of someone doing some exercise...she's going to physically be busting her *kitten* well beyond going for a run or a hike.

    got you! sorry i am from the UK so not to clued up on that im afraid :)

  • twelstand
    twelstand Posts: 18 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    twelstand wrote: »
    I guess that does kind of depend on if your exercise is higher than what you would normally do at home, for instance it may stay the same if you do a lot of hiking or running. again the food side kind of depends, do you have a set meal every time or do you choose from a selection. in either case i would just try to stay away from foods that aren't as good for you, though if this isn't possible maybe try to have a smaller portion of it.

    What foods do you consider these to be?

    I would consider these foods to be simple and refined carbs as definite for a high exercise job. simple carbs such as cookies, cake, energy drinks and milks will be digested and used by the body very quickly, leading to hunger and tiredness a lot quicker. refined carbs such as white pasta and rice have essentially had most beneficial nutrients stripped from them. in a meal i try to have 50 percent of it as complex carbs such as potato, wholegrain rice pasta or bread. complex carbs are slowly digested by the body giving you a steady energy supply, keeping you feeling fuller and more energized throughout the day. carbs are your go to macro nutrient for the body to turn into energy, followed by fat and then protein. in a high energy job, you do not want your body to be running out of carbs too quickly.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    twelstand wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    twelstand wrote: »
    I guess that does kind of depend on if your exercise is higher than what you would normally do at home, for instance it may stay the same if you do a lot of hiking or running. again the food side kind of depends, do you have a set meal every time or do you choose from a selection. in either case i would just try to stay away from foods that aren't as good for you, though if this isn't possible maybe try to have a smaller portion of it.

    What foods do you consider these to be?

    I would consider these foods to be simple and refined carbs as definite for a high exercise job. simple carbs such as cookies, cake, energy drinks and milks will be digested and used by the body very quickly, leading to hunger and tiredness a lot quicker. refined carbs such as white pasta and rice have essentially had most beneficial nutrients stripped from them. in a meal i try to have 50 percent of it as complex carbs such as potato, wholegrain rice pasta or bread. complex carbs are slowly digested by the body giving you a steady energy supply, keeping you feeling fuller and more energized throughout the day. carbs are your go to macro nutrient for the body to turn into energy, followed by fat and then protein. in a high energy job, you do not want your body to be running out of carbs too quickly.

    That doesn't make those foods "bad for you". It just means having balance in the context of an overall diet is a good thing. I think it is faulty to use terms like "good" and "bad" when referring to foods. There are foods that support a person's goals and there are foods that don't. But there are not "good" foods and "bad" foods. And your preferences for the % of complex carbs are not universal.

    Additionally, how satisfied and for how long a person is with what they eat is also largely influenced by what proteins and fats they consume at the same time. It's not just the carbs.
  • KrissFlavored
    KrissFlavored Posts: 327 Member
    edited May 2020
    Dont you think that advice seems kind of pointless?

    Stay away from bad foods? Lol

    So.. it's a camp, do you really believe that there is going to be a buffet station of foods that are high complex carbs with brown rice and whole grains?

    Or do you think it's going to be a place with a food budget and meals are prepared and you eat what is given?

    What if lunch is a sandwich and white bread is the only option? Should she not eat the bread? Just scoop out the contents in the middle?

    At supper time, if its spaghetti and that's the only option should she not eat that because they didnt use whole wheat pasta?

    Which do you think would make her hungrier faster? Eating the plate of spaghetti or sucking the tomato sauce off the noodles and passing on them because the camp couldnt be bothered to cook meals for a group using complex carb options cause they're "bad"
  • twelstand
    twelstand Posts: 18 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    twelstand wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    twelstand wrote: »
    I guess that does kind of depend on if your exercise is higher than what you would normally do at home, for instance it may stay the same if you do a lot of hiking or running. again the food side kind of depends, do you have a set meal every time or do you choose from a selection. in either case i would just try to stay away from foods that aren't as good for you, though if this isn't possible maybe try to have a smaller portion of it.

    What foods do you consider these to be?

    I would consider these foods to be simple and refined carbs as definite for a high exercise job. simple carbs such as cookies, cake, energy drinks and milks will be digested and used by the body very quickly, leading to hunger and tiredness a lot quicker. refined carbs such as white pasta and rice have essentially had most beneficial nutrients stripped from them. in a meal i try to have 50 percent of it as complex carbs such as potato, wholegrain rice pasta or bread. complex carbs are slowly digested by the body giving you a steady energy supply, keeping you feeling fuller and more energized throughout the day. carbs are your go to macro nutrient for the body to turn into energy, followed by fat and then protein. in a high energy job, you do not want your body to be running out of carbs too quickly.

    That doesn't make those foods "bad for you". It just means having balance in the context of an overall diet is a good thing. I think it is faulty to use terms like "good" and "bad" when referring to foods. There are foods that support a person's goals and there are foods that don't. But there are not "good" foods and "bad" foods. And your preferences for the % of complex carbs are not universal.

    Additionally, how satisfied and for how long a person is with what they eat is also largely influenced by what proteins and fats they consume at the same time. It's not just the carbs.

    Yes you are right I'll hold my hands up to that it isn't necessarily classed as bad foods, I guess I mean they can be bad for you if consumed excessively.

    Yes it's not universal but I generally use that as an average as of course it can be less.
    I of course don't claim to know everything or that I am one hundred percent correct. Only what I was taught
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    twelstand wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    twelstand wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    twelstand wrote: »
    I guess that does kind of depend on if your exercise is higher than what you would normally do at home, for instance it may stay the same if you do a lot of hiking or running. again the food side kind of depends, do you have a set meal every time or do you choose from a selection. in either case i would just try to stay away from foods that aren't as good for you, though if this isn't possible maybe try to have a smaller portion of it.

    What foods do you consider these to be?

    I would consider these foods to be simple and refined carbs as definite for a high exercise job. simple carbs such as cookies, cake, energy drinks and milks will be digested and used by the body very quickly, leading to hunger and tiredness a lot quicker. refined carbs such as white pasta and rice have essentially had most beneficial nutrients stripped from them. in a meal i try to have 50 percent of it as complex carbs such as potato, wholegrain rice pasta or bread. complex carbs are slowly digested by the body giving you a steady energy supply, keeping you feeling fuller and more energized throughout the day. carbs are your go to macro nutrient for the body to turn into energy, followed by fat and then protein. in a high energy job, you do not want your body to be running out of carbs too quickly.

    That doesn't make those foods "bad for you". It just means having balance in the context of an overall diet is a good thing. I think it is faulty to use terms like "good" and "bad" when referring to foods. There are foods that support a person's goals and there are foods that don't. But there are not "good" foods and "bad" foods. And your preferences for the % of complex carbs are not universal.

    Additionally, how satisfied and for how long a person is with what they eat is also largely influenced by what proteins and fats they consume at the same time. It's not just the carbs.

    Yes you are right I'll hold my hands up to that it isn't necessarily classed as bad foods, I guess I mean they can be bad for you if consumed excessively.

    Yes it's not universal but I generally use that as an average as of course it can be less.
    I of course don't claim to know everything or that I am one hundred percent correct. Only what I was taught

    There's no reason why someone working a physically active job can't have a cookie or a glass of milk as part of a balanced diet. Obviously nobody should be eating anything to "excess."
  • twelstand
    twelstand Posts: 18 Member
    Dont you think that advice seems kind of pointless?

    Stay away from bad foods? Lol

    So.. it's a camp, do you really believe that there is going to be a buffet station of foods that are high complex carbs with brown rice and whole grains?

    Or do you think it's going to be a place with a food budget and meals are prepared and you eat what is given?

    What if lunch is a sandwich and white bread is the only option? Should she not eat the bread? Just scoop out the contents in the middle?

    At supper time, if its spaghetti and that's the only option should she not eat that because they didnt use whole wheat pasta?

    Which do you think would make her hungrier faster? Eating the plate of spaghetti or sucking the tomato sauce off the noodles and passing on them because the camp couldnt be bothered to cook meals for a group using complex carb options cause they're "bad"

    I'm guessing that reply is to me!
    I am afraid I don't know what it's like at summer camps etc, hence why I was asking what it was like!
    Of course I wouldn't suggest that! I wasn't giving definite advice as I was asking questions. I was saying that's what I would do if the option was available but I didn't know at all what it would be like
  • twelstand
    twelstand Posts: 18 Member
    I'd just like to say to everyone that what I said was only in my opinion and not something that should definitely be followed. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I stated what I did as this is what has worked for.