Barely making 500cals a day...

[livemoorestrong]

I work for a state agency and they do all of our cooking. The huge problem is I'm extremely picky and a ovo-lacto vegetarian. It wasn't such a big deal when I didn't live here but now i have minimum control over my diet. We are not allowed to have appliances in our cabins or store any food.

The kitchen is manned by culinary students and the quality of food has gotten better since I came here, but I don't eat meat substitutes and that is making it more difficult for them apparently.

I'm currently stashing food in my car to eat just to get me through the day, it is rough.
I recently began lifting heavy again and I know that this is going to stand in my way. I'm looking for a solution.

I've been mulling this over for months now and I'm looking for an outside perspective.

[freebirdmac]

Well, you either starve or eat more of the food provided. While I appreciate the various reasons people have for limiting their diets, starving over it defeats any reasons. You can go back to your preferred diet when you're able to.

[Da_Jtac_0]

bring protein shales, protein bars, and other prepared foods into your room. get frozen veggies if you have a freezer and micro.

[rockangel]

Well, you either starve or eat more of the food provided. While I appreciate the various reasons people have for limiting their diets, starving over it defeats any reasons. You can go back to your preferred diet when you're able to.

I agree with this. I understand chosing a diet and trying to stick to it, but there is absolutely no sense in starving your body because of your choice. It probably isnt feasabile for them to cater to everyones diet, and provided that the food is relatively healhty and nutritious (not fried everything and not healthy) then i too would recommend eating what is provided and going back on your diet of choice when you can.

I mean, if you are not getting barely 500 cals, you are eventually not going to be able to do your job as your body WILL start to slow down your metabolism (and therefore your energy) and you wont be able to continue lifting heavy.

Personally, i would do and suggest that you back off your limits, eat at least some of the food they provided, and get other food from your stash in your car. But getting not even 500 is very bad for you.

[livemoorestrong]

I'll eat what they have if I can stomach it but I learned long ago not to force it down or it'll force it's way back up. I had found a healthy medium and started eating mostly the same things every day and then I became intolerant to those things.

Such as oatmeal. I love it but once I started eating it every morning my stomach hated me.

[freebirdmac]

I'll eat what they have if I can stomach it but I learned long ago not to force it down or it'll force it's way back up. I had found a healthy medium and started eating mostly the same things every day and then I became intolerant to those things.

Such as oatmeal. I love it but once I started eating it every morning my stomach hated me.

That's not intolerance. That's your body reacting to a higher fiber diet :)

One does not become intolerant from eating the same foods. If an intolerance exists, you may not realize it until you have consumed enough of the offending foods often enough. So eating them didn't cause it, the problem already existed. In the case of foods high in fiber, you have to train your body to adjust to higher levels. It's a bit trickier when there are underlying conditions like IBS, but doable.

It's always better to have a variety in your diet but sometimes you just can't avoid it. I have a long list of food allergy/intolerances so I do eat the same thing day after day. For years. Boring as hell too.

In your current situation you don't have the luxury of being able to do an elimination type diet to find out exactly which foods are really your problem foods, or work on any psychological issues that may have turned you off other foods. Heck, they could be related. Right now you're stuck and have to make do with what's available. Even I'd eat stuff I know I'd react to if it meant being able to survive.

[toodlepip]

At the very least could you get a little shaker and some protein powder?

[livemoorestrong]

I definitely consume protein shakes and it helps add to my daily intake.

Thanks for the fiber lesson :). I'll take it slower and hopefully it works out. Eating something hot for breakfast improves my overall mood for the day.

[Linds33]

I'll eat what they have if I can stomach it but I learned long ago not to force it down or it'll force it's way back up. I had found a healthy medium and started eating mostly the same things every day and then I became intolerant to those things.

Such as oatmeal. I love it but once I started eating it every morning my stomach hated me.

I can understand that your body may react to certain things like meat if you haven't had it in a while. I have a good friend who is a lacto-ovo vegeterian and has been for a while. She will get very sick if she ends up consuming meat or products that contain meats (usually is accidental, like if she has beans that have lard in them). I have also spoken to former vegeterians who have told me that when they started to add meat back into their diet, it took them about a year before they were able to consume meat and not get sick.

But that doesn't mean you should starve! You said that you cannot have appliances in your cabins, but do you have access to boiling water? Can you use a small camping stove outside of the cabins? If so, why not invest in some good vegeterian MRE (Meals ready to eat) designed for campers? All you have to do is add boiling water, let them sit for a few minutes, and then eat right from the pouch. Mary Janes Outpost is a great source for getting good organic vegeterian and vegan MREs. They taste great and are made from simple ingredients so your body should adapt to them pretty easily. This can help you get in some extra calories each day. You could also invest in a small ultralight camping stove and a small titanium pot and pan that you could use outside to boil water, and maybe even fry an egg on. May sound silly, but it is fast, easy and actually convenient.

I am a Pesceterian (i only eat fish, and will eat eggs/dairy from known sources) and I am a backcountry hiker/camper. My BF and I also shy away from meat substitutes like soy but we still manage to get in enough calories on a regular basis and especially when we are hiking and camping. I always carry a small snowpeak stove with some fuel, a small frying pan and a titanium cup on me to boil water. I could probably cook a few dozen meals with just that. We use MREs a lot as well as protein bars/larabars/probars to ensure we are getting enough calories.

[saltyqld]

What are you actually eating?

You can keep cans of beans around to add to salads. You can eat nuts, and dried fruit. They're all shelf stable.

How about peanut butter & jelly sandwiches & fruit?

I'm vegan, and I know it can be difficult at times, but if it comes down to it I'll totally slam down a stack of sandwiches to get enough food.

[livemoorestrong]

Linds33 That is an absolutely brilliant idea. I never would have considered MRE's and obtaining a bit of camping gear wouldn't be difficult.

What I'm currently eating...

I'm in the store multiple times a week buying fruit, nuts, veggies, bread. I already consume a lot of peanut butter sandwiches. Sometimes I feel like I'm 5 with my eating habits.