What gets you through the day?? On any phase?

My real question is... with a new job I don't know what to take/eat/buy for lunches.

What would you tell me to pack up and have?

What do you eat on days you can't go out and days you eat out... what do you eat?

I am on phase "1.5". I find having a couple of go-to lunches works for me. It is always either leftovers from dinner or soup and salad. I make a huge pot of soup every weekend and it lasts me the week. I freeze any leftovers. My soups are usully just broth, maybe a can of V8, tons of veggies and a protein source like beans, veggies or (this week) shrimp/crabmeat. My salad is just mixed greens (spring mix) and whatever other veggies I feel like throwing in, and usually a little cheese. For tomorrow to go with my seafood "gumbo" I have greens, tomatoes and lf blue cheese. I also have a serving of fresh fruit with lunch, usually berries or an apple.

I always pack it the night before or else there is no way I have time in the morning.

On the very rare occasion I don't have a lunch, I will opt for a salad from Wendy's or Subway, sometimes with a small chili from Wendy's. I pick out all the croutons and other non-SB friendly toppings. In restaurants I opt for grilled fish or shrimp and veggies with a side salad. I have come to realize I cannot step foot in a buffet-style restaurant, even the diet-friendly ones like Souper Salad. I just go overboard.

My biggest issue is breakfast. I rarely have time to prepare anything and I often eat on my way to work (50 minute communte). Somedays, I grab a serving of nuts. Most days it is two Morningstar Farms sausage patties. Once in a while I will have time for oatmeal or something prepared like an omlette.

Hope this helps!

When I'm running late and can't sit down for breakfast I grab:
a LF cheese stick and v8
almonds and v8
turkey/cheese roll ups and v8

I always bring lunch from home, and 99% of the time it's whatever we had for dinner last night. I've got access to a refrigerator and a microwave so leftovers are easy. When I clean up after the meal I package the leftovers as single servings so they're ready to grab in the morning. I've got single servings of soup and chili in the freezer too, so I can grab one of those if we don't have leftovers. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a salad or something other than leftovers, but I almost always pack it up the night before. I bring a yogurt and a SF jello or pudding every day too. I eat the yogurt most days but I'll carry the same jello back and forth all week sometimes. There's something about knowing I've got a dessert if I want it that keeps me from drooling over the candy and stuff that's always sitting around in our break room.

I keep nuts, cans of v8, a foil packet of tuna and a can of B&M no sugar added baked beans in my desk in case I ever spill/lose/forget my lunch or for some reason can't get home for dinner. I also keep SF gum in my desk and I pop a piece in my mouth before going to the break room or meetings where I know there will be junk that might tempt me.

I can't help you on the eating out. I teach school so once I enter that door in the morning I don't leave until after the last bus has gone for the day. lol

I almost always take microwavable leftovers. I also keep the foil packets of tuna, single serve Greek yogurt, single serve hummus, baggies of carrots & celery, single serve almonds (I'm into portioned food ), a piece of fruit (apple or orange usually), babybels, individual applesauce cups. I also have an emergency drawer that has cans of Lundberg beans & brown rice, very boring but if I get stuck at the office with no food and no time to run out they're better than ordering something bad in.

First of all eat a good breakfast to start your day, so you're not starving in a couple hours. Can you eat this at home? If not, do you have a refrigerator or microwave at work. You can warm up leftovers for breakfast or bring boiled eggs, RF cheese stick or some other protein. I always drink a glass of V8 in the morning before leaving for work so I have something in my stomach right away.

I always take a foil pack of salmon or tuna, or some other protein like deli turkey or roast beef or boiled egg. Also a RF cheese stick, my greek yogurt, large salad and fruit for lunch on Phase II. Occasionally I eat soup or chili, but usually stick to the same lunch daily. I sometimes eat the RF cheese stick or egg mid-morning if I get hungry and it keeps me going. I love veggies with hummus and like that for a snack between meals. A serving of nuts would also work well. Leftovers from supper the night before is also a great idea. If you can make large servings, you only have to cook a few nights a week. I love coming home from work and being able to reheat leftovers so I don't have to cook that night. I usually steam some veggies to go with my leftovers since that doesn't take very long.

I stay OP best if I eat the same menus for breakfast and lunch most days, and have several easy go-to meals that I rely on for dinner most days.

Okay. I can eat breakfast and home and I am in a routine of celery and 2 boiled eggs (only 1 yolk). I also got V8 today and its pretty good. I could do V8 and eggs too. I am an early riser and this job doesn't start until 9 so I have plenty of time to sit, check in and have a good breakfast.

I am following Hello Nurse's advice and I am in the process of making a HUGE pot of vegetable and bean soup. It smells amazing.

I love the idea of tuna packets and just get a salad or bring a salad and put it on last minute.

Do people at work complain about tuna or boiled egg smells?

They are used to me eating it and don't complain at all. I make sure I have sugar-free gum to chew after eating something smelly!

I eat breakfast at home. My breakfast is somewhat of a progression though. I drink my sf latte early in the morning while I do morning cleaning and getting kids ready for school. Once they are gone I have my real breakfast and this varies. Eggs/toast or oatmeal and some type of protein. I have to be at work at 9am most mornings. I usually eat a snack of some type of veggie like cherry tomatoes, snap peas, or celery with either cheese or turkey pepperoni.

Sometimes I get a second small sf latte at work for my morning snack if I feel I need more caffeine. I allow myself two and no sodas or one and a soda.

I get lunch about 1pm. I live about 5 minutes from my job, so most days I come home and eat lunch. It is either leftovers, salad, or something like that. If I go out to lunch then I always have a salad. The places that would be close enough to go at lunch aren't very SBD friendly except for salads.

My afternoon snack is usually some kind of nuts and maybe some cheese. Sometimes I do celery with laughing cow and or hummus instead of nuts.

I usually drink a small glass of milk with some sf syrup(very little syrup less than a tsp just to give it a non milk taste) when I get home because this is the time in the past I have always snacked. This helps to get me through cooking and not tasteing and keeps me from trying to snack.

I really try to get in my 3 servings of dairy because of so much osteoporosis in my family. If I don't have the second sf latte I might do yogurt for dessert at night. I rarely eat dessert. Sometimes instead of yogurt I make myself a cup hot cocoa with milk.

Tammie

Tammie, make sure you're supplementing with Vit D too. You can consume lots of calcium and it won't have any effect unless you're getting adequate D, also Vit K and Magnesium.

Me, too. I start my morning with coffee and 3FC. My BF is a protein/greens smoothie and a handful of vitamins. I'll sometimes take 1/2 Ezekial english muffin w/almond butter and an apple with me for midmorning.

I cook and dice chicken in large quantities and freeze it. I also chop 3-4 days worth of salad veggies everything I can think of. Lunch is a large mixed salad topped with chix, beans and my favorite lite Blue cheese dressing which is mixed with fresh salsa.

Dinners depend on my mood, but DH loves pizza so I always have Ezekial tortillas on hand to top with pizza ingredients. I have a pressure cooker which makes for easy soups, beans, lentils, etc.

I don't snack so much anymore, but always have SF pudding or jello on hand just in case. I also have the stock of string cheese, laughing cow and baybel for snacking. I do fit a serving of FF greek yogurt in my day somewhere, though.

Yum, that's sounds really good. I may have to try this!

Lexxiss- Don't your veggies wilt after a couple days? I cut stuff and I have to eat it that same day because all of my stuff gets floppy and wilted =(

Anne I take a vitamin supplement with magnesium and vit d. I need to look up this ezekial breads and tortillas. I hear people talking about this.

Thanks for the info!!

Tammie

So here is what I put in my new cooler:

1 string cheese
1 individual bag of almonds
1 bag with cherry tomatoes
large salad with salsa for dressing
bowl of veggie soup made with V8
Crystal light packets and Stevia packets

Sound good for the day? Or too much?

Looks good, AJ. My veggies seem ok in a tupperware-cauliflower, zucchini, radishes, broccoli, carrots, celery. I can't put cukes or onion in the precut. I keep my lettuces separate.