I'm trying to plan my first week (I'm having it start Monday, so I'll easily be able to go pick up food from Walmart next time my Grandma and I go into the town with the walmart... )... and not sure exactly how to go about it.

I mean... I now have a pretty steady schedule for the day... so I'd like a steady food schedule as well. I'm going to be making my lunches to have them ready for the day.

However... I work at a fast food restaurant.

Yeah... perfect place for someone on a diet to work.

I usually work at least 5 hour shifts... and while I could bring my own food... half of the time it's nicer and easier to just get something there. However... they don't have calorie listings because while it IS a chain restaurant, there are like... five total restaurants.


So... thoughts on that?


AND... how do you guys plan your day's food?

I don't plan my day's food. I plan for a week or two when I go shopping. I find a few healthy recipes I want to make for the week (I eat a lot of leftovers) and I buy the ingredients for that, pick up enough fruit for the week (whatever is on sale) a three pack of romaine lettuce, a couple tomatoes, a big european cuke, some salad dressing if I need it, replenish my oatmeal or special K supply, eggs and bread, a family pack of boneless chicken breasts if I'm out... And that's about it. Sometimes I pick up yogurt, fat free cottage cheese, sugar free fudgesicles...

And then I just go by whatever I feel like eating that day. Usually it's either a poached egg on toast, special k, or oatmeal with peanutbutter for breakfast, either a chicken caesar salad or a tuna pita and salad for lunch, and then one of the recipes I'm making that week for dinner, or leftovers from the last time I cooked a recipe for dinner.

For snacks I eat yogurt, fruit, air popped popcorn, these one hundred calorie granola bars I love, cottage cheese with canned peaches on top...

And that's about it.

Oh I also try to have a box of whole wheat penne, whole wheat spaghetti, and a bag of spinach in the house too, and while I don't shop for this on a weekly basis, I always have like fifty cans of assorted tomatoes/tomato products: marinara, stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes with chilis, crushed, etc etc etc because I cook with them A LOT. Also I keep short grain brown rice in the house, but I buy that in like six month supplies at a time so.

I also work at a diner, so I feel your pain about working around food. But I work it into my calories to have a small veggie pizza once a week, I make it there and measure out the cheese. I eat the whole thing, PILED with veggies and it feels decadent. And often times a couple times a week I get too lazy to bring my food with me and eat a six inch ham italian with lots of veggies, one piece of cheese and no mayo. I just figure it into my calories.

Other times I bring a chicken breast with me to work raw and slap in on the grill so I can have it fresh over my salad. So I've tried to find ways to make my workplace an advantage rather than a downfall. But sometimes those burgers are really tempting. LOL

I go through my giant "cookbook" and choose dinner recipes for the week, write out what I need for those, and then stock up on staples like beans, fruits (always apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, strawberries) and veggies (always tomatoes, cukes, lettuce, onions, peppers, carrots). I keep some frozen leftovers from prior weeks for lunches, and breakfasts are usually just fruits and toast. This has been working well for me for the past several weeks, as long as there aren't snacks in the house for my husband or sons. If it's there, I will eat it, so I'm trying to train my husband not to bring the stuff into the house. Good luck to you!

@dudesmom We have a similar method.