Hi Gang,

It has been awhile, but I think of you often.

I am writing for some advice on these meal box subscriptions. My life has gotten really busy since my divorce (I am working on my next promotion, cleaning out memories/the condo, and redecorating; in therapy for anxiety, depression and PTSD and working on healing (lots of reading and implementing homework/mindfulness/and getting out) and FINALLY getting out of credit card debt (which was work and research in itself). Anyway, I still love cooking but hate going to the grocery store even more.

I have been looking at meal box subscription services for the 1) efficiency of time and 2) getting rid of one of the most despised activities in my life. I looked at Plated and sort of like it because of the gourmet aspect and disclosure of nutritional information straight out. However, I noticed that most of the selections are VERY caloric (think 790 calories per meal) despite being low carb. So, I think "no problem I will just cut the portion in half or thirds because they are probably extremely big". So I researched the portion size aspect. I read everything from "we have leftovers" to "the portions are small so I eat my husband's portion in the same meal". I looked at the weigh****chers blue apron box but there was not a disclosure of nutritional info in the example I reviewed.

So Community-who is doing/has tried these? What is your experience? How do you prevent regain/bounce back/lose weight when the calories are high? Are you cutting in 1/2s and 1/3rds and if so are you satisfied with that alone or are you supplementing with non-starchy veg?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Hey stranger. It's nice to see a familiar face. I hope all is well.

I have no opinion on meal subscriptions or the like. I have a really narrow range of things I eat, and none of those would remotely work for me.

You have been gone from here a long time.

An extra large freezer, frost free, in a garage, plus making time to cook a bunch of meals at one time is my solution to have meals to choose from. I like to cook, and my problem is too much food. I buy and cook too much, often still forgetting that I eat 2 meals per day and probably 2 snacks.

I buy RTE (ready to eat) meat dishes like roasted chicken, sausage, grilled chicken breast, grilled beef brisket, shrimps, etc. Plus once a week cold cuts, some fresh veggies, and some fruits. On top of that once every 2-3 weeks I spend a day to cook, then portion and freeze for later. On day like that my 2 pressure cookers are going, as I also bake, or roast meats, or veggies. Some of the meals can be easily packed and canned, or freeze. Making things like stews, thick chicken or turkey soups (loaded with meat and veggies) stuffed peppers, meatloaf, pork roast, etc etc. Canned fish, and canned chicken and pork or beef, are easy for when I out of my prepped food. Or just because. Individually vacuum packed and frozen fish fillet, bone broth or stock (chicken or beef) and I can have 20 + different meals that are different from each other.

I.e Costco or Sam's sell roasted chicken for $4.99. I can have 5-6 meals out of that, adding different veggies (cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, fresh salad, etc. etc etc). Avocado is my staple for good fat.

Having stock or bone broth, I can make homemade egg drop chicken, that is very light and nourishing for days I have small pouch, or need to eat something when it is late, and I don't want anything heavy. Adding some cubed avocado, and fresh ( or fresh frozen) dill changes slightly the nutritional numbers. If i don't have avocado, I may add some ghee or even butter to add little more fat to my diet.

Planning ahead can make a difference.

I am allergic to dairy proteins, but cheese sticks, cheese, or cream cheese and cold cuts can add variation to the diet.

I like that idea of doing freezer type meals. Probably is way more cost effective a portioned to my size.

Are you still eating on the FODMOP?

Thanks for the ideas. With so many people describing "freezer meal" prep on the internet, it is not as if I have to go out an buy another book to clutter up my condo...

:)

For a while I abandoned the Low FODMAP diet. I was a very low weight and I needed to gain some. I gained and I gained bit too much, but what is worse, I think I further damaged my instestain ligning, creating a leaky gut syndrome and causing a lot of arthritis-like pain.

I stopped the damage before it was really too late, and since september I have been back on even more restricted diet, with absolutely no alcohol, and not only Low FODMAP, but also low AIP low FODMAP type diet. (avoiding night shades)

I lost 30 lbs of my regain and 10 more.. I am trying to add more starches to stop losing and even gain some.

It is often challenging, but abandoning the good for me diet resulted in so much pain and discomfort, that I don't have problem not eating foods that later on cause a lot of pain.

It took me a year to damage my insides, so it may take me 2 years to repair some of the damage.

I'm OK with that. i have time. I found starchy vegetables like tarro, sweet potatoes, malanga blanca, Jicama, and Yucca, that I can add to my food, adding some starches. For now I stopped the weight loss. My portions are still limited by the size of my pouch, and I am often not hungry and can't eat first thing am. I often eat from 12 until 8 pm.

In 2002, I won a prize from a company called e-meals. It was a week's worth of frozen meals for two people. They arrived frozen and packed in dry ice. The meals were great quality and very well presented. There were great directions to make them easy to heat up and have on the table in minutes.

At the time my husband and I ate out almost every night. We both worked more than 12 hours a day and did not want the hassle of shopping, cooking, and cleaning up. A few times we ate the emeals but most of the time decided we would rather go out.

Probably 50% of those emeals ended up in the garbage when I cleaned the freezer out a few months later.

I know that the modern plans are much better, but it is not a savings unless you actually are going to eat the food. I now eat almost every meal at home. I prepare enough for two days. I do use the food saver to freeze meat in the portions that I will use.

Eating in a restaurant is a waste of money for me. I bring home more than half the meal and usually dont eat it. I try to plan to just cook enough and not throw food away. It is basically a hassle for me and sometimes I wish they would invent a pill that I could just take instead of eating.

On the pill YES! I love the idea of fresh fruit and veg but not it turning into a compost pile in the fridge! Hence, I am always swinging by "Whole Paycheck" which is on my walk to the train station (i.e. I dont have to blow precious time driving to the grocer) about 2-3 times per week.

I looked into a HungerHarvest (the fruit and vegetable box which saves ugly fruits and veggies) and the standard box was insane in volume. Plus, there was a 3.99 delivery fee because I was not buying the $30.00 box. Excuse me? That is enough to feed 4-6 people! SO I feel a discriminated against because 1) I am single and 2) dont eat a lot. Guess Whole Paycheck continues to get my $$$.

I have cut down shopping time by ordering my pantry items on line. I place my order for staples....everything from soup to nuts, plus paper goods, detergents, pet food and supplies, etc., etc., etc. .... then drive to Walmart and my order is brought out and loaded into my car. I stock up for the month. Then I check the grocery flyers to see what meats, seafood deli items and veggies are on sale, and make a quick weekly trip for those few items.

I have a vacuum sealer and freeze meals and portions of meat for future use. When I cook, I always freeze the extras.

Planning ahead makes all the difference.

I didnt know that walmart offered that service! They are right around the corner from me and since these ingredients are staples, they will not perish waiting for me to get home from work. Notably, groupon has a thingy for v *** sealing bags...

Thanks for the idea!

i agree on the organize and freeze stuff. I do that now and it is very easy. I have chicken burgers cut to my portion size, pork, turkey, smoked chicken.... All fozen in ziplock bags and ready to go. Works great. I do throw some away if they get buried and get freezer burned, but overall works well for me.

On the topic of the pre-made delivered meals. I did many of them pre-surgery and even did one program as part of my supervised weight loss program. They are kinda of fun - as you get a much wider variety then you'd ever make for yourself. I found the average program diet like Seattle Sutton had way too many sugars and carbs. However, I just saw that the company has rebranded and looks much healthier. Either way - any of the programs will require you to pick and chose the combinations. Since we have smaller stomachs, that works well as a perfect meal can be broken down and recombined with other subcomponents. Overall, they are very expensive, but I did find some of them pretty interesting. The best one I was on is gone now, but they focused on the Zone diet, which was much lower in overall carbs (maybe better to frame them as "balanced") and most programs allow you to customize a little. DO NOT DO programs like Jenny Craig or Nutrasystem. Dear god were they terrible and not healthy at all. Stay fresh prepared, if you go this route.